Cytoskeleton Modifications and Autophagy Induction in TCam-2 Seminoma Cells Exposed to Simulated Microgravity

Figure 3

Microgravity effect on TCam-2 cell membrane surface. Scanning electron microscopy pictures with increasing magnification showing cell membrane surface morphology of TCam-2 cells cultured for 24 (a, b, c, and d) and 48 hours (i, l) at 1 g or for 24 (e, f, g, and h) and 48 hours (m, n) in RPM culture conditions. In (a) white asterisks indicate TCam-2 cells with smooth membrane surface while the other TCam-2 cells of the same image are characterized by the presence of microvilli-like structures. In (b) the boundary between one smooth membrane and one microvilli membrane presenting cells is reported. (c) and (d) represent higher magnifications of the microvilli-like structures of TCam-2 cells maintained at 1 g. In (e), (f), (g), and (h) it is well evident that, in RPM cultured cells, membrane surface is more similar in all the cells and it is difficult to clearly identify the two cell populations. In particular in (h) it is possible to observe that microvilli-like structures appeared collapsed in RPM exposed TCam-2 cells. The morphological appearance of cell surface (i, m) and microvilli-like structures (l, n) appeared indistinguishable in 1 g (i, l) and RPM exposed cells (m, n) after 48 hours of culture.