Interaction amongst calcineurin subunits. Stimulatory and inhibitory effects of subunit B on calmodulin stimulation of subunit A phosphatase activity depend on Mn2+ exposure of the holoenzyme prior to its dissociation by urea

Calcineurin was dissociated into subunits A and B by 6 M urea in the presence (method A) and absence (method B) of MnCl2 and dissociated subunits were isolated by gel filtration in urea in the absence (method B) or presence (method A) of MnCl2. Phosphatase activity was associated with the A subunit isolated by either method. The phosphatase activity (nmol/mg) of subunit A isolated by method A was greater (2-5-fold) than by method B. Mn2+ increased subunit A phosphatase and calmodulin further increased the enzyme activity. Subunit B isolated by method A or B increased Mn2+ + calmodulin stimulated subunit A phosphatase prepared by method B but interestingly and unexpectedly inhibited such stimulated activity of the subunit A prepared by method A. These results imply the tightly bound cation (in our case, most likely Mn2+) with subunit A dramatically and differentially influences the effects of two Ca2+-binding proteins, calmodulin and subunit B, on the subunit A phosphatase.     

A quantitative method to evaluate neutralizer toxicity against Acanthamoeba castellanii.

A standard methodology for quantitatively evaluating neutralizer toxicity against Acanthamoeba castellanii does not exist. The objective of this study was to provide a quantitative method for evaluating neutralizer toxicity against A. castellanii. Two methods were evaluated. A quantitative microtiter method for enumerating A. castellanii was evaluated by a 50% lethal dose endpoint method. The microtiter method was compared with the hemacytometer count method. A method for determining the toxicity of neutralizers for antimicrobial agents to A. castellanii was also evaluated. The toxicity to A. castellanii of Dey-Engley neutralizing broth was compared with Page's saline. The microtiter viable cell counts were lower than predicted by the hemacytometer counts. However, the microtiter method gives more reliable counts of viable cells. Dey-Engley neutralizing medium was not toxic to A. castellanii. The method presented gives consistent, reliable results and is simple compared with previous methods.     

THE POWER OF THE " A" -" NOT A" METHOD

The " A" - " Not A" method is a rating method with two categories. It is often treated as a discrimination method. Unlike forced choice procedures, the Thurstonian model for this method involves a choice criterion. In statistical tests, it is treated as a comparison of two proportions. In this paper, the power for hypothesis tests involving the monadic and replicated monadic " A" - " Not A" method is discussed. The power functions and the sample sizes needed for 80% power are given based on Thurstone's δ. Designs with equal and unequal allocations for A and A (Not A) samples are considered. The power of the method is also compared with that of four forced choice methods under the assumption that the perceptual variance is identical among methods. The comparison shows that, in general, the power for the five methods ranks from high to low: the 3-AFC, 2-AFC, " A" - " Not A", triangular and duo-trio. The comparison also shows that, based on the same number of panelists and/or the same sample size for the A and A⁻ samples for the methods, if the panelists are not too discrepant and the choice criterion in the " A" - " Not A" method is not too strict or too lax, the power of the " A" - " Not A" method is very close to that of the 2-AFC method.     

黄曲霉和米曲霉的多相鉴定方法

【背景】黄曲霉(Aspergillus flavus)和米曲霉(Aspergillus oryzae)形态特征相近,基因组高度相似,较难区分。【目的】旨在总结一套准确鉴别二者的分类方法。【方法】利用22株标准菌株对传统形态学、产毒培养基、酶联免疫毒素检测、系统发育分析、产毒基因检测等5种鉴别方法分别进行验证。【结果】各鉴定方法的结果存在异同,单一的鉴定方法容易出现假阴性或假阳性结果。【结论】利用单一方法区分黄曲霉和米曲霉具有潜在风险,多相鉴定方法可以准确鉴别二者。     

巨噬细胞细胞内吞过程中膜受体流动性的测量——两种标记受体方法的比较

本文首次实现了细胞内吞过程中膜受体流动性的测量。实验选择巨噬细胞膜和伴刀豆凝集素A(ConA),分别用Con A-Biotin Avi-din-FITC(ABC法)和Con A-FITC(直接法)两种方法标记巨噬细胞膜Con A受体,比较了这两种方法标记的巨噬细胞Con A受体的荧光强度;利用FRAP(Fluorescence RecoveryAfter Rhotobleaching)技术,分别用两种标记方法测量了巨噬细胞Con A受体的流动性。结果显示Con A-Biotin Avidin-FITC标记的巨噬细胞受体的平均荧光强度比用Con A-FITC标记的平均荧光强度高大约3倍;直接标记法应用于细胞内吞过程中受体流动性的测量在方法学上存在着很大的缺陷,ABC标记法适合于测量细胞内吞过程中膜表面受体的流动性的变化,且灵敏度高、误差小;ABC方法标记受体的测量结果显示,Con A刺激后巨噬细胞膜表面Con A受体的扩散系数和荧光恢复率与静息状态相比呈下降趋势。     

棉蚜饲养技术——笼罩法

在长期的试虫饲养过程中 ,摸索出一种新的棉蚜饲养方法———笼罩法。利用A4幅面的透明胶片和纱网制成笼罩。并于室内催芽 ,培育棉花种苗 ,可利用自制笼罩于光照培养箱内隔离饲养棉蚜 ,经与琼脂叶片法和自制Blackmanbox方法比较 ,笼罩法具有省时省力、不受季节限制、棉蚜生长条件好以及取食活体植株等许多突出的优点。     

Freezing of bovine embryos: Effects of a one-step addition of 1.4 M glycerol

The effects of a one-step addition of 1.4 M glycerol (method A) upon morphological appearance and developmental capacity of frozen/thawed day 7 bovine embryos were investigated and compared to a standard stepwise addition of 1.0 M glycerol (method B). With method A, the percentage of intact embryos (classified as excellent, good and poor) was 95.3% (61 out of 64) without differences between morulae (96.5%) and blastocysts (94.4%). With method B, the percentage of intact embryos was 83.0% (44 out of 53). The percentage was similar for blastocysts (89.2%) and significantly (p < 0.05) lower for morulae (68.8%) when compared to method A. The percentage of embryos with a damaged zona pellucida was considerably increased with method A (26.6%) when compared to method B (13.2%). The proportion of embryos with excluded blastomeres was similar in both methods (21.9% method A, 17.0% method B). With method A, pregnancy rates after nonsurgical transfer were 51.0% (25 out of 49) and were better than with method B (40.5%; 15 out of 37). Embryos with a damaged zona pellucida resulted in a high pregnancy rate of 66.7% (8 out of 12). A pregnancy rate of 52.9% (10 out of 17) was obtained with embryos showing some excluded blastomeres. Thus, a one-step addition of 1.4 M glycerol facilitates and accelerates the process of embryo cryopreservation and is compatible with high pregnancy rates. Damage of the zona pellucida does not impair further development of frozen/thawed bovine embryos provided blastomeres are intact.     

用气相色谱-质谱联用比较牛耳草代谢物的提取方法

通过比较不同的提取方法对牛耳草新鲜和脱水叶片中代谢物的提取效率,旨在建立一种可以有效鉴定并分析牛耳草脱水过程中关键小分子代谢物的种类和含量变化的方法,为研究植物耐脱水分子机制提供技术方法。本研究以气相色谱-质谱联用(GC-MS)为分析方法,对复苏植物牛耳草代谢物提取方法进行比较。从提取总色谱峰数目、提取效率、代谢物保留时间和提取效率稳定性等方面比较甲醇溶液(A法)和甲醇-氯仿-水溶液(B法)两种提取方法的提取效果。对牛耳草新鲜样品提取结果表明,B法提取的总色谱峰数目多于A法;对9种共有代谢物的提取效率比较结果表明,B法的提取效率高于A法;对10种色谱峰的保留时间和提取效率的方法学考察结果表明,两者保留时间RSD(相对标准偏差)值均小于1%,A法提取效率的RSD值≤10%的比例为50%,B法的为100%。A法对干样的提取色谱峰数目远少于鲜样,而B法对干样的提取色谱峰数目和鲜样没有显著差异,保留时间RSD值均小于1%,提取效率的RSD值与鲜样没有差异,稳定性良好。     

Ultrastructural visualization of concanavalin A binding sites using alkaline phosphatase-labeled Con A and ultrathin glycol methacrylate sections

Summary A method for the visualization of concanavalin A (Con A) binding sites by electron microscopy of glycol methacrylate sections is presented. This method, which is an application of the alkaline phosphatase-labeled Con A conjugate technique, solves the problems not only of limited penetration of chemicals into tissue blocks but also of injuries to tissue sections due to irritative reagents experienced in Con A-peroxidase staining. Glycol methacrylate sections are incubated successively with an alkaline phosphatase-labeled Con A solution and a lead citrate medium for the enzyme activity. Different kinds of tissues from adult rats have been used to test the method; tracheal cartilage, aorta and jejunum. The localization of Con A binding sites demonstrated by this method is consistent with the results of other published studies. Appropriate controls have been performed (ie., omission of the conjugated lectin, lectin plus its inhibitor) and these substantiate the specificity of the method.     

Rapid Extraction Method with Pronase B for Grouping Beta-Hemolytic Streptococci

The enzyme, Pronase B, was used to extract the C carbohydrates of betahemolytic streptococci for serological grouping. Reference strains of streptococci, groups A through N, were accurately grouped by using this extraction method. Of the beta-hemolytic streptococci isolated from patients' cultures, 1,197 were classified as either group A or not group A by this method. There was 100% correlation with the reference Lancefield method. In contrast, false reactions occurred with the presumptive bacitracin disc method in 4.1% of the group A and 12.7% of the non-group A cultures. The Pronase method proved simple, accurate, and readily adaptable to the clinical laboratory routine.     

Analysis of ochratoxin B alone and in the presence of ochratoxin A, using carboxypeptidase A.

A method is described for ochratoxin B analysis, which is adapted to the earlier described method of ochratoxin A analysis, using carboxypeptidase A (K. Hult and S. Gatenbeck, J. Assoc. Off. Anal. Chem. 59:128-129, 1976). The fluorescence spectra of ochratoxins A and B coincide too much to allow direct discrimination of the two compounds. A method using the differences in kinetic parameters of the enzymatic hydrolysis of the two compounds is suggested for the analysis of mixtures of the ochratoxins.     

应用分光光度法测定气管炎疫苗原液配制浓度方法的研究

建立应用分光光度法测定不同菌种原液配制浓度的方法。实验中采用细菌比浊法和分光光度法进行对比研究,利用线性回归方程,确定不同菌种原液配制浓度A660值范围。实验结果表明不同菌种原液配制浓度A660值范围分别为:甲型溶血性链球菌为:1.08~1.27;白色葡萄球菌为0.48~0.57;卡他布朗汉姆菌为0.50~0.60。3种菌液等比例混合配制半成品,在660nm波长下测得A值范围为0.65~0.80,符合《中国药典》规定。分光光度法专属性强、线性好、范围准确可靠,可进行原液浓度定量分析。     

Rapid Semiquantitative Method for Screening Large Numbers of Virus Samples by Negative Staining Electron Microscopy

A rapid, semiquantitative method for screening large numbers of virus samples by negative staining electron microscopy is presented. Results obtained by this method are compared with results obtained by the pseudoreplica method and a measureddrop method. A figure is presented which represents the limit of detectability for virus by negative staining.     

Development and application of a monoclonal-antibody technique for counting Aureococcus anophagefferens,an alga causing recurrent brown tides in the Mid-Atlantic United States

A method was developed for the rapid detection and enumeration of Aureococcus anophagefferens, the cause of harmful algal blooms called "brown tides" in estuaries of the Mid-Atlantic United States. The method employs a monoclonal antibody (MAb) and a colorimetric, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay format. The MAb obtained exhibits high reactivity with A. anophagefferens and very low cross-reactivities with a phylogenetically diverse array of other protists and bacteria. Standard curves are constructed for each 96-well microtiter plate by using known amounts of a preserved culture of A. anophagefferens. This approach allows estimation of the abundance of the alga in natural samples. The MAb method was compared to an existing method that employs polyclonal antibodies and epifluorescence microscopy and to direct microscopic counts of A. anophagefferens in samples with high abundances of the alga. The MAb method provided increased quantitative accuracy and greatly reduced sample processing time. A spatial survey of several Long Island estuaries in May 2000 using this new approach documented a range of abundances of A. anophagefferens in these bays spanning nearly 3 orders of magnitude.     

磷脂酸含量测定法评价烟曲霉孢子对肺上皮细胞磷脂酶D活性的影响

目的 优化检测烟曲霉刺激A549细胞后磷脂酸（phosphotidic acid,PA）含量变化的方法,间接反应细胞内磷脂酶D（Phospholipase D,PLD）活性变化.方法 建立烟曲霉ATCC13073刺激肺上皮细胞模型;采用甲醇氯仿法提取胞内脂质;用改良的磷脂酸含量测定法测定PA标准品和细胞内PA水平变化规律.结果 PA标准品在5～ 250 μmol/L呈线性关系;经膨胀孢子刺激后,肺上皮细胞内PA含量显著升高,休眠孢子在这一过程中对肺上皮细胞内PA含量无明显作用.结论 改良的PA测量法能快速、稳定而有效地测定细胞内的PLD活性.烟曲霉膨胀孢子能显著激活肺上皮细胞内的PLD活性.     

A kinetic method for the simultaneous determination of isoenzymes activities in mixture. Application to A2 and A3 horseradish peroxidases

A graphical method for the simultaneous determination of the activity of two isoenzymes in a mixture, is presented. The method is based on the different kinetic behaviour of the isoenzymes to the changes in the substrate concentrations. Having determined the reaction rates for the enzyme mixture at different substrate concentrations, the activity of both isoenzymes can be derived graphically. An algebraic method for two or more isoenzymes is mentioned, as well. The applications of the graphical and the algebraic method to A2 and A3 horseradish isoperoxidases demonstrated that the difference between the actual activities of the two isoperoxidases and those determined by the proposed method was around 5% of the actual activities. The scope of application of this method could be extended to isoenzymes of clinical importance.     

The application of a biotin-anti-biotin gold technique providing a significant signal intensification in electron microscopic immunocytochemistry: a comparison with the ultrasmall immunogold silver staining procedure

 A three-step biotin-anti-biotin gold-detection system (method A) has been applied for ultraimmunocytochemistry using ultrasmall colloidal gold (0.8 nm) linked to anti-biotin antibodies which were visualized and enhanced by silver reduction. The reactivity for glucagon in human pancreatic islets and for cytochrome-c oxidase in heart mitochondria has been compared to a two-step ultrasmall immunogold technique (method B). For both antigens, method A provided significantly higher labelling indices (P<0.001): the labelling density for cytochrome-c oxidase was 223/μm² using method A and 78/μm² using method B. For glucagon, the labelling density was 1455/μm² with method A and 322/μm² with method B. The results demonstrate that the silver-intensified biotin-anti-biotin gold-detection system is a valuable immunocytochemical method for signal enhancement. The method utilizes biotinylated antibodies from different species, allowing its broad application at the electron microscopic level. Accepted: 24 June 1997     

Radioimmunoassay of ochratoxin A in barley

A simple and rapid radioimmunoassay was developed for the quantitative determination of ochratoxin A in barley. [14C]ochratoxin A, with a specific activity of 130 Ci/mol, was used as the tracer. Toxin levels below 100 ng/ml required a cleanup step. Three methods (the Association of Official Analytical Chemists cleanup method, the solvent partition method, and the Extrelut 3 column cleanup method) were compared.     

Radioimmunoassay of ochratoxin A in barley.

A simple and rapid radioimmunoassay was developed for the quantitative determination of ochratoxin A in barley. [14C]ochratoxin A, with a specific activity of 130 Ci/mol, was used as the tracer. Toxin levels below 100 ng/ml required a cleanup step. Three methods (the Association of Official Analytical Chemists cleanup method, the solvent partition method, and the Extrelut 3 column cleanup method) were compared.     

酶联免疫吸附试验检测艰难梭菌A毒素

实验用兔单特异抗艰难梭菌Ａ毒素ＩｇＧ包被酶标板,以羊抗艰难梭菌Ａ毒素ＩｇＧ标记辣根过氧化物酶作为第二抗体,采用双抗体夹心ＥＬＩＳＡ法检测艰难梭菌Ａ毒素,可检测出０．９４ｎｇ的精制Ａ毒素,对６１株菌的培养液及６５份健康人粪便标本检测发现此法具有较高的特异性。用平行线定量法对几份典型产毒培养物进行了定量测定,结果表明,在一定剂量范围内线性及平行性好,结果准确、可靠。可用于临床粪便标本中艰难梭菌Ａ毒素的筛查及定量检测。