Development of pan-specific antibody against trimethyllysine for protein research

Background  

Trimethylation of the Nε-lysine residues in a protein is one of the most important events of posttranslational modifications. Simple methods for rapid detection and isolation of the Nε-trimethylated protein species are needed. This report introduces a novel method to prepare the affinity purified antibody specific for the Nε-trimethylated lysine (tMeK). The applications of the purified antibody are also reported in this paper.     

Pregnancy and the Nephrotic Syndrome

Nineteen patients with nephrotic syndrome, 13 with histological diagnosis, were studied throughout 31 pregnancies. Eight were diagnosed for the first time during pregnancy.Antenatal problems due to severe oedema, urinary tract infection, and refractory orthochromic anaemia were encountered. Eight patients were hypertensive at booking, and in two of these pregnancy was terminated; three others had a significant increase in blood pressure. In 12 of the remaining pregnancies a rise in blood pressure of 20 mm. Hg or more occurred towards term.There were 29 live births (including one set of twins), one stillbirth due to a cord accident, and one neonatal death. The infant birth weight, apart from being affected by hypertension, was related to the maternal serum albumin level.The patients have been under observation for up to 20 years. Fifteen have not shown any deterioration of renal function during the prolonged period of observation. One developed oliguric renal failure immediately post partum and three others died, two, four, and 12 years after their pregnancies.     

Chemotactic response of a marine bacterium to breakdown products of an insoluble substrate

Abstract The basis for this work was to investigate whether bacteria immobilized on or in a solid substrate resulted in the release of low molecular weight products that act as chemoattractants for other bacteria In the surrounding aqueous phase. Chemotaxis of a marine vibrio was observed microscopically along the gradient of breakdown products generated by a Flavobacterium sp. immobilized in an alginate-agar bead. The chemotactic phenomenon was confirmed by a viable counting technique. The chemoattractant was derived from neither the alginate nor the agar but probably was amino acids produced from protein present as a contaminant in the alginate.     

Unilateral naris occlusion and the rat accessory olfactory bulb

Blocking airflow through half of the nasal cavity during early life results in a 25% reduction in the size of the ipsilateral main olfactory bulb. The present study indicates that the size of the accessory bulb is relatively unaffected by the procedure.