Reagentless amperometric immunosensor for human chorionic gonadotrophin based on direct electrochemistry of horseradish peroxidase

A novel amperometric immunosensor for determination of human serum chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) was constructed by immobilization of HCG with titania sol-gel on a glassy carbon electrode and the direct electrochemistry of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeled to HCG antibody (HRP-anti-HCG). The morphologies of the HCG membrane were characterized to be chemically clean, porous and homogeneous. HRP-anti-HCG was functionally conjugated with the immobilized HCG after incubation in phosphate buffer (PBS) containing HRP-anti-HCG. A direct electron transfer of HRP with a rate constant of 1.35+/-0.40 s(-1) was observed at the HRP-anti-HCG-HCG/titania sol-gel membrane modified electrode in 0.1 M PBS pH 7.0. With a competitive mechanism the differential pulse voltammetric peak current of the immobilized HRP decreased linearly with an increasing HCG concentration from 2.5 to 12.5 mIU/ml in the incubation solution. The HCG immunosensor showed a detection limit of 1.4 mIU/ml, a good accuracy and acceptable precision and reproducibility with an intra-assay CV of 4.7% at 5.0 mIU/ml and an inter-assay precision of 8.1% obtained at 10 mIU/ml. The biosensor displayed a good stability in a storage period of 30 days.     

The stimulatory effect of ROCK inhibitor on bovine corneal endothelial cells

Reagents which can promote the proliferation, adhesion and migration of cultured corneal endothelial cells (CECs) will be helpful for the treatment of reduced visual acuity due to CECs deficiency. The objectives of this study were to investigate the potential use of an inhibitor of Rho-associated protein kinase (ROCK), Y-27632, to cultured bovine corneal endothelial cells (B-CECs) and evaluated its effects on the proliferation, adhesion and migration of B-CECs. The proliferation of cultured B-CECs was moderately enhanced by 10 μM Y-27632. Y-27632 induced fibroblast-like morphological changes in the cultured B-CECs and normal cell morphology could recover after Y-27632 removal. In addition, Y-27632 was found to significantly enhance the adhesion and migration of B-CECs. Furthermore, the hanging drop aggregation assay showed that Y-27632 promoted B-CECs to form cellular networks and sheets, which proliferated along the liquid–air interface and migrated to the surface of the lid of dish. Our study demonstrated that Y-27632 is a potentially powerful reagent which can enhance the proliferation of cultured B-CECs. Y-27632 will be useful in CEC injection therapy and topical application for CEC deficiency.     

RETRACTED ARTICLE: An accurate method to directly measure water strider’s stroke force on the water (Aquarius paludum: Heteroptera: Gerridae)

We measured the force of free pulling water striders, using a hair attached to their backs and a 3D strain gauge force sensor. We showed the repeatability and accuracy of this method. The error of the method was estimated by comparing the projected angles of the force vector on each plane derived from the force data, with those angles derived from video recordings, and was estimated as 12.4%. Females on average were stronger (1.32 mN) than males (0.87 mN), however the ratio of force/weight was not significantly different. Compared with other lighter species, A. paludum seems to be stronger, but the force/weight ratio is actually lower as expected. A. paludum applies about 0.30–0.40 mN/cm with its mid-legs, thus avoiding penetrating the surface tension while propelling itself rapidly over the water. The corresponding author, Dr Pablo Perez Goodwyn, submitted this article [1] to Central European Journal of Biology (CEJB) shortly after submitting the article [2] to Journal of Bionic Engineering (JBE). JBE published it as a research article in June 2008, and in July 2008 the article was published as a communication in CEJB. Since there are significant unacknowledged similarities between the two papers, it has been brought to the attention of the authors that duplicate submission and publication have taken place. The editors of CEJB consider this an infringement of professional ethics and therefore the decision has been made to retract the article published in Central European Journal of Biology. [1] An accurate method to directly measure water strider’s stroke force on the water (Aquarius paludum: Heteroptera: Gerridae), Central European Journal of Biology, Vol. 3, No. 3, 2008, pp. 299–306 [2] Water striders: the biomechanics of water locomotion and functional morphology of the hydrophobic surface (Insecta: Hemiptera-Heteroptera), Journal of Bionic Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 2, 2008, pp. 121-126     

ApCl基因在毕赤酵母中的表达

为了研究ApCl基因的功能,应用基因重组技术将ApCl基因片段克隆入大肠埃希菌—酵母穿梭质拉pGAPZαA,构建重组真核表达质拉pGAPZαA-ApCl,电转化巴斯德单赤酵母GS115,Zeocin筛选出阳性克隆转化子.通过比较转化空载体pGAPZaA和重组载体pGAPZαA-ApCl的不同菌株分别在含有高盐和高山梨醇浓度的液体培养基中生长情况,发现毕赤酵母GS115在转化ApCl基因后其抗旱、抗盐能力显著提高(约3倍),进一步验证了ApCl基因对提高生物抗逆能力有显著作用,为将来分离该蛋白及进一步研究奠定基础.     

克鲁维酵母Y-85菊粉酶的纯化和性质

克鲁维酵母(Kluyveromyces sp.)Y-85产生的胞内菊粉酶(endocellular inulinase)和胞外菊粉酶(exocellular inulinase)粗酶液分别经PEG6000-磷酸盐缓冲液双水相抽提得部分纯化酶液。前者进一步用硫酸铵分级沉淀、Protein-PAK DEAE离子交换、Protein-PAK200SW凝胶过滤后得到两个菊粉酶组分EⅠ和EⅡ;后者采用DEAE-Sephacel离子交换、Sephadex G150凝胶过滤后得到菊粉酶Eexo。经Waters 650E蛋白纯化系统鉴定,三者均呈单一的对称峰;EⅠ和EⅡ达聚丙烯酰胺盘状凝胶电泳纯。EⅠ、EⅡ和Eexo的分子量分别为42kD、65kD和57kD;三者均为糖蛋白,多糖含量分别为30％、35％和25％;I/S(Inulinaseactivity/Sucrase activity)比值分别为0.086、0.078和0.072;三者均属外切菊粉酶。EⅠ、EⅡ和Eexo酶反应最适pH分别为4.6、4.5和4.6,最适温度分别为52℃、52℃和55℃;Ag^+、Hg^(2+)和PCMB对酶活性有强烈的抑制作用;三者水解菊芋粉糖液的产物均为果糖(86.5％)和葡萄糖(13.5％)。     

A novel spliced variant of the type 1 corticotropin-releasing hormone receptor with a deletion in the seventh transmembrane domain present in the human pregnant term myometrium and fetal membranes

CRH exerts its actions via activation of specific G protein-coupled receptors, which exist in two types, CRH-R1 and CRH-R2, and arise from different genes with multiple spliced variants. RT-PCR amplification of CRH receptor sequences from human myometrium and fetal membranes yielded cDNAs that encode a novel CRH-R type 1 spliced variant. This variant (CRH-R1d) is present in the human pregnant myometrium at term only, which suggests a physiologically important role at the end of human pregnancy and labor. The amino acid sequence of CRH-R1d is identical to the CRH-R1alpha receptor except that it contains an exon deletion resulting in the absence of 14 amino acids in the predicted seventh transmembrane domain. Binding studies in HEK-293 cells stably expressing the CRH-R1d or CRH-R1alpha receptors revealed that the deletion does not change the binding characteristics of the variant receptor. In contrast, studies on the G protein activation demonstrated that CRH-R1d is not well coupled to the four subtypes of G proteins (G(s), G(i), G(o), G(q)) that CRH-R1alpha can activate. These data suggest that although the deleted segment is not important for CRH binding, it plays a crucial role in CRH receptor signal transduction. Second messenger studies of the variant receptor showed that CRH and CRH-like peptides can stimulate the adenylate cyclase system, with reduced sensitivity and potency by 10-fold compared with the CRH-R1alpha. Furthermore, CRH failed to stimulate inositol trisphosphate production. Coexpression studies between the CRH-R1d or CRH-R1alpha showed that this receptor does not play a role as a dominant negative receptor for CRH.     

转基因烟草中的海藻糖测定

The \%E.coli\% trehase synthalose gene(\%otsA\%) was transferred into \%Nicotiana tabacum\% mediated by \%Agrobacterium\%, but the method for detecting low concentration of trehalose in transgenic plant was not available.The high performance liquid chromatograph(HPLC) with evaporative light\|scatting detector (ELSD) using water:methyl cyanide(1∶2\^6 v/v) as mobile phase was established in this work. An ODS column Zorbax RX\|SIL was employed. The trehalose detection limits of ELSD was 5mg/L. From the linear…     

The extracellular domain of p185(c-neu) induces density-dependent inhibition of cell growth in malignant mesothelioma cells and reduces growth of mesothelioma in vivo

EGFR is involved in the density-dependent inhibition of cell growth, while coexpression of EGFR with erbB2 can render normal cells transformed. In this study, we have examined the effect of a species of p185 that contains the transmembrane domain and the extracellular domain of p185(c-neu), on growth properties of a human malignant mesothelioma cell line that coexpresses EGFR and erbB2. The ectodomain form of p185(c-neu) enhanced density-dependent inhibition of cell growth and we found that p21 induction appeared to be responsible for this inhibitory effect. Previously, the extracellular domain species was shown to suppress the transforming abilities of EGFR and p185(c-neu/erbB2) in a dominant-negative manner. The ability of this subdomain to affect tumor growth is significant, as it reduced in vivo tumor growth. Unexpectedly, we found that the domain did not abrogate all of EGFR functions. We noted that EGFR-induced density-dependent inhibition of cell growth was retained. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors of EGFR did not cause density-dependent inhibition of cell growth of malignant mesothelioma cells. Therefore, simultaneously inhibiting the malignant phenotype and inducing density-dependent inhibition of cell growth in malignant mesothelioma cells by the extracellular domain of p185(c-neu) may represent an important therapeutic advance.     

观赏植物花期调控途径及其分子机制

开花期控制对观赏植物的生产和应用具有重要意义。目前关于高等植物成花机理的研究已经取得了突破性进展,为观赏植物花期调控开辟了新途径。该文总结了观赏植物花期调控的途径和方法,并对改良观赏植物花期的技术思路做了初步分析。通过与高等植物成花机制研究的对比分析发现,观赏植物开花机理的研究已有了长足发展,一些观赏植物的转基因研究也取得了丰硕成果。利用分子设计育种途径改良观赏植物的开花期,突破了传统方法的局限性,其研究和应用前景非常广阔。     

Birth of calves expressing the enhanced green fluorescent protein after transfer of fresh or vitrified/thawed blastocysts produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer

The present study examined effects of genetic manipulation and serum starvation on in vitro developmental potential of bovine somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) embryos and vitrification on in vivo developmental competence of transgenic SCNT blastocysts. Fetal oviduct epithelial cells (FOECs) were isolated from the oviduct of a Day 147 bovine fetus and transfected with a plasmid (pCE-EGFP-IRES-NEO) containing the enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) and neomycin-resistant (Neor) genes. There were no significant differences (P > 0.05) in cleavage rates or development rates to the blastocyst stage for SCNT embryos derived from FOECs (72.5 and 47.8%, respectively) or transfected FOECs (TFOECs, 73.8 and 47.7%, respectively); nor from serum-fed (73.6 and 47.2%, respectively) or serum-starved (72.7 and 48.3%, respectively) cells. Seventeen of Day 7 GFP-embryos (eight fresh blastocysts and nine vitrified/thawed blastocysts ) were transferred to recipients with one embryo per recipient. Two (25%) recipients were confirmed pregnant at Day 60 in fresh blastocysts group, and three recipients (33%) were confirmed pregnant at Day 60 in vitrified/thawed blastocysts group. Two healthy calves (25%) were obtained from fresh blastocysts and one (11%) from vitrified/thawed blastocysts. Microsatellite analysis confirmed that the three clones were genetically identical to the donor cells. Moreover, PCR and Southern blot demonstrated integration of transgene in genomic DNA of all three cloned calves. Expression of GFP in skin biopsies isolated from transgenic cloned calves and fibroblasts derived from the skin biopsies revealed the activity of EGFP gene, and G418 resistance in vitro of these fibroblasts confirmed the activity of Neor gene. Our results show that genetic manipulation and serum starvation of donor cells (FOECs) do not affect in vitro developmental competence of bovine SCNT embryos, and vitrified transgenic SCNT blastocysts can develop to term successfully.