Capture of microbial cells on brush-type polymeric materials bearing different functional groups

A brush-type microbial-cell-capturing polymeric material was prepared by radiation-induced grafting of an epoxy-group-containing monomer, glycidyl-methacrylate (GMA), onto a polyethylene-based fiber. The epoxy ring (EO) of GMA was opened with different degrees of introduction of diethylamine (DEA). The residual epoxy group was hydrophilized by ethanolamine (EA). The prepared DEA membranes with coexisting EO or EA groups were tested for their ability to capture Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli cells. The DEA membrane (2.7 mol/kg of product of DEA group density) with coexisting EO groups (DEA-EO membrane) exhibited good S. aureus-cell-capturing ability with a capturing rate constant of 1.82 x 10(-6) m/s, whereas the DEA membrane with coexisting EA groups (DEA-EA membrane) retarded capturing abilities for both S. aureus and E. coli cells. (c) 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biotechnol Bioeng 53: 523-528, 1997.     

Somatic hybrids obtained by fusion betweenPoncirus trifoliata (2x) andFortunella hindsii (4x) protoplasts

Somatic hybrids were obtained by the symmetric fusion of embryogenic callus cells from tetraploid Mame kumquat [Fortunella hindsii (Champ.) Swing.] and mesophyll cells from diploid trifoliate orange [Poncirus trifoliata (L.) Raf.]. Southern blot analysis of three regenerants revealed that they carried specific rDNA fragments from both fusion partners, thereby confirming their hybridity. In contrast, mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and chloroblast DNA (cpDNA) were unidirectionally transmitted from the callus parent without any evidence of recombination. No differences in the restriction fragment patterns of rDNA, mtDNA or cpDNA could be detected among the regenerants. Flow cytometry showed that two regenerants were hexaploids, as expected, but that one was pentaploid, probably due to elimination of chromosomes prior to the regeneration of this plant.Abbreviations MS Murashige and Skoog (1962) - DIG digoxigenin - AMPPD 3-(2-spiroadamantane)-4-methoxy-4-(3-phosphoryloxy)-phenyl-1,2-dioxetane - FACS fluorescence-activated cell sorter     

Isoform-Specific Redistribution of Calcineurin Aα and Aβ in the Hippocampal CA1 Region of Gerbils After Transient Ischemia

Abstract: To investigate isoform-specific roles of Ca²⁺/calmodulin-dependent phosphatase [calcineurin (CaN)] in ischemia-induced cell death, we raised antibodies specific to CaN Aα and CaN Aβ and localized the CaN isoforms in the hippocampal CA1 region of Mongolian gerbils subjected to a 5-min occlusion of carotid arteries. In the nonischemic gerbil, immunoreactions of both isoforms were highly enriched in CA1 regions, especially in the cytoplasm and apical dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons. At 4–7 days after the induced ischemia, immunoreactivities of the CaN Aα isoform in CA1 pyramidal cells were markedly reduced, whereas they were enhanced in the CA1 radiatum and oriens layers. In contrast, CaN Aβ immunoreactivities were reduced in all layers of the ischemic CA1 region, whereas they were enhanced in activated astrocytes, colocalizing with glial fibrillary acidic protein. These findings suggest that up-regulation of CaN Aα in afferent fibers in CA1 and up-regulation of CaN Aβ in reactive astrocytes may be involved in neuronal reorganization after ischemic injury.