Immunological analysis of nuclear lamina proteins

Antibodies have been obtained against specific fractions of the nuclear lamina from chick red blood cells. Immunofluorescent staining of acrylamide gels from nuclear lamina preparations revealed a spectrum of at least 8–10 proteins cross-reacting immunologically with each other. These proteins are not the result of proteolysis in the course of preparation. The antigens are localized in the nuclear periphery and do not extend into the chromatin. Interspecies cross-reactions enabled us to localize the antigens in the envelope of Xenopus oocyte nuclei. In this case any association with the chromatin is unlikely. During mitosis the antigens are released from the nuclear lamina and are recovered from the postmicrosomal supernatant. The molecular weights of the nuclear lamina proteins do not change during mitosis.     

Epizoanthidae (Hexacorallia: Zoantharia) associated with Granulifusus gastropods (Neogastropoda: Fasciolariidae) from the Indo-West Pacific

Organisms Diversity & Evolution - There have been few detailed studies on the associations between cnidarians and gastropod mollusks. Several hypotheses have been suggested to explain the...     

Rheological properties of cross-linked hyaluronan-gelatin hydrogels for tissue engineering

Hydrogels that mimic the natural extracellular matrix (ECM) are used in three-dimensional cell culture, cell therapy, and tissue engineering. A semi-synthetic ECM based on cross-linked hyaluronana offers experimental control of both composition and gel stiffness. The mechanical properties of the ECM in part determine the ultimate cell phenotype. We now describe a rheological study of synthetic ECM hydrogels with storage shear moduli that span three orders of magnitude, from 11 to 3 500 Pa, a range important for engineering of soft tissues. The concentration of the chemically modified HA and the cross-linking density were the main determinants of gel stiffness. Increase in the ratio of thiol-modified gelatin reduced gel stiffness by diluting the effective concentration of the HA component.