Fluorescence-based nucleic acid detection and microarrays

Recent analytical innovations for nucleic acid detection have revolutionized the biological sciences. Single nucleic acid sequence detection methods have been expanded to incorporate multiplexed detection strategies. A variety of nucleic acid detection formats are now available that can address high throughput genomic interrogation. Many of these parallel detection platforms or arrays, employ fluorescence as the signaling method. Fluorescence-based assays offer many advantages, including increased sensitivity, safety and multiplexing capabilities, as well as the ability to measure multiple fluorescence properties. Multiplexed microarray platforms provide parallel detection capabilities capable of measuring thousands of simultaneous responses. This review will discuss both single target detection and microarray applications with a focus on gene expression and pathogenic microorganism (PM) detection.     

线型碳链LiC_(2n)Li的结构和电子光谱的密度泛函理论研究

应用密度泛函理论,在B3LYP/6 31G(d)水平上优化得到了线型簇合物LiC2nLi(n=1 ~10,D∞h)的基态平衡几何构型,并计算了它们的谐振动频率.利用含时密度泛函理论,计算了簇合物LiC2nLi的X1∑ +g→11∑ +u跃迁的垂直激发能,以及相应的振子强度.基于计算结果,建立了跃迁能和体系大小n的解析关系式. 同时也计算了体系的第一绝热电离能,讨论了体系的电离能与体系大小n的关系.     

Bioanalytical methods applied to endocrine disrupting polychlorinated biphenyls, polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and polychlorinated dibenzofurans. A review

The usual methods for determining polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDD), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDF) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) are generally expensive and time consuming. This fact has favored the development of faster and cheaper techniques, based on immunoassays and bioassays. This paper reviews these bioanalytical methods and their analytical importance at the present moment.     

A Note on the Indirect Controls for a Coupled System of Wave Equations

By a procedure of successive projections, the authors decompose a coupled system of wave equations into a sequence of sub-systems. Then, they can clarify the indirect controls and the total number of controls. Moreover, the authors give a uniqueness theorem of solution to the system of wave equations under Kalman’s rank condition.     

A rapid and simple method for the isolation of mutant variants regulating tissue-specific expression of the tni gene through drug selection

TnINEO fusion gene was constructed by fusing 3.4-kbp of quailTnI genomic DNA sequences spanning the promoter to exon 5 and aneo gene in frame. A myoblast cell line was established after transfection of pTnINEO. Since this cell line was passaged several times, a high frequency of neomycin (G418) sensitivity conversion was detected. Two drug-resistant variants were analyzed through genomic Southern blot and S1 nuclease protection assay. One variant has a mutation(s) in the regulatory element that activated the dormantTnI promoter-enhancer in myoblast, and the other has shown the genomic rearrangement. This result presented the possibility of isolating factor(s) that activate the muscle-specificTnI promoter simply by screening drug-resistant cells having appropriate mutations.     

Importance of REP values when comparing the CALUX bioassay results with chemoanalyses results Example with spiked vegetable oils

Differences between chemical activated luciferase gene expression (CALUX) bioassay and chemoanalyses results are observed.This paper shows that calculations of the TEQ values using REP values instead of WHO TEF values give different results. The REP values do affect the results obtained by the CALUX technique. These differences are more marked for the dioxin like PCB compounds (CALUX TEQ values are lower than WHO TEQ values) than for the dioxin compounds (CALUX TEQ values are higher than WHO TEQ values).The CALUX results were compared with the concentrations of the congeners’ spiked into the oil.     

ISOLATION,CHARACTERIZATION AND EXPRESSION OF THE COMPLEMENTARY DNA FOR HUMAN TUMOR NECROSIS FACTOR (TNF-α)

A cDNA for human TNF-α (615bp) was isolated by means of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) using first strand cDNA from PMA-induced HL-60 cells as template. The result from sequencing the 615 bp cDNA fragment indicated that it corresponded to the entire sequence of mature human TNF coding region. Direct expression of mature human TNF was achieved using a plasmid pHT-1 constructed by ligation of the cDNA and a synthetic DNA. The IPTG-induced bacterial product (hTNF) showed cytotoxicity to mouse L-929 cells. The TNF activity was further identified by neutralization of a specific monoclonal antibody against human TNF-α. Approximately 80,000 units of activity were detected per ml of culture at A600=2.     

L-histidine decarboxylase as a probe in studies on histamine

Because the Falck-Hillarp formaldehyde fluorescence method, which was superbly applied to identify catecholaminergic and serotonergic neurons, is not applicable to histamine, the first author (T.W.) developed an antibody to L-histidine decarboxylase (HDC) for identification of the histaminergic neuron system in the brain. The anti-HDC antibody was of great use for mapping the location and distribution of this histaminergic neuron system. (S)-alpha-fluoromethylhistidine, a specific and potent irreversible inhibitor of HDC, was also very useful in studies on functions of the neuron system. The activity of HDC is increased by various agents, treatments, and physiological conditions. We found new compounds that increased HDC activity (i.e., tetradecanoylphobol acetate (TPA), other tumor promoters, and staphylococcal enterotoxin A); and using mast cell-deficient mutant (W/W(v)) mice, we obtained evidence that this increase occurred in macrophages. To further characterize the mechanism of increases in HDC activity, the second author (H.O.) cloned human HDC cDNA and a human HDC gene. In studies on the regulation mechanism of the HDC gene, which is expressed only in limited types of cells such as mast cells, enterochromaffin-like cells in the stomach, cells in the tuberomammillary nucleus of the brain, and macrophages, CpG islands in the promoter region of the HDC gene were found to be demethylated in cells expressing the gene, whereas they are methylated in other cells that do not express the HDC gene. In collaboration with many other researchers, we developed HDC knockout mice. The resulting research is producing a lot of interesting findings in our laboratory as well as in others. In summary, HDC has been and will be useful in studies on functions of histamine.