BRCA1 mutation screening using restriction endonuclease fingerprinting-single-strand conformation polymorphism in an automated capillary electrophoresis system

Efficient mutation scanning techniques are needed for the rapid detection of novel disease-associated mutations and rare-sequence variants of putative importance. The large size of the breast cancer 1 gene (BRCA1) and the many mutations found throughout its entire coding sequence make screening for mutations in this gene particularly challenging. We have developed a method for screening exon 11 of the BRCA1 gene based on restriction enzyme digestion of fluorescence-labeled polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products followed by single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) using an automated capillary electrophoresis system, denoted capillary restriction endonuclease fingerprinting (REF)-SSCP electrophoresis. Using this strategy on a control set of samples, we were able to detect 17 of 18 known sequence alterations. The method was then applied to screen 73 Norwegian females with family histories of breast and/or ovarian cancer. A total of 172 sequence alterations were detected, including substitutions, insertions, and deletions. One novel substitution of unknown function was identified. Sequencing of all samples negative in the capillary REF-SSCP system gave no additional mutations confirming the high sensitivity of the described methodology. Capillary REF-SSCP electrophoresis appeared as a technically convenient technique, requiring amplification of fewer PCR fragments than traditional SSCP. The novel strategy allows high-throughput mutation scanning without radioactive labeling and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE).     

HPTLC analysis of organotin compounds in preservative solutions and preservative-treated wood

A high-performance thin-layer chromatographic (HPTLC) method is described for the determination of tributyltin compounds (bis(tri-n-butyltin) oxide, TBTO, and tri-n-butyltin naphthenate, TBTN) and their degradation products (dibutyltin and monobutyltin compounds). The organotin compounds are extracted from wood with ethanol containing 0.5% (v/v) of hydrochloric acid and the separation of the defferent kinds of organotin compounds is achieved by thin-layer chromatography. The sample spots are measured using a scanning densitometer after decomposing the organotin compounds to inorganic tin by ultraviolet irradiation and visualization of the spots with pyrocatechol violet. Applications of the method to detection and quantification of organotin compounds in preservative solutions, in recently impregnated wood, and in wood samples from five-year-old window frames are described.     

Synthesis and performance of HPTLC plates modified with cyanopropyl- and octadecyl-trichlorosilane

Chemical modification of commercial high performance thin-layer chromatography plates with various mixtures of cyano-propyltrichlorosilane and octadecyltrichlorosilane is described. Surface coverage by different treatments is demonstrated as well as the variations in chromatographic performance. With regard to the development in aqueous media the utility of CN/ ODS plates compared to ODS plates is also shown.     

Purification and properties of a β-galactosidase with potential application as a digestive supplement

Functional-based screening of crude β-galactosidase activities from 42 yeast strains resulted in the selection of a single enzyme of potential interest as a digestive supplement. β-Galactosidase produced by Kluyveromyces marxianus DSM5418 was purified to homogeneity by a combination of gel filtration, ion-exchange, and hydroxylapatite chromatographies. The denatured (123 kDa) and native molecular masses (251 kDa) suggest that the enzyme is a homodimer. The optimum pH and temperature of the purified enzyme were 6.8 and 37°C, respectively. The unpurified β-galactosidase in particular displayed a high level of stability when exposed to simulated intestinal conditions in vitro for 4 h. Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass sectrometry analysis revealed that the enzyme's trypsin-generated peptide mass fingerprint shares several peptide fragment hits with β-galactosidases from Kluyveromyces lactis. This confirms the enzyme's identity and indicates that significant sequence homology exists between these enzymes.     

Modification of HPTLC-plates by in situ chemical bonding with non-polar and polar organosilanes

A method has been developed for the preparation of modified silica plates for high performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). Some typical organosilanes were thus allowed to react in situ with the silica of Merck HPTLC-plates. This method was found to be highly reproducible, simple and cheap. Non-polar plates were prepared and compared with commercial plates from Merck, Whatman and Macherey-Nagel. Modification with cyanodecyltrichlorosilane resulted in plates that showed good coverage, efficiency and low residual silica activity. Silica modified with a multifunctional silane has different properties in different organic solvents. It will appear to be non-polar in a polar solvent and vice versa. New advantageous separation systems are thus made feasible by the presence of cyano groups on the plate. The utility of modified thin-layer plates is demonstrated by the separation of some homologues of p-hydroxybenzoic acid esters and of some polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.     

Detection of proline,arginine, and lysine using iodine‐azide reaction in TLC and HPTLC

The application of a modified iodine‐azide procedure for the detection of proline, arginine, and lysine is described. Phenyl isothiocyanate was used to transform amino acids into phenyl thiocarbamyl derivatives (derivatization in situ). The developed plates were sprayed with a mixture of sodium azide and starch solution, adjusted to pH 5.5, and exposed to iodine vapour. Due to the catalytic effect of the C? S bond, the spots appeared white on a violet‐grey background and were stable for 20 minutes. The detection limits were found to lie in the pmole range. The iodine‐azide test is compared with other procedures (iodine, UV, ninhydrin).