国防部部W81XWH - 05 - 1 - 0005，W81XWH - 06 - 1 - 0495，W81XWH - 08 - 1 - 0029和W81XWH - 08 - 1 - 0356

1。准备GST融合蛋白<ol><li> JM109感受态细菌，包含第一的N -端90个氨基酸的rhotekin Rho的结合域（RBD）的进入BamH1/EcoR1 pGEX3x载体亚克隆酸甘油。 为了确保高效率，必须执行以下步骤，每个实验。根据我们的经验，新鲜的GST - RBD的是一个强大的和准确的GTP酶激活检测的关键。 </li><li>加入50微升（近似的，没有解冻）甘油50毫升的LB放大器和成长37℃摇动过夜。 </li><li> 1:10稀释500毫升LB放大器，并成长为1小时</li><li> 0.1 mM的IPTG的2小时诱导的GST -蛋白生产。 </li><li>离心瓶，离心，Sorval GSA3转子均匀分布在5000 RPM的4 ° C下20分钟。 </li><li>离心瓶，10 mL裂解缓冲液中的悬浮颗粒*。 *细菌细胞裂解液：20％的蔗糖，10％甘油，50毫米的Tris pH值8.0，0.2毫米的Na 2 S 2 O 5，2毫米，2毫米的DTT MgCl 2的，添加新鲜的PMSF，苯甲酰胺，抑肽酶和亮肽素。 </li><li>超声2-3分钟（这取决于sonicator类型，我们使用一个菲舍尔声波Dismembranator 500型商标6集，50％的周期）。 </li><li>离心机，Sorvall SS34，20分钟10,000转，4 ° C。此时可以采取的一个小等分，并经SDS - PAGE运行。凝胶可以考马斯染色，应在46 kDa的乐队明显。 </li><li>去除上清液，加入1毫升50％glutatione琼脂糖4B浆。 </li><li>孵育30分钟，在4 °旋转彗星。裂解缓冲液洗3次。 </li><li>重悬GST-RBD/glutatione-Sepharose珠50％的浆料（约1毫升），GST鱼缓冲区** ** GST鱼缓冲液：10％甘油，50毫米的Tris pH值7.4，氯化钠100毫米，1％NP - 4，2毫米氯化镁2，添加新鲜的PMSF，苯甲酰胺，抑肽酶和亮肽素</li></ol> 2。 GST融合下拉检测<ol><li>使用5-10 × 10 6细胞/检测</li><li>洗涤细胞一次在冰冷的PBS，保持冰板（我们使用平面的玻璃皿盛满冰块）和裂解0.5毫升GST鱼缓冲区。 </li><li>在冰上孵育5分钟，收获细胞，用橡胶警察或平刮板，转移到离心管和离心机20,000 RPM 5分钟，在4 ° C。 </li><li>上清转移到一个新的离心管。取50μL，以确定总的Rho（即国内生产总值+ GTP的约束）。 </li><li>加入0.5毫升GST-RBD/glutatione-Sepharose珠，并在4 ° C孵育，用旋转过夜。 </li><li>洗与GST鱼缓冲区的6倍。 </li><li>在40μL2X - Laemelli样品缓冲液重悬珠 此时浓度的确定应采取的总的Rho蛋白在2.4等分和30微克准备在凝胶上运行相应的激活范例。 </li><li>煮沸样品在90 ° C为5分钟，离心，取上清液（即避免珠）负载和12个4-20％梯度SDS - PAGE凝胶上运行。 </li><li>运行在不高于150伏凝胶转移到膜的使用Towbin缓冲区和常量100 W </li><li>座与5％的奶粉/ TBST解决方案和探头中RhoC - specfic抗体的膜。 </li></ol> 3。代表性的成果良好的效果，产生约22 kDa的单波段。坏的结果产生多个频段或高背景。这是蛋白质的降解，不完整的样品洗涤或使用旧GST - RBD的指示。 <img src="/files/ftp_upload/2083/2083fig1.jpg" alt="图1" /> 图1显示三个独立的细胞株，表达RhoC的GTP酶的不同层次表现出积极和总RhoC的高层次，积极和总RhoC的或没有RhoC的水平低。然后剥离印迹和看家基因肌动蛋白的抗体，作为一个总RhoC蛋白的装载的控制reprobed。 <img src="/files/ftp_upload/2083/2083fig2.jpg" alt="图2" /> 图2多个频段或高蛋白质的降解，不完整的样本的洗涤或使用旧GST - RBD的背景。

<ol>
	<li>van Golen, K. L., Wu, Z. F., Qiao, X. T., Bao, L. W., Merajver, S. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=RhoC+GTPase,+a+novel+transforming+oncogene+for+human+mammary+epithelial+cells+that+partially+recapitulates+the+inflammatory+breast+cancer+phenotype.">RhoC GTPase, a novel transforming oncogene for human mammary epithelial cells that partially recapitulates the inflammatory breast cancer phenotype.</a> Cancer Res. 60 (20), 5832-5838 (2000).</li><li>van Golen, K. L., Wu, Z. F., Qiao, X. T., Bao, L., Merajver, S. D. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=RhoC+GTPase+overexpression+modulates+induction+of+angiogenic+factors+in+breast+cells.">RhoC GTPase overexpression modulates induction of angiogenic factors in breast cells.</a> Neoplasia. 2 (5), 418-425 (2000).</li><li>Golen, K. L. v. a. n. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Reversion+of+RhoC+GTPase-induced+inflammatory+breast+cancer+phenotype+by+treatment+with+a+farnesyl+transferase+inhibitor.">Reversion of RhoC GTPase-induced inflammatory breast cancer phenotype by treatment with a farnesyl transferase inhibitor.</a> Mol Cancer Ther. 1 (8), 575-583 (2002).</li><li>Golen, K. L. v. a. n. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Mitogen+activated+protein+kinase+pathway+is+involved+in+RhoC+GTPase+induced+motility,+invasion+and+angiogenesis+in+inflammatory+breast+cancer.">Mitogen activated protein kinase pathway is involved in RhoC GTPase induced motility, invasion and angiogenesis in inflammatory breast cancer.</a> Clin Exp Metastasis. 19 (4), 301-311 (2002).</li><li>Yao, H., Dashner, E. J., van Golen, C. M., van Golen, K. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=RhoC+GTPase+is+required+for+PC-3+prostate+cancer+cell+invasion+but+not+motility.">RhoC GTPase is required for PC-3 prostate cancer cell invasion but not motility.</a> Oncogene. 25 (16), 2285-2296 (2006).</li><li>Hall, C. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Type+I+Collagen+receptor+(alpha2beta1)+signaling+promotes+prostate+cancer+cell+invasion+through+RhoC+GTPase.">Type I Collagen receptor (alpha2beta1) signaling promotes prostate cancer cell invasion through RhoC GTPase.</a> Neoplasia. 10 (8), 797-803 (2008).</li><li>Sequeira, L., Dubyk, C. W., Riesenberger, T. A., Cooper, C. R., van Golen, K. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rho+GTPases+in+PC-3+prostate+cancer+cell+morphology,+invasion+and+tumor+cell+diapadesis.">Rho GTPases in PC-3 prostate cancer cell morphology, invasion and tumor cell diapadesis.</a> Clin Exp Metastasis. 25, 569-579 (2008).</li><li>van Golen, K. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=CCL2+Induces+Prostate+Cancer+Transendothelial+Cell+Migration+via+Activation+of+the+Small+GTPase+Rac.">CCL2 Induces Prostate Cancer Transendothelial Cell Migration via Activation of the Small GTPase Rac.</a> J Cell Biochem. 104, 1587-1597 (2008).</li><li>Chatterjee, M., van Golen, K. L. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=.">.</a> Int J Cancer. , (2010).</li><li>Sander, E. E., ten Klooster, J. P., van Delft, S., van der Kammen, R. A., Collard, J. G. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Search&doptcmdl=Citation&defaultField=Title+Word&term=Rac+downregulates+Rho+activity:+reciprocal+balance+between+both+GTPases+determines+cellular+morphology+and+migratory+behavior.">Rac downregulates Rho activity: reciprocal balance between both GTPases determines cellular morphology and migratory behavior.</a> J Cell Biol. 147 (5), 1009-1022 (1999).</li></ol>

该过程最关键的一步，是新鲜的GST - RBD的一代。密切关注到了这一步的失败是失败的主要原因。所有步骤，从GST - RBD的一代（1.2）孵育过夜的细胞裂解液（2.5），应在一天内完成。另一个关键的一步就是让某些有足够的细胞产生的细胞裂解液。这是在RhoC的GTP酶，它往往是在细胞水平低时，具有特别重要的意义。

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<td>Gluthione-sepharose 4B beads</td>
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rhoc gtpase activation assay

RhoC的GTP酶有91％的同源性GTP酶RhoA的。由于其在细胞中的患病率，许多试剂和GTP酶RhoA的技术已经开发出来。然而，RhoC的GTP酶表达的转移性癌细胞处于较低水平。因此，数RhoC的特定试剂已经开发出来。我们已经适应了一个Rho的激活检测，检测RhoC的GTP酶。这种技术利用商品及服务税的Rho结合结构域融合蛋白拉出积极RhoC的GTP酶。此外，我们可以在检测开始收获总蛋白，以确定总水平（GTP和GDP结合）RhoC的GTP酶。这使得主动与总RhoC的GTP酶在细胞中的决心。此过程中的几个商业版本，但是已经开发，商业试剂盒优化GTP酶RhoA的，通常不工作中RhoC GTP酶。检测的部分已被修改，以及作为一个RhoC的特异性抗体的发展。

Watch this Scientific Journal Video about RhoC GTPase Activation Assay at JoVE.com

RhoC GTPase Activation Assay

该协议利用上拉下来检测，以确定细胞内的活动中RhoC GTP酶的水平。

RhoC的GTP酶激活法

RhoC GTPase has 91% homology to RhoA GTPase.  Because of its prevalence in cells, many reagents and techniques for RhoA GTPase have been developed.  ...

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

12.3K 次观看.  University of Delaware. 该协议利用上拉下来检测，以确定细胞内的活动中RhoC GTP酶的水平。

视频: RhoC GTPase Activation Assay

Interview: Glycolipid Antigen Presentation by CD1d and the Therapeutic Potential of NKT cell Activation

Natural Killer T cells (NKT) are critical determinants of the immune response to cancer, regulation of autioimmune disease, clearance of infectious agents, and the development of artheriosclerotic plaques.   In this interview, Mitch Kronenberg discusses his laboratory's efforts to understand the mechanism through which NKT cells are activated by glycolipid antigens.  Central to these studies is CD1d - the antigen presenting molecule that presents glycolipids to NKT cells.  The advent of CD1d tetramer technology, a technique developed by the Kronenberg lab, is critical for the sorting and identification of subsets of specific glycolipid-reactive T cells.  Mitch explains how glycolipid agonists are being used as therapeutic agents to activate NKT cells in cancer patients and how CD1d tetramers can be used to assess the state of the NKT cell population in vivo following glycolipid agonist therapy.  Current status of ongoing clinical trials using these agonists are discussed as well as Mitch's prediction for areas in the field of immunology that will have emerging importance in the near future.

Natural Killer T cells (NKT) are critical determinants of the immune response to cancer, regulation of autioimmunity, clearance of infection, and the development of artheriosclerotic plaques. In this interview, Mitch Kronenberg discusses his laboratory's efforts to understand the mechanism through which NKT cells are activated by glycolipid antigens.

专访：糖脂抗原提呈CD1d及NKT细胞活化治疗潜力

Natural Killer T cells (NKT) are critical determinants of the immune response to cancer, regulation of autioimmune disease, clearance of infectious ...

科研

生物学

Recordings of Neural Circuit Activation in Freely Behaving Animals

The relationship between patterns of neural activity and corresponding behavioral expression is difficult to establish in unrestrained animals. Traditional non-invasive methods require at least partially restrained research subjects, and they only allow identification of large numbers of simultaneously activated neurons. On the other hand, small ensembles of neurons or individual neurons can only be measured using single-cell recordings obtained from largely reduced preparations. Since the expression of natural behavior is limited in restrained and dissected animals, the underlying neural mechanisms that control such behavior are difficult to identify. 
Here, I present a non-invasive physiological technique that allows measuring neural circuit activation in freely behaving animals. Using a pair of wire electrodes inside a water-filled chamber, the bath electrodes record neural and muscular field potentials generated by juvenile crayfish during natural or experimentally evoked escape responses. The primary escape responses of crayfish are mediated by three different types of tail-flips which move the animals away from the point of stimulation. Each type of tail-flip is controlled by its own neural circuit; the two fastest and most powerful escape responses require activation of different sets of large &#8220;command&#8221; neurons. In combination with behavioral observations, the bath electrode recordings allow unambiguous identification of these neurons and the associated neural circuits. Thus activity of neural circuitry underlying naturally occurring behavior can be measured in unrestrained animals and in different behavioral contexts.

Non-invasive measurements of neural activity patterns in freely behaving animals are obtained by combining neurophysiological recordings with high speed videography.

自由表现动物的神经回路活化的录音

The relationship between patterns of neural activity and corresponding behavioral expression is difficult to establish in unrestrained animals. ...

Aortic Ring Assay

Angiogenesis, the sprouting of blood vessels from preexisting vasculature is associated with both natural and pathological processes. Various angiogenesis assays involve the study of individual endothelial cells in culture conditions (1). The aortic ring assay is an angiogenesis model that is based on organ culture. In this assay, angiogenic vessels grow from a segment of the aorta (modified from (2)). Briefly, mouse thoracic aorta is excised, the fat layer and adventitia are removed, and rings approximately 1 mm in length are prepared. Individual rings are then embedded in a small solid dome of basement matrix extract (BME), cast inside individual wells of a 48-well plate. Angiogenic factors and inhibitors of angiogenesis can be directly added to the rings, and a mixed co-culture of aortic rings and other cell types can be employed for the study of paracrine angiogenic effects. Sprouting is observed by inspection under a stereomicroscope over a period of 6-12 days. Due to the large variation caused by the irregularities in the aortic segments, experimentation in 6-plicates is strongly advised. Neovessel outgrowth is monitored throughout the experiment and imaged using phase microscopy, and supernatants are collected for measurement of relevant angiogenic and anti-angiogenic factors, cell death markers and nitrite.

Angiogenesis, the sprouting of blood vessels from pre-existing vasculature, is associated with both natural and pathological processes. Here we demonstrate an aortic ring assay that allows angiogenic potentiators and inhibitors to be directly added to aortic rings in culture. Sprouting and neovessel outgrowth can be determined by inspecting the aortic rings over a period of 6-12 days.

主动脉环含量

Angiogenesis, the sprouting of blood vessels from preexisting vasculature is associated with both natural and pathological processes. Various angiogenesis ...

Isolation and In vitro Activation of Caenorhabditis elegans Sperm

Males and hermaphrodites are the two naturally found sexual forms in the nematode C. elegans. The amoeboid sperm are produced by both males and hermaphrodites. In the earlier phase of gametogenesis, the germ cells of hermaphrodites differentiate into limited number of sperm - around 300 - and are stored in a small 'bag' called the spermatheca. Later on, hermaphrodites continually produce oocytes1. In contrast, males produce exclusively sperm throughout their adulthood. The males produce so much sperm that it accounts for &gt;50% of the total cells in a typical adult worm2. Therefore, isolating sperm from males is easier than from that of hermaphrodites.
Only a small proportion of males are naturally generated due to spontaneous non-disjunction of X chromosome3. Crossing hermaphrodites with males or more conveniently, the introduction of mutations to give rise to Him (High Incidence of Males) phenotype are some of strategies through which one can enrich the male population3.
Males can be easily distinguished from hermaphrodites by observing the tail morphology4. Hermaphrodite's tail is pointed, whereas male tail is rounded with mating structures.
Cutting the tail releases vast number of spermatids stored inside the male reproductive tract. Dissection is performed under a stereo microscope using 27 gauge needles. Since spermatids are not physically connected with any other cells, hydraulic pressure expels internal contents of male body, including spermatids2.
Males are directly dissected on a small drop of 'Sperm Medium'. Spermatids are sensitive to alteration in the pH. Hence, HEPES, a compound with good buffering capacity is used in sperm media. Glucose and other salts present in sperm media help maintain osmotic pressure to maintain the integrity of sperm.
Post-meiotic differentiation of spermatids into spermatozoa is termed spermiogenesis or sperm activation. Shakes5, and Nelson6 previously showed that round spermatids can be induced to differentiate into spermatozoa by adding various activating compounds including Pronase E. Here we demonstrate in vitro spermiogenesis of C. elegans spermatids using Pronase E.
Successful spermiogenesis is pre-requisite for fertility and hence the mutants defective in spermiogenesis are sterile. Hitherto several mutants have been shown to be defective specifically in spermiogenesis process7. Abnormality found during in vitro activation of novel Spe (Spermatogenesis defective) mutants would help us discover additional players participating in this event.

Isolation and In vitro Activation of Caenorhabditis elegans Sperm

A protocol for isolating and activating spermatids from male C. elegans is described here. Cutting the posterior end of male releases spermatids. The spermatids can be activated by addition of protease.

分离和<em在体外激活线虫精子

Males and hermaphrodites are the two naturally found sexual forms in the nematode C. elegans. The amoeboid sperm are produced by both males and ...

Clonogenic Assay: Adherent Cells

The clonogenic (or colony forming) assay has been established for more than 50 years; the original paper describing the technique was published in 19561. Apart from documenting the method, the initial landmark study generated the first radiation-dose response curve for X-ray irradiated mammalian (HeLa) cells in culture1. Basically, the clonogenic assay enables an assessment of the differences in reproductive viability (capacity of cells to produce progeny; i.e. a single cell to form a colony of 50 or more cells) between control untreated cells and cells that have undergone various treatments such as exposure to ionising radiation, various chemical compounds (e.g. cytotoxic agents) or in other cases genetic manipulation. The assay has become the most widely accepted technique in radiation biology and has been widely used for evaluating the radiation sensitivity of different cell lines. Further, the clonogenic assay is commonly used for monitoring the efficacy of radiation modifying compounds and for determining the effects of cytotoxic agents and other anti-cancer therapeutics on colony forming ability, in different cell lines. A typical clonogenic survival experiment using adherent cells lines involves three distinct components, 1) treatment of the cell monolayer in tissue culture flasks, 2) preparation of single cell suspensions and plating an appropriate number of cells in petri dishes and 3) fixing and staining colonies following a relevant incubation period, which could range from 1-3 weeks, depending on the cell line. Here we demonstrate the general procedure for performing the clonogenic assay with adherent cell lines with the use of an immortalized human keratinocyte cell line (FEP-1811)2. Also, our aims are to describe common features of clonogenic assays including calculation of the plating efficiency and survival fractions after exposure of cells to radiation, and to exemplify modification of radiation-response with the use of a natural antioxidant formulation.

The applicability of the clonogenic assay for evaluating reproductive viability has been established for more than 50 years. Here we demonstrate the general procedure for performing the clonogenic assay with adherent cells.

克隆形成含量：贴壁细胞

The clonogenic (or colony forming) assay has been established for more than 50 years; the original paper describing the technique was published in 19561. ...

Activation of Apoptosis by Cytoplasmic Microinjection of Cytochrome c

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a conserved and highly regulated pathway by which cells die1. Apoptosis can be triggered when cells encounter a wide range of cytotoxic stresses. These insults initiate signaling cascades that ultimately cause the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondrial intermembrane space to the cytoplasm2. The release of cytochrome c from mitochondria is a key event that triggers the rapid activation of caspases, the key cellular proteases which ultimately execute cell death3-4.
The pathway of apoptosis is regulated at points upstream and downstream of cytochrome c release from mitochondria5. In order to study the post-mitochondrial regulation of caspase activation, many investigators have turned to direct cytoplasmic microinjection of holocytochrome c (heme-attached) protein into cells6-9. Cytochrome c is normally localized to the mitochondria where attachment of a heme group is necessary to enable it to activate apoptosis10-11. Therefore, to directly activate caspases, it is necessary to inject the holocytochrome c protein instead of its cDNA, because while the expression of cytochrome c from cDNA constructs will result in mitochondrial targeting and heme attachment, it will be sequestered from cytosolic caspases. Thus, the direct cytosolic microinjection of purified heme-attached cytochrome c protein is a useful tool to mimic mitochondrial cytochrome c release and apoptosis without the use of toxic insults which cause cellular and mitochondrial damage.
In this article, we describe a method for the microinjection of cytochrome c protein into cells, using mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) and primary sympathetic neurons as examples. While this protocol focuses on the injection of cytochrome c for investigations of apoptosis, the techniques shown here can also be easily adapted for microinjection of other proteins of interest.

Activation of Apoptosis by Cytoplasmic Microinjection of Cytochrome c

In this protocol, we describe the direct cytoplasmic microinjection of cytochrome c protein into fibroblasts and primary sympathetic neurons. This technique allows for the introduction of cytochrome c protein into the cytoplasm of cells and mimics the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria, which occurs during apoptosis.

激活细胞凋亡的细胞色素的细胞质显微注射 C</em

Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a conserved and highly regulated pathway by which cells die1.  Apoptosis can be triggered when cells encounter a ...

Intracellular Refolding Assay

This protocol describes a method to measure the enzymatic activity of molecular chaperones in a cell-based system and the possible effects of compounds with inhibitory/stimulating activity. Molecular chaperones are proteins involved in regulation of protein folding1 and have a crucial role in promoting cell survival upon stress insults like heat shock2, nutrient starvation and exposure to chemicals/poisons3. For this reason chaperones are found to be involved in events like tumor development, chemioresistance of cancer cells4 as well as neurodegeneration5. Design of small molecules able to inhibit or stimulate the activity of these enzymes is therefore one of the most studied strategies for cancer therapy7 and neurodegenerative disorders9. The assay here described offers the possibility to measure the refolding activity of a particular molecular chaperone and to study the effect of compounds on its activity. In this method the gene of the molecular chaperone investigated is transfected together with an expression vector encoding for the firefly luciferase gene. It has been already described that denaturated firefly luciferase can be refolded by molecular chaperones10,11. As normalizing transfection control, a vector encoding for the renilla luciferase gene is transfected. All transfections described in this protocol are performed with X-treme Gene 11 (Roche) in HEK-293 cells. In the first step, protein synthesis is inhibited by treating the cells with cycloheximide. Thereafter protein unfolding is induced by heat shock at 45&deg;C for 30 minutes. Upon recovery at 37&deg;C, proteins are re-folded into their active conformation and the activity of the firefly luciferase is used as read-out: the more light will be produced, the more protein will have re-gained the original conformation. Non-heat shocked cells are set as reference (100% of refolded luciferase).

In this protocol a method to measure intracellular protein refolding after heat shock is described. This method can be used to study foldases like molecular chaperones and their co-factors or compounds able to influence their activity. Firefly luciferase activity is used as reporter to measure chaperone refolding activity.

细胞内复性检测

This protocol describes a method to measure the enzymatic activity of molecular chaperones in a cell-based system and the possible effects of compounds ...

Amide Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange &amp; MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Analysis of Pak2 Activation

Amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange (H/D exchange) coupled with mass spectrometry has been widely used to analyze the interface of protein-protein interactions, protein conformational changes, protein dynamics and protein-ligand interactions. H/D exchange on the backbone amide positions has been utilized to measure the deuteration rates of the micro-regions in a protein by mass spectrometry1,2,3. The resolution of this method depends on pepsin digestion of the deuterated protein of interest into peptides that normally range from 3-20 residues. Although the resolution of H/D exchange measured by mass spectrometry is lower than the single residue resolution measured by the Heteronuclear Single Quantum Coherence (HSQC) method of NMR, the mass spectrometry measurement in H/D exchange is not restricted by the size of the protein4. H/D exchange is carried out in an aqueous solution which maintains protein conformation. We provide a method that utilizes the MALDI-TOF for detection2, instead of a HPLC/ESI (electrospray ionization)-MS system5,6. The MALDI-TOF provides accurate mass intensity data for the peptides of the digested protein, in this case protein kinase Pak2 (also called &gamma;-Pak). Proteolysis of Pak 2 is carried out in an offline pepsin digestion. This alternative method, when the user does not have access to a HPLC and pepsin column connected to mass spectrometry, or when the pepsin column on HPLC does not result in an optimal digestion map, for example, the heavily disulfide-bonded secreted Phospholipase A2 (sPLA2). Utilizing this method, we successfully monitored changes in the deuteration level during activation of Pak2 by caspase 3 cleavage and autophosphorylation7,8,9.

MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry was successfully utilized to monitor the amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange in protein kinase Pak2 activation.

酰胺氢/氘交换和MALDI - TOF质谱PAK2激活的质谱分析

Amide hydrogen/deuterium exchange (H/D exchange) coupled with mass spectrometry has been widely used to analyze the interface of protein-protein ...

Single-molecule Imaging of Gene Regulation In vivo Using Cotranslational Activation by Cleavage (CoTrAC)

We describe a fluorescence microscopy method, Co-Translational Activation by Cleavage (CoTrAC) to image the production of protein molecules in live cells with single-molecule precision without perturbing the protein's functionality. This method makes it possible to count the numbers of protein molecules produced in one cell during sequential, five-minute time windows. It requires a fluorescence microscope with laser excitation power density of ~0.5 to 1 kW/cm2, which is sufficiently sensitive to detect single fluorescent protein molecules in live cells. The fluorescent reporter used in this method consists of three parts: a membrane targeting sequence, a fast-maturing, yellow fluorescent protein and a protease recognition sequence. The reporter is translationally fused to the N-terminus of a protein of interest. Cells are grown on a temperature-controlled microscope stage. Every five minutes, fluorescent molecules within cells are imaged (and later counted by analyzing fluorescence images) and subsequently photobleached so that only newly translated proteins are counted in the next measurement.
Fluorescence images resulting from this method can be analyzed by detecting fluorescent spots in each image, assigning them to individual cells and then assigning cells to cell lineages. The number of proteins produced within a time window in a given cell is calculated by dividing the integrated fluorescence intensity of spots by the average intensity of single fluorescent molecules. We used this method to measure expression levels in the range of 0-45 molecules in single 5 min time windows. This method enabled us to measure noise in the expression of the &lambda; repressor CI, and has many other potential applications in systems biology.

Single-molecule Imaging of Gene Regulation In vivo Using Cotranslational Activation by Cleavage CoTrAC

We describe a fluorescence microscopy method, Co-Translational Activation by Cleavage (CoTrAC), to image the production of protein molecules in live cells with single-molecule precision without perturbing the protein's functionality. This method has been used to follow the stochastic expression dynamics of a transcription factor, the &lambda; repressor CI 1.

单分子成像的基因调控<em在体内</em使用转位激活裂解（CoTrAC）

We describe a fluorescence microscopy method, Co-Translational Activation by Cleavage (CoTrAC) to image the production of protein molecules in live cells ...

C. elegans Chemotaxis Assay

Many organisms use chemotaxis to seek out food sources, avoid noxious substances, and find mates. Caenorhabditis elegans has impressive chemotaxis behavior.
 The premise behind testing the response of the worms to an odorant is to place them in an area and observe the movement evoked in response to an odorant. Even with the many available assays, optimizing worm starting location relative to both the control and test areas, while minimizing the interaction of worms with each other, while maintaining a significant sample size remains a work in progress 1-10. The method described here aims to address these issues by modifying the assay developed by Bargmann et al.1. A Petri dish is divided into four quadrants, two opposite quadrants marked "Test" and two are designated "Control". Anesthetic is placed in all test and control sites. The worms are placed in the center of the plate with a circle marked around the origin to ensure that non-motile worms will be ignored. Utilizing a four-quadrant system rather than one 2 or two 1 eliminates bias in the movement of the worms, as they are equidistant from test and control samples, regardless of which side of the origin they began. This circumvents the problem of worms being forced to travel through a cluster of other worms to respond to an odorant, which can delay worms or force them to take a more circuitous route, yielding an incorrect interpretation of their intended path. This method also shows practical advantages by having a larger sample size and allowing the researcher to run the assay unattended and score the worms once the allotted time has expired.

C. elegans Chemotaxis Assay

A method of quantitatively evaluating the chemotactic response of Caenorhabditis elegans is described. A chemotactic index (CI) was employed as a way to precisely evaluate the response of worms to certain targets, and serve as a platform of comparison between strains and compounds of interest.

线虫趋含量的

Many organisms use chemotaxis to seek out food sources, avoid noxious substances, and find mates.  Caenorhabditis elegans has impressive chemotaxis ...