QuantiFERON®-TB Gold in-tube (QFT-GIT) supernatants may be important samples for use in assessment of anti-tuberculosis (TB) antibodies when only limited volumes of blood can be collected and when a combination of antibody and cytokine measurements are required. These analytes, when used together, may also have the potential to differentiate active pulmonary TB (APTB) from latent TB infection (...

"Test-and-slaughter" has been successful in industrialized countries to control and eradicate tuberculosis from cattle; however, this strategy is too expensive for developing nations, where the prevalence is especially high. Vaccination with the Calmette-Guérin (BCG) strain has been shown to protect against the development of lesions in vaccinated animals: mouse, cattle and wildlife species. In...

Molecular modeling and simulation are useful tools in structural biology, allowing the formulation of functional hypotheses and interpretation of spectroscopy experiments. Here, we describe a method to construct in silico models of a fluorescent fusion protein construct, where a cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) is linked to the actuator domain of the Sarco/Endoplasmic Reticulum Ca(2+)-ATPase (SER...

N-[1-(R,S)-carboxyl-3-phenylpropyl]-Ala-Ala-Phe-p-aminobenzoate (cFP-AAF-pAB), an active-site-directed inhibitor of metalloendopeptidase-24.15, has been shown to lower blood pressure, increase cardiac output and renal blood flow, and potentiate the intravenous bradykinin-induced vasodepressor response. Because in vivo cFP-AAF-pAB can be converted to N-[1-(R,S)-carboxyl-3-phenylpropyl]-Ala-Ala (...

BACKGROUND Congenital facial palsy (CFP) is clinically defined as facial palsy present at birth. It is associated with considerable disfigurement and causes functional and emotional problems for the affected child. The aetiology of the majority of cases however, remains elusive. AIMS To investigate the role of a neuroanatomical abnormality as a cause of unilateral CFP. METHODS Magnetic reso...

Previous studies have shown that compounds in the form of precipitate (CFP) from Huang-Lian-Jie-Du-Tang (HLJDT) were stable, and the CFP content reached 2.63% of the whole decoction and had good neuroprotective effects. However, there has been no research on their specific source. In this study, it was found that HLJDT CFP mainly came from the reaction of Scutellaria baicalensis and Coptis chin...

We report the design and characterization of two genetically encoded fluorescent reporters of histone protein methylation. The reporters are four-part chimeric proteins consisting of a substrate peptide from the N-terminus of histone H3 fused to a chromodomain (a natural methyllysine-specific recognition domain), sandwiched between a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-capable pair of...

Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a technique used for the study of functional interactions between molecules. The intimate vicinity between two fluorescent molecules (FRET-pair; donor and acceptor) allows for an energy transfer, which can be directly calculated as the so called FRET efficiency. This technique is used in fixed as well as living cells. Here we show first, measured...

BACKGROUND INFORMATION Leptin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone, signals through activation of its membrane-embedded receptor (LEPR). To study the leptin-induced events occurring in short (LEPRa) and long (LEPRb) LEPRs in the cell membrane, by FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer) methodology, the respective receptors, tagged at their C-terminal with CFP (cyan fluorescent protein) or YFP (...