The effects of an acidic condition (pH 6.5) on WAF1 gene expression and p53 accumulation was investigated in human glioblastoma cells with different p53 statuses. WAF1 and p53 accumulation after treatment in acidic conditions was observed in A-172 cells carrying the wild-type p53 gene but not in T98G cells carrying the mutant p53 gene. Northern blot analysis showed that WAF1 gene activation by ...

A direct and label-free electrochemical biosensor for the detection of the protein-mismatched DNA interaction was designed using immobilized N-terminal histidine tagged Escherichia coli. MutS on a Ni-NTA coated Au electrode. General electrochemical methods, cyclic voltammetry (CV), electrochemical quartz crystal microbalance (EQCM) and impedance spectroscopy, were used to ascertain the binding ...

DNase I footprinting identifies a tissue-general factor, GHF3, binding to the rat growth hormone promoter between nucleotides -239 and -219. Mutation of the GHF3-binding site reduces promoter activity to 30% of that of the wild-type promoter after transfection into GC cells. Southwestern blotting and protein/DNA cross-linking experiments demonstrate that the GHF3-binding factor migrates as a 43...

Elucidating DNA-protein interactions at the molecular level is a prerequisite in understanding the way a transcriptionally active gene is regulated in various tissues. A number of techniques are presently available for this particular type of analyses, of which, the electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) is certainly the preferred one and likely the most sensitive and powerful. EMSA is wid...

Proteins recognizing and binding to damaged DNA (DDB-proteins) were analyzed in human lymphocytes obtained from healthy donors. Using an electrophoretic mobility shift assay several complexes between nuclear extract proteins and damaged DNA were detected: a complex specific for DNA damaged by N-acetoxy-N-acetylaminofluorene, another complex specific for UV-irradiated DNA, and two complexes spec...

The in vivo alkaline single cell gel electrophoresis assay, hereafter the Comet assay, can be used to investigate the genotoxicity of industrial chemicals, biocides, agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals. The major advantages of this assay include the relative ease of application to any tissue of interest, the detection of multiple classes of DNA damage and the generation of data at the level of th...

Tn7 transposition requires the assembly of a nucleoprotein complex containing four self-encoded proteins, transposon ends, and target DNA. Within this complex, TnsC, the molecular switch that regulates transposition, and TnsA, one part of the transposase, interact directly. Here, we demonstrate that residues 504-555 of TnsC are responsible for TnsA/TnsC interaction. The crystal structure of the...

We present a novel strategy for thrombin detection by combining a magnetic bead based agglutination assay and low-cost microfluidic disc. The detection method is based on an optomagnetic readout system implemented using a Blu-ray optical pickup unit (OPU) as main optoelectronic component. The assay, from sample to answer, is fully integrated on a microfluidic disc which embeds on-disc mixing en...