Astrocytes are a major cell type in the mammalian central nervous system (CNS). The ability to obtain virtually pure populations of these cells makes it possible to study their function as isolated cells or in mixed populations where they support the growth and survival of surrounding neurons. Unlike other mature CNS cells, mature astrocytes maintain the lifelong ability to reenter the cell cyc...

Natural product discovery arises through a unique interplay between chromatographic purification and biological assays. Currently, most techniques used for natural product purification deliver leads without a defined biological action. We now describe a technique, referred to herein as functional chromatography, that deploys biological affinity as the matrix for compound isolation.

Lactoferrin (Lf) is an 80 kDa iron-binding glycoprotein with multifunctional properties and useful for clinical and commercial applications. Currently, Lf has some advantages including, immune system modulation, antibacterial activity and as antioxidant in infant and adult of human as well as animal health. In the present study, antibacterial activity of Lf has been scrutinized after isolation ...

This paper reports methods we have developed to solubilize gap junction channels, or connexons, from isolated gap junctions and to purify them in milligram quantities. Two sources of material are used: rat liver gap junctions and gap junctions produced by infecting insect cells with a baculovirus containing the cDNA for human liver beta 1 protein (connexin 32). Complete solubilization is obtain...

Antibacterial peptides were isolated from immune haemolymph of Rhinoceros beetle (Oryctes rhinoceros L.) larvae and evaluated for antibacterial activity against bacterial pathogens, viz., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Micrococcus luteus, Bacillus subtilis, Paenebacillus macerans and Pseudomonas sp. The peptides were found to be stable upto 37°C and antibacterial activity observed at pH 7.0. The peptid...

The outcome of human islet isolation procedures can be significantly effected by the technique used for pancreas procurement. In fact, the final step of islet purification using discontinuous density gradients requires a significant difference between the density of the islets and the density of the non-endocrine component of the gland. Therefore, any procedure during multi-organ procurement th...

This chapter describes the purification and crystallization of oxygen-evolving photosystem II core dimer complex from a thermophilic cyanobacterium Thermosynechococcus vulcanus. Procedures used for purification of photosystem II from the cyanobacterium involves cultivation of cells, isolation of thylakoid membranes, purification of crude and pure photosystem II core complexes by detergent solub...

A method employing nutrient saturated glass fiber filters allowed the isolation of the same numbers of cyanobacteria from freshwater as were obtained with medium solidified with agar, while providing a 2- to 15-fold reduction in the number of accompanying heterotrophic bacteria. Imipenem, a broad-spectrum beta-lactam antibiotic which inhibits peptidoglycan biosynthesis, was superior to some oth...

Schwann cells are the glial cells of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) which both myelinate and provide trophic support for their associated axons. Their functions are critical for proper development, homeostasis, and regeneration of the PNS. Schwann cells can be isolated and expanded in culture. Such a culture can be used as a source of myelinating glia in culture or as a source of Schwann c...

Isolation and Purification Megalomicin is an antibiotic mixture most readily isolated from the fermentation broth by adjusting the whole broth to a pH of 9.5 with dilute aqueous sodium hydroxide and extracting with approximately 2 volumes of ethyl acetate for each volume of broth. The solvent phase was separated and concentrated under vacuum to an oily residue. The biological activity of a 1:20...