Embryos of the primary screwworm, Cochliomyia hominivorax (Coquerel), were successfully permeabilized for use in subsequent cryopreservation studies. Mortality was greater for eggs incubated for < 5 h before treatment. The mean survival of embryos to first instars was 55.7, 61.1, and 62.6% when the embryos were incubated for 5, 5.5, and 6 h before treatment, respectively. The survival to the pu...

BACKGROUND Recent advances in intracellular staining techniques, cytometer technology, fluorescent reagents, and antibody production have expanded the number of intracellular antigens that can be analyzed by flow cytometry. Measurement of protein phosphorylation with phospho-specific antibodies has given insight into kinase signaling cascades. However, available techniques for phospho-epitope s...

Immunofluorescence microscopy is widely used to characterize the cellular distribution of both soluble and structural proteins. Control experiments generally address only the specificity of the antibodies used. The permeabilization/fixation conditions used to prepare cells for antibody application are assumed to preserve faithfully the in vivo distributions of the protein(s) being examined. We ...

BACKGROUND The mechanisms by which ischemic preconditioning (IP) inhibits mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening and, hence, ischemia-reperfusion injury remain unclear. Here we investigate whether and how mitochondria-bound hexokinase 2 (mtHK2) may exert part of the cardioprotective effects of IP. METHODS AND RESULTS Control and IP Langendorff-perfused rat hearts were subject to i...

As anaphase began, mitotic PtK1 and newt lung epithelial cells were permeabilized with digitonin in permeabilization medium (PM). Permeabilization stopped cytoplasmic activity, chromosome movement, and cytokinesis within about 3 min, presumably due to the loss of endogenous ATP. ATP, GTP, or ATP-gamma-S added in the PM 4-7 min later restarted anaphase A while kinetochore fibers shortened. AMPPN...

Although Bcl-XL and Bax are structurally similar, activated Bax forms large oligomers that permeabilize the outer mitochondrial membrane, thereby committing cells to apoptosis, whereas Bcl-XL inhibits this process. Two different models of Bcl-XL function have been proposed. In one, Bcl-XL binds to an activator, thereby preventing Bax activation. In the other, Bcl-XL binds directly to activated ...