Mast cells and basophils are important effector cells in immunoglobulin-E (IgE)-mediated allergic reactions. Using the human basophilic KU812F cells, we assessed the inhibitory effects of 6-methoxyluteolin, isolated from Chrysanthemum zawadskii, in the FcεRI-mediated allergic reaction. We determined that 6-methoxyluteolin inhibited anti-FcεRI α chain antibody (CRA-1)-induced histamine release, ...

Maize chlorotic mottle virus (MCMV) infects maize plants and causes significant losses in corn production worldwide. In this study, a real-time TaqMan RTPCR assay for efficient detection of MCMV was described. A pair of primers amplifying a 131-bp DNA fragment and a TaqMan probe was designed targeting the novel molecular marker based on MCMV genome analysis sequences. The assay designed was hig...

Flavones are synthesized from flavanones through the action of flavone synthases (FNSs). There are two FNSs, FNS I and II. FNS I is a soluble dioxygenase present in members of the Apiaceae family and FNS II is a membrane bound cytochrome P450 enzyme that has been identified in numerous plant species. In this study, we cloned OsFNS I-1 from rice by RTPCR, expressed it in E. coli, and purified th...

Hepatitis C is blood-borne viral disease worldwide. Chronic hepatitis C infection leads to cirrhosis of the liver, liver failure and liver cancer. Antiviral therapy exists and approximately 50% of infected individuals can be cured. The importance of low cost molecular diagnostic assays are especially important for the developing nations as they are already burdened with increasing number of hep...

Recent evidence proposes that cells with the properties of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can be extracted from adult peripheral tissues, including muscle, dermis and adipose tissue. Adipose tissue is ubiquitous and easily obtainable in large quantities. We separated Adipose derived stem cells (ADSCs) from part of subcutaneous adipose tissue from rat. These cells could be readily differentiated ...

Introduction Detection of RNA in cells is routinely performed by in vitro methods such as RT-PCR and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH). RTPCR quantifies gene expression of a cell population. FISH requires fixation of cells, thus unable to give a true picture of mRNA localization. Molecular beacons (MBs) are antisense oligonucleotide stem-loop probes that fluoresce upon hybridization with...

The neuropilin-plexin receptor complex regulates tumor cell migration and proliferation and thus is an interesting therapeutic target. High expression of neuropilin-1 is indeed associated with a bad prognosis in glioma patients. Q-RTPCR and tissue-array analyses showed here that Plexin-A1 is highly expressed in glioblastoma and that the highest level of expression correlates with the worse surv...

Unicellular micro-alga Chlamydomonas reinhardtii has been recognized as a promising host for expressing recombinant proteins albeit its limited utility due to low levels of heterologous protein expression. Here, transcription of the 3.4-kb mosquito-larvicidal cry4Ba gene from Bacillus thuringiensis in transgenic C. reinhardtii chloroplasts under control of the promoter and 5'-untranslated regio...

Technical Appendix Table. Characteristics and clinical and laboratory findings for patients having positive results for TBRF by rtPCR, Jask and Rodan Counties, Iran, 2011–2013* Patient no. Sex Age, y Occupation Area, Province Relapses Microscopy (count/10 high power fields) rt-PCR IGS nested PCR 1 M 22 Unknown Jask, Hormozgan Yes Positive† (2.3) Positive Positive 2 M 59 Farmer Jask, Hormozgan Y...

The study was made to find out the etiological agent involved in piglet diarrhoea during 20072009 in and around Bareilly. Group A rotavirus (GARV) was found as the main agent using various methods applied to intestinal and fecal samples. Out of 199 necropsied intestinal samples, none was positive in agarose gel electrophoresis, 5 (2.51%) were positive in double antibody sandwich ELISA (DAS-ELIS...