A novel fluorescence probe capable of assessing the cytoplasmic entry of siderophore-based conjugates was synthesized and evaluated by photochemical characterization and cell-based assays. The specific responsiveness to the cytoplasmic entry of the probe was implemented by adopting a disulfide linker, whose cleavage under the reducing conditions of the cytoplasm induced the display of a distinc...

We conducted a comparative evaluation of the Chlamydiazyme (Abbott Laboratories), PACE 2 (Gen-Probe), and AMP-CT (Gen-Probe) assays for the detection of Chlamydia trachomatis in endocervical samples. Specimens from 787 females were included in the study. The sensitivities of the PACE 2 and Chlamydiazyme assays in comparison to the results of the AMP-CT assay were 79.3 and 63.4%, respectively. T...

Cytochrome P450 (P450) assays use probe substrates to interrogate the influence of new chemical entities toward P450 enzymes. We report the synthesis and study of a family of bioluminogenic luciferin acetal substrates that are oxidized by P450 enzymes to form luciferase substrates. The luciferin acetals were screened against a panel of purified P450 enzymes. In particular, one proluciferin acet...

Members of the peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) family of transcription factors are under investigation as molecular targets for the treatment of numerous diseases including Alzheimer's, asthma, atherosclerosis, inflammation, multiple sclerosis, cancer, and diabetes. We employed the X-ray crystal structure of the PPARgamma subtype complexed with the potent small molecule agonis...

DNA probe and PCR-based assays to identify and detect parasites are technically complex; however, they have high sensitivity, directly detect parasites independent of the immunocompetence or previous clinical history of the patient, and can distinguish between organisms that are morphologically similar. Diagnosis of parasites is often based on direct detection by microscopy, which is insensitiv...

Conventional asymmetric PCR is inefficient and difficult to optimize because limiting the concentration of one primer lowers its melting temperature below the reaction annealing temperature. Linear-After-The-Exponential (LATE)-PCR describes a new paradigm for primer design that renders assays as efficient as symmetric PCR assays, regardless of primer ratio. LATE-PCR generates single-stranded pr...

background hepatitis c virus (hcv) is the major cause of chronic liver disease. hcv is a single stranded positive sense rna of approximately 9.6 kb. because of high conservativeness of 5΄untranslated region of hcv genome, it is widely used for virus genotyping. different methods are used for the virus genotyping, but all involve some difficulties. objectives the aim of the present study was to ...

We report here the use of novel "sloppy" molecular beacon probes in homogeneous PCR screening assays in which thermal denaturation of the resulting probe-amplicon hybrids provides a characteristic set of amplicon melting temperature (T(m)) values that identify which species is present in a sample. Sloppy molecular beacons possess relatively long probe sequences, enabling them to form hybrids wi...

Although cardiac pathologies are the major cause of death in world, it remains difficult to provide a reliable diagnosis prevent heart attacks. Rapid patient care and management emergencies critical dramatic consequences. Thus, relevant biomarkers such as troponin natriuretic peptides currently targeted by commercialized Point-Of-Care immunoassays. Key points still be addressed concern cost, la...