................................................................................................................................... iii List of publications .................................................................................................................. iv List of publications not included in this thesis ....................................................................... v...

This study was designed to examine how smooth muscle (SM) cell (SMC) isolation affects the distribution of some adherens junction (AJ) complex-associated proteins. Immunofluorescence procedures for identifying protein distribution were used on gastrointestinal and tracheal SM tissues and freshly isolated SMCs from dogs and rabbits. As confirmed by force measurements, relaxation, Ca(2+) depletio...

Peptide surfaces were obtained by the covalent immobilisation of fluorescently labelled pentapeptides carboxyfluorescein-glycine-arginine-methionine-leucine-glycine, either directly or through a poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) linker on modified silicon wafers. Each step during the preparation of the peptide surfaces was confirmed by several surface characterisation techniques. Time-of-flight secon...

DNA is often subjected to multiple enzymatic treatments during subcloning procedures. For example, converting a restriction site to another by insertion of a synthetic linker requires five or six enzymatic steps: restriction enzyme digestion, treatment with DNA polymerase (if ends are not blunt), phosphorylation of linkers, ligation of linkers to blunt ends, removal of excess linkers by restric...

Enzymatic breakdown of most of the organic constituents of food is complete by the time the unabsorbed digesta reach the large intestine. One of the main functions of this part of the system is the absorption of water and minerals of both dietary and secretory origin. In addition, further breakdown is carried out here by a permanent population of microbes (bacteria and protozoa) with some propo...

Detection of peptides from the peanut allergen Ara h 1 by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) was used to identify and estimate total peanut protein levels in dark chocolate. A comparison of enzymatic digestion subsequent to and following extraction of Ara h 1 from the food matrix revealed better limits of detection (LOD) for the pre-extraction digestion (20 ppm) than for the postex...

The influence of tissue pretreatment on the PAP immunostaining for type I and III collagens and tenascin was studied in formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded human tooth germs at the 24th and 25th weeks of fetal life. Three variables were considered: the type of buffer used (PBS or Tris), pepsin digestion and the use of normal serum as a blocking agent prior to immunostaining. All three proteins...

Cardiomyocytes are principal cells in the heart. Earlier it was believed that cardiomyocytes cannot divide as these are terminally differentiated cells but latest research proved that these cells can divide and it has also been reported that there are also cardiac stem and progenitor cells in the heart. Cardiac stem cells and progenitor cells have a great potential for cellular therapy after my...

Introduction: Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection has remained as a global health problem. Animal studies demonstrated the role of H. pylori oipA gene in the development of gastric cancer. The aim of this study was the cloning and expression of Helicobacter pylori oipA gene in a bicistronic vector harboring mice IL-18 gene. Materials and methods: The target gene encoding oipA was amp...