Raf-1 is a serine/threonine kinase which is essential in cell growth and differentiation. Tyrosine kinase oncogenes and receptors and p21ras can activate Raf-1, and recent studies have suggested that Raf-1 functions upstream of MEK (MAP/ERK kinase), which phosphorylates and activates ERK. To determine whether or not Raf-1 directly activates MEK, we developed an in vitro assay with purified reco...

The ATPase assay using membrane preparations from recombinant baculovirus-infected Spodoptera frugiperda ovarian (Sf9) cells is widely used to detect the interaction of compounds with different ATP-binding cassette transporters. However, Sf9 membrane preparations containing the wild-type ABCG2 transporter show an elevated baseline vanadate-sensitive ATPase activity, which cannot be further stim...

MyoD is a member of the basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) family of muscle gene regulatory proteins that includes myogenin, myf-5, and MRF4. These proteins have been shown to heterodimerize with E2A bHLH proteins, E12/E47, and to bind to a consensus sequence known as an E-box, CANNTG, the target for transcriptional activation by these myogenic regulators. MyoD is also a phosphorylated nuclear prote...

The work presented in this paper is a part of the iCHEM STREP project, which aims at developing a new class of technology for biosynthetic infochemical communication by exploiting recent advances in the understanding of both pheromone biosynthesis pathways and the detection of molecules in the insect nervous system. We present the design and development of a novel surface acoustic wave (SAW) bi...

The Drosophila proteins, Trp and Trpl, are suggested to be cation channels responsible for depolarization of the receptor potential associated with stimulation of insect photoreceptor cells by light. Consistent with this hypothesis, we recently showed that recombinant Trpl forms Ca(2+)- and Ba(2+)-permeable non-selective cation channels when expressed in Sf9 cells using the baculovirus expressi...

The role of microRNA bantam, one of the most abundant microRNAs in Sf9 cells, was studied for its role in baculovirus infection in vitro and in vivo. The expression level of bantam was increased after AcMNPV infection in Sf9 cells and in Spodoptera litura larvae. In Sf9 cells, application of bantam inhibitor or mimic altered the expression of many virus genes, the most affected gene being lef8,...

Cytochrome P450 monooxygenases (P450s) are enzymes known to metabolize a wide variety of compounds including insecticides. Their overexpression leading to enhanced insecticide detoxification could result in insecticide resistance in insects. The increased mRNA expression of two P450 genes, CYP6P7 and CYP6AA3, has been previously observed in laboratory-selected deltamethrin-resistant Ano...

The rat liver sulfate/bicarbonate/oxalate exchanger (sat-1) transports sulfate across the canalicular membrane in exchange for either bicarbonate or oxalate. Sulfate/oxalate exchange has been detected in the proximal tubule of the kidney, where it is probably involved in the reabsorption of filtered sulfate and the secretion of oxalate and may contribute to oxalate-dependent chloride reabsorpti...

Introduction Wild-type or recombinant viruses used as vaccines and human gene therapy vectors are an important development tool in modern medicine. Some have demonstrated high potential such as lentivirus, paramyxovirus and adeno-associated-virus (AAV). These vectors are produced in adherent and suspension cell cultures (e.g. HEK293T, A549, VERO, PER.C6, Sf9) using either transient transfection...