WorldWideScience

Sample records for fluorescence polarization assay

  1. Identification of adiponectin receptor agonist utilizing a fluorescence polarization based high throughput assay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yiyi Sun

    Full Text Available Adiponectin, the adipose-derived hormone, plays an important role in the suppression of metabolic disorders that can result in type 2 diabetes, obesity, and atherosclerosis. It has been shown that up-regulation of adiponectin or adiponectin receptor has a number of therapeutic benefits. Given that it is hard to convert the full size adiponectin protein into a viable drug, adiponectin receptor agonists could be designed or identified using high-throughput screening. Here, we report on the development of a two-step screening process to identify adiponectin agonists. First step, we developed a high throughput screening assay based on fluorescence polarization to identify adiponectin ligands. The fluorescence polarization assay reported here could be adapted to screening against larger small molecular compound libraries. A natural product library containing 10,000 compounds was screened and 9 hits were selected for validation. These compounds have been taken for the second-step in vitro tests to confirm their agonistic activity. The most active adiponectin receptor 1 agonists are matairesinol, arctiin, (--arctigenin and gramine. The most active adiponectin receptor 2 agonists are parthenolide, taxifoliol, deoxyschizandrin, and syringin. These compounds may be useful drug candidates for hypoadiponectin related diseases.

  2. Binding Assays Using Recombinant SH2 Domains: Far-Western, Pull-Down, and Fluorescence Polarization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Machida, Kazuya; Liu, Bernard

    2017-01-01

    Recognition of phosphotyrosine-containing sequences by SH2 domains confers specificity in tyrosine kinase pathways. By assessing interactions between isolated SH2 domains and their binding proteins, it is possible to gain insight into otherwise inaccessible complex cellular systems. Far-Western, pull-down, and fluorescence polarization (FP) have been frequently used for characterization of phosphotyrosine signaling. Here, we outline standard protocols for these established assays using recombinant SH2 domain, emphasizing the importance of appropriate sample preparation and assay controls.

  3. A fluorescence polarization binding assay to identify inhibitors of flavin-dependent monooxygenases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qi, Jun; Kizjakina, Karina; Robinson, Reeder; Tolani, Karishma; Sobrado, Pablo

    2012-06-01

    N-Hydroxylating monooxygenases (NMOs) are essential for pathogenesis in fungi and bacteria. NMOs catalyze the hydroxylation of sine and ornithine in the biosynthesis of hydroxamate-containing siderophores. Inhibition of kynurenine monooxygenase (KMO), which catalyzes the conversion of kynurenine to 3-hydroxykynurenine, alleviates neurodegenerative disorders such as Huntington's and Alzheimer's diseases and brain infections caused by the parasite Trypanosoma brucei. These enzymes are examples of flavin-dependent monooxygenases, which are validated drug targets. Here, we describe the development and optimization of a fluorescence polarization assay to identify potential inhibitors of flavin-dependent monooxygenases. Fluorescently labeled ADP molecules were synthesized and tested. An ADP-TAMRA chromophore bound to KMO with a K(d) value of 0.60 ± 0.05 μM and to the NMOs from Aspergillus fumigatus and Mycobacterium smegmatis with K(d) values of 2.1 ± 0.2 and 4.0 ± 0.2 μM, respectively. The assay was tested in competitive binding experiments with substrates and products of KMO and an NMO. Furthermore, we show that this assay can be used to identify inhibitors of NMOs. A Z' factor of 0.77 was calculated, and we show that the assay exhibits good tolerance to temperature, incubation time, and dimethyl sulfoxide concentration. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. A fluorescence polarization based screening assay for identification of small molecule inhibitors of the PICK1 PDZ domain

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Thorsen, Thor S; Madsen, Kenneth L; Dyhring, Tino

    2011-01-01

    PDZ (PSD-95/Discs-large/ZO-1 homology) domains represent putative targets in several diseases including cancer, stroke, addiction and neuropathic pain. Here we describe the application of a simple and fast screening assay based on fluorescence polarization (FP) to identify inhibitors of the PDZ...

  5. Measuring fluorescence polarization with a dichrometer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sutherland, John C

    2017-09-01

    A method for obtaining fluorescence polarization data from an instrument designed to measure circular and linear dichroism is compared with a previously reported approach. The new method places a polarizer between the sample and a detector mounted perpendicular to the direction of the incident beam and results in determination of the fluorescence polarization ratio, whereas the previous method does not use a polarizer and yields the fluorescence anisotropy. A similar analysis with the detector located axially with the excitation beam demonstrates that there is no frequency modulated signal due to fluorescence polarization in the absence of a polarizer. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  6. Fluorescence Polarization Screening Assays for Small Molecule Allosteric Modulators of ABL Kinase Function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grover, Prerna; Shi, Haibin; Baumgartner, Matthew; Camacho, Carlos J; Smithgall, Thomas E

    2015-01-01

    The ABL protein-tyrosine kinase regulates intracellular signaling pathways controlling diverse cellular processes and contributes to several forms of cancer. The kinase activity of ABL is repressed by intramolecular interactions involving its regulatory Ncap, SH3 and SH2 domains. Small molecules that allosterically regulate ABL kinase activity through its non-catalytic domains may represent selective probes of ABL function. Here we report a screening assay for chemical modulators of ABL kinase activity that target the regulatory interaction of the SH3 domain with the SH2-kinase linker. This fluorescence polarization (FP) assay is based on a purified recombinant ABL protein consisting of the N-cap, SH3 and SH2 domains plus the SH2-kinase linker (N32L protein) and a short fluorescein-labeled probe peptide that binds to the SH3 domain. In assay development experiments, we found that the probe peptide binds to the recombinant ABL N32L protein in vitro, producing a robust FP signal that can be competed with an excess of unlabeled peptide. The FP signal is not observed with control N32L proteins bearing either an inactivating mutation in the SH3 domain or enhanced SH3:linker interaction. A pilot screen of 1200 FDA-approved drugs identified four compounds that specifically reduced the FP signal by at least three standard deviations from the untreated controls. Secondary assays showed that one of these hit compounds, the antithrombotic drug dipyridamole, enhances ABL kinase activity in vitro to a greater extent than the previously described ABL agonist, DPH. Docking studies predicted that this compound binds to a pocket formed at the interface of the SH3 domain and the linker, suggesting that it activates ABL by disrupting this regulatory interaction. These results show that screening assays based on the non-catalytic domains of ABL can identify allosteric small molecule regulators of kinase function, providing a new approach to selective drug discovery for this important

  7. Fluorescence Polarization Screening Assays for Small Molecule Allosteric Modulators of ABL Kinase Function.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Prerna Grover

    Full Text Available The ABL protein-tyrosine kinase regulates intracellular signaling pathways controlling diverse cellular processes and contributes to several forms of cancer. The kinase activity of ABL is repressed by intramolecular interactions involving its regulatory Ncap, SH3 and SH2 domains. Small molecules that allosterically regulate ABL kinase activity through its non-catalytic domains may represent selective probes of ABL function. Here we report a screening assay for chemical modulators of ABL kinase activity that target the regulatory interaction of the SH3 domain with the SH2-kinase linker. This fluorescence polarization (FP assay is based on a purified recombinant ABL protein consisting of the N-cap, SH3 and SH2 domains plus the SH2-kinase linker (N32L protein and a short fluorescein-labeled probe peptide that binds to the SH3 domain. In assay development experiments, we found that the probe peptide binds to the recombinant ABL N32L protein in vitro, producing a robust FP signal that can be competed with an excess of unlabeled peptide. The FP signal is not observed with control N32L proteins bearing either an inactivating mutation in the SH3 domain or enhanced SH3:linker interaction. A pilot screen of 1200 FDA-approved drugs identified four compounds that specifically reduced the FP signal by at least three standard deviations from the untreated controls. Secondary assays showed that one of these hit compounds, the antithrombotic drug dipyridamole, enhances ABL kinase activity in vitro to a greater extent than the previously described ABL agonist, DPH. Docking studies predicted that this compound binds to a pocket formed at the interface of the SH3 domain and the linker, suggesting that it activates ABL by disrupting this regulatory interaction. These results show that screening assays based on the non-catalytic domains of ABL can identify allosteric small molecule regulators of kinase function, providing a new approach to selective drug discovery

  8. Medically Relevant Assays with a Simple Smartphone and Tablet Based Fluorescence Detection System

    OpenAIRE

    Wargocki, Piotr; Deng, Wei; Anwer, Ayad G.; Goldys, Ewa M.

    2015-01-01

    Cell phones and smart phones can be reconfigured as biomedical sensor devices but this requires specialized add-ons. In this paper we present a simple cell phone-based portable bioassay platform, which can be used with fluorescent assays in solution. The system consists of a tablet, a polarizer, a smart phone (camera) and a box that provides dark readout conditions. The assay in a well plate is placed on the tablet screen acting as an excitation source. A polarizer on top of the well plate s...

  9. Medically relevant assays with a simple smartphone and tablet based fluorescence detection system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wargocki, Piotr; Deng, Wei; Anwer, Ayad G; Goldys, Ewa M

    2015-05-20

    Cell phones and smart phones can be reconfigured as biomedical sensor devices but this requires specialized add-ons. In this paper we present a simple cell phone-based portable bioassay platform, which can be used with fluorescent assays in solution. The system consists of a tablet, a polarizer, a smart phone (camera) and a box that provides dark readout conditions. The assay in a well plate is placed on the tablet screen acting as an excitation source. A polarizer on top of the well plate separates excitation light from assay fluorescence emission enabling assay readout with a smartphone camera. The assay result is obtained by analysing the intensity of image pixels in an appropriate colour channel. With this device we carried out two assays, for collagenase and trypsin using fluorescein as the detected fluorophore. The results of collagenase assay with the lowest measured concentration of 3.75 µg/mL and 0.938 µg in total in the sample were comparable to those obtained by a microplate reader. The lowest measured amount of trypsin was 930 pg, which is comparable to the low detection limit of 400 pg for this assay obtained in a microplate reader. The device is sensitive enough to be used in point-of-care medical diagnostics of clinically relevant conditions, including arthritis, cystic fibrosis and acute pancreatitis.

  10. Medically Relevant Assays with a Simple Smartphone and Tablet Based Fluorescence Detection System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Piotr Wargocki

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Cell phones and smart phones can be reconfigured as biomedical sensor devices but this requires specialized add-ons. In this paper we present a simple cell phone-based portable bioassay platform, which can be used with fluorescent assays in solution. The system consists of a tablet, a polarizer, a smart phone (camera and a box that provides dark readout conditions. The assay in a well plate is placed on the tablet screen acting as an excitation source. A polarizer on top of the well plate separates excitation light from assay fluorescence emission enabling assay readout with a smartphone camera. The assay result is obtained by analysing the intensity of image pixels in an appropriate colour channel. With this device we carried out two assays, for collagenase and trypsin using fluorescein as the detected fluorophore. The results of collagenase assay with the lowest measured concentration of 3.75 µg/mL and 0.938 µg in total in the sample were comparable to those obtained by a microplate reader. The lowest measured amount of trypsin was 930 pg, which is comparable to the low detection limit of 400 pg for this assay obtained in a microplate reader. The device is sensitive enough to be used in point-of-care medical diagnostics of clinically relevant conditions, including arthritis, cystic fibrosis and acute pancreatitis.

  11. Discovery of PF-06928215 as a high affinity inhibitor of cGAS enabled by a novel fluorescence polarization assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Justin; Brault, Amy; Vincent, Fabien; Weng, Shawn; Wang, Hong; Dumlao, Darren; Aulabaugh, Ann; Aivazian, Dikran; Castro, Dana; Chen, Ming; Culp, Jeffrey; Dower, Ken; Gardner, Joseph; Hawrylik, Steven; Golenbock, Douglas; Hepworth, David; Horn, Mark; Jones, Lyn; Jones, Peter; Latz, Eicke; Li, Jing; Lin, Lih-Ling; Lin, Wen; Lin, David; Lovering, Frank; Niljanskul, Nootaree; Nistler, Ryan; Pierce, Betsy; Plotnikova, Olga; Schmitt, Daniel; Shanker, Suman; Smith, James; Snyder, William; Subashi, Timothy; Trujillo, John; Tyminski, Edyta; Wang, Guoxing; Wong, Jimson; Lefker, Bruce; Dakin, Leslie; Leach, Karen

    2017-01-01

    Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) initiates the innate immune system in response to cytosolic dsDNA. After binding and activation from dsDNA, cGAS uses ATP and GTP to synthesize 2', 3' -cGAMP (cGAMP), a cyclic dinucleotide second messenger with mixed 2'-5' and 3'-5' phosphodiester bonds. Inappropriate stimulation of cGAS has been implicated in autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus, thus inhibition of cGAS may be of therapeutic benefit in some diseases; however, the size and polarity of the cGAS active site makes it a challenging target for the development of conventional substrate-competitive inhibitors. We report here the development of a high affinity (KD = 200 nM) inhibitor from a low affinity fragment hit with supporting biochemical and structural data showing these molecules bind to the cGAS active site. We also report a new high throughput cGAS fluorescence polarization (FP)-based assay to enable the rapid identification and optimization of cGAS inhibitors. This FP assay uses Cy5-labelled cGAMP in combination with a novel high affinity monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes cGAMP with no cross reactivity to cAMP, cGMP, ATP, or GTP. Given its role in the innate immune response, cGAS is a promising therapeutic target for autoinflammatory disease. Our results demonstrate its druggability, provide a high affinity tool compound, and establish a high throughput assay for the identification of next generation cGAS inhibitors.

  12. Discovery of PF-06928215 as a high affinity inhibitor of cGAS enabled by a novel fluorescence polarization assay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hall, Justin; Brault, Amy; Vincent, Fabien; Weng, Shawn; Wang, Hong; Dumlao, Darren; Aulabaugh, Ann; Aivazian, Dikran; Castro, Dana; Chen, Ming; Culp, Jeffrey; Dower, Ken; Gardner, Joseph; Hawrylik, Steven; Golenbock, Douglas; Hepworth, David; Horn, Mark; Jones, Lyn; Jones, Peter; Latz, Eicke; Li, Jing; Lin, Lih-Ling; Lin, Wen; Lin, David; Lovering, Frank; Niljanskul, Nootaree; Nistler, Ryan; Pierce, Betsy; Plotnikova, Olga; Schmitt, Daniel; Shanker, Suman; Smith, James; Snyder, William; Subashi, Timothy; Trujillo, John; Tyminski, Edyta; Wang, Guoxing; Wong, Jimson; Lefker, Bruce; Dakin, Leslie; Leach, Karen (UMASS, MED); (Pfizer)

    2017-09-21

    Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase (cGAS) initiates the innate immune system in response to cytosolic dsDNA. After binding and activation from dsDNA, cGAS uses ATP and GTP to synthesize 2', 3' -cGAMP (cGAMP), a cyclic dinucleotide second messenger with mixed 2'-5' and 3'-5' phosphodiester bonds. Inappropriate stimulation of cGAS has been implicated in autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus, thus inhibition of cGAS may be of therapeutic benefit in some diseases; however, the size and polarity of the cGAS active site makes it a challenging target for the development of conventional substrate-competitive inhibitors. We report here the development of a high affinity (KD = 200 nM) inhibitor from a low affinity fragment hit with supporting biochemical and structural data showing these molecules bind to the cGAS active site. We also report a new high throughput cGAS fluorescence polarization (FP)-based assay to enable the rapid identification and optimization of cGAS inhibitors. This FP assay uses Cy5-labelled cGAMP in combination with a novel high affinity monoclonal antibody that specifically recognizes cGAMP with no cross reactivity to cAMP, cGMP, ATP, or GTP. Given its role in the innate immune response, cGAS is a promising therapeutic target for autoinflammatory disease. Our results demonstrate its druggability, provide a high affinity tool compound, and establish a high throughput assay for the identification of next generation cGAS inhibitors.

  13. Fluorescence lifetime assays: current advances and applications in drug discovery.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pritz, Stephan; Doering, Klaus; Woelcke, Julian; Hassiepen, Ulrich

    2011-06-01

    Fluorescence lifetime assays complement the portfolio of established assay formats available in drug discovery, particularly with the recent advances in microplate readers and the commercial availability of novel fluorescent labels. Fluorescence lifetime assists in lowering complexity of compound screening assays, affording a modular, toolbox-like approach to assay development and yielding robust homogeneous assays. To date, materials and procedures have been reported for biochemical assays on proteases, as well as on protein kinases and phosphatases. This article gives an overview of two assay families, distinguished by the origin of the fluorescence signal modulation. The pharmaceutical industry demands techniques with a robust, integrated compound profiling process and short turnaround times. Fluorescence lifetime assays have already helped the drug discovery field, in this sense, by enhancing productivity during the hit-to-lead and lead optimization phases. Future work will focus on covering other biochemical molecular modifications by investigating the detailed photo-physical mechanisms underlying the fluorescence signal.

  14. Polar plot representation of time-resolved fluorescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Eichorst, John Paul; Wen Teng, Kai; Clegg, Robert M

    2014-01-01

    Measuring changes in a molecule's fluorescence emission is a common technique to study complex biological systems such as cells and tissues. Although the steady-state fluorescence intensity is frequently used, measuring the average amount of time that a molecule spends in the excited state (the fluorescence lifetime) reveals more detailed information about its local environment. The lifetime is measured in the time domain by detecting directly the decay of fluorescence following excitation by short pulse of light. The lifetime can also be measured in the frequency domain by recording the phase and amplitude of oscillation in the emitted fluorescence of the sample in response to repetitively modulated excitation light. In either the time or frequency domain, the analysis of data to extract lifetimes can be computationally intensive. For example, a variety of iterative fitting algorithms already exist to determine lifetimes from samples that contain multiple fluorescing species. However, recently a method of analysis referred to as the polar plot (or phasor plot) is a graphical tool that projects the time-dependent features of the sample's fluorescence in either the time or frequency domain into the Cartesian plane to characterize the sample's lifetime. The coordinate transformations of the polar plot require only the raw data, and hence, there are no uncertainties from extensive corrections or time-consuming fitting in this analysis. In this chapter, the history and mathematical background of the polar plot will be presented along with examples that highlight how it can be used in both cuvette-based and imaging applications.

  15. Development of a High-Throughput Fluorescence Polarization Assay to Identify Novel Ligands of Glutamate Carboxypeptidase II

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Alquicer, Glenda; Sedlák, David; Byun, Y.; Pavlíček, Jiří; Stathis, M.; Rojas, C.; Slusher, B.; Pomper, M.G.; Bartůněk, Petr; Bařinka, Cyril

    2012-01-01

    Roč. 17, č. 8 (2012), s. 1030-1040 ISSN 1087-0571 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ME10031; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06077 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50520701 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : fluorescence polarization * glutamate carboxypeptidase II * high-throughput screening Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.207, year: 2012

  16. Protein subcellular localization assays using split fluorescent proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Waldo, Geoffrey S [Santa Fe, NM; Cabantous, Stephanie [Los Alamos, NM

    2009-09-08

    The invention provides protein subcellular localization assays using split fluorescent protein systems. The assays are conducted in living cells, do not require fixation and washing steps inherent in existing immunostaining and related techniques, and permit rapid, non-invasive, direct visualization of protein localization in living cells. The split fluorescent protein systems used in the practice of the invention generally comprise two or more self-complementing fragments of a fluorescent protein, such as GFP, wherein one or more of the fragments correspond to one or more beta-strand microdomains and are used to "tag" proteins of interest, and a complementary "assay" fragment of the fluorescent protein. Either or both of the fragments may be functionalized with a subcellular targeting sequence enabling it to be expressed in or directed to a particular subcellular compartment (i.e., the nucleus).

  17. A fluorescence sedimentation assay for dsDNA antibodies

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duus, K; Draborg, A H; Güven, E

    2017-01-01

    The Farr assay is a radioimmunoassay (RIA) for dsDNA antibodies, based on antibody precipitation using ammonium sulphate and quantification using radio-labelled dsDNA. The RIA-Farr assay offers outstanding clinical specificity and sensitivity for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared to other...... on precipitation with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and fluorescence of EvaGreen intercalated in dsDNA as detection principle. As dsDNA antibodies are quantified using fluorescence, the disadvantages of working with radioactivity are eliminated. The Fluoro-Farr assay was developed and validated, and the diagnostic...

  18. A Quantitative Fluorescence-Based Lipase Assay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Giovanna Lomolino

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available An easy and fast gel diffusion assay for detecting and monitoring lipase activity by quantification of fluorescein is described. By measuring the intensity of fluorescein, it is possible to obtain a calibration curve with a regression coefficient better than by using the radius of fluorescent haloes. Through the quantification of fluorescence intensity of fluorescein released after the hydrolysis of a fluorescent ester, fluorescein dibutyrate, used as substrate in agar plates, commercial and skimmed milk lipase activity were studied. Moreover, with this method, lipase activity can be monitored in reaction medium that contains compounds which are affected by turbidity or cause measurement interference for UV-spectrophotometer and fluorimeter. In this experiment, boiled skimmed milk was dispersed in the agar gel with fluorescein dibutyrate, and it was used as a reaction medium to mimic natural conditions. The development of such an assay has a potential for applications in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to food production and monitoring.

  19. Development of fluorescent methods for DNA methyltransferase assay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yueying; Zou, Xiaoran; Ma, Fei; Tang, Bo; Zhang, Chun-yang

    2017-03-01

    DNA methylation modified by DNA methyltransferase (MTase) plays an important role in regulating gene transcription, cell growth and proliferation. The aberrant DNA MTase activity may lead to a variety of human diseases including cancers. Therefore, accurate and sensitive detection of DNA MTase activity is crucial to biomedical research, clinical diagnostics and therapy. However, conventional DNA MTase assays often suffer from labor-intensive operations and time-consuming procedures. Alternatively, fluorescent methods have significant advantages of simplicity and high sensitivity, and have been widely applied for DNA MTase assay. In this review, we summarize the recent advances in the development of fluorescent methods for DNA MTase assay. These emerging methods include amplification-free and the amplification-assisted assays. Moreover, we discuss the challenges and future directions of this area.

  20. Solid-phase receptor-based assay for the detection of cyclic imines by chemiluminescence, fluorescence, or colorimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rodríguez, Laura P; Vilariño, Natalia; Molgó, Jordi; Aráoz, Rómulo; Antelo, Alvaro; Vieytes, Mercedes R; Botana, Luis M

    2011-08-01

    The spirolides and gymnodimines are marine phycotoxins included in the group of cyclic imines. The toxicity of these compounds to humans is still unknown, although their toxicity by intraperitoneal injection in rodents is very high. A receptor-based method was developed using the competition of the 13-desmethyl spirolide C with biotin-labeled α-bungarotoxin for binding to nicotinic acetylcholine receptors and the immobilization of the α-bungarotoxin-receptor complex on streptavidin-coated surfaces. The quantification of the immobilized receptor can be achieved using a specific antibody. Finally, after the addition of a secondary antibody labeled with horseradish peroxidase, three alternative substrates of this enzyme generate a chemiluminescent, fluorescent, or colorimetric signal. The assay performs well in shellfish extracts and the detection range is 5-150 nM of 13-desmethyl spirolide C in shellfish extracts, which is at least 5 times more sensitive than the existing fluorescence polarization assay. This assay can also detect gymnodimine, although with 10 times lower sensitivity than the spirolide. The detection of cyclic imines with microplate assays would be useful for screening purposes in order to reduce the number of samples to be processed by bioassays or analytical methods.

  1. Homogeneous non-competitive bioaffinity assay based on fluorescence resonance energy transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kokko, Tiina; Kokko, Leena; Soukka, Tero; Loevgren, Timo

    2007-01-01

    A homogeneous non-competitive assay principle for measurement of small analytes based on quenching of fluorescence is described. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) occurs between the donor, intrinsically fluorescent europium(III)-chelate conjugated to streptavidin, and the acceptor, quencher dye conjugated to biotin derivative when the biotin-quencher is bound to Eu-streptavidin. Fluorescence can be measured only from those streptavidins that are bound to biotin of the sample, while the fluorescence of the streptavidins that are not occupied by biotin are quenched by quencher-biotin conjugates. The quenching efficiencies of the non-fluorescent quencher dyes were over 95% and one dye molecule was able to quench the fluorescence of more than one europium(III)-chelate. This, however, together with the quadrovalent nature of streptavidin limited the measurable range of the assay to 0.2-2 nmol L -1 . In this study we demonstrated that FRET could be used to design a non-competitive homogeneous assay for a small analyte resulting in equal performance with competitive heterogeneous assay

  2. High-contrast fluorescence imaging based on the polarization dependence of the fluorescence enhancement using an optical interference mirror slide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasuda, Mitsuru; Akimoto, Takuo

    2015-01-01

    High-contrast fluorescence imaging using an optical interference mirror (OIM) slide that enhances the fluorescence from a fluorophore located on top of the OIM surface is reported. To enhance the fluorescence and reduce the background light of the OIM, transverse-electric-polarized excitation light was used as incident light, and the transverse-magnetic-polarized fluorescence signal was detected. As a result, an approximate 100-fold improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio was achieved through a 13-fold enhancement of the fluorescence signal and an 8-fold reduction of the background light.

  3. Fluorescence confocal polarizing microscopy: Three-dimensional ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    journal of. August 2003 physics pp. 373–384. Fluorescence confocal polarizing ... and focal conic domains in flat samples of lamellar LCs are practically indistinguishable. ... or less) LC layer confined between two transparent plates. ... in studies of electro-optic effects such as the Frederiks effect, defects, surface anchoring,.

  4. A fluorescence-based rapid screening assay for cytotoxic compounds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Montoya, Jessica; Varela-Ramirez, Armando; Estrada, Abril; Martinez, Luis E.; Garza, Kristine; Aguilera, Renato J.

    2004-01-01

    A simple fluorescence-based assay was developed for the rapid screening of potential cytotoxic compounds generated by combinatorial chemistry. The assay is based on detection of nuclear green fluorescent protein (GFP) staining of a human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) carrying an integrated histone H2B-GFP fusion gene. Addition of a cytotoxic compound to the HeLa-GFP cells results in the eventual degradation of DNA and loss of the GFP nuclear fluorescence. Using this assay, we screened 11 distinct quinone derivatives and found that several of these compounds were cytotoxic. These compounds are structurally related to plumbagin an apoptosis-inducing naphthoquinone isolated from Black Walnut. In order to determine the mechanism by which cell death was induced, we performed additional experiments with the most cytotoxic quinones. These compounds were found to induce morphological changes (blebbing and nuclear condensation) consistent with induction of apoptosis. Additional tests revealed that the cytotoxic compounds induce both necrotic and apoptotic modes of death

  5. Fast and Sensitive Interferon-γ Assay Using Supercritical Angle Fluorescence

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Stefan Seeger

    2013-02-01

    Full Text Available We present an immunoassay for Interferon-γ (IFN-γ with a limit of detection of 1.9 pM (30 pg/mL and a linear concentration range spanning three orders of magnitude. The developed one-step assay takes only 12 min and can replace the time-consuming and labor-intensive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA. The solid-phase sandwich assay is performed on a new measurement system comprising single-use test tubes and a compact fluorescence reader. The polymer tubes contain an optical configuration for the detection of supercritical angle fluorescence, allowing for highly sensitive real-time binding measurements.

  6. Ratiometric fluorescence polarization as a cytometric functional parameter: theory and practice

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yishai, Yitzhak; Fixler, Dror; Cohen-Kashi, Meir; Zurgil, Naomi; Deutsch, Mordechai

    2003-01-01

    The use of ratiometric fluorescence polarization (RFP) as a functional parameter in monitoring cellular activation is suggested, based on the physical phenomenon of fluorescence polarization dependency on emission wavelengths in multiple (at least binary) solutions. The theoretical basis of this dependency is thoroughly discussed and examined via simulation. For simulation, aimed to imitate a fluorophore-stained cell, real values of the fluorescence spectrum and polarization of different single fluorophore solutions were used. The simulation as well as the experimentally obtained values of RFP indicated the high sensitivity of this measure. Finally, the RFP parameter was utilized as a cytometric measure in three exemplary cellular bioassays. In the first, the apoptotic effect of oxLDL in a human Jurkat FDA-stained T cell line was monitored by RFP. In the second, the interaction between cell surface membrane receptors of human T lymphocyte cells was monitored by RFP measurements as a complementary means to the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) technique. In the third bioassay, cellular thiol level of FDA- and CMFDA-labelled Jurkat T cells was monitored via RFP

  7. Polarization of fluorescence: a probe of molecular autoionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leroi, G.E.; Dehmer, J.L.; Parr, A.C.; Poliakoff, E.D.

    1983-01-01

    The polarization of fluorescence from excited-state molecular photoions provides a direct probe of the photoionization dynamics and the symmetry signatures of autoionizing resonances. Measurements on CO 2 and CS 2 are presented as examples

  8. DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticle-based fluorescence polarization for the sensitive detection of silver ions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Gongke; Wang, Shuangli; Yan, Changling; Bai, Guangyue; Liu, Yufang

    2018-04-05

    Despite their practical applications, Ag + ions are environmental pollutants and affect human health. So the effective detection methods of Ag + ions are imperative. Herein, we developed a simple, sensitive, selective, and cost-effective fluorescence polarization sensor for Ag + detection in aqueous solution using thiol-DNA-functionalized gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). In this sensing strategy, Ag + ions can specifically interact with a cytosine-cytosine (CC) mismatch in DNA duplexes and form stable metal-mediated cytosine-Ag + -cytosine (C-Ag + -C) base pairs. The formation of the C-Ag + -C complex results in evident changes in the molecular volume and fluorescence polarization signal. To achieve our aims, we prepared two complementary DNA strands containing C-base mismatches (probe A: 5'-SH-A 10 -TACCACTCCTCAC-3' and probe B: 5'-TCCTCACCAGTCCTA-FAM-3'). The stable hybridization between probe A and probe B occurs with the formation of the C-Ag + -C complex in the presence of Ag + ions, leading to obvious fluorescence quenching in comparison to the system without AuNP enhancement. The assay can be used to identify nanomolar levels of Ag + within 6 min at room temperature, and has extremely high specificity for Ag + , even in the presence of higher concentrations of interfering metal ions. Furthermore, the sensor was successfully applied to the detection of Ag + ions in environmental water samples and showed excellent selectivity and high sensitivity, implying its promising application in the future. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  9. Oral cancer detection based on fluorescence polarization of blood plasma at excitation wavelength 405 nm

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pachaiappan, Rekha; Prakasarao, Aruna; Manoharan, Yuvaraj; Dornadula, Koteeswaran; Singaravelu, Ganesan

    2017-02-01

    During metabolism the metabolites such as hormones, proteins and enzymes were released in to the blood stream by the cells. These metabolites reflect any change that occurs due to any disturbances in normal metabolic function of the human system. This was well observed with the altered spectral signatures observed with fluorescence spectroscopic technique. Previously many have reported on the significance of native fluorescence spectroscopic method in the diagnosis of cancer. As fluorescence spectroscopy is sensitive and simple, it has complementary techniques such as excitation-emission matrix, synchronous and polarization. The fluorescence polarization measurement provides details about any association or binding reactions and denaturing effects that occurs due to change in the micro environment of cells and tissues. In this study, we have made an attempt in the diagnosis of oral cancer at 405 nm excitation using fluorescence polarization measurement. The fluorescence anisotropic values calculated from polarized fluorescence spectral data of normal and oral cancer subjects yielded a good accuracy when analyzed with linear discriminant analysis based artificial neural network. The results will be discussed in detail.

  10. Polarization Multiplexing of Fluorescent Emission Using Multiresonant Plasmonic Antennas.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Leo, Eva; Cocina, Ario; Tiwari, Preksha; Poulikakos, Lisa V; Marqués-Gallego, Patricia; le Feber, Boris; Norris, David J; Prins, Ferry

    2017-12-26

    Combining the ability to localize electromagnetic fields at the nanoscale with a directional response, plasmonic antennas offer an effective strategy to shape the far-field pattern of coupled emitters. Here, we introduce a family of directional multiresonant antennas that allows for polarization-resolved spectral identification of fluorescent emission. The geometry consists of a central aperture surrounded by concentric polygonal corrugations. By varying the periodicity of each axis of the polygon individually, this structure can support multiple resonances that provide independent control over emission directionality for multiple wavelengths. Moreover, since each resonant wavelength is directly mapped to a specific polarization orientation, spectral information can be encoded in the polarization state of the out-scattered beam. To demonstrate the potential of such structures in enabling simplified detection schemes and additional functionalities in sensing and imaging applications, we use the central subwavelength aperture as a built-in nanocuvette and manipulate the fluorescent response of colloidal-quantum-dot emitters coupled to the multiresonant antenna.

  11. Thermal precipitation fluorescence assay for protein stability screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fan, Junping; Huang, Bo; Wang, Xianping; Zhang, Xuejun C

    2011-09-01

    A simple and reliable method of protein stability assessment is desirable for high throughput expression screening of recombinant proteins. Here we described an assay termed thermal precipitation fluorescence (TPF) which can be used to compare thermal stabilities of recombinant protein samples directly from cell lysate supernatants. In this assay, target membrane proteins are expressed as recombinant fusions with a green fluorescence protein tag and solubilized with detergent, and the fluorescence signals are used to report the quantity of the fusion proteins in the soluble fraction of the cell lysate. After applying a heat shock, insoluble protein aggregates are removed by centrifugation. Subsequently, the amount of remaining protein in the supernatant is quantified by in-gel fluorescence analysis and compared to samples without a heat shock treatment. Over 60 recombinant membrane proteins from Escherichia coli were subject to this screening in the presence and absence of a few commonly used detergents, and the results were analyzed. Because no sophisticated protein purification is required, this TPF technique is suitable to high throughput expression screening of recombinant membrane proteins as well as soluble ones and can be used to prioritize target proteins based on their thermal stabilities for subsequent large scale expression and structural studies. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Fluorescence-based assay as a new screening tool for toxic chemicals

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moczko, Ewa; Mirkes, Evgeny M.; Cáceres, César; Gorban, Alexander N.; Piletsky, Sergey

    2016-09-01

    Our study involves development of fluorescent cell-based diagnostic assay as a new approach in high-throughput screening method. This highly sensitive optical assay operates similarly to e-noses and e-tongues which combine semi-specific sensors and multivariate data analysis for monitoring biochemical processes. The optical assay consists of a mixture of environmental-sensitive fluorescent dyes and human skin cells that generate fluorescence spectra patterns distinctive for particular physico-chemical and physiological conditions. Using chemometric techniques the optical signal is processed providing qualitative information about analytical characteristics of the samples. This integrated approach has been successfully applied (with sensitivity of 93% and specificity of 97%) in assessing whether particular chemical agents are irritating or not for human skin. It has several advantages compared with traditional biochemical or biological assays and can impact the new way of high-throughput screening and understanding cell activity. It also can provide reliable and reproducible method for assessing a risk of exposing people to different harmful substances, identification active compounds in toxicity screening and safety assessment of drugs, cosmetic or their specific ingredients.

  13. High-throughput screening assay of hepatitis C virus helicase inhibitors using fluorescence-quenching phenomenon

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tani, Hidenori; Akimitsu, Nobuyoshi; Fujita, Osamu; Matsuda, Yasuyoshi; Miyata, Ryo; Tsuneda, Satoshi; Igarashi, Masayuki; Sekiguchi, Yuji; Noda, Naohiro

    2009-01-01

    We have developed a novel high-throughput screening assay of hepatitis C virus (HCV) nonstructural protein 3 (NS3) helicase inhibitors using the fluorescence-quenching phenomenon via photoinduced electron transfer between fluorescent dyes and guanine bases. We prepared double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) with a 5'-fluorescent-dye (BODIPY FL)-labeled strand hybridized with a complementary strand, the 3'-end of which has guanine bases. When dsDNA is unwound by helicase, the dye emits fluorescence owing to its release from the guanine bases. Our results demonstrate that this assay is suitable for quantitative assay of HCV NS3 helicase activity and useful for high-throughput screening for inhibitors. Furthermore, we applied this assay to the screening for NS3 helicase inhibitors from cell extracts of microorganisms, and found several cell extracts containing potential inhibitors.

  14. Development of fluorescent Plasmodium falciparum for in vitro growth inhibition assays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Crabb Brendan S

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Plasmodium falciparum in vitro growth inhibition assays are widely used to evaluate and quantify the functional activity of acquired and vaccine-induced antibodies and the anti-malarial activity of known drugs and novel compounds. However, several constraints have limited the use of these assays in large-scale population studies, vaccine trials and compound screening for drug discovery and development. Methods The D10 P. falciparum line was transfected to express green fluorescent protein (GFP. In vitro growth inhibition assays were performed over one or two cycles of P. falciparum asexual replication using inhibitory polyclonal antibodies raised in rabbits, an inhibitory monoclonal antibody, human serum samples, and anti-malarials. Parasitaemia was evaluated by microscopy and flow cytometry. Results Transfected parasites expressed GFP throughout all asexual stages and were clearly detectable by flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy. Measurement of parasite growth inhibition was the same when determined by detection of GFP fluorescence or staining with ethidium bromide. There was no difference in the inhibitory activity of samples when tested against the transfected parasites compared to the parental line. The level of fluorescence of GFP-expressing parasites increased throughout the course of asexual development. Among ring-stages, GFP-fluorescent parasites were readily separated from uninfected erythrocytes by flow cytometry, whereas this was less clear using ethidium bromide staining. Inhibition by serum and antibody samples was consistently higher when tested over two cycles of growth compared to one, and when using a 1 in 10 sample dilution compared to 1 in 20, but there was no difference detected when using a different starting parasitaemia to set-up growth assays. Flow cytometry based measurements of parasitaemia proved more reproducible than microscopy counts. Conclusions Flow cytometry based assays using GFP-fluorescent

  15. Evaluation of furocoumarins as photosynthetic inhibitor by chlorophyll a fluorescence assay

    OpenAIRE

    Sampaio, Olívia Moreira; Silva, Maria Fátima das Graças Fernandes da; Veiga, Thiago Andre Moura [UNIFESP; King-Díaz, Beatriz; Lotina-Hennsen, Blas

    2012-01-01

    The evaluations of Chorophyll a fluorescence emitted by superior plants carry structural information and photosynthetic apparatus function. Quantitative analysis apparatus of fluorescence kinetic were measured by energy flows (ABS), (TR), (ET) and (DI), known as phenomenological phenomena of OJIP test. Four furocoumarins were isolated from Ruta graveolens (Rutaceae), and chorophyll a (Chl a) fluorescence assays were performed with these compounds to evaluate the photosynthesis inhibition pote...

  16. The spectral properties of (--epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate (EGCG fluorescence in different solvents: dependence on solvent polarity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladislav Snitsarev

    Full Text Available (--Epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate (EGCG a molecule found in green tea and known for a plethora of bioactive properties is an inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90, a protein of interest as a target for cancer and neuroprotection. Determination of the spectral properties of EGCG fluorescence in environments similar to those of binding sites found in proteins provides an important tool to directly study protein-EGCG interactions. The goal of this study is to examine the spectral properties of EGCG fluorescence in an aqueous buffer (AB at pH=7.0, acetonitrile (AN (a polar aprotic solvent, dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO (a polar aprotic solvent, and ethanol (EtOH (a polar protic solvent. We demonstrate that EGCG is a highly fluorescent molecule when excited at approximately 275 nm with emission maxima between 350 and 400 nm depending on solvent. Another smaller excitation peak was found when EGCG is excited at approximately 235 nm with maximum emission between 340 and 400 nm. We found that the fluorescence intensity (FI of EGCG in AB at pH=7.0 is significantly quenched, and that it is about 85 times higher in an aprotic solvent DMSO. The Stokes shifts of EGCG fluorescence were determined by solvent polarity. In addition, while the emission maxima of EGCG fluorescence in AB, DMSO, and EtOH follow the Lippert-Mataga equation, its fluorescence in AN points to non-specific solvent effects on EGCG fluorescence. We conclude that significant solvent-dependent changes in both fluorescence intensity and fluorescence emission shifts can be effectively used to distinguish EGCG in aqueous solutions from EGCG in environments of different polarity, and, thus, can be used to study specific EGCG binding to protein binding sites where the environment is often different from aqueous in terms of polarity.

  17. Azadioxatriangulenium: a long fluorescence lifetime fluorophore for large biomolecule binding assay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sørensen, Thomas Just; Thyrhaug, Erling; Szabelski, Mariusz; Gryczynski, Ignacy; Gryczynski, Zygmunt; Luchowski, Rafal; Laursen, Bo W

    2013-01-01

    Of the many optical bioassays available, sensing by fluorescence anisotropy has great advantages as it provides a sensitive, instrumentally simple, ratiometric method of detection. However, it is hampered by a severe limitation, as the emission lifetime of the label needs to be comparable to the correlation lifetime (tumbling time) of the biomolecule which is labelled. For proteins of moderate size this is on the order of 20–200 ns, which due to practical issues currently limits the choice of labels to the dansyl-type dyes and certain aromatic dyes. These have the significant drawback of UV/blue absorption and emission as well as an often significant solvent sensitivity. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of a new fluorescent label for high molecular weight biomolecule assay based on the azadioxatriangulenium motif. The NHS ester of the long fluorescence lifetime, red-emitting fluorophore: azadioxatriangulenium (ADOTA-NHS) was conjugated to anti-rabbit Immunoglobulin G (antiIgG). The long fluorescence lifetime was exploited to determine the correlation time of the high molecular weight antibody and its complex with rabbit Immunoglobulin G (IgG) with steady-state fluorescence anisotropy and time-resolved methods: solution phase immuno-assay was performed following either steady-state or time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy. By performing a variable temperature experiment it was determined that the binding of the ligand resulted in an increase in correlation time of more than 75%, and an increase in the steady-state anisotropy of 18%. The results show that the triangulenium class of dyes can be used in anisotropy assay to detect binding events involving biomolecules of far larger size than what is possible with most other red-emitting organic dyes. (paper)

  18. Azadioxatriangulenium: a long fluorescence lifetime fluorophore for large biomolecule binding assay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Just Sørensen, Thomas; Thyrhaug, Erling; Szabelski, Mariusz; Luchowski, Rafal; Gryczynski, Ignacy; Gryczynski, Zygmunt; Laursen, Bo W.

    2013-06-01

    Of the many optical bioassays available, sensing by fluorescence anisotropy has great advantages as it provides a sensitive, instrumentally simple, ratiometric method of detection. However, it is hampered by a severe limitation, as the emission lifetime of the label needs to be comparable to the correlation lifetime (tumbling time) of the biomolecule which is labelled. For proteins of moderate size this is on the order of 20-200 ns, which due to practical issues currently limits the choice of labels to the dansyl-type dyes and certain aromatic dyes. These have the significant drawback of UV/blue absorption and emission as well as an often significant solvent sensitivity. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of a new fluorescent label for high molecular weight biomolecule assay based on the azadioxatriangulenium motif. The NHS ester of the long fluorescence lifetime, red-emitting fluorophore: azadioxatriangulenium (ADOTA-NHS) was conjugated to anti-rabbit Immunoglobulin G (antiIgG). The long fluorescence lifetime was exploited to determine the correlation time of the high molecular weight antibody and its complex with rabbit Immunoglobulin G (IgG) with steady-state fluorescence anisotropy and time-resolved methods: solution phase immuno-assay was performed following either steady-state or time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy. By performing a variable temperature experiment it was determined that the binding of the ligand resulted in an increase in correlation time of more than 75%, and an increase in the steady-state anisotropy of 18%. The results show that the triangulenium class of dyes can be used in anisotropy assay to detect binding events involving biomolecules of far larger size than what is possible with most other red-emitting organic dyes.

  19. Application of the Fluorescence Polarization Assay for Detection of Caprine Antibodies to Brucella melitensis in Areas of High Prevalence and Widespread Vaccination▿

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ramírez-Pfeiffer, C.; Nielsen, K.; Smith, P.; Marín-Ricalde, F.; Rodríguez-Padilla, C.; Gomez-Flores, R.

    2007-01-01

    The screening Rose Bengal test (RBT), the buffered plate agglutination test (BPAT), and the confirmatory complement fixation test (CFT) are currently approved by the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) for diagnosis of goat brucellosis. However, RBT (at 3% or 8% cell concentration) is known to be affected by vaccinal antibodies. In the present study, Mexican and Canadian OIE tests were compared with the fluorescence polarization assay (FPA), alone or in combination, using indirect and competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays as classification variables for goat sera obtained from an area of high prevalence and widespread vaccination. The relative sensitivities and specificities were, respectively, 99.7% and 32.5% for RBT3, 92.8% and 68.8% for RBT8, 98.4% and 84.8% for Canadian CFT, 83.7% and 65.5% for Mexican CFT, and 78.1% and 89.3% for FPA. The use of FPA as the confirmatory test in combination with other tests significantly increased the final specificities of the screening tests alone; BPAT, RBT3, and RBT8 plus FPA resulted in final specificities of 90%, 91.2%, and 91.3%, respectively, whereas for the combinations RBT3 plus Mexican CFT, RBT8 plus Mexican CFT, and BPAT plus Canadian CFT, specificities were 65.5%, 63.2%, and 91.7%, respectively. We suggest that FPA may be routinely applied as an adaptable screening test for diagnosis of goat brucellosis and as a confirmatory test for screening test series. Some advantages of FPA are that its cutoff can be adjusted to improve its sensitivity or specificity, it is a low-cost and easy-to-perform test of choice when specificity is relevant or when an alternative confirmatory test is not available, and it is not affected by vaccination, thus reducing the number of misdiagnosed and killed goats. PMID:17267588

  20. Characterization of microenvironment polarity and solvent accessibility of polysilsesquioxane xerogels by the fluorescent probe technique

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shea, K.J.; Zhu, H.D. [Univ., of California, Irvine, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry; Loy, D.A. [Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)

    1995-05-01

    Poly (1, 4 bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene) (PTESB), a representative of a new type of organic-inorganic hybrid polysilsesquioxane material, was characterized by fluorescence spectroscopy for both microenvironmental polarity and solvent accessibility. A dansyl fluorescent molecule was incorporated into the bulk as well as onto the surface of both PTESB and silica materials. Information about the microenvironment polarity and accessibility of PTESB to various organic solvents was determined and compared to that of silica gel. This study found that both the bulk and surface of PTESB are less polar than that of the silica material. The silica material is accessible to polar solvents and water, while YMB is accessible to polar solvents but not to water. The hydrophobicity of PTESB differentiates these new materials from silica gel.

  1. Room-temperature single-photon sources with definite circular and linear polarizations based on single-emitter fluorescence in liquid crystal hosts

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Winkler, Justin M; Lukishova, Svetlana G; Bissell, Luke J

    2013-01-01

    Definite circular and linear polarizations of room-temperature single-photon sources, which can serve as polarization bases for quantum key distribution, are produced by doping planar-aligned liquid crystal hosts with single fluorescence emitters. Chiral 1-D photonic bandgap microcavities for a single handedness of circularly polarized light were prepared from both monomeric and oligomeric cholesteric liquid crystals. Fluorescent emitters, such as nanocrystal quantum dots, nitrogen vacancy color centers in nanodiamonds, and rare-earth ions in nanocrystals, were doped into these microcavity structures and used to produce circularly polarized fluorescence of definite handedness. Additionally, we observed circularly polarized resonances in the spectrum of nanocrystal quantum dot fluorescence at the edge of the cholesteric microcavity's photonic stopband. For this polarization we obtained a ∼4.9 enhancement of intensity compared to the polarization of the opposite handedness that propagates without photonic bandgap microcavity effects. Such a resonance is indicative of coupling of quantum dot fluorescence to the cholesteric microcavity mode. We have also used planar-aligned nematic liquid crystal hosts to align DiI dye molecules doped into the host, thereby providing a single-photon source of linear polarization of definite direction. Antibunching is demonstrated for fluorescence of nanocrystal quantum dots, nitrogen vacancy color centers, and dye molecules in these liquid crystal structures.

  2. Towards sensitive, high-throughput, biomolecular assays based on fluorescence lifetime

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ioanna Skilitsi, Anastasia; Turko, Timothé; Cianfarani, Damien; Barre, Sophie; Uhring, Wilfried; Hassiepen, Ulrich; Léonard, Jérémie

    2017-09-01

    Time-resolved fluorescence detection for robust sensing of biomolecular interactions is developed by implementing time-correlated single photon counting in high-throughput conditions. Droplet microfluidics is used as a promising platform for the very fast handling of low-volume samples. We illustrate the potential of this very sensitive and cost-effective technology in the context of an enzymatic activity assay based on fluorescently-labeled biomolecules. Fluorescence lifetime detection by time-correlated single photon counting is shown to enable reliable discrimination between positive and negative control samples at a throughput as high as several hundred samples per second.

  3. Lead discovery for mammalian elongation of long chain fatty acids family 6 using a combination of high-throughput fluorescent-based assay and RapidFire mass spectrometry assay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takamiya, Mari; Sakurai, Masaaki; Teranishi, Fumie; Ikeda, Tomoko; Kamiyama, Tsutomu; Asai, Akira

    2016-01-01

    A high-throughput RapidFire mass spectrometry assay is described for elongation of very long-chain fatty acids family 6 (Elovl6). Elovl6 is a microsomal enzyme that regulates the elongation of C12-16 saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids. Elovl6 may be a new therapeutic target for fat metabolism disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. To identify new Elovl6 inhibitors, we developed a high-throughput fluorescence screening assay in 1536-well format. However, a number of false positives caused by fluorescent interference have been identified. To pick up the real active compounds among the primary hits from the fluorescence assay, we developed a RapidFire mass spectrometry assay and a conventional radioisotope assay. These assays have the advantage of detecting the main products directly without using fluorescent-labeled substrates. As a result, 276 compounds (30%) of the primary hits (921 compounds) in a fluorescence ultra-high-throughput screening method were identified as common active compounds in these two assays. It is concluded that both methods are very effective to eliminate false positives. Compared with the radioisotope method using an expensive 14 C-labeled substrate, the RapidFire mass spectrometry method using unlabeled substrates is a high-accuracy, high-throughput method. In addition, some of the hit compounds selected from the screening inhibited cellular fatty acid elongation in HEK293 cells expressing Elovl6 transiently. This result suggests that these compounds may be promising lead candidates for therapeutic drugs. Ultra-high-throughput fluorescence screening followed by a RapidFire mass spectrometry assay was a suitable strategy for lead discovery against Elovl6. - Highlights: • A novel assay for elongation of very-long-chain fatty acids 6 (Elovl6) is proposed. • RapidFire mass spectrometry (RF-MS) assay is useful to select real screening hits. • RF-MS assay is proved to be beneficial because of

  4. A label-free, fluorescence based assay for microarray

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Sanjun

    DNA chip technology has drawn tremendous attention since it emerged in the mid 90's as a method that expedites gene sequencing by over 100-fold. DNA chip, also called DNA microarray, is a combinatorial technology in which different single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules of known sequences are immobilized at specific spots. The immobilized ssDNA strands are called probes. In application, the chip is exposed to a solution containing ssDNA of unknown sequence, called targets, which are labeled with fluorescent dyes. Due to specific molecular recognition among the base pairs in the DNA, the binding or hybridization occurs only when the probe and target sequences are complementary. The nucleotide sequence of the target is determined by imaging the fluorescence from the spots. The uncertainty of background in signal detection and statistical error in data analysis, primarily due to the error in the DNA amplification process and statistical distribution of the tags in the target DNA, have become the fundamental barriers in bringing the technology into application for clinical diagnostics. Furthermore, the dye and tagging process are expensive, making the cost of DNA chips inhibitive for clinical testing. These limitations and challenges make it difficult to implement DNA chip methods as a diagnostic tool in a pathology laboratory. The objective of this dissertation research is to provide an alternative approach that will address the above challenges. In this research, a label-free assay is designed and studied. Polystyrene (PS), a commonly used polymeric material, serves as the fluorescence agent. Probe ssDNA is covalently immobilized on polystyrene thin film that is supported by a reflecting substrate. When this chip is exposed to excitation light, fluorescence light intensity from PS is detected as the signal. Since the optical constants and conformations of ssDNA and dsDNA (double stranded DNA) are different, the measured fluorescence from PS changes for the same

  5. Cucurbiturils: molecular nanocapsules for time-resolved fluorescence-based assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Marquez, Cesar; Huang, Fang; Nau, Werner M

    2004-03-01

    A new fluorescent host-guest system based on the inclusion of the fluorophore 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene (DBO) into the cavity of the molecular container compound cucurbit[7]uril (CB7) has been designed which possesses an exceedingly long-lived emission (690 ns in aerated water). The large binding constant of (4 +/- 1) x 10(5) M(-1) along with the resistance of the CB7.DBO complex toward external fluorescence quenchers allow the use of CB7 as an enhancer in time-resolved fluorescence-based assays, e.g., to screen enzyme activity or inhibition by using DBO-labeled peptides as substrates. The response of CB7.DBO to different environmental conditions and possible quenchers are described.

  6. Comparison of capillary electrophoresis-based immunoassay with fluorescence polarization immunoassay for the immunodetermination of methamphetamine using various methamphetamine antibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, J; Kim, C; Choi, M J

    1998-11-01

    An accurate and simple immunoassay using capillary electrophoresis (CE) with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) was performed for the detection of methamphetamine (MA) in urine. The CE-LIF was conducted with an untreated fused-silica column using antiserum and a tracer of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)-labeled MA. This CE-LIF system was compared with fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) in a TDx analyzer in the photo-check mode using the same FITC-labeled tracer and the same antiserum. Various antibodies, not only those prepared by our own immunogens but also those from commercial sources, were screened and characterized in both assay systems with regard to sensitivity, precision, and cross-reactivity. Both systems satisfied analytical precision and gave similar cross-reactivity patterns. However, the CE-LIF-based immunoassay was approximately one order superior to FPIA in sensitivity, requiring less volume of sample, antiserum, and tracer for the assay. Considering that the FPIA system is well known to be a useful tool for screening antibodies and detecting drugs, the CE-LIF-based immunoassay system, which is seemingly more advantageous than the FPIA system, appears to have great power for the characterization of antibodies and for the detection of MA in urine.

  7. Testing the utility of fluorescent proteins in Mimulus lewisii by an Agrobacterium-mediated transient assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Baoqing; Yuan, Yao-Wu

    2016-04-01

    The Agrobacterium -mediated transient expression assay by leaf infiltration in Mimulus lewisii is robust. Fluorescent proteins EGFP, EYFP and DsRed give bright fluorescence signals in the infiltrated tissue. Mimulus lewisii is an emerging developmental genetic model system. Recently developed genomic and genetic resources and a stable transformation protocol have greatly facilitated the identification and functional characterization of genes controlling the development of ecologically important floral traits using this species. To further expedite gene and protein function analyses in M. lewisii, we adopted and simplified the Agrobacterium-mediated transient gene expression method routinely used in tobacco plants. With the validated transient assay, we examined the performance of fluorescent proteins EGFP, EYFP and DsRed in M. lewisii. All three proteins gave bright fluorescence signals when transiently expressed in agroinfiltrated leaves. Furthermore, we demonstrated the utility of fluorescent proteins in M. lewisii by showing the nuclear localization of Reduced Carotenoid Pigmentation 1 (RCP1), a recently discovered R2R3-MYB transcription factor that regulates carotenoid pigmentation during flower development. Both the transient assay and the fluorescent proteins are valuable additions to the M. lewisii toolbox, making this emerging genetic and developmental model system even more powerful.

  8. High-throughput kinase assays with protein substrates using fluorescent polymer superquenching

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Weatherford Wendy

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background High-throughput screening is used by the pharmaceutical industry for identifying lead compounds that interact with targets of pharmacological interest. Because of the key role that aberrant regulation of protein phosphorylation plays in diseases such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension, kinases have become one of the main drug targets. With the exception of antibody-based assays, methods to screen for specific kinase activity are generally restricted to the use of small synthetic peptides as substrates. However, the use of natural protein substrates has the advantage that potential inhibitors can be detected that affect enzyme activity by binding to a site other than the catalytic site. We have previously reported a non-radioactive and non-antibody-based fluorescence quench assay for detection of phosphorylation or dephosphorylation using synthetic peptide substrates. The aim of this work is to develop an assay for detection of phosphorylation of chemically unmodified proteins based on this polymer superquenching platform. Results Using a modified QTL Lightspeed™ assay, phosphorylation of native protein was quantified by the interaction of the phosphorylated proteins with metal-ion coordinating groups co-located with fluorescent polymer deposited onto microspheres. The binding of phospho-protein inhibits a dye-labeled "tracer" peptide from associating to the phosphate-binding sites present on the fluorescent microspheres. The resulting inhibition of quench generates a "turn on" assay, in which the signal correlates with the phosphorylation of the substrate. The assay was tested on three different proteins: Myelin Basic Protein (MBP, Histone H1 and Phosphorylated heat- and acid-stable protein (PHAS-1. Phosphorylation of the proteins was detected by Protein Kinase Cα (PKCα and by the Interleukin -1 Receptor-associated Kinase 4 (IRAK4. Enzyme inhibition yielded IC50 values that were comparable to those obtained using

  9. High-throughput kinase assays with protein substrates using fluorescent polymer superquenching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rininsland, Frauke; Stankewicz, Casey; Weatherford, Wendy; McBranch, Duncan

    2005-05-31

    High-throughput screening is used by the pharmaceutical industry for identifying lead compounds that interact with targets of pharmacological interest. Because of the key role that aberrant regulation of protein phosphorylation plays in diseases such as cancer, diabetes and hypertension, kinases have become one of the main drug targets. With the exception of antibody-based assays, methods to screen for specific kinase activity are generally restricted to the use of small synthetic peptides as substrates. However, the use of natural protein substrates has the advantage that potential inhibitors can be detected that affect enzyme activity by binding to a site other than the catalytic site. We have previously reported a non-radioactive and non-antibody-based fluorescence quench assay for detection of phosphorylation or dephosphorylation using synthetic peptide substrates. The aim of this work is to develop an assay for detection of phosphorylation of chemically unmodified proteins based on this polymer superquenching platform. Using a modified QTL Lightspeed assay, phosphorylation of native protein was quantified by the interaction of the phosphorylated proteins with metal-ion coordinating groups co-located with fluorescent polymer deposited onto microspheres. The binding of phospho-protein inhibits a dye-labeled "tracer" peptide from associating to the phosphate-binding sites present on the fluorescent microspheres. The resulting inhibition of quench generates a "turn on" assay, in which the signal correlates with the phosphorylation of the substrate. The assay was tested on three different proteins: Myelin Basic Protein (MBP), Histone H1 and Phosphorylated heat- and acid-stable protein (PHAS-1). Phosphorylation of the proteins was detected by Protein Kinase Calpha (PKCalpha) and by the Interleukin -1 Receptor-associated Kinase 4 (IRAK4). Enzyme inhibition yielded IC50 values that were comparable to those obtained using peptide substrates. Statistical parameters that

  10. Azadioxatriangulenium (ADOTA+): A long fluorescence lifetime fluorophore for large biomolecule binding assay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sørensen, Thomas Just; Thyrhaug, Erling; Szabelski, Mariusz; Luchowski, Rafal; Gryczynski, Ignacy; Gryczynski, Zygmunt; Laursen, Bo W.

    2013-01-01

    Of the many optical bioassays available, sensing by fluorescence anisotropy have great advantages as it provides a sensitive, instrumentally simple, ratiometric method of detection. However, it is hampered by a severe limitation as the emission lifetime of the label needs to be comparable to the correlation lifetime (tumbling time) of the biomolecule which is labelled. For proteins of moderate size this is in the order of 20–200 ns, which due to practical issues currently limits the choice of labels to the dansyl-type dyes and certain aromatics dyes. These have the significant drawback of UV/blue absorption and emission as well as an often significant solvent sensitivity. Here, we report the synthesis and characterization of a new fluorescent label for high molecular weight biomolecules assay based on the azadioxatriangulenium motif. The NHS ester of the long fluorescence lifetime, red emitting fluorophore: azadioxatriangulenium (ADOTA-NHS) was conjugated to anti-rabbit Immunoglobulin G (antiIgG). The long fluorescence lifetime was exploited to determine the correlation time of the high molecular weight antibody and its complex with rabbit Immuniglobulin G (IgG) with steady-state fluorescence anisotropy and time-resolved methods: solution phase immuno-assay was performed following either steady-state or time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy. By performing a variable temperature experiment it was determined that the binding of the ligand resulted in an increase in correlation time by more than 75 %, and a change in the steady-state anisotropy increase of 18%. The results show that the triangulenium class of dyes can be used in anisotropy assay for detecting binding events involving biomolecules of far larger size than what is possible with the other red emitting organic dyes. PMID:24058730

  11. Development of laser-induced fluorescence detection to assay DNA damage

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sharma, M.; Freund, H.G.

    1991-01-01

    A precolumn derivation method has been developed for high performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) analysis of DNA damage using fluorescence detection. The modified nucleotide, having excised enzymatically from the exposed DNA, is enriched from the normal nucleotides and labeled with a fluorescent reagent. The labeling procedure involves phosphoramidation of the nucleotide with ethylenediamine (EDA) followed by conjugation of the free amino end of the phosphoramidate with 5-dimethylaminonaphthalene 1-sulfonyl chloride, commonly known as Dansyl chloride. The dansylated nucleotide can be analyzed with a sub-picomole limit of detection (LOD) by conventional HPLC using a conventional fluorescence detector. By combining microbore HPLC with laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) detection, the authors present the development of an analytical system that has sub-femtomole LOD for real-time analysis of the dansylated nucleotide. In this paper the application of the developed system in fluorescence postlabeling assay of a small alkyl-modified nucleotide (5-methyl CMP) in calf-thymus DNA is discussed

  12. A high-throughput direct fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based assay for analyzing apoptotic proteases using flow cytometry and fluorescence lifetime measurements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Miho; Sakata, Ichiro; Sakai, Takafumi; Tomioka, Hiroaki; Nishigaki, Koichi; Tramier, Marc; Coppey-Moisan, Maïté

    2015-12-15

    Cytometry is a versatile and powerful method applicable to different fields, particularly pharmacology and biomedical studies. Based on the data obtained, cytometric studies are classified into high-throughput (HTP) or high-content screening (HCS) groups. However, assays combining the advantages of both are required to facilitate research. In this study, we developed a high-throughput system to profile cellular populations in terms of time- or dose-dependent responses to apoptotic stimulations because apoptotic inducers are potent anticancer drugs. We previously established assay systems involving protease to monitor live cells for apoptosis using tunable fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based bioprobes. These assays can be used for microscopic analyses or fluorescence-activated cell sorting. In this study, we developed FRET-based bioprobes to detect the activity of the apoptotic markers caspase-3 and caspase-9 via changes in bioprobe fluorescence lifetimes using a flow cytometer for direct estimation of FRET efficiencies. Different patterns of changes in the fluorescence lifetimes of these markers during apoptosis were observed, indicating a relationship between discrete steps in the apoptosis process. The findings demonstrate the feasibility of evaluating collective cellular dynamics during apoptosis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Detection of NT-pro BNP using fluorescent protein modified by streptavidin as a label in immunochromatographic assay

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haixia Li

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available A novel fluorescent immunochromatographic assay for the detection of NT-proBNP in human serum has been developed. Based on a sandwich-type immunoassay format, analytes in samples were captured by one monoclonal antibody labeled with fluorescent protein and “sandwiched” by another monoclonal antibody immobilized on the nitrocellulose membrane, the fluorescence and concentration of analytes were measured and then calculated by fluoroanalyzer. The fluorescent protein is a fusion protein and was prepared through the application of Streptavidin gene SA, β subunit cpcB of Phycocyanin, lyase alr0617, and phycoerythrobilin synthetase gene ho1, pebA, pebB for covalent binding. It is characterized with higher stability, good solubility in water and it is not easy to quench fluorescence. Take the advantages of fluorescent protein, the immunochromatographic assay exhibited a wide linear range for NT-proBNP from 200 pg ml−1 to 26,000 pg ml−1, with a detection limit of 47 pg ml−1 under optimal conditions. Compared with chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA, 131 human serum samples were analyzed and the correlation coefficient of the developed immunoassay was 0.978. These results demonstrated that fluorescent immunochromatographic assay is a more rapid, sensitive, specific method and could be developed into a platform for more biomarkers determination in clinical practice. Keywords: NT-pro BNP, Fluorescent protein, Immunochromatographic assay

  14. Homogeneous plate based antibody internalization assay using pH sensor fluorescent dye.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nath, Nidhi; Godat, Becky; Zimprich, Chad; Dwight, Stephen J; Corona, Cesear; McDougall, Mark; Urh, Marjeta

    2016-04-01

    Receptor-mediated antibody internalization is a key mechanism underlying several anti-cancer antibody therapeutics. Delivering highly toxic drugs to cancer cells, as in the case of antibody drug conjugates (ADCs), efficient removal of surface receptors from cancer cells and changing the pharmacokinetics profile of the antibody drugs are some of key ways that internalization impacts the therapeutic efficacy of the antibodies. Over the years, several techniques have been used to study antibody internalization including radiolabels, fluorescent microscopy, flow cytometry and cellular toxicity assays. While these methods allow analysis of internalization, they have limitations including a multistep process and limited throughput and are generally endpoint assays. Here, we present a new homogeneous method that enables time and concentration dependent measurements of antibody internalization. The method uses a new hydrophilic and bright pH sensor dye (pHAb dye), which is not fluorescent at neutral pH but becomes highly fluorescent at acidic pH. For receptor mediated antibody internalization studies, antibodies against receptors are conjugated with the pHAb dye and incubated with the cells expressing the receptors. Upon binding to the receptor, the dyes conjugated to the antibody are not fluorescent because of the neutral pH of the media, but upon internalization and trafficking into endosomal and lysosomal vesicles the pH drops and dyes become fluorescent. The enabling attributes of the pHAb dyes are the hydrophilic nature to minimize antibody aggregation and bright fluorescence at acidic pH which allows development of simple plate based assays using a fluorescent reader. Using two different therapeutic antibodies--Trastuzumab (anti-HER2) and Cetuximab (anti-EGFR)--we show labeling with pHAb dye using amine and thiol chemistries and impact of chemistry and dye to antibody ration on internalization. We finally present two new approaches using the pHAb dye, which will be

  15. Mapping the local organization of cell membranes using excitation-polarization-resolved confocal fluorescence microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kress, Alla; Wang, Xiao; Ranchon, Hubert; Savatier, Julien; Rigneault, Hervé; Ferrand, Patrick; Brasselet, Sophie

    2013-07-02

    Fluorescence anisotropy and linear dichroism imaging have been widely used for imaging biomolecular orientational distributions in protein aggregates, fibrillar structures of cells, and cell membranes. However, these techniques do not give access to complete orientational order information in a whole image, because their use is limited to parts of the sample where the average orientation of molecules is known a priori. Fluorescence anisotropy is also highly sensitive to depolarization mechanisms such as those induced by fluorescence energy transfer. A fully excitation-polarization-resolved fluorescence microscopy imaging that relies on the use of a tunable incident polarization and a nonpolarized detection is able to circumvent these limitations. We have developed such a technique in confocal epifluorescence microscopy, giving access to new regions of study in the complex and heterogeneous molecular organization of cell membranes. Using this technique, we demonstrate morphological changes at the subdiffraction scale in labeled COS-7 cell membranes whose cytoskeleton is perturbed. Molecular orientational order is also seen to be affected by cholesterol depletion, reflecting the strong interplay between lipid-packing regions and their nearby cytoskeleton. This noninvasive optical technique can reveal local organization in cell membranes when used as a complement to existing methods such as generalized polarization. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Polarized X-ray excitation for scatter reduction in X-ray fluorescence computed tomography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vernekohl, Don; Tzoumas, Stratis; Zhao, Wei; Xing, Lei

    2018-05-25

    X-ray fluorescence computer tomography (XFCT) is a new molecular imaging modality which uses X-ray excitation to stimulate the emission of fluorescent photons in high atomic number contrast agents. Scatter contamination is one of the main challenges in XFCT imaging which limits the molecular sensitivity. When polarized X-rays are used, it is possible to reduce the scatter contamination significantly by placing detectors perpendicular to the polarization direction. This study quantifies scatter contamination for polarized and unpolarized X-ray excitation and determines the advantages of scatter reduction. The amount of scatter in preclinical XFCT is quantified in Monte Carlo simulations. The fluorescent X-rays are emitted isotropically, while scattered X-rays propagate in polarization direction. The magnitude of scatter contamination is studied in XFCT simulations of a mouse phantom. In this study, the contrast agent gold is examined as an example but a scatter reduction from polarized excitation is also expected for other elements. The scatter reduction capability is examined for different polarization intensities with a monoenergetic X-ray excitation energy of 82 keV. The study evaluates two different geometrical shapes of CZT detectors which are modeled with an energy resolution of 1 keV FWHM at an X-ray energy of 80 keV. Benefits of a detector placement perpendicular to the polarization direction are shown in iterative and analytic image reconstruction including scatter correction. The contrast to noise ratio (CNR) and the normalized mean square error (NMSE) are analyzed and compared for the reconstructed images. A substantial scatter reduction for common detector sizes was achieved for 100% and 80% linear polarization while lower polarization intensities provide a decreased scatter reduction. By placing the detector perpendicular to the polarization direction, a scatter reduction by factor up to 5.5 can be achieved for common detector sizes. The image

  17. A recombinant fusion protein-based, fluorescent protease assay for high throughput-compatible substrate screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bozóki, Beáta; Gazda, Lívia; Tóth, Ferenc; Miczi, Márió; Mótyán, János András; Tőzsér, József

    2018-01-01

    In connection with the intensive investigation of proteases, several methods have been developed for analysis of the substrate specificity. Due to the great number of proteases and the expected target molecules to be analyzed, time- and cost-efficient high-throughput screening (HTS) methods are preferred. Here we describe the development and application of a separation-based HTS-compatible fluorescent protease assay, which is based on the use of recombinant fusion proteins as substrates of proteases. The protein substrates used in this assay consists of N-terminal (hexahistidine and maltose binding protein) fusion tags, cleavage sequences of the tobacco etch virus (TEV) and HIV-1 proteases, and a C-terminal fluorescent protein (mApple or mTurquoise2). The assay is based on the fluorimetric detection of the fluorescent proteins, which are released from the magnetic bead-attached substrates by the proteolytic cleavage. The protease assay has been applied for activity measurements of TEV and HIV-1 proteases to test the suitability of the system for enzyme kinetic measurements, inhibition studies, and determination of pH optimum. We also found that denatured fluorescent proteins can be renatured after SDS-PAGE of denaturing conditions, but showed differences in their renaturation abilities. After in-gel renaturation both substrates and cleavage products can be identified by in-gel UV detection. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. A fluorescence assay for elucidating the substrate specificities of deubiquitinating enzymes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yin, Si-Tao; Huang, Hao; Zhang, Yu-Hang; Zhou, Zi-Ren; Song, Ai-Xin; Hong, Fa-Shui; Hu, Hong-Yu

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: ► A deubiquitinating enzyme has its unique substrate specificity for deubiquitination. ► We have established an activity assay for ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolases. ► This assay can be applicable to other deubiquitinating enzymes. -- Abstract: Ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolases (UCHs) are a representative family of deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs), which specifically cleave ubiquitin (Ub) chains or extensions. Here we present a convenient method for characterizing the substrate specificities of various UCHs by fluorescently mutated Ub-fusion proteins (Ub F45W -Xaa) and di-ubiquitin chains (Ub F45W -diUb). After removal of the intact substrate by Ni 2+ -NTA affinity, the enzymatic activities of UCHs were quantitatively determined by recording fluorescence of the Ub F45W product. The results show that three UCHs, i.e. UCH-L1, UCH-L3 and UCH37/UCH-L5, are distinct in their substrate specificities for the Ub-fusions and diUb chains. This assay method may also be applied to study the enzymatic activities and substrate specificities of other DUBs.

  19. Sensitive diagnosis of bovine tuberculosis in a farmed cervid herd with use of an MPB70 protein fluorescence polarization assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Surujballi, Om; Lutze-Wallace, Cyril; Turcotte, Claude; Savic, Mirjana; Stevenson, Dan; Romanowska, Anna; Monagle, Wendy; Berlie-Surujballi, Gloria; Tangorra, Erin

    2009-07-01

    After histopathological examination of a lesion found in a herd member returned a diagnosis of mycobacteriosis, a farmed herd (n = 47) of elk (Cervus elaphus nelsoni) and red deer (C. elaphus elaphus) was investigated for bovine tuberculosis with a battery of antemortem and postmortem diagnostic tests. Every animal was tested with the mid-cervical tuberculin skin test; all 47 had negative results. All of the 16 adult animals and 15 of the 31 calves (approximately 2-years-old) were blood-tested with a lymphocyte stimulation test (LST) and a fluorescence polarization assay (FPA), which detects antibody to the MPB70 protein antigen. At necropsy of the 31 blood-tested animals, tissues were harvested for histopathological examination and culture of mycobacteria. Mycobacterium bovis was isolated from 16 of the 31 animals, and a scotochromogen was also isolated from 1 of the 16 whose tissues yielded M. bovis. Each of these 16 animals, 15 of which were calves, also received a histopathological diagnosis of mycobacteriosis. Other species of mycobacteria, including those belonging to the M. avium and M. terrae complexes, were isolated from an additional 7 animals. The FPA was scored "positive" or "suspect" for 16 animals, 13 (81%) of which were culture-positive for M. bovis. The other 3 animals that were culture-positive for M. bovis had negative FPA results. Of the 3 FPA-positive or FPA-suspect animals that were culture-negative, 2 were suspected to have mycobacteriosis on the basis of the histopathological examination. The 7 animals from which Mycobacterium species other than M. bovis were cultured were all FPA-negative. The only animal with positive LST results was also FPA-positive and culture-positive for M. bovis. The M. bovis isolates had an identical spoligotype pattern, with an octal code of 664073777777600. This is the first report of the isolation and identification of this strain type in Canada.

  20. Optimization of a polarized source for in vivo x-ray fluorescence analysis of platinum and other heavy metals

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lewis, D.G.

    1994-01-01

    The Monte Carlo method was used to optimize a polarized photon source for the x-ray fluorescence analysis of platinum and other heavy metals in vivo. The source consisted of a 140 kVp, 25 mA x-ray tube with the photons plane-polarized by 90 o scattering. The use of plane-polarized photons results in a significant reduction in background when the fluorescent radiation is measured along the direction of polarization. A Monte Carlo computer programme was written to simulate the production and interaction of polarized photons in order to determine the optimal polarizing material and dimensions, together with beam width and geometrical arrangement of source, polarizer and beam collimators. Calculated photon energy distributions are compared with experimental data to test the validity of the model. (author)

  1. Single-label kinase and phosphatase assays for tyrosine phosphorylation using nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sahoo, Harekrushna; Hennig, Andreas; Florea, Mara; Roth, Doris; Enderle, Thilo; Nau, Werner M

    2007-12-26

    The collision-induced fluorescence quenching of a 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene-labeled asparagine (Dbo) by hydrogen atom abstraction from the tyrosine residue in peptide substrates was introduced as a single-labeling strategy to assay the activity of tyrosine kinases and phosphatases. The assays were tested for 12 different combinations of Dbo-labeled substrates and with the enzymes p60c-Src Src kinase, EGFR kinase, YOP protein tyrosine phosphatase, as well as acid and alkaline phosphatases, thereby demonstrating a broad application potential. The steady-state fluorescence changed by a factor of up to 7 in the course of the enzymatic reaction, which allowed for a sufficient sensitivity of continuous monitoring in steady-state experiments. The fluorescence lifetimes (and intensities) were found to be rather constant for the phosphotyrosine peptides (ca. 300 ns in aerated water), while those of the unphosphorylated peptides were as short as 40 ns (at pH 7) and 7 ns (at pH 13) as a result of intramolecular quenching. Owing to the exceptionally long fluorescence lifetime of Dbo, the assays were alternatively performed by using nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence (Nano-TRF) detection, which leads to an improved discrimination of background fluorescence and an increased sensitivity. The potential for inhibitor screening was demonstrated through the inhibition of acid and alkaline phosphatases by molybdate.

  2. Nonclassical polarization effects in fluorescence emission spectra from microdroplets

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arnold, S.; Goddard, N. L.; Hill, S. C.

    1999-12-01

    We report a pronounced nonclassical polarization effect on the shape of fluorescence emission spectra from isolated microdroplets containing a dilute solution of soluble fluors or a dilute layer of surfactant fluors. We see different spectral shapes for 90° scattering when comparing between IVV, IVH, IHH, IHV. However, we measure the largest difference in spectral shape in the surfactant case, with the incident polarization directed toward the detector (IHV vs IHH). Imaging reveals that the emission in this case principally arises from two distinct regions near the surface of the droplet, which are diametrically opposed and along the axis of the incident laser beam. The effect appears to be the direct result of coupling between molecular emission moments and electromagnetic modes of the droplet. It is not the molecule which radiates but the molecule microvessel. Directional emission is sensitive to the polarization of the electromagnetic mode which is stimulated by the coupling.

  3. A dual amplification strategy for DNA detection combining bio-barcode assay and metal-enhanced fluorescence modality.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Zhenpeng; Li, Tian; Huang, Hongduan; Chen, Yang; Liu, Feng; Huang, Chengzhi; Li, Na

    2014-11-11

    Silver-enhanced fluorescence was coupled with a bio-barcode assay to facilitate a dual amplification assay to demonstrate a non-enzymatic approach for simple and sensitive detection of DNA. In the assay design, magnetic nanoparticles seeded with silver nanoparticles were modified with the capture DNA, and silver nanoparticles were modified with the binding of ssDNA and the fluorescently labeled barcode dsDNA. Upon introduction of the target DNA, a sandwich structure was formed because of the hybridization reaction. By simple magnetic separation, silver-enhanced fluorescence of barcode DNAs could be readily measured without the need of a further step to liberate barcode DNAs from silver nanoparticles, endowing the method with simplicity and high sensitivity with a detection limit of 1 pM.

  4. Solvent polarity scale on the fluorescence spectra of a dansyl monomer copolymerizable in aqueous media

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ren, Biye; Gao, Feng; Tong, Zhen; Yan, Yu

    1999-06-01

    A copolymerizable fluorescent monomer N-[2-[[[5-(N,N-dimethylamino)-1-naphthalenyl]sulfonyl]-amino]ethyl]-2-propenamide (DANSAEP) was synthesized, which exhibits dual fluorescence due to the twisted intramolecular charge transfer in the excited state. The emission maximum λem shifts from 463.3 nm in n-hexane to 530.0 nm in water, showing solvent polarity dependence. The relations between λem and the conventional solvent polarity parameters ET(30) or Z are linear, dividing solvents into protic and aprotic groups. Kamlet's linear solvation energy relationship gives a good description for λem as a solvent polarity scale. The increment of dipole moment Δ μ at the excited state was estimated as 5.09 D with the solvatochromic analysis.

  5. Intrinsic fluorescence for cervical precancer detection using polarized light based in-house fabricated portable device

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meena, Bharat Lal; Singh, Pankaj; Sah, Amar Nath; Pandey, Kiran; Agarwal, Asha; Pantola, Chayanika; Pradhan, Asima

    2018-01-01

    An in-house fabricated portable device has been tested to detect cervical precancer through the intrinsic fluorescence from human cervix of the whole uterus in a clinical setting. A previously validated technique based on simultaneously acquired polarized fluorescence and polarized elastic scattering spectra from a turbid medium is used to extract the intrinsic fluorescence. Using a diode laser at 405 nm, intrinsic fluorescence of flavin adenine dinucleotide, which is the dominant fluorophore and other contributing fluorophores in the epithelium of cervical tissue, has been extracted. Different grades of cervical precancer (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia; CIN) have been discriminated using principal component analysis-based Mahalanobis distance and linear discriminant analysis. Normal, CIN I and CIN II samples have been discriminated from one another with high sensitivity and specificity at 95% confidence level. This ex vivo study with cervix of whole uterus samples immediately after hysterectomy in a clinical environment indicates that the in-house fabricated portable device has the potential to be used as a screening tool for in vivo precancer detection using intrinsic fluorescence.

  6. Study of ciclosporine blood levels in patients after kidney or bone-marrow transplantation. Comparison between the two methods, fluorescence polarization immunoassay and radioimmunoassay

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sadeg, N.; Pham Huy, C.; Claude, J.R.; Postaire, M.; Lebrec, H.; Hamon, M.; Broyer, M.; Gagnadoux, M.F.; Fischer, A.

    1989-01-01

    The apparition of ciclosporine, immunodepressive drug, has largely improved the organ transplantations. However, the range of blood concentrations must be defined to allow the efficacity of ciclosporine therapy and to avoid toxic reactions, because there are very important variations for a same dosage according to the individuals and the diseases. Relative to the low concentrations to be determined (about one hundred ng/ml), the most useful methods for ciclosporine measurement are based on immunochemical assays. This work compares the two methods: radioimmunoassay (RIA) and fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) simultaneously performed on several hundred samples. A very significant correlation exists between the two techniques (r = 0.80). The advantages of immunofluorescent assay consists in rapidity, sensibility and facility to realize emergency analysis [fr

  7. Direct fluorescence anisotropy assay for cocaine using tetramethylrhodamine-labeled aptamer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Yingxiong; Zhao, Qiang

    2017-06-01

    Development of simple, sensitive, and rapid method for cocaine detection is important in medicine and drug abuse monitoring. Taking advantage of fluorescence anisotropy and aptamer, this study reports a direct fluorescence anisotropy (FA) assay for cocaine by employing an aptamer probe with tetramethylrhodamine (TMR) labeled on a specific position. The binding of cocaine and the aptamer causes a structure change of the TMR-labeled aptamer, leading to changes of the interaction between labeled TMR and adjacent G bases in aptamer sequence, so FA of TMR varies with increasing of cocaine. After screening different labeling positions of the aptamer, including thymine (T) bases and terminals of the aptamer, we obtained a favorable aptamer probe with TMR labeled on the 25th base T in the sequence, which exhibited sensitive and significant FA-decreasing responses upon cocaine. Under optimized assay conditions, this TMR-labeled aptamer allowed for direct FA detection of cocaine as low as 5 μM. The maximum FA change reached about 0.086. This FA method also enabled the detection of cocaine spiked in diluted serum and urine samples, showing potential for applications. Graphical Abstract The binding of cocaine to the TMR-labeled aptamer causes conformation change and alteration of the intramolecular interaction between TMR and bases of aptamer, leading to variance of fluorescence anisotropy (FA) of TMR, so direct FA analyis of cocaine is achieved.

  8. Cytotoxicity Test Based on Human Cells Labeled with Fluorescent Proteins: Fluorimetry, Photography, and Scanning for High-Throughput Assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalinina, Marina A; Skvortsov, Dmitry A; Rubtsova, Maria P; Komarova, Ekaterina S; Dontsova, Olga A

    2018-06-01

    High- and medium-throughput assays are now routine methods for drug screening and toxicology investigations on mammalian cells. However, a simple and cost-effective analysis of cytotoxicity that can be carried out with commonly used laboratory equipment is still required. The developed cytotoxicity assays are based on human cell lines stably expressing eGFP, tdTomato, mCherry, or Katushka2S fluorescent proteins. Red fluorescent proteins exhibit a higher signal-to-noise ratio, due to less interference by medium autofluorescence, in comparison to green fluorescent protein. Measurements have been performed on a fluorescence scanner, a plate fluorimeter, and a camera photodocumentation system. For a 96-well plate assay, the sensitivity per well and the measurement duration were 250 cells and 15 min for the scanner, 500 cells and 2 min for the plate fluorimeter, and 1000 cells and less than 1 min for the camera detection. These sensitivities are similar to commonly used MTT (tetrazolium dye) assays. The used scanner and the camera had not been previously applied for cytotoxicity evaluation. An image processing scheme for the high-resolution scanner is proposed that significantly diminishes the number of control wells, even for a library containing fluorescent substances. The suggested cytotoxicity assay has been verified by measurements of the cytotoxicity of several well-known cytotoxic drugs and further applied to test a set of novel bacteriotoxic compounds in a medium-throughput format. The fluorescent signal of living cells is detected without disturbing them and adding any reagents, thus allowing to investigate time-dependent cytotoxicity effects on the same sample of cells. A fast, simple and cost-effective assay is suggested for cytotoxicity evaluation based on mammalian cells expressing fluorescent proteins and commonly used laboratory equipment.

  9. Fluorescent assay for oxytetracycline based on a long-chain aptamer assembled onto reduced graphene oxide

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Huimin; Gao, Sheng; Liu, Meng; Chang, Yangyang; Fan, Xinfei; Quan, Xie [Key Laboratory of Industrial Ecology and Environmental Engineering (Ministry of Education, China), School of Environmental Science and Technology, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian, 116024 (China)

    2013-07-15

    We report on a fluorescent assay for oxytetracycline (OTC) using a fluorescein-labeled long-chain aptamer assembled onto reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The π-π stacking interaction between aptamer and rGO causes the fluorescence of the label to be almost completely quenched via energy transfer so that the system has very low background fluorescence. The addition of OTC leads to the formation of G-quadruplex OTC complexes and prevents the adsorption of labeled aptamer on the surface of rGO. As a result, fluorescence is restored, and this effect allows for a quantitative assay of OTC over the 0.1–2 μM concentration range and with a detection limit of 10 nM. This method is simple, rapid, selective and sensitive. It may be applied to other small molecule analytes by applying appropriate aptamers. (author)

  10. Fluorescent assay for oxytetracycline based on a long-chain aptamer assembled onto reduced graphene oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Huimin; Gao, Sheng; Liu, Meng; Chang, Yangyang; Fan, Xinfei; Quan, Xie

    2013-01-01

    We report on a fluorescent assay for oxytetracycline (OTC) using a fluorescein-labeled long-chain aptamer assembled onto reduced graphene oxide (rGO). The π-π stacking interaction between aptamer and rGO causes the fluorescence of the label to be almost completely quenched via energy transfer so that the system has very low background fluorescence. The addition of OTC leads to the formation of G-quadruplex OTC complexes and prevents the adsorption of labeled aptamer on the surface of rGO. As a result, fluorescence is restored, and this effect allows for a quantitative assay of OTC over the 0.1–2 μM concentration range and with a detection limit of 10 nM. This method is simple, rapid, selective and sensitive. It may be applied to other small molecule analytes by applying appropriate aptamers. (author)

  11. MR image enhancement as a function of tissue gadolinium concentration, measured with polarized X-ray fluorescence analysis

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, S.C.; Morita, Y.; White, D.L.; Kaufman, L.; Brasch, R.C.

    1988-01-01

    MR imaging contrast agents alter intensities nonlinearly relative to their tissue concentrations. To extract Gd concentrations from image intensity data, a 13-tube phantom (Gd-DTPA dilutions, 0-10/sup -2/M) was imaged (2 T, 3 mm, spin echo, 300 = msec repetition time, 15 = msec echo time, 128 X 256, four excitations). Also, 18 rats were studied with Gd-DTPA or albumin-(Gd-DTPA)/sub 19/ (nine each, three doses). Liver and renal cortex were imaged before and 10 minutes after contrast material administration, with immediate killing and harvesting, and enhancement was calculated. These samples were assayed by x-ray fluorescent excitation analysis (150-kVp beam, B/sub 4/C ceramic polarizer, Mo-Cu-Ni filter, Si[Li] detector). Gd levels as low as 0.5 ppm (--3.18 x 10/sup -6/M) could be detected in liquid or solid samples. Enhancement increased with a nonlinear relationship to Gd in the range measured. This assay for Gd permits empiric assessment of the relationship between pulse variables, intensity, and paramagnet concentration, allowing Gd values to be estimated from image intensities

  12. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) assay using metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yi; Keegan, Gemma L.; Stranik, Ondrej; Brennan-Fournet, Margaret E.; McDonagh, Colette

    2015-01-01

    Fluorescence has been extensively employed in the area of diagnostic immunoassays. A significant enhancement of fluorescence can be achieved when noble metal nanoparticles are placed in close proximity to fluorophores. This effect, referred to as metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF), has the potential to produce immunoassays with a high sensitivity and a low limit of detection (LOD). In this study, we investigate the fluorescence enhancement effect of two different nanoparticle systems, large spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold edge-coated triangular silver nanoplates, and both systems were evaluated for MEF. The extinction properties and electric field enhancement of both systems were modeled, and the optimum system, spherical AgNPs, was used in a sandwich immunoassay for human C-reactive protein with a red fluorescent dye label. A significant enhancement in the fluorescence was observed, which corresponded to an LOD improvement of ∼19-fold compared to a control assay without AgNPs

  13. Highly sensitive C-reactive protein (CRP) assay using metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhang, Yi; Keegan, Gemma L., E-mail: gemmakeegan@gmail.com [Dublin City University, School of Physical Sciences, Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (Ireland); Stranik, Ondrej [Leibniz Institute of Photonic Technology, Department of NanoBiophotonics (Germany); Brennan-Fournet, Margaret E. [CMP-EMSE, MOC, Department of Bioelectronics, Ecole Nationale Superieure des Mines (France); McDonagh, Colette [Dublin City University, School of Physical Sciences, Biomedical Diagnostics Institute (Ireland)

    2015-07-15

    Fluorescence has been extensively employed in the area of diagnostic immunoassays. A significant enhancement of fluorescence can be achieved when noble metal nanoparticles are placed in close proximity to fluorophores. This effect, referred to as metal-enhanced fluorescence (MEF), has the potential to produce immunoassays with a high sensitivity and a low limit of detection (LOD). In this study, we investigate the fluorescence enhancement effect of two different nanoparticle systems, large spherical silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and gold edge-coated triangular silver nanoplates, and both systems were evaluated for MEF. The extinction properties and electric field enhancement of both systems were modeled, and the optimum system, spherical AgNPs, was used in a sandwich immunoassay for human C-reactive protein with a red fluorescent dye label. A significant enhancement in the fluorescence was observed, which corresponded to an LOD improvement of ∼19-fold compared to a control assay without AgNPs.

  14. Optimization of a Fluorescence-Based Assay for Large-Scale Drug Screening against Babesia and Theileria Parasites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rizk, Mohamed Abdo; El-Sayed, Shimaa Abd El-Salam; Terkawi, Mohamed Alaa; Youssef, Mohamed Ahmed; El Said, El Said El Shirbini; Elsayed, Gehad; El-Khodery, Sabry; El-Ashker, Maged; Elsify, Ahmed; Omar, Mosaab; Salama, Akram; Yokoyama, Naoaki; Igarashi, Ikuo

    2015-01-01

    A rapid and accurate assay for evaluating antibabesial drugs on a large scale is required for the discovery of novel chemotherapeutic agents against Babesia parasites. In the current study, we evaluated the usefulness of a fluorescence-based assay for determining the efficacies of antibabesial compounds against bovine and equine hemoparasites in in vitro cultures. Three different hematocrits (HCTs; 2.5%, 5%, and 10%) were used without daily replacement of the medium. The results of a high-throughput screening assay revealed that the best HCT was 2.5% for bovine Babesia parasites and 5% for equine Babesia and Theileria parasites. The IC50 values of diminazene aceturate obtained by fluorescence and microscopy did not differ significantly. Likewise, the IC50 values of luteolin, pyronaridine tetraphosphate, nimbolide, gedunin, and enoxacin did not differ between the two methods. In conclusion, our fluorescence-based assay uses low HCT and does not require daily replacement of culture medium, making it highly suitable for in vitro large-scale drug screening against Babesia and Theileria parasites that infect cattle and horses.

  15. Optimization of a Fluorescence-Based Assay for Large-Scale Drug Screening against Babesia and Theileria Parasites.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohamed Abdo Rizk

    Full Text Available A rapid and accurate assay for evaluating antibabesial drugs on a large scale is required for the discovery of novel chemotherapeutic agents against Babesia parasites. In the current study, we evaluated the usefulness of a fluorescence-based assay for determining the efficacies of antibabesial compounds against bovine and equine hemoparasites in in vitro cultures. Three different hematocrits (HCTs; 2.5%, 5%, and 10% were used without daily replacement of the medium. The results of a high-throughput screening assay revealed that the best HCT was 2.5% for bovine Babesia parasites and 5% for equine Babesia and Theileria parasites. The IC50 values of diminazene aceturate obtained by fluorescence and microscopy did not differ significantly. Likewise, the IC50 values of luteolin, pyronaridine tetraphosphate, nimbolide, gedunin, and enoxacin did not differ between the two methods. In conclusion, our fluorescence-based assay uses low HCT and does not require daily replacement of culture medium, making it highly suitable for in vitro large-scale drug screening against Babesia and Theileria parasites that infect cattle and horses.

  16. Carbon quantum dots-based recyclable real-time fluorescence assay for alkaline phosphatase with adenosine triphosphate as substrate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qian, Zhaosheng; Chai, Lujing; Tang, Cong; Huang, Yuanyuan; Chen, Jianrong; Feng, Hui

    2015-03-03

    A convenient, reliable, and highly sensitive real-time assay for alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity in the continuous and recyclable way is established on the basis of aggregation and disaggregation of carbon quantum dots (CQDs) through the competitive assay approach. CQDs and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) were used as the fluorescent indicator and substrate for ALP activity assessment, respectively. Richness of carboxyl groups on the surface of CQDs enables their severe aggregation triggered by cerium ions, which results in effective fluorescence quenching. Under the catalytic hydrolysis of ALP, ATP can be rapidly transformed to phosphate ions. Stronger affinity of phosphate ions to cerium ions than carboxyl groups is taken advantage of to achieve fluorescence recovery induced by redispersion of CQDs in the presence of ALP and ATP. Quantitative evaluation of ALP activity in a broad range from 4.6 to 383.3 U/L with the detection limit of 1.4 U/L can be realized in this way, which endows the assay with high enough sensitivity for practical detection in human serum. The assay can be used in a recyclable way for more than three times since the generated product CePO4 as a precipitate can be easily removed from the standard assay system. This strategy broadens the sensing application of fluorescent CQDs with excellent biocompatibility and provides an example based on disaggregation in optical probe development.

  17. Tuning a 96-Well Microtiter Plate Fluorescence-Based Assay to Identify AGE Inhibitors in Crude Plant Extracts

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luc Séro

    2013-11-01

    Full Text Available Advanced glycation end-products (AGEs are involved in the pathogenesis of numerous diseases. Among them, cellular accumulation of AGEs contributes to vascular complications in diabetes. Besides using drugs to lower blood sugar, a balanced diet and the intake of herbal products potentially limiting AGE formation could be considered beneficial for patients’ health. The current paper presents a simple and cheap high-throughput screening (HTS assay based on AGE fluorescence and suitable for plant extract screening. We have already implemented an HTS assay based on vesperlysines-like fluorescing AGEs quickly (24 h formed from BSA and ribose under physiological conditions. However, interference was noted when fluorescent compounds and/or complex mixtures were tested. To overcome these problems and apply this HTS assay to plant extracts, we developed a technique for systematic quantification of both vesperlysines (λexc 370 nm; λem 440 nm and pentosidine-like (λexc 335 nm; λem 385 nm AGEs. In a batch of medicinal and food plant extracts, hits were selected as soon as fluorescence decreased under a fixed threshold for at least one wavelength. Hits revealed during this study appeared to contain well-known and powerful anti-AGE substances, thus demonstrating the suitability of this assay for screening crude extracts (0.1 mg/mL. Finally, quercetin was found to be a more powerful reference compound than aminoguanidine in such assay.

  18. Screening for Antifibrotic Compounds Using High Throughput System Based on Fluorescence Polarization

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Branko Stefanovic

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Fibroproliferative diseases are one of the leading causes of death worldwide. They are characterized by reactive fibrosis caused by uncontrolled synthesis of type I collagen. There is no cure for fibrosis and development of therapeutics that can inhibit collagen synthesis is urgently needed. Collagen α1(I mRNA and α2(I mRNA encode for type I collagen and they have a unique 5' stem-loop structure in their 5' untranslated regions (5'SL. Collagen 5'SL binds protein LARP6 with high affinity and specificity. The interaction between LARP6 and the 5'SL is critical for biosynthesis of type I collagen and development of fibrosis in vivo. Therefore, this interaction represents is an ideal target to develop antifibrotic drugs. A high throughput system to screen for chemical compounds that can dissociate LARP6 from 5'SL has been developed. It is based on fluorescence polarization and can be adapted to screen for inhibitors of other protein-RNA interactions. Screening of 50,000 chemical compounds yielded a lead compound that can inhibit type I collagen synthesis at nanomolar concentrations. The development, characteristics, and critical appraisal of this assay are presented.

  19. Exploration of the Fluorescent Properties and the Modulated Activities against Sirtuin Fluorogenic Assays of Chromenone-Derived Natural Products

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hui Wen

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available Chromenone-derived natural products include chromones (flavone, isoflavone and coumarins. Chromenone compounds not only exhibit impressive biological activities, but also are an important resource of experimentally used fluorophores, such as, 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin (AMC. Various chromenone compounds have reported to have weak fluorescence, and this has the potential to interfere with the measurements during AMC fluorogenic assays and result in non-robust assay readouts. Several flavones and isoflavones were found as SIRT1 activators, while fluorogenic sirtuin assays utilized AMC labelled peptides as the substrates. In this study we investigated whether the fluorescent properties of chromenone-derived natural products interrupt the measurement of SIRT1/2 modulated activities. We found that the reported SIRT1 activators: flavones were detected with the SIRT1 activation activity, but isoflavones were not detected with SIRT1 activation activity, and instead that they were found to be fluorogenic compounds. Another chromenone compound, osthole, exhibited a moderate SIRT2 inhibitory activity with an IC50 of 10 μM. In conclusion, the fluorescent properties of these chromenone compounds do affect the measurement of the sirtuin activities of both inhibitors and activators. However, if the possible fluorescence properties are mitigated in the assay readout, these fluorogenic assays enable the screening of activity modulators.

  20. A high-throughput fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based endothelial cell apoptosis assay and its application for screening vascular disrupting agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhu, Xiaoming; Fu, Afu; Luo, Kathy Qian

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► An endothelial cell apoptosis assay using FRET-based biosensor was developed. ► The fluorescence of the cells changed from green to blue during apoptosis. ► This method was developed into a high-throughput assay in 96-well plates. ► This assay was applied to screen vascular disrupting agents. -- Abstract: In this study, we developed a high-throughput endothelial cell apoptosis assay using a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based biosensor. After exposure to apoptotic inducer UV-irradiation or anticancer drugs such as paclitaxel, the fluorescence of the cells changed from green to blue. We developed this method into a high-throughput assay in 96-well plates by measuring the emission ratio of yellow fluorescent protein (YFP) to cyan fluorescent protein (CFP) to monitor the activation of a key protease, caspase-3, during apoptosis. The Z′ factor for this assay was above 0.5 which indicates that this assay is suitable for a high-throughput analysis. Finally, we applied this functional high-throughput assay for screening vascular disrupting agents (VDA) which could induce endothelial cell apoptosis from our in-house compounds library and dioscin was identified as a hit. As this assay allows real time and sensitive detection of cell apoptosis, it will be a useful tool for monitoring endothelial cell apoptosis in living cell situation and for identifying new VDA candidates via a high-throughput screening.

  1. Rapid fluorescence assay for Sudan dyes using polyethyleneimine-coated copper nanoclusters

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ling, Yu; Li, Jia Xing; Li, Nian Bing; Luo, Hong Qun; Qu, Fei

    2014-01-01

    We report that the intensity of the blue fluorescence of copper nanoclusters coated with polyethyleneimine (PEI) is strongly reduced in the presence of the food dyestuffs Sudan I-IV. This finding was exploited in a label-free fluorescence assay for these Sudan dyes both in ethanol and aqueous solutions. The PEI-capped nanoclusters have an average diameter of 1.8 nm and are displaying, under 355 nm excitation, a blue emission at 480 nm that matches the absorption bands of the Sudan dyes. The clusters are stable in solution for at least 1 month. Under optimum conditions, this assay can be applied to the quantification of the dyes Sudan I, II, III, and IV, respectively, in the 0.1−30, 0.1–30, 0.1–25, and 0.1–25 μM concentration ranges, and the detection limits (3σ/slope) are 65, 70, 45, and 50 nM, respectively. The capability of reducing the fluorescence of the PEI-capped copper nanoclusters is directly related to the number of the functional groups in that Sudan III and IV give lower detection limits. This analytical scheme exhibits a remarkably high selectivity for the Sudan dyes over potentially interfering substances. The method was successfully applied to determine Sudan I, II, III, and IV in hot chilli powder. (author)

  2. Removal of Chromophore-proximal Polar Atoms Decreases Water Content and Increases Fluorescence in a Near Infrared Phytofluor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heli eLehtivuori

    2015-11-01

    Full Text Available Genetically encoded fluorescent markers have revolutionized cell and molecular biology due to their biological compatibility, controllable spatiotemporal expression, and photostability. To achieve in vivo imaging in whole animals, longer excitation wavelength probes are needed due to the superior ability of near infrared light to penetrate tissues unimpeded by absorbance from biomolecules or autofluorescence of water. Derived from near infrared-absorbing bacteriophytochromes, phytofluors are engineered to fluoresce in this region of the electromagnetic spectrum, although high quantum yield remains an elusive goal. An invariant aspartate residue is of utmost importance for photoconversion in native phytochromes, presumably due to the proximity of its backbone carbonyl to the pyrrole ring nitrogens of the biliverdin (BV chromophore as well as the size and charge of the side chain. We hypothesized that the polar interaction network formed by the charged side chain may contribute to the decay of the excited state via proton transfer. Thus, we chose to further probe the role of this amino acid by removing all possibility for polar interactions with its carboxylate side chain by incorporating leucine instead. The resultant fluorescent protein, WiPhy2, maintains BV binding, monomeric status, and long maximum excitation wavelength while minimizing undesirable protoporphyrin IXα binding in cells. A crystal structure and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy reveal that water near the BV chromophore is excluded and thus validate our hypothesis that removal of polar interactions leads to enhanced fluorescence by increasing the lifetime of the excited state. This new phytofluor maintains its fluorescent properties over a broad pH range and does not suffer from photobleaching. WiPhy2 achieves the best compromise to date between high fluorescence quantum yield and long illumination wavelength in this class of fluorescent proteins.

  3. Functional characterisation of the human alpha1 glycine receptor in a fluorescence-based membrane potential assay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Anders A.; Kristiansen, Uffe

    2004-01-01

    In the present study, we have created a stable HEK293 cell line expressing the human homomeric alpha1 glycine receptor (GlyR) and characterised its functional pharmacology in a conventional patch-clamp assay and in the FLIPR Membrane Potential (FMP) assay, a fluorescence-based high throughput scr...... not be suited for sophisticated studies of GlyR pharmacology and kinetics. However, the assay offers several advantages in studies of ligand-receptor interactions. Furthermore, the assay could be highly useful in the search for structurally novel ligands acting at GlyRs.......In the present study, we have created a stable HEK293 cell line expressing the human homomeric alpha1 glycine receptor (GlyR) and characterised its functional pharmacology in a conventional patch-clamp assay and in the FLIPR Membrane Potential (FMP) assay, a fluorescence-based high throughput...... ion did not appear to potentiate GlyR function at lower concentrations. Analogously, whereas pregnenolone sulphate inhibited alpha1 GlyR function, the potentiation of alpha1 GlyR by pregnenolone in electrophysiological studies could not be reproduced in the assay. In conclusion, the FMP assay may...

  4. Cyquant cell proliferation assay as a fluorescence-based method for in vitro screening of antimalarial activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sriwilaijaroen, Nongluk; Kelly, Jane Xu; Riscoe, Michael; Wilairat, Prapon

    2004-12-01

    The appearance of drug resistant parasites and the absence of an effective vaccine have resulted in the need for new effective antimalarial drugs. Consequently, a convenient method for in vitro screening of large numbers of antimalarial drug candidates has become apparent. The CyQUANT cell proliferation assay is a highly sensitive fluorescence-based method for quantitation of cell number by measuring the strong fluorescence produced when green GR dye binds to nucleic acids. We have applied the CyQUANT assay method to evaluate the growth of Plasmodium falciparum D6 strain in culture. The GR-nucleic acid fluorescence linearly correlated with percent parasitemia at both 0.75 or 1 percent hematocrit with the same correlation coefficient of r2 = 0.99. The sensitivity of P. falciparum D6 strain to chloroquine and to 3,6-bis-omega-diethylaminoamyloxyxanthone, a novel antimalarial, determined by the CyQUANT assay were comparable to those obtained by the traditional [3H]-ethanolamine assay: IC50 value of chloroquine was 54 nM and 51 nM by the CyQUANT and [3H]-ethanolamine assay, respectively; IC50 value for 3,6-bis-omega-diethylaminoamyloxyxanthone was 254 nM and 223 nM by the CyQUANT and [3H]-ethanolamine assay, respectively. This procedure requires no radioisotope, uses simple equipment, and is an easy and convenient procedure, with no washing and harvesting steps. Moreover, all procedures can be set up continuously and thus, the CyQUANT assay is suitable in automatic high through-put drug screening of antimalarial drugs.

  5. Precious metal assay analysis of fresh reforming catalyst by x-ray fluorescence spectrometry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    McElroy, F.C.; Mulhall, J.M.

    1991-01-01

    This paper reports that precious metal analysis of fresh reforming catalysts are typically performed by both the catalyst manufacturer and buyer to arrive at a financial settlement on the quantity of metal in each lot of commercial catalyst. Traditional assay methods involve a variety of fire assay or wet chemical acid digestion schemes coupled with gravimetric, colorimetic, or titrimetric measurement for precious metals. Methods must have sufficient precision and accuracy to afford interlaboratory agreement of within one half of one percent relative between the catalyst supplier and purchaser. To meet this requirement many laboratories rely on classical methods. Unfortunately these proceeders are labor intensive and time consuming. X-ray fluorescence has the inherent instrument precision to achieve typical intralaboratory precision of 0.5% RSD on a wide variety of elements and numerous sample types. We have developed an X-ray fluorescence method for the assay quality analysis of fresh reforming catalyst containing platinum, rhenium, and iridium. This method was applied to numerous samples over the past five years

  6. A simple fluorescence based assay for quantification of human immunodeficiency virus particle release

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Heuser Anke-Mareil

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The assembly and release of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV particles from infected cells represent attractive, but not yet exploited targets for antiretroviral therapy. The availability of simple methods to measure the efficiency of these replication steps in tissue culture would facilitate the identification of host factors essential for these processes as well as the screening for lead compounds acting as specific inhibitors of particle formation. We describe here the development of a rapid cell based assay for quantification of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1 particle assembly and/or release. Results Using a fluorescently labelled HIV-derivative, which carries an eYFP domain within the main viral structural protein Gag in the complete viral protein context, the release of virus like particles could be monitored by directly measuring the fluorescence intensity of the tissue culture supernatant. Intracellular Gag was quantitated in parallel by direct fluorescence analysis of cell lysates, allowing us to normalize for Gag expression efficiency. The assay was validated by comparison with p24 capsid ELISA measurements, a standard method for quantifying HIV-1 particles. Optimization of conditions allowed the robust detection of particle amounts corresponding to 50 ng p24/ml in medium by fluorescence spectroscopy. Further adaptation to a multi-well format rendered the assay suitable for medium or high throughput screening of siRNA libraries to identify host cell factors involved in late stages of HIV replication, as well as for random screening approaches to search for potential inhibitors of HIV-1 assembly or release. Conclusions The fast and simple fluorescence based quantification of HIV particle release yielded reproducible results which were comparable to the well established ELISA measurements, while in addition allowing the parallel determination of intracellular Gag expression. The protocols described here

  7. Probe transfer with and without membrane fusion in a fluorescence fusion assay

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Ohki, S; Flanagan, TD; Hoekstra, D

    1998-01-01

    An analysis of the R(18) fusion assay was made during the fusion of the Sendai virus with erythrocyte ghosts. The increase in R(18) fluorescence, reflecting the interaction process, was evaluated in terms of the different processes that in principle may contribute to this increase, that is,

  8. Fluorescent Receptor Binding Assay for Detecting Ciguatoxins in Fish.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hardison, D Ransom; Holland, William C; McCall, Jennifer R; Bourdelais, Andrea J; Baden, Daniel G; Darius, H Taiana; Chinain, Mireille; Tester, Patricia A; Shea, Damian; Quintana, Harold A Flores; Morris, James A; Litaker, R Wayne

    2016-01-01

    Ciguatera fish poisoning is an illness suffered by > 50,000 people yearly after consumption of fish containing ciguatoxins (CTXs). One of the current methodologies to detect ciguatoxins in fish is a radiolabeled receptor binding assay (RBA(R)). However, the license requirements and regulations pertaining to radioisotope utilization can limit the applicability of the RBA(R) in certain labs. A fluorescence based receptor binding assay (RBA(F)) was developed to provide an alternative method of screening fish samples for CTXs in facilities not certified to use radioisotopes. The new assay is based on competition binding between CTXs and fluorescently labeled brevetoxin-2 (BODIPY®-PbTx-2) for voltage-gated sodium channel receptors at site 5 instead of a radiolabeled brevetoxin. Responses were linear in fish tissues spiked from 0.1 to 1.0 ppb with Pacific ciguatoxin-3C (P-CTX-3C) with a detection limit of 0.075 ppb. Carribean ciguatoxins were confirmed in Caribbean fish by LC-MS/MS analysis of the regional biomarker (C-CTX-1). Fish (N = 61) of six different species were screened using the RBA(F). Results for corresponding samples analyzed using the neuroblastoma cell-based assay (CBA-N2a) correlated well (R2 = 0.71) with those of the RBA(F), given the low levels of CTX present in positive fish. Data analyses also showed the resulting toxicity levels of P-CTX-3C equivalents determined by CBA-N2a were consistently lower than the RBA(F) affinities expressed as % binding equivalents, indicating that a given amount of toxin bound to the site 5 receptors translates into corresponding lower cytotoxicity. Consequently, the RBA(F), which takes approximately two hours to perform, provides a generous estimate relative to the widely used CBA-N2a which requires 2.5 days to complete. Other RBA(F) advantages include the long-term (> 5 years) stability of the BODIPY®-PbTx-2 and having similar results as the commonly used RBA(R). The RBA(F) is cost-effective, allows high sample

  9. Fluorescent Receptor Binding Assay for Detecting Ciguatoxins in Fish.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    D Ransom Hardison

    Full Text Available Ciguatera fish poisoning is an illness suffered by > 50,000 people yearly after consumption of fish containing ciguatoxins (CTXs. One of the current methodologies to detect ciguatoxins in fish is a radiolabeled receptor binding assay (RBA(R. However, the license requirements and regulations pertaining to radioisotope utilization can limit the applicability of the RBA(R in certain labs. A fluorescence based receptor binding assay (RBA(F was developed to provide an alternative method of screening fish samples for CTXs in facilities not certified to use radioisotopes. The new assay is based on competition binding between CTXs and fluorescently labeled brevetoxin-2 (BODIPY®-PbTx-2 for voltage-gated sodium channel receptors at site 5 instead of a radiolabeled brevetoxin. Responses were linear in fish tissues spiked from 0.1 to 1.0 ppb with Pacific ciguatoxin-3C (P-CTX-3C with a detection limit of 0.075 ppb. Carribean ciguatoxins were confirmed in Caribbean fish by LC-MS/MS analysis of the regional biomarker (C-CTX-1. Fish (N = 61 of six different species were screened using the RBA(F. Results for corresponding samples analyzed using the neuroblastoma cell-based assay (CBA-N2a correlated well (R2 = 0.71 with those of the RBA(F, given the low levels of CTX present in positive fish. Data analyses also showed the resulting toxicity levels of P-CTX-3C equivalents determined by CBA-N2a were consistently lower than the RBA(F affinities expressed as % binding equivalents, indicating that a given amount of toxin bound to the site 5 receptors translates into corresponding lower cytotoxicity. Consequently, the RBA(F, which takes approximately two hours to perform, provides a generous estimate relative to the widely used CBA-N2a which requires 2.5 days to complete. Other RBA(F advantages include the long-term (> 5 years stability of the BODIPY®-PbTx-2 and having similar results as the commonly used RBA(R. The RBA(F is cost-effective, allows high sample

  10. Development of a Rapid Insulin Assay by Homogenous Time-Resolved Fluorescence.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zachary J Farino

    Full Text Available Direct measurement of insulin is critical for basic and clinical studies of insulin secretion. However, current methods are expensive and time-consuming. We developed an insulin assay based on homogenous time-resolved fluorescence that is significantly more rapid and cost-effective than current commonly used approaches. This assay was applied effectively to an insulin secreting cell line, INS-1E cells, as well as pancreatic islets, allowing us to validate the assay by elucidating mechanisms by which dopamine regulates insulin release. We found that dopamine functioned as a significant negative modulator of glucose-stimulated insulin secretion. Further, we showed that bromocriptine, a known dopamine D2/D3 receptor agonist and newly approved drug used for treatment of type II diabetes mellitus, also decreased glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in islets to levels comparable to those caused by dopamine treatment.

  11. Development and utilization of a fluorescence-based receptor-binding assay for the site 5 voltage-sensitive sodium channel ligands brevetoxin and ciguatoxin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McCall, Jennifer R; Jacocks, Henry M; Niven, Susan C; Poli, Mark A; Baden, Daniel G; Bourdelais, Andrea J

    2014-01-01

    Brevetoxins are a family of ladder-frame polyether toxins produced during blooms of the marine dinoflagellate Karenia brevis. Consumption of fish exposed to K. brevis blooms can lead to the development of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. The toxic effects of brevetoxins are due to activation of voltage-sensitive sodium channels (VSSCs) in cell membranes. Binding of toxins has historically been measured using a radioligand competition assay that is fraught with difficulty. In this study, we developed a novel fluorescence-based binding assay for the brevetoxin receptor. Several fluorophores were conjugated to polyether brevetoxin-2 and used as the labeled ligand. Brevetoxin analogs were able to compete for binding with the fluorescent ligands. This assay was qualified against the standard radioligand receptor assay for the brevetoxin receptor. Furthermore, the fluorescence-based assay was used to determine relative concentrations of toxins in raw extracts of K. brevis culture, and to determine ciguatoxin affinity to site 5 of VSSCs. The fluorescence-based assay was quicker, safer, and far less expensive. As such, this assay can be used to replace the current radioligand assay and will be a vital tool for future experiments examining the binding affinity of various ligands for site 5 on sodium channels.

  12. A cell-based fluorescent glucose transporter assay for SGLT2 inhibitor discovery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yi Huan

    2013-04-01

    Full Text Available The sodium/glucose cotransporter 2 (SGLT2 is responsible for the majority of glucose reabsorption in the kidney, and currently, SGLT2 inhibitors are considered as promising hypoglycemic agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus. By constructing CHO cell lines that stably express the human SGLT2 transmembrane protein, along with a fluorescent glucose transporter assay that uses 2-[N-(7-nitrobenz-2-oxa-1,3-diazol-4-ylamino]2-deoxyglucose (2-NBDG as a glucose analog, we have developed a nonradioactive, cell-based assay for the discovery and characterization of SGLT2 inhibitors.

  13. Evaluation of Robust Estimators Applied to Fluorescence Assays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    U. Ruotsalainen

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available We evaluated standard robust methods in the estimation of fluorescence signal in novel assays used for determining the biomolecule concentrations. The objective was to obtain an accurate and reliable estimate using as few observations as possible by decreasing the influence of outliers. We assumed the true signals to have Gaussian distribution, while no assumptions about the outliers were made. The experimental results showed that arithmetic mean performs poorly even with the modest deviations. Further, the robust methods, especially the M-estimators, performed extremely well. The results proved that the use of robust methods is advantageous in the estimation problems where noise and deviations are significant, such as in biological and medical applications.

  14. Comparison of the PRNT and an immune fluorescence assay in yellow fever vaccinees receiving immunosuppressive medication.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieten, Rosanne W; Jonker, Emile F F; Pieren, Daan K J; Hodiamont, Caspar J; van Thiel, Pieter P A M; van Gorp, Eric C M; de Visser, Adriëtte W; Grobusch, Martin P; Visser, Leo G; Goorhuis, Abraham

    2016-03-04

    The 17D-yellow fever (YF) vaccination is considered contraindicated in immune-compromised patients; however, accidental vaccination occurs. In this population, measuring the immune response is useful in clinical practice. In this study we compare two antibody tests (the Immune Fluorescence Assay and the Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test) in a group of Dutch immune-compromised travellers with a median of 33 days (IQR [28-49]) after primary YF vaccination. We collected samples of 15 immune-compromised vaccinees vaccinated with the 17D yellow fever vaccine between 2004 and 2012. All samples measured in the plaque reduction neutralization test yielded positive results (>80% virus neutralization with a 1:10 serum dilution). Immune Fluorescence Assay sensitivity was 28% (95% CI [0.12-0.49]). No adverse events were reported. All immune-compromised patients mounted an adequate response with protective levels of virus neutralizing antibodies to the 17-D YF vaccine. No adverse effects were reported. Compared to the plaque reduction neutralization test, the sensitivity of the Immune Fluorescence Assay test was low. Further research is needed to ascertain that 17D vaccination in immune-compromised patients is safe. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. High-sensitivity determination of Zn(II) and Cu(II) in vitro by fluorescence polarization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thompson, Richard B.; Maliwal, Badri P.; Feliccia, Vincent; Fierke, Carol A.

    1998-04-01

    Recent work has suggested that free Cu(II) may play a role in syndromes such as Crohn's and Wilson's diseases, as well as being a pollutant toxic at low levels to shellfish and sheep. Similarly, Zn(II) has been implicated in some neural damage in the brain resulting from epilepsy and ischemia. Several high sensitivity methods exist for determining these ions in solution, including GFAAS, ICP-MS, ICP-ES, and electrochemical techniques. However, these techniques are generally slow and costly, require pretreatment of the sample, require complex instruments and skilled personnel, and are incapable of imaging at the cellular and subcellular level. To address these shortcomings we developed fluorescence polarization (anisotropy) biosensing methods for these ions which are very sensitivity, highly selective, require simple instrumentation and little pretreatment, and are inexpensive. Thus free Cu(II) or Zn(II) can be determined at picomolar levels by changes in fluorescence polarization, lifetime, or wavelength ratio using these methods; these techniques may be adapted to microscopy.

  16. Investigation of β-lactam antibacterial drugs, β-lactamases, and penicillin-binding proteins with fluorescence polarization and anisotropy: a review

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, Adam B.

    2016-06-01

    This review covers the uses of fluorescence polarization and anisotropy for the investigation of bacterial penicillin binding proteins (PBPs), which are the targets of β-lactam antibacterial drugs (penicillins, cephalosporins, carbapenems, and monobactams), and of the β-lactamase enzymes that destroy these drugs and help to render bacterial pathogens resistant to them. Fluorescence polarization and anisotropy-based methods for quantitation of β-lactam drugs are also reviewed. A particular emphasis is on methods for quantitative measurement of the interactions of β-lactams and other inhibitors with PBPs and β-lactamases.

  17. First direct fluorescence polarization assay for the detection and quantification of spirolides in mussel samples

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Otero, Paz; Alfonso, Amparo; Alfonso, Carmen; Araoz, Romulo; Molgo, Jordi; Vieytes, Mercedes R.; Botana, Luis M.

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → A direct assay based in the binding of nAChR to spirolide toxins by FP is described. → A direct relationship between FP and 13-desMeC in the range of 10-500 nM is obtained. → FP is dependent on the 13, 19-didesMeC in a higher concentration range than 13-desMeC. → FP assay is a sensitive method to detect and quantify 13-desMeC in mussel samples. - Abstract: In 2009, we achieve the first inhibition FP assay to detect imine cyclic toxins. In the present paper we propose a new FP assay for direct quantify spirolides. This new method has resulted in significant improvement of sensitivity, rapidity and accessibility. In the method design, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo marmorata membranes labelled with a derivative of fluorescein was used. Spirolides, 13-desmethyl spirolide C (13-desMeC) and 13,19-didesmethyl spirolide C (13,19-didesMeC) were extracted and purified from cultures of the Alexandrium ostenfeldii dinoflagellate. Data showed the decrease of FP when toxin concentration was increased. Thus, a relationship between the FP units and the spirolides amount present in a sample was obtained. This direct assay is a reproducible, simple and very sensitive method with a detection limit about 25 nM for 13-desMeC and 150 nM for 13,19-didesMeC. The procedure was used to measure spirolides in mussel samples using an extraction and clean up protocol suitable for the FP assay. Results obtained show that this method is able to quantify 13-desMeC in the range of 50-350 μg kg -1 meat. Other liposoluble toxins did not interfere with the assay, proving a specific method. Moreover, the matrix do not affect in the range of toxin concentrations that involving risk of spirolides intoxication.

  18. First direct fluorescence polarization assay for the detection and quantification of spirolides in mussel samples

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Otero, Paz; Alfonso, Amparo [Departamento de Farmacologia, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario s/n, 27002 Lugo (Spain); Alfonso, Carmen [CIFGA Laboratorio, Plaza de Santo Domingo, 1, 27001 Lugo (Spain); Araoz, Romulo; Molgo, Jordi [CNRS, Institut de Neurobiologie Alfred Fessard - FRC2118, Laboratoire de Neurobiologie et Developpement UPR3294, 1 Avenue de la Terrasse, 91198 Gif sur Yvette Cedex (France); Vieytes, Mercedes R. [Departamento de Fisiologia, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, 27002 Lugo (Spain); Botana, Luis M., E-mail: luis.botana@usc.es [Departamento de Farmacologia, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela, Campus Universitario s/n, 27002 Lugo (Spain)

    2011-09-09

    Highlights: {yields} A direct assay based in the binding of nAChR to spirolide toxins by FP is described. {yields} A direct relationship between FP and 13-desMeC in the range of 10-500 nM is obtained. {yields} FP is dependent on the 13, 19-didesMeC in a higher concentration range than 13-desMeC. {yields} FP assay is a sensitive method to detect and quantify 13-desMeC in mussel samples. - Abstract: In 2009, we achieve the first inhibition FP assay to detect imine cyclic toxins. In the present paper we propose a new FP assay for direct quantify spirolides. This new method has resulted in significant improvement of sensitivity, rapidity and accessibility. In the method design, nicotinic acetylcholine receptor from Torpedo marmorata membranes labelled with a derivative of fluorescein was used. Spirolides, 13-desmethyl spirolide C (13-desMeC) and 13,19-didesmethyl spirolide C (13,19-didesMeC) were extracted and purified from cultures of the Alexandrium ostenfeldii dinoflagellate. Data showed the decrease of FP when toxin concentration was increased. Thus, a relationship between the FP units and the spirolides amount present in a sample was obtained. This direct assay is a reproducible, simple and very sensitive method with a detection limit about 25 nM for 13-desMeC and 150 nM for 13,19-didesMeC. The procedure was used to measure spirolides in mussel samples using an extraction and clean up protocol suitable for the FP assay. Results obtained show that this method is able to quantify 13-desMeC in the range of 50-350 {mu}g kg{sup -1} meat. Other liposoluble toxins did not interfere with the assay, proving a specific method. Moreover, the matrix do not affect in the range of toxin concentrations that involving risk of spirolides intoxication.

  19. Versatile High-Throughput Fluorescence Assay for Monitoring Cas9 Activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seamon, Kyle J; Light, Yooli K; Saada, Edwin A; Schoeniger, Joseph S; Harmon, Brooke

    2018-06-05

    The RNA-guided DNA nuclease Cas9 is now widely used for the targeted modification of genomes of human cells and various organisms. Despite the extensive use of Clustered Regularly Interspaced Palindromic Repeats (CRISPR) systems for genome engineering and the rapid discovery and engineering of new CRISPR-associated nucleases, there are no high-throughput assays for measuring enzymatic activity. The current laboratory and future therapeutic uses of CRISPR technology have a significant risk of accidental exposure or clinical off-target effects, underscoring the need for therapeutically effective inhibitors of Cas9. Here, we develop a fluorescence assay for monitoring Cas9 nuclease activity and demonstrate its utility with S. pyogenes (Spy), S. aureus (Sau), and C. jejuni (Cje) Cas9. The assay was validated by quantitatively profiling the species specificity of published anti-CRISPR (Acr) proteins, confirming the reported inhibition of Spy Cas9 by AcrIIA4 and Cje Cas9 by AcrIIC1 and no inhibition of Sau Cas9 by either anti-CRISPR. To identify drug-like inhibitors, we performed a screen of 189 606 small molecules for inhibition of Spy Cas9. Of 437 hits (0.2% hit rate), six were confirmed as Cas9 inhibitors in a direct gel electrophoresis secondary assay. The high-throughput nature of this assay makes it broadly applicable for the discovery of additional Cas9 inhibitors or the characterization of Cas9 enzyme variants.

  20. A rate-equation model for polarized laser-induced fluorescence to measure electric field in glow discharge He plasmas

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takiyama, K.; Watanabe, M.; Oda, T.

    1998-01-01

    Possibility of applying polarized laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectroscopy for measuring the electric field in a plasma with a large collisional depolarization has been investigated. A rate equation model including the depolarization process was employed to analyze the time evolution of LIF polarization components. The polarized LIF pulse shapes observed in the sheath of a He glow discharge plasma were successfully reproduced, and the electric field distribution was obtained with high accuracy. (author)

  1. A recombinant estrogen receptor fragment-based homogeneous fluorescent assay for rapid detection of estrogens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Dan; Xie, Jiangbi; Zhu, Xiaocui; Li, Jinqiu; Zhao, Dongqin; Zhao, Meiping

    2014-05-15

    In this work, we demonstrate a novel estrogenic receptor fragment-based homogeneous fluorescent assay which enables rapid and sensitive detection of 17β-estradiol (E2) and other highly potent estrogens. A modified human estrogenic receptor fragment (N-His × 6-hER270-595-C-Strep tag II) has been constructed that contains amino acids 270-595 of wild-type human estrogenic receptor α (hER270-595) and two specific tags (6 × His and Strep tag II) fused to the N and C terminus, respectively. The designed receptor protein fragment could be easily produced by prokaryotic expression with high yield and high purity. The obtained protein exhibits high binding affinity to E2 and the two tags greatly facilitate the application of the recombinant protein. Taking advantage of the unique spectroscopic properties of coumestrol (CS), a fluorescent phytoestrogen, a CS/hER270-595-based fluorescent assay has been developed which can sensitively respond to E2 within 1.0 min with a linear working range from 0.1 to 20 ng/mL and a limit of detection of 0.1 ng/mL. The assay was successfully applied for rapid detection of E2 in the culture medium of rat hippocampal neurons. The method also holds great potential for high-throughput monitoring the variation of estrogen levels in complex biological fluids, which is crucial for investigation of the molecular basis of various estrogen-involved processes. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Accessibility of nucleic acid-complexed biomolecules to hydroxyl radicals correlates with their conformation: a fluorescence polarization spectroscopy study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Makrigiorgos, G.M.; Bump, E.; Huang, C.; Kassis, A.I.; Baranowska-Kortylewicz, J.

    1994-01-01

    A fluorescence methodology has been developed to examine the relationship between the conformational state of specific biomolecules in simple chromatin models and their accessibility to hydroxyl radicals ( . OH). Polylysine and histone H1 were labelled with SECCA, the succinimidyl ester of coumarin-3-carboxylic acid, which generates the fluorescent derivative 7-OH-SECCA following its interaction with radiation-induced . OH in aqueous solution. The fluorescence induced per unit γ-ray dose reflecting the accessibility of . OH to such SECCA-conjugated biomolecules was recorded. The biomolecules were also labelled with the fluorescent derivative 7-OH-SECCA in trace amounts to study their conformation under identical conditions via fluorescence polarization spectroscopy. (author)

  3. An automated cell-counting algorithm for fluorescently-stained cells in migration assays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Novielli Nicole M

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract A cell-counting algorithm, developed in Matlab®, was created to efficiently count migrated fluorescently-stained cells on membranes from migration assays. At each concentration of cells used (10,000, and 100,000 cells, images were acquired at 2.5 ×, 5 ×, and 10 × objective magnifications. Automated cell counts strongly correlated to manual counts (r2 = 0.99, P

  4. STANDARDIZATION OF A FLUORESCENT-BASED QUANTITATIVE ADHESION ASSAY TO STUDY ATTACHMENT OF Taenia solium ONCOSPHERE TO EPITHELIAL CELLS In Vitro

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chile, Nancy; Evangelista, Julio; Gilman, Robert H.; Arana, Yanina; Palma, Sandra; Sterling, Charles R; Garcia, Hector H.; Gonzalez, Armando; Verastegui, Manuela

    2012-01-01

    To fully understand the preliminary stages of Taenia solium oncosphere attachment in the gut, adequate tools and assays are necessary to observe and quantify this event that leads to infection. A fluorescent-based quantitative adhesion assay, using biotinylated activated-oncospheres and monolayers of Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) or human intestinal monolayer cells (INT-407, HCT-8 or HT-29), was developed to study initial events during the infection of target cells and to rapidly quantify the in vitro adhesion of T. solium oncospheres. Fluorescein streptavidin was used to identify biotinylated activated-oncospheres adhered to cells. This adherence was quantified using an automated fluorescence plate reader, and the results were expressed as fluorescence intensity values. A series of three assays were performed. The first was to identify the optimum number of biotinylated activated-oncospheres to be used in the adhesion assay. The goal of the second assay was to validate this novel method with the established oncosphere-binding system using the immunofluorescent-antibody assay (IFA) method to quantify oncosphere adhesion. A total of 10,000 biotinylated activated-oncospheres were utilized to assess the role of sera and laminin (LM) in oncosphere adherence to a CHO-K1 cell monolayer. The findings that sera and LM increase the adhesion of oncospheres to monolayer cells were similar to results that were previously obtained using the IFA method. The third assay compared the adherence of biotinylated activated-oncospheres to different types of human intestinal monolayer cells. In this case, the fluorescence intensity was greatest when using the INT-407 cell monolayer. We believe this new method of quantification offers the potential for rapid, large-scale screening to study and elucidate specific molecules and mechanisms involved in oncosphere-host cell attachment. PMID:22178422

  5. Alignment of Ar+ [3P]4p2P03/2 satellite state from the polarization analysis of fluorescent radiation after photoionization

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yenen, O.; McLaughlin, K.W.; Jaecks, D.H.

    1997-01-01

    The measurement of the polarization of radiation from satellite states of Ar + formed after the photoionization of Ar provides detailed information about the nature of doubly excited states, magnetic sublevel cross sections and partial wave ratios of the photo-ejected electrons. Since the formation of these satellite states is a weak process, it is necessary to use a high flux beam of incoming photons. In addition, in order to resolve the many narrow doubly excited Ar resonances, the incoming photons must have a high resolution. The characteristics of the beam line 9.0.1 of the Advanced Light Source fulfill these requirements. The authors determined the polarization of 4765 Angstrom fluorescence from the Ar + [ 3 P] 4p 2 P 3/2 0 satellite state formed after photoionization of Ar by photons from the 9.0.1 beam line of ALS in the 35.620-38.261 eV energy range using a resolution of approximately 12,700. This is accomplished by measuring the intensities of the fluorescent light polarized parallel (I parallel) and perpendicular (I perpendicular) to the polarization axis of the incident synchrotron radiation using a Sterling Optics 105MB polarizing filter. The optical system placed at 90 degrees with respect to the polarization axis of the incident light had a narrow band interference filter (δλ=0.3 nm) to isolate the fluorescent radiation

  6. The Single-Molecule Centroid Localization Algorithm Improves the Accuracy of Fluorescence Binding Assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hua, Boyang; Wang, Yanbo; Park, Seongjin; Han, Kyu Young; Singh, Digvijay; Kim, Jin H; Cheng, Wei; Ha, Taekjip

    2018-03-13

    Here, we demonstrate that the use of the single-molecule centroid localization algorithm can improve the accuracy of fluorescence binding assays. Two major artifacts in this type of assay, i.e., nonspecific binding events and optically overlapping receptors, can be detected and corrected during analysis. The effectiveness of our method was confirmed by measuring two weak biomolecular interactions, the interaction between the B1 domain of streptococcal protein G and immunoglobulin G and the interaction between double-stranded DNA and the Cas9-RNA complex with limited sequence matches. This analysis routine requires little modification to common experimental protocols, making it readily applicable to existing data and future experiments.

  7. Label-free detection of kanamycin based on a G-quadruplex DNA aptamer-based fluorescent intercalator displacement assay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xing, Yun-Peng; Liu, Chun; Zhou, Xiao-Hong; Shi, Han-Chang

    2015-01-01

    This work was the first to report that the kanamycin-binding DNA aptamer (5'-TGG GGG TTG AGG CTA AGC CGA-3') can form stable parallel G-quadruplex DNA (G4-DNA) structures by themselves and that this phenomenon can be verified by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Based on these findings, we developed a novel label-free strategy for kanamycin detection based on the G4-DNA aptamer-based fluorescent intercalator displacement assay with thiazole orange (TO) as the fluorescence probe. In the proposed strategy, TO became strongly fluorescent upon binding to kanamycin-binding G4-DNA. However, the addition of kanamycin caused the displacement of TO from the G4-DNA-TO conjugate, thereby resulting in decreased fluorescent signal, which was inversely related to the kanamycin concentration. The detection limit of the proposed assay decreased to 59 nM with a linear working range of 0.1 μM to 20 μM for kanamycin. The cross-reactivity against six other antibiotics was negligible compared with the response to kanamycin. A satisfactory recovery of kanamycin in milk samples ranged from 80.1% to 98.0%, confirming the potential of this bioassay in the measurement of kanamycin in various applications. Our results also served as a good reference for developing similar fluorescent G4-DNA-based bioassays in the future.

  8. Homogeneous competitive assay of ligand affinities based on quenching fluorescence of tyrosine/tryptophan residues in a protein via Főrster-resonance-energy-transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Yanling; Yang, Xiaolan; Pu, Jun; Zhao, Yunsheng; Zhang, Ying; Xie, Guoming; Zheng, Jun; Yuan, Huidong; Liao, Fei

    2010-11-01

    A new homogeneous competitive assay of ligand affinities was proposed based on quenching the fluorescence of tryptophan/tyrosine residues in a protein via Főrster-resonance-energy-transfer using a fluorescent reference ligand as the acceptor. Under excitation around 280 nm, the fluorescence of a protein or a bound acceptor was monitored upon competitive binding against a nonfluorescent candidate ligand. Chemometrics for deriving the binding ratio of the acceptor with either fluorescence signal was discussed; the dissociation constant ( Kd) of a nonfluorescent candidate ligand was calculated from its concentration to displace 50% binding of the acceptor. N-biotinyl-N'-(1-naphthyl)-ethylenediamine (BNEDA) and N-biotinyl-N'-dansyl-ethylenediamine (BDEDA) were used as the reference ligands and acceptors to streptavidin to test this new homogeneous competitive assay. Upon binding of an acceptor to streptavidin, there were the quench of streptavidin fluorescence at 340 nm and the characteristic fluorescence at 430 nm for BNEDA or at 525 nm for BDEDA. Kd of BNEDA and BDEDA was obtained via competitive binding against biotin. By quantifying BNEDA fluorescence, Kd of each tested nonfluorescent biotin derivative was consistent with that by quantifying streptavidin fluorescence using BNEDA or BDEDA as the acceptor. The overall coefficients of variation were about 10%. Therefore, this homogeneous competitive assay was effective and promising to high-throughput-screening.

  9. Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer Assay for High-Throughput Screening of ADAMTS1 Inhibitors

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Guanhua Du

    2011-12-01

    Full Text Available A disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type I motifs-1 (ADAMTS1 plays a crucial role in inflammatory joint diseases and its inhibitors are potential candidates for anti-arthritis drugs. For the purposes of drug discovery, we reported the development and validation of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET assay for high-throughput screening (HTS of the ADAMTS1 inhibitors. A FRET substrate was designed for a quantitative assay of ADAMTS1 activity and enzyme kinetics studies. The assay was developed into a 50-µL, 384-well assay format for high throughput screening of ADAMTS1 inhibitors with an overall Z’ factor of 0.89. ADAMTS1 inhibitors were screened against a diverse library of 40,960 total compounds with the established HTS system. Four structurally related hits, naturally occurring compounds, kuwanon P, kuwanon X, albafuran C and mulberrofuran J, extracted from the Chinese herb Morus alba L., were identified for further investigation. The results suggest that this FRET assay is an excellent tool, not only for measurement of ADAMTS1 activity but also for discovery of novel ADAMTS1 inhibitors with HTS.

  10. Analysis of Septin Reorganization at Cytokinesis Using Polarized Fluorescence Microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Molly McQuilken

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Septins are conserved filament-forming proteins that act in diverse cellular processes. They closely associate with membranes and, in some systems, components of the cytoskeleton. It is not well understood how filaments assemble into higher-order structures in vivo or how they are remodeled throughout the cell cycle. In the budding yeast S. cerevisiae, septins are found through most of the cell cycle in an hourglass organization at the mother-bud neck until cytokinesis when the collar splits into two rings that disassemble prior to the next cell cycle. Experiments using polarized fluorescence microscopy have suggested that septins are arranged in ordered, paired filaments in the hourglass and undergo a coordinated 90° reorientation during splitting at cytokinesis. This apparent reorganization could be due to two orthogonal populations of filaments disassembling and reassembling or being preferentially retained at cytokinesis. In support of this idea, we report a decrease in septin concentration at the mother-bud neck during cytokinesis consistent with other reports and the timing of the decrease depends on known septin regulators including the Gin4 kinase. We took a candidate-based approach to examine what factors control reorientation during splitting and used polarized fluorescence microscopy to screen mutant yeast strains deficient in septin interacting proteins. Using this method, we have linked known septin regulators to different aspects of the assembly, stability, and reorganization of septin assemblies. The data support that ring splitting requires Gin4 activity and an anillin-like protein Bud4, and normal accumulation of septins at the ring requires phosphorylation of Shs1. We found distinct regulatory requirements for septin organization in the hourglass compared to split rings. We propose that septin subpopulations can vary in their localization and assembly/disassembly behavior in a cell-cycle dependent manner at cytokinesis.

  11. Engineering and exploitation of a fluorescent HIV-1 gp120 for live cell CD4 binding assays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Costantini, Lindsey M. [Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 (United States); Irvin, Susan C. [Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 (United States); Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 (United States); Kennedy, Steven C. [Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 (United States); Guo, Feng [Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 (United States); Goldstein, Harris; Herold, Betsy C. [Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 (United States); Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 (United States); Snapp, Erik L., E-mail: erik-lee.snapp@einstein.yu.edu [Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 (United States)

    2015-02-15

    The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp120, binds the host cell receptor, CD4, in the initial step of HIV viral entry and infection. This process is an appealing target for the development of inhibitory drugs and neutralizing antibodies. To study gp120 binding and intracellular trafficking, we engineered a fluorescent fusion of the humanized gp120 JRFL HIV-1 variant and GFP. Gp120-sfGFP is glycosylated with human sugars, robustly expressed, and secreted from cultured human cells. Protein dynamics, quality control, and trafficking can be visualized in live cells. The fusion protein can be readily modified with different gp120 variants or fluorescent proteins. Finally, secreted gp120-sfGFP enables a sensitive and easy binding assay that can quantitatively screen potential inhibitors of gp120-CD4 binding on live cells via fluorescence imaging or laser scanning cytometry. This adaptable research tool should aid in studies of gp120 cell biology and the development of novel anti-HIV drugs. - Highlights: • Development of fluorescent protein labeled HIV-1 envelope gp120. • Imaging of gp120 dynamics and trafficking in live cells. • Quantitative visual assay of antibody-mediated inhibition of gp120 binding to CD4 on live cells.

  12. Engineering and exploitation of a fluorescent HIV-1 gp120 for live cell CD4 binding assays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Costantini, Lindsey M.; Irvin, Susan C.; Kennedy, Steven C.; Guo, Feng; Goldstein, Harris; Herold, Betsy C.; Snapp, Erik L.

    2015-01-01

    The HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, gp120, binds the host cell receptor, CD4, in the initial step of HIV viral entry and infection. This process is an appealing target for the development of inhibitory drugs and neutralizing antibodies. To study gp120 binding and intracellular trafficking, we engineered a fluorescent fusion of the humanized gp120 JRFL HIV-1 variant and GFP. Gp120-sfGFP is glycosylated with human sugars, robustly expressed, and secreted from cultured human cells. Protein dynamics, quality control, and trafficking can be visualized in live cells. The fusion protein can be readily modified with different gp120 variants or fluorescent proteins. Finally, secreted gp120-sfGFP enables a sensitive and easy binding assay that can quantitatively screen potential inhibitors of gp120-CD4 binding on live cells via fluorescence imaging or laser scanning cytometry. This adaptable research tool should aid in studies of gp120 cell biology and the development of novel anti-HIV drugs. - Highlights: • Development of fluorescent protein labeled HIV-1 envelope gp120. • Imaging of gp120 dynamics and trafficking in live cells. • Quantitative visual assay of antibody-mediated inhibition of gp120 binding to CD4 on live cells

  13. Fluorescence quenching of graphene oxide combined with the site-specific cleavage of restriction endonuclease for deoxyribonucleic acid demethylase activity assay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ji, Lijuan; Qian, Yingdan; Wu, Ping; Zhang, Hui; Cai, Chenxin, E-mail: cxcai@njnu.edu.cn

    2015-04-15

    Highlights: • An approach for sensitive and selective DNA demethylase activity assay is reported. • This assay is based on the fluorescence quenching of GO and site-specific cleavage of endonuclease. • It can determine as low as 0.05 ng mL{sup −1} of MBD2 with a linear range of 0.2–300 ng mL{sup −1}. • It has an ability to recognize MBD2 from other possibly coexisting proteins and cancer cell extracts. • It can avoid false signals, requiring no bisulfite conversion, PCR amplification, radioisotope-labeling. - Abstract: We report on the development of a sensitive and selective deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) demethylase (using MBD2 as an example) activity assay by coupling the fluorescence quenching of graphene oxide (GO) with the site-specific cleavage of HpaII endonuclease to improve the selectivity. This approach was developed by designing a single-stranded probe (P1) that carries a binding region to facilitate the interaction with GO, which induces fluorescence quenching of the labeled fluorophore (FAM, 6-carboxyfluorescein), and a sensing region, which contains a hemi-methylated site of 5′-CmCGG-3′, to specifically recognize the target (T1, a 32-mer DNA from the promoter region of p53 gene) and hybridize with it to form a P1/T1 duplex. After demethylation with MBD2, the duplex can be specifically cleaved using HpaII, which releases the labeled FAM from the GO surface and results in the recovery of fluorescence. However, this cleavage is blocked by the hemi-methylation of this site. Thus, the magnitude of the recovered fluorescence signal is related to the MBD2 activity, which establishes the basis of the DNA demethylase activity assay. This assay can determine as low as ∼(0.05 ± 0.01) ng mL{sup −1} (at a signal/noise of 3) of MBD2 with a linear range of 0.2–300 ng mL{sup −1} and recognize MBD2 from other possibly coexisting proteins and cancer cell extracts. The advantage of this assay is its ability to avoid false signals and no

  14. Optimization of a Fluorescence-Based Assay for Large-Scale Drug Screening against Babesia and Theileria Parasites

    OpenAIRE

    Rizk, Mohamed Abdo; El-Sayed, Shimaa Abd El-Salam; Terkawi, Mohamed Alaa; Youssef, Mohamed Ahmed; El Said, El Said El Shirbini; Elsayed, Gehad; El-Khodery, Sabry; El-Ashker, Maged; Elsify, Ahmed; Omar, Mosaab; Salama, Akram; Yokoyama, Naoaki; Igarashi, Ikuo

    2015-01-01

    A rapid and accurate assay for evaluating antibabesial drugs on a large scale is required for the discovery of novel chemotherapeutic agents against Babesia parasites. In the current study, we evaluated the usefulness of a fluorescence-based assay for determining the efficacies of antibabesial compounds against bovine and equine hemoparasites in in vitro cultures. Three different hematocrits (HCTs; 2.5%, 5%, and 10%) were used without daily replacement of the medium. The results of a high-thr...

  15. Comparison of the PRNT and an immune fluorescence assay in yellow fever vaccinees receiving immunosuppressive medication

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wieten, Rosanne W.; Jonker, Emile F. F.; Pieren, Daan K. J.; Hodiamont, Caspar J.; van Thiel, Pieter P. A. M.; van Gorp, Eric C. M.; de Visser, Adriëtte W.; Grobusch, Martin P.; Visser, Leo G.; Goorhuis, Abraham

    2016-01-01

    The 17D-yellow fever (YF) vaccination is considered contraindicated in immune-compromised patients; however, accidental vaccination occurs. In this population, measuring the immune response is useful in clinical practice. In this study we compare two antibody tests (the Immune Fluorescence Assay and

  16. Fluorescence Adherence Inhibition Assay: A Novel Functional Assessment of Blocking Virus Attachment by Vaccine-Induced Antibodies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Atul Asati

    Full Text Available Neutralizing antibodies induced by vaccination or natural infection play a critically important role in protection against the viral diseases. In general, neutralization of the viral infection occurs via two major pathways: pre- and post-attachment modes, the first being the most important for such infections as influenza and polio, the latter being significant for filoviruses. Neutralizing capacity of antibodies is typically evaluated by virus neutralization assays that assess reduction of viral infectivity to the target cells in the presence of functional antibodies. Plaque reduction neutralization test, microneutralization and immunofluorescent assays are often used as gold standard virus neutralization assays. However, these methods are associated with several important prerequisites such as use of live virus requiring safety precautions, tedious evaluation procedure and long assessment time. Hence, there is a need for a robust, inexpensive high throughput functional assay that can be performed rapidly using inactivated virus, without extensive safety precautions. Herein, we report a novel high throughput Fluorescence Adherence Inhibition assay (fADI using inactivated virus labeled with fluorescent secondary antibodies virus and Vero cells or erythrocytes as targets. It requires only few hours to assess pre-attachment neutralizing capacity of donor sera. fADI assay was tested successfully on donors immunized with polio, yellow fever and influenza vaccines. To further simplify and improve the throughput of the assay, we have developed a mathematical approach for calculating the 50% titers from a single sample dilution, without the need to analyze multi-point titration curves. Assessment of pre- and post-vaccination human sera from subjects immunized with IPOL®, YF-VAX® and 2013-2014 Fluzone® vaccines demonstrated high efficiency of the assay. The results correlated very well with microneutralization assay performed independently by the FDA

  17. Fluorescence life-time imaging and steady state polarization for examining binding of fluorophores to gold nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schwartz, Shmulik; Fixler, Dror; Popovtzer, Rachela; Shefi, Orit

    2015-11-01

    Nanocomposites as multifunctional agents are capable of combing imaging and cell biology technologies. The conventional methods used for validation of the conjugation process of nanoparticles (NPs) to fluorescent molecules such as spectroscopy analysis and surface potential measurements, are not sufficient. In this paper we present a new and highly sensitive procedure that uses the combination of (1) fluorescence spectrum, (2) fluorescence lifetime, and (3) steady state fluorescence polarization measurements. We characterize and analyze gold NPs with Lucifer yellow (LY) surface coating as a model. We demonstrate the ability to differentiate between LY-GNP (the conjugated complex) and a mixture of coated NP and free dyes. We suggest the approach for neuroscience applications where LY is used for detecting and labeling cells, studying morphology and intracellular communications. Histograms of Fluorescence lifetime imaging (FLIM) of free LY dye (Left) in comparison to the conjugated dye to gold nanoparticles, LY-GNP (Middle) enable the differentiation between LY-GNP (the conjugated complex) and a mixture of coated NP and free dyes (Right). © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  18. Comparison of the fluorescent polarization (TDx and the enzymatic competitive (EMIT 2000 immune assays for the measurement of cyclosporin A blood concentration Comparação dos imuno-ensaios de fluorescência polarizada (TDx e enzimático competitivo (EMIT 2000 na dosagem da concentração de ciclosporina A no sangue total

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Elias David-Neto

    2000-12-01

    Full Text Available Evaluation of Cyclosporin A (CyA blood concentration is imperative in solid organ transplantation in order to achieve maximal immunosuppression with the least side effects. We compared the results of whole blood concentrations of CyA in 50 blood samples simultaneously evaluated by the fluorescent polarization immune assay (TDx and the enzymatic competitive immune assay (EMIT 2000. There was a strong correlation between both kits for any range of CyA blood concentration (R=0.99, pA avaliação da concentração sanguínea de ciclosporina A (CyA é necessária em transplantes de órgãos sólidos para obter-se máxima imunosupressão e mínimos efeitos colaterais. Nós comparamos os resultados da concentração de CyA em 50 amostras sanguíneas analisadas pelos métodos dos imuno-ensaios de fluorescência polarizada (TDx e enzimático competitivo (EMIT 2000. Houve uma forte correlação entre ambos métodos para qualquer faixa de concentração de CyA (R=0.99, p<0.001. Os coeficientes de variação intra e interensaio foram menores que 4% para ambos os métodos. O custo para cada análise de CyA foi 50% menor para o EMIT em comparação com o TDx. Concluímos que a metodologia EMIT é tão acurada quanto a de TDx para dosar CyA em amostras sanguíneas. Além disso, a metodologia EMIT é mais prática para ser realizada e mais barata, sendo ainda possível adotá-la para dosagens de CyA em vários horários de um mesmo dia.

  19. A sensitive fluorescent probe for the polar solvation dynamics at protein-surfactant interfaces.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Priya; Choudhury, Susobhan; Singha, Subhankar; Jun, Yongwoong; Chakraborty, Sandipan; Sengupta, Jhimli; Das, Ranjan; Ahn, Kyo-Han; Pal, Samir Kumar

    2017-05-17

    Relaxation dynamics at the surface of biologically important macromolecules is important taking into account their functionality in molecular recognition. Over the years it has been shown that the solvation dynamics of a fluorescent probe at biomolecular surfaces and interfaces account for the relaxation dynamics of polar residues and associated water molecules. However, the sensitivity of the dynamics depends largely on the localization and exposure of the probe. For noncovalent fluorescent probes, localization at the region of interest in addition to surface exposure is an added challenge compared to the covalently attached probes at the biological interfaces. Here we have used a synthesized donor-acceptor type dipolar fluorophore, 6-acetyl-(2-((4-hydroxycyclohexyl)(methyl)amino)naphthalene) (ACYMAN), for the investigation of the solvation dynamics of a model protein-surfactant interface. A significant structural rearrangement of a model histone protein (H1) upon interaction with anionic surfactant sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS) as revealed from the circular dichroism (CD) studies is nicely corroborated in the solvation dynamics of the probe at the interface. The polarization gated fluorescence anisotropy of the probe compared to that at the SDS micellar surface clearly reveals the localization of the probe at the protein-surfactant interface. We have also compared the sensitivity of ACYMAN with other solvation probes including coumarin 500 (C500) and 4-(dicyanomethylene)-2-methyl-6-(p-dimethylamino-styryl)-4H-pyran (DCM). In comparison to ACYMAN, both C500 and DCM fail to probe the interfacial solvation dynamics of a model protein-surfactant interface. While C500 is found to be delocalized from the protein-surfactant interface, DCM becomes destabilized upon the formation of the interface (protein-surfactant complex). The timescales obtained from this novel probe have also been compared with other femtosecond resolved studies and molecular dynamics simulations.

  20. Fluorescence of the gamma, epsilon, and delta systems of nitric oxide - Polarization and use of calculated intensities for spectrometer calibration.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poland, H. M.; Broida, H. P.

    1971-01-01

    Results of a study in which fluorescence of the gamma system of nitric oxide was obtained by excitation from both the 2144 A line of ionized cadmium and a continuum source. Individual rotational lines of the 2144 A excited fluorescence spectrum were found to be partially polarized and to have polarizations of differ ing sign. Measured relative vibrational band intensities from line and continuum excitation were compared to calculated Franck-Condon factors. Those Franck-Condon factors based on a single potential for the two spin states of the X super pi state agreed better with measured values than those based on separate potentials for the two spin states. Calculated intensities of the v prime = 3 progression were used to calibrate the instrument response in the wavelength region from 2000 to 2500 A and were checked with measured intensities of the v prime = 0.1, and 2 progressions. Fluorescence of the epsilon and delta bands obtained with continuum lamp excitation also were compared to calculated intensities.

  1. Design of peptide substrates for nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence assays of proteases: 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene as a noninvasive fluorophore.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hennig, Andreas; Florea, Mara; Roth, Doris; Enderle, Thilo; Nau, Werner M

    2007-01-15

    Fluorescence protease assays were investigated with peptide substrates containing a 2,3-diazabicyclo[2.2.2]oct-2-ene-labeled asparagine (Dbo) as a fluorescent amino acid. The special characteristic of the fluorophore Dbo is its exceedingly long fluorescence lifetime (ca. 300 ns in water under air), which allows the use of nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence (Nano-TRF) detection to efficiently suppress shorter-lived background emission. In addition, the natural amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine can be employed as intramolecular fluorescence quenchers, which facilitates substrate design. Fourteen synthetic peptide substrates (composed of 2-19 amino acids) and five enzymes (trypsin, pepsin, carboxypeptidase A, leucine aminopeptidase, and chymotrypsin) were investigated and, in all 28 examined combinations, enzymatic activity was detected by monitoring the increase in steady state fluorescence with time and determining the reaction rates as kcat/Km values, which ranged from 0.2 to 80x10(6) M-1 min-1. The results suggest an excellent compatibility of the very small and hydrophilic fluorescent probe Dbo with solid-phase peptide synthesis and the investigated proteases. For all 14 peptides the fluorescence lifetimes before and after enzymatic cleavage were measured and Nano-TRF measurements were performed in 384-well microplates. The fluorescence lifetimes of the different peptides provide the basis for the rational design of Dbo-based fluorescent substrates for protease assays. Measurements in Nano-TRF mode revealed, in addition to efficient suppression of background fluorescence, an increased differentiation between cleaved and uncleaved substrate. The Dbo-based assays can be adapted for high-throughput screening.

  2. Evaluation of a fluorescence polarographic immunoassay with increased sensitivity for measurement of low concentrations of tobramycin in serum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Touw, D J; de Graaf, A I; de Goede, P

    The limits of quantitation of the assay of tobramycin in serum by the fluorescence polarization immunoassay system marketed by Abbott Laboratories (TDxFLx system) are 0.1 and 10.0 mg/L. For some pharmacokinetic studies, however, a more sensitive analysis is needed. The sensitivity of the TDxFLx

  3. A portable microscopy system for fluorescence, polarized, and brightfield imaging

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gordon, Paul; Wattinger, Rolla; Lewis, Cody; Venancio, Vinicius Paula; Mertens-Talcott, Susanne U.; Coté, Gerard

    2018-02-01

    The use of mobile phones to conduct diagnostic microscopy at the point-of-care presents intriguing possibilities for the advancement of high-quality medical care in remote settings. However, it is challenging to create a single device that can adapt to the ever-varying camera technologies in phones or that can image with the customization that multiple modalities require for applications such as malaria diagnosis. A portable multi-modal microscope system is presented that utilizes a Raspberry Pi to collect and transmit data wirelessly to a myriad of electronic devices for image analysis. The microscopy system is capable of providing to the user correlated brightfield, polarized, and fluorescent images of samples fixed on traditional microscopy slides. The multimodal diagnostic capabilities of the microscope were assessed by measuring parasitemia of Plasmodium falciparum-infected thin blood smears. The device is capable of detecting fluorescently-labeled DNA using FITC excitation (490 nm) and emission (525 nm), the birefringent P. falciparum byproduct hemozoin, and detecting brightfield absorption with a resolution of 0.78 micrometers (element 9-3 of a 1951 Air Force Target). This microscopy system is a novel portable imaging tool that may be a viable candidate for field implementation if challenges of system durability, cost considerations, and full automation can be overcome.

  4. The orientation of eosin-5-maleimide on human erythrocyte band 3 measured by fluorescence polarization microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blackman, S M; Cobb, C E; Beth, A H; Piston, D W

    1996-01-01

    The dominant motional mode for membrane proteins is uniaxial rotational diffusion about the membrane normal axis, and investigations of their rotational dynamics can yield insight into both the oligomeric state of the protein and its interactions with other proteins such as the cytoskeleton. However, results from the spectroscopic methods used to study these dynamics are dependent on the orientation of the probe relative to the axis of motion. We have employed polarized fluorescence confocal microscopy to measure the orientation of eosin-5-maleimide covalently reacted with Lys-430 of human erythrocyte band 3. Steady-state polarized fluorescence images showed distinct intensity patterns, which were fit to an orientation distribution of the eosin absorption and emission dipoles relative to the membrane normal axis. This orientation was found to be unchanged by trypsin treatment, which cleaves band 3 between the integral membrane domain and the cytoskeleton-attached domain. this result suggests that phosphorescence anisotropy changes observed after trypsin treatment are due to a rotational constraint change rather than a reorientation of eosin. By coupling time-resolved prompt fluorescence anisotropy with confocal microscopy, we calculated the expected amplitudes of the e-Dt and e-4Dt terms from the uniaxial rotational diffusion model and found that the e-4Dt term should dominate the anisotropy decay. Delayed fluorescence and phosphorescence anisotropy decays of control and trypsin-treated band 3 in ghosts, analyzed as multiple uniaxially rotating populations using the amplitudes predicted by confocal microscopy, were consistent with three motional species with uniaxial correlation times ranging from 7 microseconds to 1.4 ms. Images FIGURE 4 FIGURE 8 FIGURE 9 PMID:8804603

  5. A New Cytotoxicity Assay for Brevetoxins Using Fluorescence Microscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jennifer R. McCall

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Brevetoxins are a family of ladder-framed polyether toxins produced during blooms of the marine dinoflagellate, Karenia brevis. Consumption of shellfish or finfish exposed to brevetoxins can lead to the development of neurotoxic shellfish poisoning. The toxic effects of brevetoxins are believed to be due to the activation of voltage-sensitive sodium channels in cell membranes. The traditional cytotoxicity assay for detection of brevetoxins uses the Neuro-2A cell line, which must first be treated with the neurotoxins, ouabain and veratridine, in order to become sensitive to brevetoxins. In this study, we demonstrate several drawbacks of the Neuro-2A assay, which include variability for the EC50 values for brevetoxin and non-linear triphasic dose response curves. Ouabain/ veratridine-treated Neuro-2A cells do not show a typical sigmoidal dose response curve in response to brevetoxin, but rather, have a polynomial shaped curve, which makes calculating EC50 values highly variable. We describe a new fluorescence live cell imaging model, which allows for accurate calculation of cytotoxicity via nuclear staining and additional measurement of other viability parameters depending on which aspect of the cell is stained. In addition, the SJCRH30 cell line shows promise as an alternative to Neuro-2A cells for testing brevetoxins without the need for ouabain and veratridine.

  6. Real-time fluorescence assay of alkaline phosphatase in living cells using boron-doped graphene quantum dots as fluorophores.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Li; Yang, Guancao; Wu, Ping; Cai, Chenxin

    2017-10-15

    This work reports a convenient and real-time assay of alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in living cells based on a fluorescence quench-recovery process at a physiological pH using the boron-doped graphene quantum dots (BGQDs) as fluorophore. The fluorescence of BGQDs is found to be effectively quenched by Ce 3+ ions because of the coordination of Ce 3+ ions with the carboxyl group of BGQDs. Upon addition of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) into the system, the quenched fluorescence can be recovered by the ALP-positive expressed cells (such as MCF-7 cells) due to the removal of Ce 3+ ions from BGQDs surface by phosphate ions, which are generated from ATP under catalytic hydrolysis of ALP that expressed in cells. The extent of fluorescence signal recovery depends on the level of ALP in cells, which establishes the basis of ALP assay in living cells. This approach can also be used for specific discrimination of the ALP expression levels in different type of cells and thus sensitive detection of those ALP-positive expressed cells (for example MCF-7 cells) at a very low abundance (10±5 cells mL -1 ). The advantages of this approach are that it has high sensitivity because of the significant suppression of the background due to the Ce 3+ ion quenching the fluorescence of BGQDs, and has the ability of avoiding false signals arising from the nonspecific adsorption of non-target proteins because it operates via a fluorescence quench-recovery process. In addition, it can be extended to other enzyme systems, such as ATP-related kinases. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. A Soluble Fluorescent Binding Assay Reveals PIP2 Antagonism of TREK-1 Channels

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cerrone Cabanos

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Lipid regulation of ion channels by low-abundance signaling lipids phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP2 and phosphatidic acid (PA has emerged as a central cellular mechanism for controlling ion channels and the excitability of nerves. A lack of robust assays suitable for facile detection of a lipid bound to a channel has hampered the probing of the lipid binding sites and measuring the pharmacology of putative lipid agonists for ion channels. Here, we show a fluorescent PIP2 competition assay for detergent-purified potassium channels, including TWIK-1-related K+-channel (TREK-1. Anionic lipids PA and phosphatidylglycerol (PG bind dose dependently (9.1 and 96 μM, respectively and agonize the channel. Our assay shows PIP2 binds with high affinity (0.87 μM but surprisingly can directly antagonize TREK-1 in liposomes. We propose a model for TREK-1 lipid regulation where PIP2 can compete with PA and PG agonism based on the affinity of the lipid for a site within the channel.

  8. Cell-based lipid flippase assay employing fluorescent lipid derivatives

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Maria Stumph; Costa, Sara; Günther-Pomorski, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    P-type ATPases in the P4 subfamily (P4-ATPases) are transmembrane proteins unique for eukaryotes that act as lipid flippases, i.e., to translocate phospholipids from the exofacial to the cytofacial monolayer of cellular membranes. While initially characterized as aminophospholipid translocases, s...... flippase activities in the plasma membrane of cells, using yeast as an example.......P-type ATPases in the P4 subfamily (P4-ATPases) are transmembrane proteins unique for eukaryotes that act as lipid flippases, i.e., to translocate phospholipids from the exofacial to the cytofacial monolayer of cellular membranes. While initially characterized as aminophospholipid translocases......, studies of individual P4-ATPase family members from fungi, plants, and animals show that P4-ATPases differ in their substrate specificities and mediate transport of a broader range of lipid substrates. Here, we describe an assay based on fluorescent lipid derivatives to monitor and characterize lipid...

  9. Comparative assay of fluorescent antibody test results among twelve European National Reference Laboratories using various anti-rabies conjugates

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Robardet, E.; Andrieu, S.; Rasmussen, Thomas Bruun

    2013-01-01

    Twelve National Reference Laboratories (NRLs) for rabies have undertaken a comparative assay to assess the comparison of fluorescent antibody test (FAT) results using five coded commercial anti-rabies conjugates (Biorad, Bioveta, Fujirebio, Millipore, and SIFIN conjugates). Homogenized positive...

  10. New high-performance liquid chromatography assay for glycosyltransferases based on derivatization with anthranilic acid and fluorescence detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anumula, Kalyan Rao

    2012-07-01

    Assays were developed using the unique labeling chemistry of 2-aminobenzoic acid (2AA; anthranilic acid, AA) for measuring activities of both β1-4 galactosyltransferase (GalT-1) and α2-6 sialyltransferase (ST-6) by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection (Anumula KR. 2006. Advances in fluorescence derivatization methods for high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis of glycoprotein carbohydrates. Anal Biochem. 350:1-23). N-Acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) and N-acetyllactosamine were used as acceptors and uridine diphosphate (UDP)-galactose and cytidine monophosphate (CMP)-N-acetylneuraminic acid (NANA) as donors for GalT-1 and ST-6, respectively. Enzymatic products were labeled in situ with AA and were separated from the substrates on TSKgel Amide 80 column using normal-phase conditions. Enzyme units were determined from the peak areas by comparison with the concomitantly derivatized standards Gal-β1-4GlcNAc and NANA-α2-6 Gal-β1-4GlcNAc. Linearity (time and enzyme concentration), precision (intra- and interassay) and reproducibility for the assays were established. The assays were found to be useful in monitoring the enzyme activities during isolation and purification. The assays were highly sensitive and performed equal to or better than the traditional radioactive sugar-based measurements. The assay format can also be used for measuring the activity of other transferases, provided that the carbohydrate acceptors contain a reducing end for labeling. An assay for glycoprotein acceptors was developed using IgG. A short HPLC profiling method was developed for the separation of IgG glycans (biantennary G0, G1, G2, mono- and disialylated), which facilitated the determination of GalT-1 and ST-6 activities in a rapid manner. Furthermore, this profiling method should prove useful for monitoring the changes in IgG glycans in clinical settings.

  11. Catalytic properties of the Gas family β-(1,3)-glucanosyltransferases active in fungal cell-wall biogenesis as determined by a novel fluorescent assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mazáň, Marián; Ragni, Enrico; Popolo, Laura; Farkaš, Vladimír

    2011-09-01

    BGTs [β-(1,3)-glucanosyltransglycosylases; EC 2.4.1.-] of the GH72 (family 72 of glycosylhydrolases) are GPI (glycosylphosphatidylinositol)-anchored proteins that play an important role in the biogenesis of fungal cell walls. They randomly cleave glycosidic linkages in β-(1,3)-glucan chains and ligate the polysaccharide portions containing newly formed reducing ends to C(3)(OH) at non-reducing ends of other β-(1,3)-glucan molecules. We have developed a sensitive fluorescence-based method for the assay of transglycosylating activity of GH72 enzymes. In the new assay, laminarin [β-(1,3)-glucan] is used as the glucanosyl donor and LamOS (laminarioligosaccharides) fluorescently labelled with SR (sulforhodamine) serve as the acceptors. The new fluorescent assay was employed for partial biochemical characterization of the heterologously expressed Gas family proteins from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. All the Gas enzymes specifically used laminarin as the glucanosyl donor and a SR-LamOS of DP (degree of polymerization) ≥5 as the acceptors. Gas proteins expressed in distinct stages of the yeast life cycle showed differences in their pH optima. Gas1p and Gas5p, which are expressed during vegetative growth, had the highest activity at pH 4.5 and 3.5 respectively, whereas the sporulation-specific Gas2p and Gas4p were most active between pH 5 and 6. The novel fluorescent assay provides a suitable tool for the screening of potential glucanosyltransferases or their inhibitors.

  12. Tungsten disulfide nanosheet and exonuclease III co-assisted amplification strategy for highly sensitive fluorescence polarization detection of DNA glycosylase activity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhao, Jingjin; Ma, Yefei; Kong, Rongmei; Zhang, Liangliang; Yang, Wen; Zhao, Shulin

    2015-01-01

    Herein, we introduced a tungsten disulfide (WS 2 ) nanosheet and exonuclease III (Exo III) co-assisted signal amplification strategy for highly sensitive fluorescent polarization (FP) assay of DNA glycosylase activity. Two DNA glycosylases, uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) and human 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1), were tested. A hairpin-structured probe (HP) which contained damaged bases in the stem was used as the substrate. The removal of damaged bases from substrate by DNA glycosylase would lower the melting temperature of HP. The HP was then opened and hybridized with a FAM dye-labeled single strand DNA (DP), generating a duplex with a recessed 3′-terminal of DP. This design facilitated the Exo III-assisted amplification by repeating the hybridization and digestion of DP, liberating numerous FAM fluorophores which could not be adsorbed on WS 2 nanosheet. Thus, the final system exhibited a small FP signal. However, in the absence of DNA glycosylases, no hybridization between DP and HP was occurred, hampering the hydrolysis of DP by Exo III. The intact DP was then adsorbed on the surface of WS 2 nanosheet that greatly amplified the mass of the labeled-FAM fluorophore, resulting in a large FP value. With the co-assisted amplification strategy, the sensitivity was substantially improved. In addition, this method was applied to detect UDG activity in cell extracts. The study of the inhibition of UDG was also performed. Furthermore, this method is simple in design, easy in implementation, and selective, which holds potential applications in the DNA glycosylase related mechanism research and molecular diagnostics. - Highlights: • A fluorescence polarization strategy for DNA glycosylase activity detection was developed. • The present method was based on WS 2 nanosheet and exonuclease III co-assisted signal amplification. • A high sensitivity and desirable selectivity were achieved. • This method provides a promising universal platform for DNA glycosylase

  13. Tungsten disulfide nanosheet and exonuclease III co-assisted amplification strategy for highly sensitive fluorescence polarization detection of DNA glycosylase activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhao, Jingjin; Ma, Yefei [Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources of Education Ministry, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004 (China); Kong, Rongmei [The Key Laboratory of Life-Organic Analysis, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong 273165 (China); Zhang, Liangliang, E-mail: liangzhang319@163.com [Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources of Education Ministry, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004 (China); Yang, Wen; Zhao, Shulin [Key Laboratory for the Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of Medicinal Resources of Education Ministry, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, 541004 (China)

    2015-08-05

    Herein, we introduced a tungsten disulfide (WS{sub 2}) nanosheet and exonuclease III (Exo III) co-assisted signal amplification strategy for highly sensitive fluorescent polarization (FP) assay of DNA glycosylase activity. Two DNA glycosylases, uracil-DNA glycosylase (UDG) and human 8-oxoG DNA glycosylase 1 (hOGG1), were tested. A hairpin-structured probe (HP) which contained damaged bases in the stem was used as the substrate. The removal of damaged bases from substrate by DNA glycosylase would lower the melting temperature of HP. The HP was then opened and hybridized with a FAM dye-labeled single strand DNA (DP), generating a duplex with a recessed 3′-terminal of DP. This design facilitated the Exo III-assisted amplification by repeating the hybridization and digestion of DP, liberating numerous FAM fluorophores which could not be adsorbed on WS{sub 2} nanosheet. Thus, the final system exhibited a small FP signal. However, in the absence of DNA glycosylases, no hybridization between DP and HP was occurred, hampering the hydrolysis of DP by Exo III. The intact DP was then adsorbed on the surface of WS{sub 2} nanosheet that greatly amplified the mass of the labeled-FAM fluorophore, resulting in a large FP value. With the co-assisted amplification strategy, the sensitivity was substantially improved. In addition, this method was applied to detect UDG activity in cell extracts. The study of the inhibition of UDG was also performed. Furthermore, this method is simple in design, easy in implementation, and selective, which holds potential applications in the DNA glycosylase related mechanism research and molecular diagnostics. - Highlights: • A fluorescence polarization strategy for DNA glycosylase activity detection was developed. • The present method was based on WS{sub 2} nanosheet and exonuclease III co-assisted signal amplification. • A high sensitivity and desirable selectivity were achieved. • This method provides a promising universal platform for DNA

  14. Assessment of the Inhibitory Effect of Rifampicin on Amyloid Formation of Hen Egg White Lysozyme: Thioflavin T Fluorescence Assay versus FTIR Difference Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gang Ma

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The inhibitory effect of rifampicin on the amyloid formation of hen egg white lysozyme was assessed with both Thioflavin T (ThT fluorescence assay and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR difference spectroscopy. We reveal that ThT fluorescence assay gives a false positive result due to rifampicin interference, while FTIR difference spectroscopy provides a reliable assessment. With FTIR, we show that rifampicin only has marginally inhibitory effect. We then propose that FTIR difference spectroscopy can potentially be a convenient method for inhibitor screening in amyloid study.

  15. Fluorescence in situ hybridization in combination with the comet assay and micronucleus test in genetic toxicology

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hovhannisyan Galina G

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Comet assay and micronucleus (MN test are widely applied in genotoxicity testing and biomonitoring. While comet assay permits to measure direct DNA-strand breaking capacity of a tested agent MN test allows estimating the induced amount of chromosome and/or genome mutations. The potential of these two methods can be enhanced by the combination with fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH techniques. FISH plus comet assay allows the recognition of targets of DNA damage and repairing directly. FISH combined with MN test is able to characterize the occurrence of different chromosomes in MN and to identify potential chromosomal targets of mutagenic substances. Thus, combination of FISH with the comet assay or MN test proved to be promising techniques for evaluation of the distribution of DNA and chromosome damage in the entire genome of individual cells. FISH technique also permits to study comet and MN formation, necessary for correct application of these methods. This paper reviews the relevant literature on advantages and limitations of Comet-FISH and MN-FISH assays application in genetic toxicology.

  16. Fluorescence quenching of 9-cyanoanthracene in presence of zinc tetraphenylporphyrin in a polar liquid medium

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mandal, Paulami; Tiwari, Sanat Kumar; Ganguly, Tapan; Sinha, Subrata

    2009-01-01

    Steady-state and time-resolved techniques are used to study photoinduced electron and/or excitational energy transfer processes involved within a novel donor (zinc tetraphenylporphyrin)-acceptor (9-cyanoanthracene) system in a polar liquid medium (acetonitrile) at the ambient temperature (300 K). After photoexcitation of 9-cyanoanthracene, its fluorescence emission as well as lifetime are found to be quenched in presence of zinc tetraphenylporphyrin. The fluorescence quenching is ascribed to be due to the combined effect of electron transfer from zinc tetraphenylporphyrin to 9-cyanoanthracene and energy transfer (radiative as well as non-radiative) from 9-cyanoanthracene to zinc tetraphenylporphyrin. The highly exergonic values of Gibbs free energy change for both forward electron transfer reaction (-1.15 eV) and charge recombination reaction (-1.94 eV) indicate the possibilities of occurrences of these two processes in the Marcus inverted region. The fluorescence quenching rate due to photoinduced electron transfer reaction is found to be close to the diffusion-controlled limit within the present donor-acceptor system upon excitation of the acceptor molecules.

  17. Development of fluorescence imaging-based assay for screening cardioprotective compounds from medicinal plants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Yi; Zhao, Xiaoping; Gao, Xiumei; Nie, Xiaojing; Yang, Yingxin; Fan, Xiaohui

    2011-09-19

    Medicinal plants have been widely recognized as a renewable resource for the discovery of novel leads and drug. In this study, an approach for screening and identification compounds with cardioprotective activity from medicinal plant extracts by cellular-fluorescence imaging technique was developed. It is a cell-based assay for measuring mitochondrial membrane potential changes in H9c2 cardiac muscle cells exposed to H(2)O(2) by using a fluorescence automatic microscopy screening platform. Rhodamine 123 was used as the fluorescent dye to indicate the change of mitochondrial membrane potential. The sensitivity and linear range of the proposed approach were evaluated and validated using vitamin C, an antioxidative compound. The method was applied to screen active components with potent cardioprotective effects from a traditional Chinese formula. The potential cardioprotective components were identified by liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Moreover, the utility of the proposed approach was further validated by three compounds (salvianolic acid B, protocatechuic aldehyde, and tanshinone II A) identified from the formula which showed cardioprotective effects in a dose-dependent manner. These applications suggested that the proposed rapid and sensitive screening approach offers an efficient way to discover active components or compounds from medicinal plants. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. O-GlcNAcase Fragment Discovery with Fluorescence Polarimetry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Borodkin, Vladimir S; Rafie, Karim; Selvan, Nithya; Aristotelous, Tonia; Navratilova, Iva; Ferenbach, Andrew T; van Aalten, Daan M F

    2018-05-18

    The attachment of the sugar N-acetyl-D-glucosamine (GlcNAc) to specific serine and threonine residues on proteins is referred to as protein O-GlcNAcylation. O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is the enzyme responsible for carrying out the modification, while O-GlcNAcase (OGA) reverses it. Protein O-GlcNAcylation has been implicated in a wide range of cellular processes including transcription, proteostasis, and stress response. Dysregulation of O-GlcNAc has been linked to diabetes, cancer, and neurodegenerative and cardiovascular disease. OGA has been proposed to be a drug target for the treatment of Alzheimer's and cardiovascular disease given that increased O-GlcNAc levels appear to exert a protective effect. The search for specific, potent, and drug-like OGA inhibitors with bioavailability in the brain is therefore a field of active research, requiring orthogonal high-throughput assay platforms. Here, we describe the synthesis of a novel probe for use in a fluorescence polarization based assay for the discovery of inhibitors of OGA. We show that the probe is suitable for use with both human OGA, as well as the orthologous bacterial counterpart from Clostridium perfringens, CpOGA, and the lysosomal hexosaminidases HexA/B. We structurally characterize CpOGA in complex with a ligand identified from a fragment library screen using this assay. The versatile synthesis procedure could be adapted for making fluorescent probes for the assay of other glycoside hydrolases.

  19. Abbott’s Fluorescence Polarization Immunoassay for Cyclosporine and Metabolites Compared with the Sandoz “Sandimmune” RIA

    OpenAIRE

    Sanghvi, Ajit; Diven, Warren; Seltman, Howard; Starzl, Thomas

    1988-01-01

    A new procedure for measuring cyclosporine in plasma has been introduced by Abbott Laboratories, involving their TDx instrumentation and fluorescence polarization immunoassay. Radioimmunoassay (RIA) and high-performance liquid chromatography are currently the conventional methods for measuring cyclosporine in plasma and whole blood. In an effort to find a method that will decrease the radioactive hazard, the reagent and supply cost, and the labor requirements associated with RIA procedures, w...

  20. Simple and sensitive fluorescence assay of restriction endonuclease on graphene oxide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gang, Jong Back

    2015-01-01

    Restriction endonucleases hydrolyze internal phosphodiester bonds at specific sites in a DNA sequence. These enzymes are essential in a variety of fields, such as biotechnology and clinical diagnostics. It is of great importance and necessity for the scientific and biomedical use of enzymes to measure endonuclease activity. In this study, graphene oxide (GO) has been used as a platform to measure enzyme activity with high sensitivity. To increase the detection sensitivity of Hinf I, the endonuclease-digested reaction was treated with exonuclease III (Exo III) and a fluorescence assay was conducted to measure the emission. Results showed that Exo III treatment enhanced 2.7-fold signal-to-background ratio for the detection of Hinf I compared with that done without Exo III in the presence of GO

  1. Hybrid fluorescent layer emitting polarized light

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Mohammadimasoudi

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Semiconductor nanorods have anisotropic absorption and emission properties. In this work a hybrid luminescent layer is produced based on a mixture of CdSe/CdS nanorods dispersed in a liquid crystal that is aligned by an electric field and polymerized by UV illumination. The film emits light with polarization ratio 0.6 (polarization contrast 4:1. Clusters of nanorods in liquid crystal can be avoided by applying an AC electric field with sufficient amplitude. This method can be made compatible with large-scale processing on flexible transparent substrates. Thin polarized light emitters can be used in LCD backlights or solar concentrators to increase the efficiency.

  2. Attomolar detection of proteins via cascade strand-displacement amplification and polystyrene nanoparticle enhancement in fluorescence polarization aptasensors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Yong; Liu, Xiaoqian; Huang, Huakui; Qin, Jian; Zhang, Liangliang; Zhao, Shulin; Chen, Zhen-Feng; Liang, Hong

    2015-08-18

    Extremely sensitive and accurate measurements of protein markers for early detection and monitoring of diseases pose a formidable challenge. Herein, we develop a new type of amplified fluorescence polarization (FP) aptasensor based on allostery-triggered cascade strand-displacement amplification (CSDA) and polystyrene nanoparticle (PS NP) enhancement for ultrasensitive detection of proteins. The assay system consists of a fluorescent dye-labeled aptamer hairpin probe and a PS NP-modified DNA duplex (assistant DNA/trigger DNA duplex) probe with a single-stranded part and DNA polymerase. Two probes coexist stably in the absence of target, and the dye exhibits relatively low FP background. Upon recognition and binding with a target protein, the stem of the aptamer hairpin probe is opened, after which the opened hairpin probe hybridizes with the single-stranded part in the PS NP-modified DNA duplex probe and triggers the CSDA reaction through the polymerase-catalyzed recycling of both target protein and trigger DNA. Throughout this CSDA process, numerous massive dyes are assembled onto PS NPs, which results in a substantial FP increase that provides a readout signal for the amplified sensing process. Our newly proposed amplified FP aptasensor enables the quantitative measurement of proteins with the detection limit in attomolar range, which is about 6 orders of magnitude lower than that of traditional homogeneous aptasensors. Moreover, this sensing method also exhibits high specificity for target proteins and can be performed in homogeneous solutions. In addition, the suitability of this method for the quantification of target protein in biological samples has also been shown. Considering these distinct advantages, the proposed sensing method can be expected to provide an ultrasensitive platform for the analysis of various types of target molecules.

  3. Quantification of equine immunoglobulin A in serum and secretions by a fluorescent bead-based assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schnabel, Christiane L; Babasyan, Susanna; Freer, Heather; Wagner, Bettina

    2017-06-01

    Only few quantitative reports exist about the concentrations and induction of immunoglobulin A (IgA) in mucosal secretions of horses. Despite this, it is widely assumed that IgA is the predominant immunoglobulin on mucosal surfaces in the horse. Here, two new monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against equine IgA, clones 84-1 and 161-1, were developed and characterized in detail. Both IgA mAbs specifically bound monomeric and dimeric equine IgA in different applications, such as Western blots and fluorescent bead-based assays. Cross-reactivity with other equine immunoglobulin isotypes was not observed. The new IgA mAb 84-1 was used in combination with the previously characterized anti-equine IgA mAb BVS2 for the development and validation of a fluorescent bead-based assay to quantify total IgA in equine serum and various secretions. The IgA assay's linear detection ranged from 64pg/ml to 1000ng/ml. For the quantification of IgA in serum or in secretions an IgA standard was purified from serum or nasal wash fluid (secretory IgA), respectively. The different standards were needed for accurate IgA quantification in the respective samples taking the different signal intensities of monomeric and dimeric IgA on the florescent bead-based assay into account. IgA was quantified by the bead-based assay established here in different equine samples of healthy adult individuals. In serum the median total IgA was 0.45mg/ml for Thoroughbred horses (TB, n=10) and 1.16mg/ml in Icelandic horses (ICH, n=12). In nasopharyngeal secretions of TB (n=7) 0.13mg/ml median total IgA was measured, and 0.25mg/ml for ICH (n=12). Saliva of ICH (n=6) contained a median of 0.15mg/ml, colostrum of Warmbloods (n=8) a median of 1.89mg/ml IgA. Compared to IgG1 and IgG4/7 quantified in the same samples, IgA appeared as the major immunoglobulin isotype in nasopharyngeal secretions and saliva while it is a minor isotype in serum and colostrum. The newly developed monoclonal antibodies against equine IgA and the

  4. Fluorescence confocal polarizing microscopy

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Much of the modern understanding of orientational order in liquid crystals (LCs) is based on polarizing microscopy (PM). A PM image bears only two-dimensional (2D) information, integrating the 3D pattern of optical birefringence over the path of light. Recently, we proposed a technique to image 3D director patterns by ...

  5. Fluorescence-Based Bioassays for the Detection and Evaluation of Food Materials

    OpenAIRE

    Nishi, Kentaro; Isobe, Shin-Ichiro; Zhu, Yun; Kiyama, Ryoiti

    2015-01-01

    We summarize here the recent progress in fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials by focusing on fluorescent dyes used in bioassays and applications of these assays for food safety, quality and efficacy. Fluorescent dyes have been used in various bioassays, such as biosensing, cell assay, energy transfer-based assay, probing, protein/immunological assay and microarray/biochip assay. Among the arrays used in microarray/biochip assay, fluorescence-based mi...

  6. Alignment of Ar{sup +} [{sup 3}P]4p{sup 2}P{sup 0}{sub 3/2} satellite state from the polarization analysis of fluorescent radiation after photoionization

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yenen, O.; McLaughlin, K.W.; Jaecks, D.H. [Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE (United States)] [and others

    1997-04-01

    The measurement of the polarization of radiation from satellite states of Ar{sup +} formed after the photoionization of Ar provides detailed information about the nature of doubly excited states, magnetic sublevel cross sections and partial wave ratios of the photo-ejected electrons. Since the formation of these satellite states is a weak process, it is necessary to use a high flux beam of incoming photons. In addition, in order to resolve the many narrow doubly excited Ar resonances, the incoming photons must have a high resolution. The characteristics of the beam line 9.0.1 of the Advanced Light Source fulfill these requirements. The authors determined the polarization of 4765 {Angstrom} fluorescence from the Ar{sup +} [{sup 3}P] 4p {sup 2}P{sub 3/2}{sup 0} satellite state formed after photoionization of Ar by photons from the 9.0.1 beam line of ALS in the 35.620-38.261 eV energy range using a resolution of approximately 12,700. This is accomplished by measuring the intensities of the fluorescent light polarized parallel (I{parallel}) and perpendicular (I{perpendicular}) to the polarization axis of the incident synchrotron radiation using a Sterling Optics 105MB polarizing filter. The optical system placed at 90{degrees} with respect to the polarization axis of the incident light had a narrow band interference filter ({delta}{lambda}=0.3 nm) to isolate the fluorescent radiation.

  7. A fluorescence-based polymerase chain reaction-linked single-strand conformation polymorphism (F-PCR-SSCP) assay for the identification of Fasciola spp.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alasaad, Samer; Soriguer, Ramón C; Abu-Madi, Marawan; El Behairy, Ahmed; Baños, Pablo Díez; Píriz, Ana; Fickel, Joerns; Zhu, Xing-Quan

    2011-06-01

    The present study aimed to establish a fluorescence-based polymerase chain reaction-linked single-strand conformation polymorphism (F-PCR-SSCP) assay for the identification of Fasciola spp. Based on the sequences of the second internal transcribed spacer (ITS-2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA, we designed a set of genus-specific primers for the amplification of Fasciola ITS-2, with an estimated size of 140 bp. These primers were labelled by fluorescence dyes, and the PCR products were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis under non-denaturing conditions (F-PCR-SSCP). Capillary electrophoresis analysis of the fluorescence-labelled DNA fragments displayed three different peak profiles that allowed the accurate identification of Fasciola species: one single peak specific for either Fasciola hepatica or Fasciola gigantica and a doublet peak corresponding to the "intermediate" Fasciola. Validation of our novel method was performed using Fasciola specimens from different host animals from China, Spain, Nigeria, and Egypt. This F-PCR-SSCP assay provides a rapid, simple, and robust tool for the identification and differentiation between Fasciola spp.

  8. A sensitive and selective fluorescence assay for metallothioneins by exploiting the surface energy transfer between rhodamine 6G and gold nanoparticles

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yan, Yu-Qian; Tang, Xian; Wang, Yong-Sheng; Li, Ming-Hui; Cao, Jin-Xiu; Chen, Si-Han; Zhu, Yu-Feng; Wang, Xiao-Feng; Huang, Yan-Qin

    2015-01-01

    We report on a sensitive and selective strategy for the determination of metallothioneins (MTs). The assay is based on the suppression of the surface energy transfer that occurs between rhodamine 6G (Rh6G) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). If Rh6G is adsorbed onto the surface of AuNPs in water solution of pH 3.0, its fluorescence is quenched due to surface energy transfer. However, on addition of MTs to the Rh6G-AuNPs system, fluorescence is recovered owing to the formation of the MTs-AuNPs complex and the release of Rh6G into the solution. Under optimized conditions, the increase in fluorescence intensity is directly proportional to the concentration of the MTs in the range from 9.68 to 500 ng mL −1 , with a detection limit as low as 2.9 ng mL −1 . The possible mechanism of this assay is discussed. The method was successfully applied to the determination of MTs in (spiked) human urine. (author)

  9. Identification of novel KCNQ4 openers by a high-throughput fluorescence-based thallium flux assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Qunyi; Rottländer, Mario; Xu, Mingkai; Christoffersen, Claus Tornby; Frederiksen, Kristen; Wang, Ming-Wei; Jensen, Henrik Sindal

    2011-11-01

    To develop a real-time thallium flux assay for high-throughput screening (HTS) of human KCNQ4 (Kv7.4) potassium channel openers, we used CHO-K1 cells stably expressing human KCNQ4 channel protein and a thallium-sensitive dye based on the permeability of thallium through potassium channels. The electrophysiological and pharmacological properties of the cell line expressing the KCNQ4 protein were found to be in agreement with that reported elsewhere. The EC(50) values of the positive control compound (retigabine) determined by the thallium and (86)rubidium flux assays were comparable to and consistent with those documented in the literature. Signal-to-background (S/B) ratio and Z factor of the thallium influx assay system were assessed to be 8.82 and 0.63, respectively. In a large-scale screening of 98,960 synthetic and natural compounds using the thallium influx assay, 76 compounds displayed consistent KCNQ4 activation, and of these 6 compounds demonstrated EC(50) values of less than 20 μmol/L and 2 demonstrated EC(50) values of less than 1 μmol/L. Taken together, the fluorescence-based thallium flux assay is a highly efficient, automatable, and robust tool to screen potential KCNQ4 openers. This approach may also be expanded to identify and evaluate potential modulators of other potassium channels. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Pharmacological characterization of human excitatory amino acid transporters EAAT1, EAAT2 and EAAT3 in a fluorescence-based membrane potential assay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Anders A.; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

    2004-01-01

    We have expressed the human excitatory amino acid transporters EAAT1, EAAT2 and EAAT3 stably in HEK293 cells and characterized the transporters pharmacologically in a conventional [(3) H]-d-aspartate uptake assay and in a fluorescence-based membrane potential assay, the FLIPR Membrane Potential...... (FMP) assay. The K(m) and K(i) values obtained for 12 standard EAAT ligands at EAAT1, EAAT2 and EAAT3 in the FMP assay correlated well with the K(i) values obtained in the [(3) H]-d-aspartate assay (r(2) values of 0.92, 0.92, and 0.95, respectively). Furthermore, the pharmacological characteristics...

  11. A fluorescent-based HPLC assay for quantification of cysteine and cysteamine adducts in Escherichia coli-derived proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soriano, Brian D; Tam, Lei-Ting T; Lu, Hsieng S; Valladares, Violeta G

    2012-01-01

    Recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli are often produced as unfolded, inactive forms accumulated in inclusion bodies. Redox-coupled thiols are typically employed in the refolding process in order to catalyze the formation of correct disulfide bonds at maximal folding efficiency. These thiols and the recombinant proteins can form mixed disulfide bonds to generate thiol-protein adducts. In this work, we apply a fluorescent-based assay for the quantification of cysteine and cysteamine adducts as observed in E. coli-derived proteins. The thiols are released by reduction of the adducted protein, collected and labeled with a fluorescent reagent, 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate. The derivatized thiols are separated by reversed-phase HPLC and can be accurately quantified after method optimization. The estimated thiol content represents total amount of adducted forms present in the analyzed samples. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was established; specifically, the lowest amount of quantifiable cysteine adduction is 30 picograms and the lowest amount of quantifiable cysteamine adduction is 60 picograms. The assay is useful for quantification of adducts in final purified products as well as in-process samples from various purification steps. The assay indicates that the purification process accomplishes a decrease in cysteine adduction from 0.19 nmol adduct/nmol protein to 0.03 nmol adduct/nmol protein as well as a decrease in cysteamine adduction from 0.24 nmol adduct/nmol protein to 0.14 nmol adduct/nmol protein. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  12. Establishing a cellular FRET-based fluorescence plate reader assay to monitor proNGF-induced cross-linking of sortilin and the neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Skeldal, Sune; Kjaergaard, Maj M; Alwasel, Saleh

    2015-01-01

    the vps10p domain receptor sortilin and the neurotrophin receptor p75(NTR). However, proNGF-induced receptor complex formation has been difficult to directly assess other than by western blotting. We here describe a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) based fluorescence plate reader assay...

  13. Smart Drug Delivery System-Inspired Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Based on Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer and Allochroic Effect Induced Dual-Modal Colorimetric and Fluorescent Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miao, Luyang; Zhu, Chengzhou; Jiao, Lei; Li, He; Du, Dan; Lin, Yuehe; Wei, Qin

    2018-02-06

    Numerous analytical techniques have been undertaken for the detection of protein biomarkers because of their extensive and significant applications in clinical diagnosis, whereas there are few strategies to develop dual-readout immunosensors to achieve more accurate results. To the best of our knowledge, inspired by smart drug delivery system (DDS), a novel pH-responsive modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was innovatively developed for the first time, realizing dual-modal colorimetric and fluorescent detection of cardiac troponin I (cTnI). Curcumin (CUR) was elaborately selected as a reporter molecule, which played the same role of drugs in DDS based on the following considerations: (1) CUR can be used as a kind of pH indicator by the inherited allochroic effect induced by basic pH value; (2) the fluorescence of CUR can be quenched by certain nanocarriers as the acceptor because of the occurrence of fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET), while recovered by the stimuli of basic pH value, which can produce "signal-on" fluorescence detection. Three-dimensional MoS 2 nanoflowers (3D-MoS 2 NFs) were employed in immobilizing CUR to constitute a nanoprobe for the determination of cTnI by virtue of good biocompatibility, high absorption capacity, and fluorescence quench efficiency toward CUR. The proposed DDS-inspired ELISA offered dual-modal colorimetric and fluorescent detection of cTnI, thereby meeting the reliable and precise analysis requirements. We believe that the developed dual-readout ELISA will create a new avenue and bring innovative inspirations for biological detections.

  14. BMVC test, an improved fluorescence assay for detection of malignant pleural effusions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, I-Ting; Tsai, Yu-Lin; Kang, Chi-Chih; Huang, Wei-Chun; Wang, Chiung-Lin; Lin, Mei-Ying; Lou, Pei-Jen; Shih, Jin-Yuan; Wang, Hao-Chien; Wu, Huey-Dong; Tsai, Tzu-Hsiu; Jan, I-Shiow; Chang, Ta-Chau

    2014-01-01

    The diagnosis of malignant pleural effusions is an important issue in the management of malignancy patients. Generally, cytologic examination is a routine diagnostic technique. However, morphological interpretation of cytology is sometimes inconclusive. Here an ancillary method named BMVC test is developed for rapid detection of malignant pleural effusion to improve the diagnostic accuracy at low cost. A simple assay kit is designed to collect living cells from clinical pleural effusion and a fluorescence probe, 3,6-Bis(1-methyl-4-vinylpyridinium) carbazole diiodide (BMVC), is used to illuminate malignant cells. The fluorescence intensity is quantitatively analyzed by ImageJ program. This method yields digital numbers for the test results without any grey zone or ambiguities in the current cytology tests due to intra-observer and inter-observer variability. Comparing with results from double-blind cytologic examination, this simple test gives a good discrimination between malignant and benign specimens with sensitivity of 89.4% (42/47) and specificity of 93.3% (56/60) for diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion. BMVC test provides accurate results in a short time period, and the digital output could assist cytologic examination to become more objective and clear-cut. This is a convenient ancillary tool for detection of malignant pleural effusions

  15. Quantitative Light Fluorescence (QLF and Polarized White Light (PWL assessments of dental fluorosis in an epidemiological setting

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pretty Iain A

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background To determine if a novel dual camera imaging system employing both polarized white light (PWL and quantitative light induced fluorescence imaging (QLF is appropriate for measuring enamel fluorosis in an epidemiological setting. The use of remote and objective scoring systems is of importance in fluorosis assessments due to the potential risk of examiner bias using clinical methods. Methods Subjects were recruited from a panel previously characterized for fluorosis and caries to ensure a range of fluorosis presentation. A total of 164 children, aged 11 years (±1.3 participated following consent. Each child was examined using the novel imaging system, a traditional digital SLR camera, and clinically using the Dean’s and Thylstrup and Fejerskov (TF Indices on the upper central and lateral incisors. Polarized white light and SLR images were scored for both Dean’s and TF indices by raters and fluorescence images were automatically scored using software. Results Data from 164 children were available with a good distribution of fluorosis severity. The automated software analysis of QLF images demonstrated significant correlations with the clinical examinations for both Dean’s and TF index. Agreement (measured by weighted Kappa’s between examiners scoring clinically, from polarized photographs and from SLR images ranged from 0.56 to 0.92. Conclusions The study suggests that the use of a digital imaging system to capture images for either automated software analysis, or remote assessment by raters is suitable for epidemiological work. The use of recorded images enables study archiving, assessment by multiple examiners, remote assessment and objectivity due to the blinding of subject status.

  16. [A cell-based detection of ciguatoxin using sodium fluorescence probe].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yuan, Jian-hui; Yang, Hui; Tang, Huan-wen; Huang, Wei; Xu, Xin-yun; Liu, Jian-jun; Ke, Yue-bin; Cheng, Jin-quan; Zhuang, Zhi-xiong

    2011-04-01

    To establish a cell-based detection method of ciguatoxin using fluorescence assay. Mouse neuroblastoma N-2A cells were exposed to ouabain and veratridine and different concentrations of standard ciguatoxin samples (P-CTX-1) to establish the curvilinear relationship between the toxin dosage and fluorescence intensity using the sodium fluorescence probe CoroNaTM Green. The toxicity curvilinear relationship was also generated between the toxin dosage and cell survival using CCK-8 method. Based on these standard curves, the presence of ciguatoxin was detected in 33 samples of deep-sea coral fish. A correlation was found between the detection results of cell-based fluorescence assay and cytotoxicity assay, whose detection limit reached 103 g/ml and 1012 g/ml, respectively. The cell-based fluorescent assay sensitivity showed a higher sensitivity than cytotoxicity assay with a 2-4 h reduction of the detection time. The cell-based fluorescent assay can quickly and sensitively detect ciguatoxin and may serve as a good option for preliminary screening of the toxin.

  17. A note on the assay of special nuclear materials in solution by x-ray fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Canada, T.R.; Hsue, S.T.

    1982-01-01

    Presents a formulation that allows empirical results of the ''internal standard'' approach to be understood in a quantifiable manner, and suggests an alternative measurement procedure that removes many of the technique's undesirable features while maintaining those that add to instrumental accuracy. Assumes that the reader is familiar with x-ray fluorescence (XRF) technology. Promises a more detailed presentation, including proof-of-principle experimental results, in the future. Points out that practical applications of this approach may be achieved with both K- and L-x-ray fluorescence. Concludes that the formulation and alternative measurement procedure suggested indicates that the ''internal standard'' approach may be improved by making measurements at one or more additional x-ray energies of the element to be assayed. Effects of solution acidity variations and the relative concentrations of plutonium and uranium may be avoided. Because of the inherent stability of ratio techniques, little or no modification to this formulation is anticipated for cylindrical near-field geometries

  18. A fluorescence assay for measuring acetylcholinesterase activity in rat blood and a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santillo, Michael F; Liu, Yitong

    2015-01-01

    Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) is an enzyme responsible for metabolism of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, and inhibition of AChE can have therapeutic applications (e.g., drugs for Alzheimer's disease) or neurotoxic consequences (e.g., pesticides). A common absorbance-based AChE activity assay that uses 5,5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) can have limited sensitivity and be prone to interference. Therefore, an alternative assay was developed, in which AChE activity was determined by measuring fluorescence of resorufin produced from coupled enzyme reactions involving acetylcholine and Amplex Red (10-acetyl-3,7-dihydroxyphenoxazine). The Amplex Red assay was used for two separate applications. First, AChE activity was measured in rat whole blood, which is a biomarker for exposure to AChE inhibitor pesticides. Activity was quantified from a 10(5)-fold dilution of whole blood, and there was a linear correlation between Amplex Red and DTNB assays. For the second application, Amplex Red assay was used to measure AChE inhibition potency in a human neuroblastoma cell line (SH-SY5Y), which is important for assessing pharmacological and toxicological potential of AChE inhibitors including drugs, phytochemicals, and pesticides. Five known reversible inhibitors were evaluated (IC50, 7-225 nM), along with irreversible inhibitors chlorpyrifos-oxon (ki=1.01 nM(-1)h(-1)) and paraoxon (ki=0.16 nM(-1)h(-1)). Lastly, in addition to inhibition, AChE reactivation was measured in SH-SY5Y cells incubated with pralidoxime chloride (2-PAM). The Amplex Red assay is a sensitive, specific, and reliable fluorescence method for measuring AChE activity in both rat whole blood and cultured SH-SY5Y cells. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  19. Potential applications of near infrared auto-fluorescence spectral polarized imaging for assessment of food quality

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Kenneth J.; Chen, Jun

    2016-03-01

    The current growing of food industry for low production costs and high efficiency needs for maintenance of high-quality standards and assurance of food safety while avoiding liability issues. Quality and safety of food depend on physical (texture, color, tenderness etc.), chemical (fat content, moisture, protein content, pH, etc.), and biological (total bacterial count etc.) features. There is a need for a rapid (less than a few minutes) and accurate detection system in order to optimize quality and assure safety of food. However, the fluorescence ranges for known fluorophores are limited to ultraviolet emission bands, which are not in the tissue near infrared (NIR) "optical window". Biological tissues excited by far-red or NIR light would exhibit strong emission in spectral range of 650-1,100 nm although no characteristic peaks show the emission from which known fluorophores. The characteristics of the auto-fluorescence emission of different types of tissues were found to be different between different tissue components such as fat, high quality muscle food. In this paper, NIR auto-fluorescence emission from different types of muscle food and fat was measured. The differences of fluorescence intensities of the different types of muscle food and fat emissions were observed. These can be explained by the change of the microscopic structure of physical, chemical, and biological features in meat. The difference of emission intensities of fat and lean meat tissues was applied to monitor food quality and safety using spectral polarized imaging, which can be detect deep depth fat under the muscle food up to several centimeter.

  20. Development of a Rapid Fluorescence-Based High-Throughput Screening Assay to Identify Novel Kynurenine 3-Monooxygenase Inhibitor Scaffolds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobs, K R; Guillemin, G J; Lovejoy, D B

    2018-02-01

    Kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO) is a well-validated therapeutic target for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Huntington's disease (HD). This work reports a facile fluorescence-based KMO assay optimized for high-throughput screening (HTS) that achieves a throughput approximately 20-fold higher than the fastest KMO assay currently reported. The screen was run with excellent performance (average Z' value of 0.80) from 110,000 compounds across 341 plates and exceeded all statistical parameters used to describe a robust HTS assay. A subset of molecules was selected for validation by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography, resulting in the confirmation of a novel hit with an IC 50 comparable to that of the well-described KMO inhibitor Ro-61-8048. A medicinal chemistry program is currently underway to further develop our novel KMO inhibitor scaffolds.

  1. Solvent-dependent fluorescence enhancement and piezochromism of a carbazole-substituted naphthopyran

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Lihui; Wang, Aixia [Faculty of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Wang, Guang, E-mail: wangg923@nenu.edu.cn [Faculty of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Munyentwari, Alexis [Faculty of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China); Zhou, Yihan, E-mail: yhzhou@ciac.ac.cn [National Analytical Research Center of Electrochemistry and Spectroscopy, Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Changchun 130022 (China)

    2015-09-15

    A novel carbazole-substituted naphthopyran, 3,3-bis-(4-carbazolylphenyl)-[3H]-naphtho[2,1-b]pyran (CzNP) was designed and synthesized. The new compound exhibited normal photochromism in dichloromethane solution and the UV irradiation did not influence its fluorescence. On the contrary, the fluorescence of CzNP in N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF) was intensively enhanced to 29 times after 60 min of the UV irradiation and this enhanced fluorescence can be quenched by addition of triethylamine (TEA). The study of enhanced extent of fluorescence of CzNP in solvents with different polarities and in mixed solvents demonstrated that the enhanced fluorescence is dependent on the polarity of solvents. The larger the polarity of solvent was, the stronger was the fluorescence of CzNP. CzNP also exhibited piezochromic performance and the pressure led to the cleavage of the C–O bond of pyran ring. - Highlights: • A carbazole-substituted photochromic naphthopyran was designed and synthesized. • The fluorescence was enhanced under the existence of DMF and UV irradiation. • The polarity of solvent was the dominating factor to affect the fluorescence. • The new compound also displayed piezochromic performance.

  2. Exciplex fluorescence emission from simple organic intramolecular constructs in non-polar and highly polar media as model systems for DNA-assembled exciplex detectors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bichenkova, Elena V; Sardarian, Ali R; Wilton, Amanda N; Bonnet, Pascal; Bryce, Richard A; Douglas, Kenneth T

    2006-01-21

    Organic intramolecular exciplexes, N-(4-dimethylaminobenzyl)-N-(1-pyrenemethyl)amine (1) and N'-4-dimethylaminonaphthyl-N-(1-pyrenemethyl)amine (2), were used as model systems to reveal major factors affecting their exciplex fluorescence, and thus lay the basis for developing emissive target-assembled exciplexes for DNA-mounted systems in solution. These models with an aromatic pyrenyl hydrocarbon moiety as an electron acceptor appropriately connected to an aromatic dimethylamino electron donor component (N,N-dimethylaminophenyl or N,N-dimethylaminonaphthyl) showed strong intramolecular exciplex emission in both non-polar and highly polar solvents. The effect of dielectric constant on the maximum wavelength for exciplex emission was studied, and emission was observed for 1 and 2 over the full range of solvent from non-polar hydrocarbons up to N-methylformamide with a dielectric constant of 182. Quantum yields were determined for these intramolecular exciplexes in a range of solvents relative to that for Hoechst 33,258. Conformational analysis of 1 was performed both computationally and via qualitative 2D NMR using (1)H-NOESY experiments. The results obtained indicated the contribution of pre-folded conformation(s) to the ground state of 1 conducive to exciplex emission. This research provides the initial background for design of self-assembled, DNA-mounted exciplexes and underpins further development of exciplex-based hybridisation bioassays.

  3. Fluorescent probe studies of polarity and solvation within room temperature ionic liquids: a review.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Shubha; Baker, Sheila N; Pandey, Siddharth; Baker, Gary A

    2012-09-01

    Ionic liquids display an array of useful and sometimes unconventional, solvent features and have attracted considerable interest in the field of green chemistry for the potential they hold to significantly reduce environmental emissions. Some of these points have a bearing on the chemical reactivity of these systems and have also generated interest in the physical and theoretical aspects of solvation in ionic liquids. This review presents an introduction to the field of ionic liquids, followed by discussion of investigations into the solvation properties of neat ionic liquids or mixed systems including ionic liquids as a major or minor component. The ionic liquid based multicomponent systems discussed are composed of other solvents, other ionic liquids, carbon dioxide, surfactants or surfactant solutions. Although we clearly focus on fluorescence spectroscopy as a tool to illuminate ionic liquid systems, the issues discussed herein are of general relevance to discussions of polarity and solvent effects in ionic liquids. Transient solvation measurements carried out by means of time-resolved fluorescence measurements are particularly powerful for their ability to parameterize the kinetics of the solvation process in ionic liquids and are discussed as well.

  4. Energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence analysis with Bragg polarized Mo radiation. Energiedispersive Roentgenfluoreszenzanalyse mit Bragg-polarisierter Mo Strahlung

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gloeckl, H

    1983-01-01

    The aim of introducing energy dispersive analysis into X-ray fluorescence analysis is to suppress background from the Bremsstrahlung spectrum and the characteristic radiation without an undue reduction of the signal. The variant under consideration uses linearly polarization radiation obtained after a Bragg reflection,under delta = 90/sup 0/. In an introductory part, Bragg reflection, fluorescence and strong radiation are considered quantitatively with respect to counting statistics and detection limits. In the experimental part two combinations are describe, of a Ta crystal with a Cr tube and of a Mo crystal with a Mo tube. Details of adjustment, sample preparation and calibration and detection limits are given. The pros and cons of the Ta/Cr and the Mo/Mo are contrasted and proposals for further improvements are given.

  5. A High-Throughput Assay for Rho Guanine Nucleotide Exchange Factors Based on the Transcreener GDP Assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reichman, Melvin; Schabdach, Amanda; Kumar, Meera; Zielinski, Tom; Donover, Preston S; Laury-Kleintop, Lisa D; Lowery, Robert G

    2015-12-01

    Ras homologous (Rho) family GTPases act as molecular switches controlling cell growth, movement, and gene expression by cycling between inactive guanosine diphosphate (GDP)- and active guanosine triphosphate (GTP)-bound conformations. Guanine nucleotide exchange factors (GEFs) positively regulate Rho GTPases by accelerating GDP dissociation to allow formation of the active, GTP-bound complex. Rho proteins are directly involved in cancer pathways, especially cell migration and invasion, and inhibiting GEFs holds potential as a therapeutic strategy to diminish Rho-dependent oncogenesis. Methods for measuring GEF activity suitable for high-throughput screening (HTS) are limited. We developed a simple, generic biochemical assay method for measuring GEF activity based on the fact that GDP dissociation is generally the rate-limiting step in the Rho GTPase catalytic cycle, and thus addition of a GEF causes an increase in steady-state GTPase activity. We used the Transcreener GDP Assay, which relies on selective immunodetection of GDP, to measure the GEF-dependent stimulation of steady-state GTP hydrolysis by small GTPases using Dbs (Dbl's big sister) as a GEF for Cdc42, RhoA, and RhoB. The assay is well suited for HTS, with a homogenous format and far red fluorescence polarization (FP) readout, and it should be broadly applicable to diverse Rho GEF/GTPase pairs. © 2015 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

  6. A new assay format for NF-kappaB based on a DNA triple helix and a fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Altevogt, Dominik; Hrenn, Andrea; Kern, Claudia; Clima, Lilia; Bannwarth, Willi; Merfort, Irmgard

    2009-10-07

    Herein we report a feasibility study for a new concept to detect DNA binding protein NF-kappaB based on a DNA triple helix formation in combination with a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The new principle avoids expensive antibodies and radioactivity and might have implications for assays of other DNA binding proteins.

  7. Fluorescent Probes and Fluorescence (Microscopy Techniques — Illuminating Biological and Biomedical Research

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregor P. C. Drummen

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Fluorescence, the absorption and re-emission of photons with longer wavelengths, is one of those amazing phenomena of Nature. Its discovery and utilization had, and still has, a major impact on biological and biomedical research, since it enables researchers not just to visualize normal physiological processes with high temporal and spatial resolution, to detect multiple signals concomitantly, to track single molecules in vivo, to replace radioactive assays when possible, but also to shed light on many pathobiological processes underpinning disease states, which would otherwise not be possible. Compounds that exhibit fluorescence are commonly called fluorochromes or fluorophores and one of these fluorescent molecules in particular has significantly enabled life science research to gain new insights in virtually all its sub-disciplines: Green Fluorescent Protein. Because fluorescent proteins are synthesized in vivo, integration of fluorescent detection methods into the biological system via genetic techniques now became feasible. Currently fluorescent proteins are available that virtually span the whole electromagnetic spectrum. Concomitantly, fluorescence imaging techniques were developed, and often progress in one field fueled innovation in the other. Impressively, the properties of fluorescence were utilized to develop new assays and imaging modalities, ranging from energy transfer to image molecular interactions to imaging beyond the diffraction limit with super-resolution microscopy. Here, an overview is provided of recent developments in both fluorescence imaging and fluorochrome engineering, which together constitute the “fluorescence toolbox” in life science research.

  8. Human serum albumin binding assay based on displacement of a non selective fluorescent inhibitor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thorarensen, Atli; Sarver, Ronald W; Tian, Fang; Ho, Andrea; Romero, Donna L; Marotti, Keith R

    2007-08-15

    In this paper, we describe a fluorescent antibacterial analog, 6, with utility as a competition probe to determine affinities of other antibacterial analogs for human serum albumin (HSA). Analog 6 bound to HSA with an affinity of 400+/-100 nM and the fluorescence was environmentally sensitive. With 370 nm excitation, environmental sensitivity was indicated by a quenching of the 530 nm emission when the probe bound to HSA. Displacement of dansylsarcosine from HSA by 6 indicated it competed with compounds that bound at site II (ibuprofen binding site) on HSA. Analog 6 also shifted the NMR peaks of an HSA bound oleic acid molecule that itself was affected by compounds that bound at site II. In addition to binding at site II, 6 interacted at site I (warfarin binding site) as indicated by displacement of dansylamide and the shifting of NMR peaks of an HSA bound oleic acid molecule affected by warfarin site binding. Additional evidence for multiple site interaction was discovered when a percentage of 6 could be displaced by either ibuprofen or phenylbutazone. A competition assay was established using 6 to determine relative affinities of other antibacterial inhibitors for HSA.

  9. Tip-enhanced fluorescence with radially polarized illumination for monitoring loop-mediated isothermal amplification on Hepatitis C virus cDNA

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wei, Shih-Chung; Chuang, Tsung-Liang; Wang, Da-Shin; Lu, Hui-Hsin; Gu, Frank X.; Sung, Kung-Bin; Lin, Chii-Wann

    2015-02-01

    A tip nanobiosensor for monitoring DNA replication was presented. The effects of excitation power and polarization on tip-enhanced fluorescence (TEF) were assessed with the tip immersed in fluorescein isothiocyanate solution first. The photon count rose on average fivefold with radially polarized illumination at 50 mW. We then used polymerase-functionalized tips for monitoring loop-mediated isothermal amplification on Hepatitis C virus cDNA. The amplicon-SYBR Green I complex was detected and compared to real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification. The signals of the reaction using 4 and 0.004 ng/μl templates were detected 10 and 30 min earlier, respectively. The results showed the potential of TEF in developing a nanobiosensor for real-time DNA amplification.

  10. Fluorescence lifetime based bioassays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meyer-Almes, Franz-Josef

    2017-12-01

    Fluorescence lifetime (FLT) is a robust intrinsic property and material constant of fluorescent matter. Measuring this important physical indicator has evolved from a laboratory curiosity to a powerful and established technique for a variety of applications in drug discovery, medical diagnostics and basic biological research. This distinct trend was mainly driven by improved and meanwhile affordable laser and detection instrumentation on the one hand, and the development of suitable FLT probes and biological assays on the other. In this process two essential working approaches emerged. The first one is primarily focused on high throughput applications employing biochemical in vitro assays with no requirement for high spatial resolution. The second even more dynamic trend is the significant expansion of assay methods combining highly time and spatially resolved fluorescence data by fluorescence lifetime imaging. The latter approach is currently pursued to enable not only the investigation of immortal tumor cell lines, but also specific tissues or even organs in living animals. This review tries to give an actual overview about the current status of FLT based bioassays and the wide range of application opportunities in biomedical and life science areas. In addition, future trends of FLT technologies will be discussed.

  11. A homogeneous and “off–on” fluorescence aptamer-based assay for chloramphenicol using vesicle quantum dot-gold colloid composite probes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Miao, Yang-Bao [State Key Laboratory Base of Novel Functional Materials and Preparation Science, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211 (China); Ren, Hong-Xia [Key Laboratory of Asymmetric Synthesis and Chirotechnology of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Organic Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu 610041 (China); University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 10049 (China); Gan, Ning, E-mail: ganning@nbu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory Base of Novel Functional Materials and Preparation Science, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211 (China); Zhou, You [State Key Laboratory Base of Novel Functional Materials and Preparation Science, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211 (China); Cao, Yuting, E-mail: caoyuting@nbu.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory Base of Novel Functional Materials and Preparation Science, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211 (China); Li, Tianhua [State Key Laboratory Base of Novel Functional Materials and Preparation Science, Faculty of Materials Science and Chemical Engineering, Ningbo University, Ningbo 315211 (China); Chen, Yinji [Faculty of Food Science and Engineering, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210000 (China)

    2016-07-27

    In this work, a novel homogeneous and signal “off–on” aptamer based fluorescence assay was successfully developed to detect chloramphenicol (CAP) residues in food based on the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The vesicle nanotracer was prepared through labeling single stranded DNA binding protein (SSB) on limposome-CdSe/ZnS quantum dot (SSB/L-QD) complexes. It was worth mentioning that the signal tracer (SSB/L-QD) with vesicle shape, which was fabricated being encapsulated with a number of quantum dots and SSB. The nanotracer has excellent signal amplification effects. The vesicle composite probe was formed by combining aptamer labeled nano-gold (Au-Apt) and SSB/L-QD. Which based on SSB's specific affinity towards aptamer. This probe can't emit fluoresce which is in “off” state because the signal from SSB/L-QD as donor can be quenched by the Au-aptas acceptor. When CAP was added in the composite probe solution, the aptamer on the Au-Apt can be preferentially bounded with CAP then release from the composite probe, which can turn the “off” signal of SSB/L-QD tracer into “on” state. The assay indicates excellent linear response to CAP from 0.001 nM to 10 nM and detection limit down to 0.3 pM. The vesicle probes with size of 88 nm have strong signal amplification. Because a larger number of QDs can be labeled inside the double phosphorus lipid membrane. Besides, it was employed to detect CAP residues in the milk samples with results being agreed well with those from ELISA, verifying its accuracy and reliability. - Highlights: • Homogeneous and “off–on” fluorescence aptamer-based assay was developed to detect chloramphenicol (CAP) residues in food. • This probe was fabricated based on a vesicle QDs signal tracer (SSB/L-QD) combining with Au-Aptamer. • The detection mechanism was based on FRET with high specificity. • The results for CAP detection in the milk samples agreed well with those from ELISA, while

  12. Protein-ligand interactions investigated by thermal shift assays (TSA) and dual polarization interferometry (DPI).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Grøftehauge, Morten K; Hajizadeh, Nelly R; Swann, Marcus J; Pohl, Ehmke

    2015-01-01

    Over the last decades, a wide range of biophysical techniques investigating protein-ligand interactions have become indispensable tools to complement high-resolution crystal structure determinations. Current approaches in solution range from high-throughput-capable methods such as thermal shift assays (TSA) to highly accurate techniques including microscale thermophoresis (MST) and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) that can provide a full thermodynamic description of binding events. Surface-based methods such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and dual polarization interferometry (DPI) allow real-time measurements and can provide kinetic parameters as well as binding constants. DPI provides additional spatial information about the binding event. Here, an account is presented of new developments and recent applications of TSA and DPI connected to crystallography.

  13. New method for preparing a liquid crystal polymer that exhibits linearly polarized white fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zheng Shijun; Kun, Wang; Kobayashi, Takaomi

    2011-01-01

    With the aim of developing a single-chain white-light-emitting polymer, liquid crystal (LC) polymers with a shish-kebab-type moiety on their cross-conjugated (p-phenylene)s-poly(p-phenylenevinylene)s main chain were synthesized by Gilch polymerization. They were characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gel permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and polarizing optical microscopy (POM). 1 H-NMR indicated that the polymers had a shish-kebab structure, which strongly suppressed the formation of structural defects in the polymers. DSC revealed that the polymers had thermotropic LC properties, indicating that the LC polymers were enantiotropic. XRD showed that the polymers had a mesophase, which implies that they were in a smectic LC phase. A polymer with 'kebabs' of 2,5-bis(4'-alkoxyphenyl)benzene was combined with an aligned polyimide film with orientated microgrooves. The polymer main chain was aligned due to the orientation of the 'kebabs' of the uniform cross-conjugated structure. It lay between the kebabs and the 'shish' of the polymer main chains. The aligned polymer main chain emitted yellow light while and the oriented LC side chains emitted blue light emission. These two emissions resulted in linearly polarized white fluorescence.

  14. Heidelberg polarized alkali source

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kraemer, D.; Steffens, E.; Jaensch, H.; Philipps Universitaet, Marburg, Germany)

    1984-01-01

    A new atomic beam type polarized alkali ion source has been installed at Heidelberg. In order to improve the beam polarization considerably optical pumping is applied in combination with an adiabatic medium field transition which results in beams in single hyperfine sublevels. The m state population is determined by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. Highly polarized beams (P/sub s/ > 0.9, s = z, zz) with intensities of 30 to 130 μA can be extracted for Li + and Na + , respectively

  15. Functional characterisation of homomeric ionotropic glutamate receptors GluR1-GluR6 in a fluorescence-based high throughput screening assay

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Strange, Mette; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans; Jensen, Anders A.

    2006-01-01

    We have constructed stable HEK293 cell lines expressing the rat ionotropic glutamate receptor subtypes GluR1(i), GluR2Q(i), GluR3(i), GluR4(i), GluR5Q and GluR6Q and characterised the pharmacological profiles of the six homomeric receptors in a fluorescence-based high throughput screening assay...... assay reported to date. We propose that high throughput screening of compound libraries at the six GluR-HEK293 cell lines could be helpful in the search for structurally and pharmacologically novel ligands acting at the receptors....

  16. Adaptation of Tri-molecular fluorescence complementation allows assaying of regulatory Csr RNA-protein interactions in bacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gelderman, Grant; Sivakumar, Anusha; Lipp, Sarah; Contreras, Lydia

    2015-02-01

    sRNAs play a significant role in controlling and regulating cellular metabolism. One of the more interesting aspects of certain sRNAs is their ability to make global changes in the cell by interacting with regulatory proteins. In this work, we demonstrate the use of an in vivo Tri-molecular Fluorescence Complementation assay to detect and visualize the central regulatory sRNA-protein interaction of the Carbon Storage Regulatory system in E. coli. The Carbon Storage Regulator consists primarily of an RNA binding protein, CsrA, that alters the activity of mRNA targets and of an sRNA, CsrB, that modulates the activity of CsrA. We describe the construction of a fluorescence complementation system that detects the interactions between CsrB and CsrA. Additionally, we demonstrate that the intensity of the fluorescence of this system is able to detect changes in the affinity of the CsrB-CsrA interaction, as caused by mutations in the protein sequence of CsrA. While previous methods have adopted this technique to study mRNA or RNA localization, this is the first attempt to use this technique to study the sRNA-protein interaction directly in bacteria. This method presents a potentially powerful tool to study complex bacterial RNA protein interactions in vivo. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  17. Fluorescence single-molecule counting assays for protein quantification using epi-fluorescence microscopy with quantum dots labeling

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jiang Dafeng; Liu Chunxia; Wang Lei; Jiang Wei

    2010-01-01

    A single-molecule counting approach for quantifying the antibody affixed to a surface using quantum dots and epi-fluorescence microscopy is presented. Modifying the glass substrates with carboxyl groups provides a hydrophilic surface that reacts with amine groups of an antibody to allow covalent immobilization of the antibody. Nonspecific adsorption of single molecules on the modified surfaces was first investigated. Then, quantum dots were employed to form complexes with surface-immobilized antibody molecules and used as fluorescent probes for single-molecule imaging. Epi-fluorescence microscopy was chosen as the tool for single-molecule fluorescence detection here. The generated fluorescence signals were taken by an electron multiplying charge-coupled device and were found to be proportional to the sample concentrations. Under optimal conditions, a linear response range of 5.0 x 10 -14 -3.0 x 10 -12 mol L -1 was obtained between the number of single molecules and sample concentration via a single-molecule counting approach.

  18. Comprehensive Binary Interaction Mapping of SH2 Domains via Fluorescence Polarization Reveals Novel Functional Diversification of ErbB Receptors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ciaccio, Mark F.; Chuu, Chih-pin; Jones, Richard B.

    2012-01-01

    First-generation interaction maps of Src homology 2 (SH2) domains with receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) phosphosites have previously been generated using protein microarray (PM) technologies. Here, we developed a large-scale fluorescence polarization (FP) methodology that was able to characterize interactions between SH2 domains and ErbB receptor phosphosites with higher fidelity and sensitivity than was previously achieved with PMs. We used the FP assay to query the interaction of synthetic phosphopeptides corresponding to 89 ErbB receptor intracellular tyrosine sites against 93 human SH2 domains and 2 phosphotyrosine binding (PTB) domains. From 358,944 polarization measurements, the affinities for 1,405 unique biological interactions were determined, 83% of which are novel. In contrast to data from previous reports, our analyses suggested that ErbB2 was not more promiscuous than the other ErbB receptors. Our results showed that each receptor displays unique preferences in the affinity and location of recruited SH2 domains that may contribute to differences in downstream signaling potential. ErbB1 was enriched versus the other receptors for recruitment of domains from RAS GEFs whereas ErbB2 was enriched for recruitment of domains from tyrosine and phosphatidyl inositol phosphatases. ErbB3, the kinase inactive ErbB receptor family member, was predictably enriched for recruitment of domains from phosphatidyl inositol kinases and surprisingly, was enriched for recruitment of domains from tyrosine kinases, cytoskeletal regulatory proteins, and RHO GEFs but depleted for recruitment of domains from phosphatidyl inositol phosphatases. Many novel interactions were also observed with phosphopeptides corresponding to ErbB receptor tyrosines not previously reported to be phosphorylated by mass spectrometry, suggesting the existence of many biologically relevant RTK sites that may be phosphorylated but below the detection threshold of standard mass spectrometry procedures. This

  19. Comprehensive binary interaction mapping of SH2 domains via fluorescence polarization reveals novel functional diversification of ErbB receptors.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ronald J Hause

    Full Text Available First-generation interaction maps of Src homology 2 (SH2 domains with receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK phosphosites have previously been generated using protein microarray (PM technologies. Here, we developed a large-scale fluorescence polarization (FP methodology that was able to characterize interactions between SH2 domains and ErbB receptor phosphosites with higher fidelity and sensitivity than was previously achieved with PMs. We used the FP assay to query the interaction of synthetic phosphopeptides corresponding to 89 ErbB receptor intracellular tyrosine sites against 93 human SH2 domains and 2 phosphotyrosine binding (PTB domains. From 358,944 polarization measurements, the affinities for 1,405 unique biological interactions were determined, 83% of which are novel. In contrast to data from previous reports, our analyses suggested that ErbB2 was not more promiscuous than the other ErbB receptors. Our results showed that each receptor displays unique preferences in the affinity and location of recruited SH2 domains that may contribute to differences in downstream signaling potential. ErbB1 was enriched versus the other receptors for recruitment of domains from RAS GEFs whereas ErbB2 was enriched for recruitment of domains from tyrosine and phosphatidyl inositol phosphatases. ErbB3, the kinase inactive ErbB receptor family member, was predictably enriched for recruitment of domains from phosphatidyl inositol kinases and surprisingly, was enriched for recruitment of domains from tyrosine kinases, cytoskeletal regulatory proteins, and RHO GEFs but depleted for recruitment of domains from phosphatidyl inositol phosphatases. Many novel interactions were also observed with phosphopeptides corresponding to ErbB receptor tyrosines not previously reported to be phosphorylated by mass spectrometry, suggesting the existence of many biologically relevant RTK sites that may be phosphorylated but below the detection threshold of standard mass spectrometry

  20. Fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishi, Kentaro; Isobe, Shin-Ichiro; Zhu, Yun; Kiyama, Ryoiti

    2015-10-13

    We summarize here the recent progress in fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials by focusing on fluorescent dyes used in bioassays and applications of these assays for food safety, quality and efficacy. Fluorescent dyes have been used in various bioassays, such as biosensing, cell assay, energy transfer-based assay, probing, protein/immunological assay and microarray/biochip assay. Among the arrays used in microarray/biochip assay, fluorescence-based microarrays/biochips, such as antibody/protein microarrays, bead/suspension arrays, capillary/sensor arrays, DNA microarrays/polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based arrays, glycan/lectin arrays, immunoassay/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-based arrays, microfluidic chips and tissue arrays, have been developed and used for the assessment of allergy/poisoning/toxicity, contamination and efficacy/mechanism, and quality control/safety. DNA microarray assays have been used widely for food safety and quality as well as searches for active components. DNA microarray-based gene expression profiling may be useful for such purposes due to its advantages in the evaluation of pathway-based intracellular signaling in response to food materials.

  1. Fluorescence-Based Bioassays for the Detection and Evaluation of Food Materials

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kentaro Nishi

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available We summarize here the recent progress in fluorescence-based bioassays for the detection and evaluation of food materials by focusing on fluorescent dyes used in bioassays and applications of these assays for food safety, quality and efficacy. Fluorescent dyes have been used in various bioassays, such as biosensing, cell assay, energy transfer-based assay, probing, protein/immunological assay and microarray/biochip assay. Among the arrays used in microarray/biochip assay, fluorescence-based microarrays/biochips, such as antibody/protein microarrays, bead/suspension arrays, capillary/sensor arrays, DNA microarrays/polymerase chain reaction (PCR-based arrays, glycan/lectin arrays, immunoassay/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA-based arrays, microfluidic chips and tissue arrays, have been developed and used for the assessment of allergy/poisoning/toxicity, contamination and efficacy/mechanism, and quality control/safety. DNA microarray assays have been used widely for food safety and quality as well as searches for active components. DNA microarray-based gene expression profiling may be useful for such purposes due to its advantages in the evaluation of pathway-based intracellular signaling in response to food materials.

  2. Enhanced localized fluorescence in plasmonic nanoantennae

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bakker, R.M.; Yuan, H.-K.; Liu, Z.

    2008-01-01

    in fluorescence that reaches 100 times enhancement. Near-field excitation shows enhanced fluorescence from a single nanoantenna localized in a subwavelength area of similar to 0.15 mu m(2). The polarization of enhanced emission is along the main antenna axis. These observed experimental results are important...

  3. A homogeneous, high-throughput-compatible, fluorescence intensity-based assay for UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductase (MurB) with nanomolar product detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shapiro, Adam B; Livchak, Stephania; Gao, Ning; Whiteaker, James; Thresher, Jason; Jahić, Haris; Huang, Jian; Gu, Rong-Fang

    2012-03-01

    A novel assay for the NADPH-dependent bacterial enzyme UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine reductase (MurB) is described that has nanomolar sensitivity for product formation and is suitable for high-throughput applications. MurB catalyzes an essential cytoplasmic step in the synthesis of peptidoglycan for the bacterial cell wall, reduction of UDP-N-acetylenolpyruvylglucosamine to UDP-N-acetylmuramic acid (UNAM). Interruption of this biosynthetic pathway leads to cell death, making MurB an attractive target for antibacterial drug discovery. In the new assay, the UNAM product of the MurB reaction is ligated to L-alanine by the next enzyme in the peptidoglycan biosynthesis pathway, MurC, resulting in hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to adenosine diphosphate (ADP). The ADP is detected with nanomolar sensitivity by converting it to oligomeric RNA with polynucleotide phosphorylase and detecting the oligomeric RNA with a fluorescent dye. The product sensitivity of the new assay is 1000-fold greater than that of the standard assay that follows the absorbance decrease resulting from the conversion of NADPH to NADP(+). This sensitivity allows inhibitor screening to be performed at the low substrate concentrations needed to make the assay sensitive to competitive inhibition of MurB.

  4. High-performance liquid chromatography-fluorescence assay of pyruvic acid to determine cysteine conjugate beta-lyase activity : application to S-1,2-dichlorovinyl-L-cysteine and S-2-benzothiazolyl-L-cysteine

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stijntjes, G.J.; te Koppele, J.M.; Vermeulen, N P

    1992-01-01

    An HPLC-fluorescence assay has been developed for the determination of the activity of rat renal cytosolic cysteine conjugate beta-lyase. The method is based on isocratic HPLC separation and fluorescence detection of pyruvic acid, derivatized with o-phenylenediamine (OPD), and is shown to be rapid,

  5. Polarization Sensitive Coherent Raman Measurements of DCVJ

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anderson, Josiah; Cooper, Nathan; Lawhead, Carlos; Shiver, Tegan; Ujj, Laszlo

    2014-03-01

    Coherent Raman spectroscopy which recently developed into coherent Raman microscopy has been used to produce label free imaging of thin layers of material and find the spatial distributions of certain chemicals within samples, e.g. cancer cells.(1) Not all aspects of coherent scattering have been used for imaging. Among those for example are special polarization sensitive measurements. Therefore we have investigated the properties of polarization sensitive CARS spectra of a highly fluorescent molecule, DCVJ.(2) Spectra has been recorded by using parallel polarized and perpendicular polarized excitations. A special polarization arrangement was developed to suppress the non-resonant background scattering from the sample. These results can be used to improve the imaging properties of a coherent Raman microscope in the future. This is the first time coherent Raman polarization sensitive measurements have been used to characterize the vibrational modes of DCVJ. 1: K. I. Gutkowski, et al., ``Fluorescence of dicyanovinyl julolidine in a room temperature ionic liquid '' Chemical Physics Letters 426 (2006) 329 - 333 2: Fouad El-Diasty, ``Coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering: Spectroscopy and microscopy'' Vibrational Spectroscopy 55 (2011) 1-37

  6. Data transformation methods for multiplexed assays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tammero, Lance F. Bentley; Dzenitis, John M; Hindson, Benjamin J

    2013-07-23

    Methods to improve the performance of an array assay are described. A correlation between fluorescence intensity-related parameters and negative control values of the assay is determined. The parameters are then adjusted as a function of the correlation. As a result, sensitivity of the assay is improved without changes in its specificity.

  7. FRET-based binding assay between a fluorescent cAMP analogue and a cyclic nucleotide-binding domain tagged with a CFP.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Romero, Francisco; Santana-Calvo, Carmen; Sánchez-Guevara, Yoloxochitl; Nishigaki, Takuya

    2017-09-01

    The cyclic nucleotide-binding domain (CNBD) functions as a regulatory domain of many proteins involved in cyclic nucleotide signalling. We developed a straightforward and reliable binding assay based on intermolecular fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between an adenosine-3', 5'-cyclic monophosphate analogue labelled with fluorescein and a recombinant CNBD of human EPAC1 tagged with a cyan fluorescence protein (CFP). The high FRET efficiency of this method (~ 80%) allowed us to perform several types of binding experiments with nanomolar range of sample using conventional equipment. In addition, the CFP tag on the CNBD enabled us to perform a specific binding experiment using an unpurified protein. Considering these advantages, this technique is useful to study poorly characterized CNBDs. © 2017 Federation of European Biochemical Societies.

  8. A high-throughput fluorescence-based assay system for appetite-regulating gene and drug screening.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yasuhito Shimada

    Full Text Available The increasing number of people suffering from metabolic syndrome and obesity is becoming a serious problem not only in developed countries, but also in developing countries. However, there are few agents currently approved for the treatment of obesity. Those that are available are mainly appetite suppressants and gastrointestinal fat blockers. We have developed a simple and rapid method for the measurement of the feeding volume of Danio rerio (zebrafish. This assay can be used to screen appetite suppressants and enhancers. In this study, zebrafish were fed viable paramecia that were fluorescently-labeled, and feeding volume was measured using a 96-well microplate reader. Gene expression analysis of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (bdnf, knockdown of appetite-regulating genes (neuropeptide Y, preproinsulin, melanocortin 4 receptor, agouti related protein, and cannabinoid receptor 1, and the administration of clinical appetite suppressants (fluoxetine, sibutramine, mazindol, phentermine, and rimonabant revealed the similarity among mechanisms regulating appetite in zebrafish and mammals. In combination with behavioral analysis, we were able to evaluate adverse effects on locomotor activities from gene knockdown and chemical treatments. In conclusion, we have developed an assay that uses zebrafish, which can be applied to high-throughput screening and target gene discovery for appetite suppressants and enhancers.

  9. SPONTANEOUS AND MNNG-INDUCED REVERSION OF AN EGFP CONSTRUCT IN HELA CELLS: AN ASSAY FOR OBSERVING MUTATIONS IN LIVING CELLS BY FLUORESCENT MICROSCOPY

    Science.gov (United States)

    A HeLa cell line stably expressing the Enhanced Green Fluorescence Protein (EGFP) gene, interrupted by the IVS2-654 intron, was studied without treatment and after treatment with a single standard dose of 15 ?M of N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG). This assay was done ...

  10. Broadband polarized emission from P(NDI2OD-T2) polymer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ulrich, Steve; Sutch, Tabitha; Szulczewski, Greg; Schweizer, Matthias; Barbosa, Newton; Araujo, Paulo

    2018-05-18

    We investigate the P(NDI2OD-T2) photophysical properties via absorbance and fluorescence spectroscopy, in association with the experimental approach baptized Stokes Spectroscopy, which provides valuable material information through the acquisition and analysis of the fluorescence polarization degree. By changing solvents and using different samples such as solutions, thick, and thin films, it is possible to control the polarization degree spectrum associated to the fluorescence emitted by the polymer's isolated chains and aggregates. We show that the polarization degree could become a powerful tool to obtain information related to the samples morphology, which is connected to their microscopic structure. Moreover, the polarization degree spectra suggest that depolarization effects linked to energy and charge transfer mechanisms are likely taking place. Our findings indicate that P(NDI2OD-T2) polymers are excellent candidates for the advancement of organic technologies that rely on the emission and detection of polarized lights. © 2018 IOP Publishing Ltd.

  11. d-PET-controlled “off-on” Polarity-sensitive Probes for Reporting Local Hydrophilicity within Lysosomes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Hao; Fan, Jiangli; Mu, Huiying; Zhu, Tao; Zhang, Zhen; Du, Jianjun; Peng, Xiaojun

    2016-10-01

    Polarity-sensitive fluorescent probes are powerful chemical tools for studying biomolecular structures and activities both in vitro and in vivo. However, the lack of “off-on” polarity-sensing probes has limited the accurate monitoring of biological processes that involve an increase in local hydrophilicity. Here, we design and synthesize a series of “off-on” polarity-sensitive fluorescent probes BP series consisting of the difluoroboron dippyomethene (BODIPY) fluorophore connected to a quaternary ammonium moiety via different carbon linkers. All these probes showed low fluorescence quantum yields in nonpolar solution but became highly fluorescent in polar media. BP-2, which contains a two-carbon linker and a trimethyl quaternary ammonium, displayed a fluorescence intensity and quantum yield that were both linearly correlated with solvent polarity. In addition, BP-2 exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for polarity over other environmental factors and a variety of biologically relevant species. BP-2 can be synthesized readily via an unusual Mannich reaction followed by methylation. Using electrochemistry combined with theoretical calculations, we demonstrated that the “off-on” sensing behavior of BP-2 is primarily due to the polarity-dependent donor-excited photoinduced electron transfer (d-PET) effect. Live-cell imaging established that BP-2 enables the detection of local hydrophilicity within lysosomes under conditions of lysosomal dysfunction.

  12. Testing a dual-fluorescence assay to monitor the viability of filamentous cyanobacteria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Tylor J; Hildreth, Michael B; Gu, Liping; Zhou, Ruanbao; Gibbons, William R

    2015-06-01

    Filamentous cyanobacteria are currently being engineered to produce long-chain organic compounds, including 3rd generation biofuels. Because of their filamentous morphology, standard methods to quantify viability (e.g., plate counts) are not possible. This study investigated a dual-fluorescence assay based upon the LIVE/DEAD® BacLight™ Bacterial Viability Kit to quantify the percent viability of filamentous cyanobacteria using a microplate reader in a high throughput 96-well plate format. The manufacturer's protocol calls for an optical density normalization step to equalize the numbers of viable and non-viable cells used to generate calibration curves. Unfortunately, the isopropanol treatment used to generate non-viable cells released a blue pigment that altered absorbance readings of the non-viable cell solution, resulting in an inaccurate calibration curve. Thus we omitted this optical density normalization step, and carefully divided cell cultures into two equal fractions before the isopropanol treatment. While the resulting calibration curves had relatively high correlation coefficients, their use in various experiments resulted in viability estimates ranging from below 0% to far above 100%. We traced this to the apparent inaccuracy of the propidium iodide (PI) dye that was to stain only non-viable cells. Through further analysis via microplate reader, as well as confocal and wide-field epi-fluorescence microscopy, we observed non-specific binding of PI in viable filamentous cyanobacteria. While PI will not work for filamentous cyanobacteria, it is possible that other fluorochrome dyes could be used to selectively stain non-viable cells. This will be essential in future studies for screening mutants and optimizing photobioreactor system performance for filamentous cyanobacteria. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Quantifying sublethal effects of glyphosate and Roundup® to Daphnia magna using a fluorescence based enzyme activity assay and video tracking

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Roslev, Peter; R. Hansen, Lone; Ørsted, Michael

    Glyphosate (N-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is the active ingredient in a range of popular broad-spectrum, non-selective herbicide formulations. The toxicity of this herbicide to non-target aquatic organisms such as Daphnia magna is often evaluated using conventional toxicity assays that focus...... on endpoints such as immobility and mortality. In this study, we investigated sublethal effects of glyphosate and Roundup® to D. magna using video tracking for quantifying behavioral changes, and a novel fluorescence based assay for measuring in vivo hydrolytic enzyme activity (FLEA assay). Roundup® exposure...... resulted in concentration-dependent inhibition of alkaline phosphatase activity in D. magna. The inhibition of alkaline phosphatase by Roundup® was temperature-dependent with lowest inhibition at 14 °C and greater inhibition at 20 and 26 °C. Exposure of D. magna to sublethal concentrations of glyphosate...

  14. Paper-based solid-phase nucleic acid hybridization assay using immobilized quantum dots as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noor, M Omair; Shahmuradyan, Anna; Krull, Ulrich J

    2013-02-05

    A paper-based solid-phase assay is presented for transduction of nucleic acid hybridization using immobilized quantum dots (QDs) as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The surface of paper was modified with imidazole groups to immobilize QD-probe oligonucleotide conjugates that were assembled in solution. Green-emitting QDs (gQDs) were FRET-paired with Cy3 acceptor. Hybridization of Cy3-labeled oligonucleotide targets provided the proximity required for FRET-sensitized emission from Cy3, which served as an analytical signal. The assay exhibited rapid transduction of nucleic acid hybridization within minutes. Without any amplification steps, the limit of detection of the assay was found to be 300 fmol with the upper limit of the dynamic range at 5 pmol. The implementation of glutathione-coated QDs for the development of nucleic acid hybridization assay integrated on a paper-based platform exhibited excellent resistance to nonspecific adsorption of oligonucleotides and showed no reduction in the performance of the assay in the presence of large quantities of noncomplementary DNA. The selectivity of nucleic acid hybridization was demonstrated by single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection at a contrast ratio of 19 to 1. The reuse of paper over multiple cycles of hybridization and dehybridization was possible, with less than 20% reduction in the performance of the assay in five cycles. This work provides an important framework for the development of paper-based solid-phase QD-FRET nucleic acid hybridization assays that make use of a ratiometric approach for detection and analysis.

  15. Fluorescence confocal polarizing microscopy: Three-dimensional ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Much of the modern understanding of orientational order in liquid crystals (LCs) is based on polarizing microscopy (PM). A PM image bears only two-dimensional (2D) information, integrating the 3D pattern of optical birefringence over the path of light. Recently, we proposed a technique to image 3D director patterns by ...

  16. Development of a Novel Fluorescence Assay Based on the Use of the Thrombin-Binding Aptamer for the Detection of O6-Alkylguanine-DNA Alkyltransferase Activity

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Tintoré

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Human O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (hAGT is a DNA repair protein that reverses the effects of alkylating agents by removing DNA adducts from the O6 position of guanine. Here, we developed a real-time fluorescence hAGT activity assay that is based on the detection of conformational changes of the thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA. The quadruplex structure of TBA is disrupted when a central guanine is replaced by an O6-methyl-guanine. The sequence also contains a fluorophore (fluorescein and a quencher (dabsyl attached to the opposite ends. In the unfolded structure, the fluorophore and the quencher are separated. When hAGT removes the methyl group from the central guanine of TBA, it folds back immediately into its quadruplex structure. Consequently, the fluorophore and the quencher come into close proximity, thereby resulting in decreased fluorescence intensity. Here, we developed a new method to quantify the hAGT without using radioactivity. This new fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay has been designed to detect the conformational change of TBA that is induced by the removal of the O6-methyl group.

  17. Optical assay for biotechnology and clinical diagnosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moczko, Ewa; Cauchi, Michael; Turner, Claire; Meglinski, Igor; Piletsky, Sergey

    2011-08-01

    In this paper, we present an optical diagnostic assay consisting of a mixture of environmental-sensitive fluorescent dyes combined with multivariate data analysis for quantitative and qualitative examination of biological and clinical samples. The performance of the assay is based on the analysis of spectrum of the selected fluorescent dyes with the operational principle similar to electronic nose and electronic tongue systems. This approach has been successfully applied for monitoring of growing cell cultures and identification of gastrointestinal diseases in humans.

  18. Integrated bioassays in microfluidic devices: botulinum toxin assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mangru, Shakuntala; Bentz, Bryan L; Davis, Timothy J; Desai, Nitin; Stabile, Paul J; Schmidt, James J; Millard, Charles B; Bavari, Sina; Kodukula, Krishna

    2005-12-01

    A microfluidic assay was developed for screening botulinum neurotoxin serotype A (BoNT-A) by using a fluorescent resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay. Molded silicone microdevices with integral valves, pumps, and reagent reservoirs were designed and fabricated. Electrical and pneumatic control hardware were constructed, and software was written to automate the assay protocol and data acquisition. Detection was accomplished by fluorescence microscopy. The system was validated with a peptide inhibitor, running 2 parallel assays, as a feasibility demonstration. The small footprint of each bioreactor cell (0.5 cm2) and scalable fluidic architecture enabled many parallel assays on a single chip. The chip is programmable to run a dilution series in each lane, generating concentration-response data for multiple inhibitors. The assay results showed good agreement with the corresponding experiments done at a macroscale level. Although the system has been developed for BoNT-A screening, a wide variety of assays can be performed on the microfluidic chip with little or no modification.

  19. A flow cytometry-optimized assay using an SOS-green fluorescent protein (SOS-GFP) whole-cell biosensor for the detection of genotoxins in complex environments

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Norman, Anders; Hansen, Lars H.; Sørensen, Søren Johannes

    2006-01-01

    /mL, and proved far more sensitive than a previously published assay using the same biosensor strain. By applying the SOS-green fluorescent protein (GFP) whole-cell biosensor directly to soil microcosms we were also able to evaluate both the applicability and sensitivity of a biosensor based on SOS...

  20. Sources of linear polarized x-rays

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aiginger, H.; Wobrauschek, P.

    1989-01-01

    Linear polarized X-rays are used in X-ray fluorescence analysis to decrease the background caused by scattered photons. Various experiments, calculations and constructions have demonstrated the possibility to produce polarized radiation in an analytical laboratory with an X-ray tube and polarizer-analyzer facilities as auxiliary equipment. The results obtained with Bragg-polarizers of flat and curved focussing geometry and of Barkla-polarizers are presented. The advantages and disadvantages of the method are discussed and compared with the respective quality of synchrotron radiation. Polarization by scattering reduces the intensity of the primary radiation. Recently much effort is devoted to the construction of integrated high power X-ray tube polarizer-analyzer arrangements. The detailed design, geometry and performance of such a facility is described. (author)

  1. Characterization of blood lipoproteins and validation of cholesterol and triacylglycerol assays for free-ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Whiteman, John P; Frank, Nicholas; Greller, Katie A; Harlow, Henry J; Ben-David, Merav

    2013-05-01

    Blood triacylglycerol (TG) and lipoproteins are important variables for evaluating nutritional status of wildlife, but measurements are often expensive and difficult. Performance of a small, portable blood analyzer intended for human medical diagnostics was evaluated in measuring these variables in plasma and serum from free-ranging polar bears (Ursus maritimus), which are experiencing nutritional stress related to sea ice loss. The analyzer accurately tracked changes in concentration of total cholesterol (Ctotal), cholesterol associated with high-density lipoprotein (CHDL), and TG during a validation protocol of diluting samples and spiking them with exogenous cholesterol and glycerol. Values of Ctotal and TG agreed well with values obtained by other methods (ultracentrifugation followed by colorimetric assays); agreement was variable for values of cholesterol associated with specific lipoproteins. Similar to a study of captive polar bears, ultracentrifugation methods revealed greater TG in very low-density lipoproteins than in low-density lipoprotein, which is unusual and merits additional study.

  2. Preliminary Study of the Efficacy of Using Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence with Quasi-Monoenergetic Gamma-Ray Sources for Nuclear Safeguards Assay

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Johnson, M S; McNabb, D P; Hall, J M; Gonzalez, J J

    2011-02-17

    We have studied the efficacy of using nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF)-based techniques to assay spent nuclear fuel for Pu content using quasi-monoenergetic sources. We have developed two techniques to precisely determine the Pu content in a fuel rod/pin. One of our approaches is virtually free of systematic uncertainties. Using analytical models, we have determined the amount of time required to measure the Pu content in spent nuclear fuel rods and spent fuel assemblies to within 1% precision. We note that Pu content can be determined in a fuel assembly about as fast as in a single fuel pin. The performance of NRF-based assay techniques with improved photon sources, which are currently under development, will also estimated. For follow-on research we propose to: (1) Construct research prototype detection systems for both of the NRF-based assay systems proposed in this paper and measure their calibration curves; (2) Determine the systematic errors associated with both assay methods, explore ways to reduce the errors and fold the results into future performance calculations; (3) Develop an algorithm to assay a fuel assembly; (4) Perform validation measurements using a single pin and scaled assemblies; (5) Research and develop current-mode detection and/or threshold detection techniques to improve assay times; (6) Characterize the flux of newly constructed sources and fold the results into the calculations presented here to determine the feasibility of a variety of proposed sources; and (7) Collaborate with others in the safeguards community to build a prototype system and perform an NRF-based assay demonstration on spent fuel.

  3. An image-based, dual fluorescence reporter assay to evaluate the efficacy of shRNA for gene silencing at the single-cell level [v1; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/2tt

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shin-ichiro Kojima

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available RNA interference (RNAi is widely used to suppress gene expression in a specific manner. The efficacy of RNAi is mainly dependent on the sequence of small interfering RNA (siRNA in relation to the target mRNA. Although several algorithms have been developed for the design of siRNA, it is still difficult to choose a really effective siRNA from among multiple candidates. In this article, we report the development of an image-based, quantitative, ratiometric fluorescence reporter assay to evaluate the efficacy of RNAi at the single-cell level. Two fluorescence reporter constructs are used. One expresses the candidate small hairpin RNA (shRNA together with an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP; the other expresses a 19-nt target sequence inserted into a cassette expressing a red fluorescent protein (either DsRed or mCherry. Effectiveness of the candidate shRNA is evaluated as the extent to which it knocks down expression of the red fluorescent protein. Thus, the red-to-green fluorescence intensity ratio (appropriately normalized to controls is used as the read-out for quantifying the siRNA efficacy at the individual cell level. We tested this dual fluorescence assay and compared predictions to actual endogenous knockdown levels for three different genes (vimentin, lamin A/C and Arp3 and twenty different shRNAs. For each of the genes, our assay successfully predicted the target sequences for effective RNAi. To further facilitate testing of RNAi efficacy, we developed a negative selection marker (ccdB method for construction of shRNA and red fluorescent reporter plasmids that allowed us to purify these plasmids directly from transformed bacteria without the need for colony selection and DNA sequencing verification.

  4. An image-based, dual fluorescence reporter assay to evaluate the efficacy of shRNA for gene silencing at the single-cell level [v2; ref status: indexed, http://f1000r.es/39j

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shin-ichiro Kojima

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available RNA interference (RNAi is widely used to suppress gene expression in a specific manner. The efficacy of RNAi is mainly dependent on the sequence of small interfering RNA (siRNA in relation to the target mRNA. Although several algorithms have been developed for the design of siRNA, it is still difficult to choose a really effective siRNA from among multiple candidates. In this article, we report the development of an image-based, quantitative, ratiometric fluorescence reporter assay to evaluate the efficacy of RNAi at the single-cell level. Two fluorescence reporter constructs are used. One expresses the candidate small hairpin RNA (shRNA together with an enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP; the other expresses a 19-nt target sequence inserted into a cassette expressing a red fluorescent protein (either DsRed or mCherry. Effectiveness of the candidate shRNA is evaluated as the extent to which it knocks down expression of the red fluorescent protein. Thus, the red-to-green fluorescence intensity ratio (appropriately normalized to controls is used as the read-out for quantifying the siRNA efficacy at the individual cell level. We tested this dual fluorescence assay and compared predictions to actual endogenous knockdown levels for three different genes (vimentin, lamin A/C and Arp3 and twenty different shRNAs. For each of the genes, our assay successfully predicted the target sequences for effective RNAi. To further facilitate testing of RNAi efficacy, we developed a negative selection marker (ccdB method for construction of shRNA and red fluorescent reporter plasmids that allowed us to purify these plasmids directly from transformed bacteria without the need for colony selection and DNA sequencing verification.

  5. Some fluorescence properties of dimethylaminochalcone and its novel cyclic analogues

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tomečková, Vladimíra; Poškrobová, Martina; Štefanišinová, Miroslava; Perjési, Pál

    2009-12-01

    This paper demonstrates the basic character (polarity, solubility, colour, absorption and fluorescence quantum yield) of synthetic dimethylaminochalcone ( 1) and its cyclic analogues measured in toluene, chloroform, dimethylsulfoxide and ethanol, which have been studied by absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy. The biologically active dye 4'-dimethylaminochalcone ( 1b) and its less flexible analogues 4-dimethylaminoindanone ( 2b), -tetralone ( 3b), and -benzosuberone ( 4b) are lipophilic molecules that displayed the best solubility in toluene and chloroform. The highest fluorescence and quantum yields of compounds 1 and 2 have been obtained in DMSO and chloroform. Quenching effect of fluorescence compounds ( 1- 4) has been studied in the mixture of the most polar organic solvents DMSO and water. In the presence of water, fluorescence of compound 1 has been quenched the best from all studied chalcones and emission maxima of molecules 1- 4 have been shifted to the longer wavelengths. Quenching effect of fluorescence by water was in order 1 > 2 > 3 > 4.

  6. Azadioxatriangulenium: exploring the effect of a 20 ns fluorescence lifetime in fluorescence anisotropy measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bogh, Sidsel A.; Bora, Ilkay; Rosenberg, Martin; Thyrhaug, Erling; Laursen, Bo W.; Just Sørensen, Thomas

    2015-12-01

    Azaoxatriangulenium (ADOTA) has been shown to be highly emissive despite a moderate molar absorption coefficient of the primary electronic transition. As a result, the fluorescence lifetime is ~20 ns, longer than all commonly used red fluorescent organic probes. The electronic transitions in ADOTA are highly polarised (r 0  =  0.38), which in combination with the long fluorescence lifetime extents the size-range of biomolecular weights that can be detected in fluorescence polarisation-based experiments. Here, the rotational dynamics of bovine serum albumin (BSA) are monitored with three different ADOTA derivatives, differing only in constitution of the reactive linker. A detailed study of the degree of labelling, the steady-state anisotropy, and the time-resolved anisotropy of the three different ADOTA-BSA conjugates are reported. The fluorescence quantum yields (ϕ fl) of the free dyes in PBS solution are determined to be ~55%, which is reduced to ~20% in the ADOTA-BSA conjugates. Despite the reduction in ϕ fl, a ~20 ns intensity averaged lifetime is maintained, allowing for the rotational dynamics of BSA to be monitored for up to 100 ns. Thus, ADOTA can be used in fluorescence polarisation assays to fill the gap between commonly used organic dyes and the long luminescence lifetime transition metal complexes. This allows for efficient steady-state fluorescence polarisation assays for detecting binding of analytes with molecular weights of up to 100 kDa.

  7. Polar and low polar solvents media effect on dipole moments of some diazo Sudan dyes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zakerhamidi, M. S.; Golghasemi Sorkhabi, Sh.; Shamkhali, A. N.

    2014-06-01

    Absorption and fluorescence spectra of three Sudan dyes (SudanIII, SudanIV and Sudan black B) were recorded in various solvents with different polarity in the range of 300-800 nm, at room temperature. The solvatochromic method was used to investigate dipole moments of these dyes in ground and excited states, in different media. The solvatochromic behavior of these substances and their solvent-solute interactions were analyzed via solvent polarity parameters. Obtained results express the effects of solvation on tautomerism and molecular configuration (geometry) of Sudan dyes in solvent media with different polarity. Furthermore, analyze of solvent-solute interactions and value of ground and excited states dipole moments suggests different forms of resonance structures for Sudan dyes in polar and low-polar solvents.

  8. Screening of HIV-1 Protease Using a Combination of an Ultra-High-Throughput Fluorescent-Based Assay and RapidFire Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Meng, Juncai; Lai, Ming-Tain; Munshi, Vandna; Grobler, Jay; McCauley, John; Zuck, Paul; Johnson, Eric N; Uebele, Victor N; Hermes, Jeffrey D; Adam, Gregory C

    2015-06-01

    HIV-1 protease (PR) represents one of the primary targets for developing antiviral agents for the treatment of HIV-infected patients. To identify novel PR inhibitors, a label-free, high-throughput mass spectrometry (HTMS) assay was developed using the RapidFire platform and applied as an orthogonal assay to confirm hits identified in a fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based primary screen of > 1 million compounds. For substrate selection, a panel of peptide substrates derived from natural processing sites for PR was evaluated on the RapidFire platform. As a result, KVSLNFPIL, a new substrate measured to have a ~ 20- and 60-fold improvement in k cat/K m over the frequently used sequences SQNYPIVQ and SQNYPIV, respectively, was identified for the HTMS screen. About 17% of hits from the FRET-based primary screen were confirmed in the HTMS confirmatory assay including all 304 known PR inhibitors in the set, demonstrating that the HTMS assay is effective at triaging false-positives while capturing true hits. Hence, with a sampling rate of ~7 s per well, the RapidFire HTMS assay enables the high-throughput evaluation of peptide substrates and functions as an efficient tool for hits triage in the discovery of novel PR inhibitors. © 2015 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening.

  9. Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-like fluorescence assay to investigate the interactions of glycosaminoglycans to cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boucas, Rodrigo Ippolito [Disciplina de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Bioquimica, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Trindade, Edvaldo S. [Disciplina de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Bioquimica, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade Federal do Parana, Curitiba, Parana (Brazil); Tersariol, Ivarne L.S. [Disciplina de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Bioquimica, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Centro Interdisciplinar de Investigacao Bioquimica, Universidade de Mogi das Cruzes, Mogi das Cruzes, SP (Brazil); Dietrich, Carl P. [Disciplina de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Bioquimica, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil); Nader, Helena B. [Disciplina de Biologia Molecular, Departamento de Bioquimica, Universidade Federal de Sao Paulo, SP (Brazil)], E-mail: hbnader.bioq@epm.br

    2008-06-23

    Sulfated glycosaminoglycans were labeled with biotin to study their interaction with cells in culture. Thus, heparin, heparan sulfate, chondroitin 4-sulfate, chondroitin 6-sulfate and dermatan sulfate were labeled using biotin-hydrazide, under different conditions. The structural characteristics of the biotinylated products were determined by chemical (molar ratios of hexosamine, uronic acid, sulfate and biotin) and enzymatic methods (susceptibility to degradation by chondroitinases and heparitinases). The binding of biotinylated glycosaminoglycans was investigated both in endothelial and smooth muscle cells in culture, using a novel time resolved fluorometric method based on interaction of europium-labeled streptavidin with the biotin covalently linked to the compounds. The interactions of glycosaminoglycans were saturable and number of binding sites could be obtained for each individual compound. The apparent dissociation constant varied among the different glycosaminoglycans and between the two cell lines. The interactions of the biotinylated glycosaminoglycans with the cells were also evaluated using confocal microscopy. We propose a convenient and reliable method for the preparation of biotinylated glycosaminoglycans, as well as a sensitive non-competitive fluorescence-based assay for studies of the interactions and binding of these compounds to cells in culture.

  10. Development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-like fluorescence assay to investigate the interactions of glycosaminoglycans to cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Boucas, Rodrigo Ippolito; Trindade, Edvaldo S.; Tersariol, Ivarne L.S.; Dietrich, Carl P.; Nader, Helena B.

    2008-01-01

    Sulfated glycosaminoglycans were labeled with biotin to study their interaction with cells in culture. Thus, heparin, heparan sulfate, chondroitin 4-sulfate, chondroitin 6-sulfate and dermatan sulfate were labeled using biotin-hydrazide, under different conditions. The structural characteristics of the biotinylated products were determined by chemical (molar ratios of hexosamine, uronic acid, sulfate and biotin) and enzymatic methods (susceptibility to degradation by chondroitinases and heparitinases). The binding of biotinylated glycosaminoglycans was investigated both in endothelial and smooth muscle cells in culture, using a novel time resolved fluorometric method based on interaction of europium-labeled streptavidin with the biotin covalently linked to the compounds. The interactions of glycosaminoglycans were saturable and number of binding sites could be obtained for each individual compound. The apparent dissociation constant varied among the different glycosaminoglycans and between the two cell lines. The interactions of the biotinylated glycosaminoglycans with the cells were also evaluated using confocal microscopy. We propose a convenient and reliable method for the preparation of biotinylated glycosaminoglycans, as well as a sensitive non-competitive fluorescence-based assay for studies of the interactions and binding of these compounds to cells in culture

  11. Ultrafast polarized fluorescence measurements on monomeric and self-associated melittin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Pandit, A.; Larsen, O.F.A.; Stokkum, van I.H.M.; Grondelle, van R.; Kraayenhof, R.; Amerongen, van H.

    2003-01-01

    The anisotropic and magic-angle fluorescence decay of the single tryptophan (Trp) residue of melittin, a bee venom peptide, was investigated by time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy using a streak camera setup. The peptide was dissolved either in distilled water or in Hepes/NaOH buffer containing

  12. Simple apparatus for polarization sensing of analytes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gryczynski, Zygmunt; Gryczynski, Ignacy; Lakowicz, Joseph R.

    2000-09-01

    We describe a simple device for fluorescence sensing based on an unexpansive light source, a dual photocell and a Watson bridge. The emission is detected from two fluorescent samples, one of which changes intensity in response to the analyte. The emission from these two samples is observed through two orthogonally oriented polarizers and an analyzer polarizer. The latter polarizer is rotated to yield equal intensities from both sides of the dual photocell, as determined by a zero voltage from the Watson bridge. Using this device, we are able to measure fluorescein concentration to an accuracy near 2% at 1 (mu) M fluorescein, and pH values accurate to +/- 0.02 pH units. We also use this approach with a UV hand lamp and a glucose-sensitive protein to measure glucose concentrations near 2 (mu) M to an accuracy of +/- 0.1 (mu) M. This approach requires only simple electronics, which can be battery powered. Additionally, the method is generic, and can be applied with any fluorescent sample that displays a change in intensity. One can imagine this approach being used to develop portable point-of-care clinical devices.

  13. Highly specific and rapid immuno-fluorescent visualization and detection of E. coli O104:H4 with protein-A coated magnetic beads based LST-MUG assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barizuddin, Syed; Balakrishnan, Baskar; Stringer, R Cody; Dweik, Majed

    2015-08-01

    A method combining immunomagnetic separation and fluorescent sensing was developed to detect Escherichia coli (E. coli) O104:H4. The antibody specific to E. coli O104:H4 was immobilized on protein A-coated magnetic beads. This protein-A-anti E. coli O104:H4 complex was used to bind Fluorescein IsoThioCyanate (FITC) labeled E. coli O104:H4 antigen (whole cell) on it. The goal was to achieve a fluorescently detectable protein-A-anti E. coli O104:H4-E. coli O104:H4 complex on the magnetic beads. Fluorescent microscopy was used to image the magnetic beads. The resulting fluorescence on the beads was due to the FITC labeled antigen binding on the protein-A-anti E. coli O104:H4 immobilized magnetic beads. This visually proves the antigen-antibody binding. The fluorescent imaging results were obtained in 2 h if the minimum available bacteria in the sample were at least 10(5) CFU/ml. If no fluorescence was observed on the magnetic beads during fluorescent imaging, it indicates the bacterial concentration in the sample to be too low for it to have bound to the magnetic beads and hence no detection was possible. To detect bacterial concentration less than 10(5) CFU/ml in the sample, an additional step was required for detection. The magnetic bead complex was added to the LST-MUG (lauryl sulfate tryptose-4-methylumbelliferyl-β-D-glucuronide), a signaling reporter. The E. coli O104:H4 grows in LST-MUG and releases β-glucuronidase enzyme. This enzyme cleaves the MUG substrate that produces 4-methylumbelliferone, a highly fluorescent species. This fluorescence was detected using a spectrofluorometer. The emission peak in the fluorescent spectrum was found to be at 450 nm. The lower and upper detection range for this LST-MUG assay was found to be 2.05×10(5)-4.09×10(8) CFU/ml. The results for the LST-MUG assay for concentrations below 10(5) CFU/ml were ascertained in 8h. The advantages of this technique include the specific detection of bacteria without an enrichment step and

  14. Implementation of a fluorescence-based screening assay identifies histamine H3 receptor antagonists clobenpropit and iodophenpropit as subunit-selective N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Kasper Bø; Mullasseril, Praseeda; Dawit, Sara

    2010-01-01

    N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are ligand-gated ion channels that mediate a slow, Ca(2+)-permeable component of excitatory synaptic transmission in the central nervous system and play a pivotal role in synaptic plasticity, neuronal development, and several neurological diseases. We describe...... a fluorescence-based assay that measures NMDA receptor-mediated changes in intracellular calcium in a BHK-21 cell line stably expressing NMDA receptor NR2D with NR1 under the control of a tetracycline-inducible promoter (Tet-On). The assay selectively identifies allosteric modulators by using supramaximal...

  15. Polarized spectral features of human breast tissues through wavelet ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. Fluorescence characteristics of human breast tissues are investigated through wavelet transform and principal component analysis (PCA). Wavelet transform of polar- ized fluorescence spectra of human breast tissues is found to localize spectral features that can reliably differentiate different tissue types.

  16. M2 polarization enhances silica nanoparticle uptake by macrophages

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jessica eHoppstädter

    2015-03-01

    Full Text Available While silica nanoparticles have enabled numerous industrial and medical applications, their toxicological safety requires further evaluation. Macrophages are the major cell population responsible for nanoparticle clearance in vivo. The prevailing macrophage phenotype largely depends on the local immune status of the host. Whereas M1-polarized macrophages are considered as pro-inflammatory macrophages involved in host defense, M2 macrophages exhibit anti-inflammatory and wound-healing properties, but also promote tumor growth.We employed different models of M1 and M2 polarization: GM-CSF/LPS/IFN-gamma was used to generate primary human M1 cells and M-CSF/IL-10 to differentiate M2 monocyte-derived macrophages. PMA-differentiated THP-1 cells were polarized towards an M1 type by LPS/IFN-gamma and towards M2 by IL-10. Uptake of fluorescent silica nanoparticles (Ø 26 and 41 nm and microparticles (Ø 1.75 µm was quantified. At the concentration used (50 µg/ml, silica nanoparticles did not influence cell viability as assessed by MTT assay. Nanoparticle uptake was enhanced in M2-polarized primary human monocyte-derived macrophages compared with M1 cells, as shown by flow cytometric and microscopic approaches. In contrast, the uptake of microparticles did not differ between M1 and M2 phenotypes. M2 polarization was also associated with increased nanoparticle uptake in the macrophage-like THP-1 cell line. In accordance, in vivo polarized M2-like primary human tumor-associated macrophages (TAM obtained from lung tumors took up more nanoparticles than M1-like alveolar macrophages isolated from the surrounding lung tissue.In summary, our data indicate that the M2 polarization of macrophages promotes nanoparticle internalization. Therefore, the phenotypical differences between macrophage subsets should be taken into consideration in future investigations on nanosafety, but might also open up therapeutic perspectives allowing to specifically target M2

  17. A Fluorescent Assay for Plant Caffeic Acid O-methyltransferases

    Science.gov (United States)

    We have developed a facile, sensitive and continuous assay to measure the activities of plant COMTs using s-adenosyl homocysteine hydrolase as a coupling enzyme and and adeonsine a thiol-specific fluor, Thioglo1, as the detecting reagent. This assay was validated using recombinant sorghum COMT (BMR-...

  18. Spectrophotometric Enzyme Assays for High-Throughput Screening

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jean-Louis Reymond

    2004-01-01

    Full Text Available This paper reviews high-throughput screening enzyme assays developed in our laboratory over the last ten years. These enzyme assays were initially developed for the purpose of discovering catalytic antibodies by screening cell culture supernatants, but have proved generally useful for testing enzyme activities. Examples include TLC-based screening using acridone-labeled substrates, fluorogenic assays based on the β-elimination of umbelliferone or nitrophenol, and indirect assays such as the back-titration method with adrenaline and the copper-calcein fluorescence assay for aminoacids.

  19. A disordered polaron model for polarized fluorescence excitation spectra of LH1 and LH2 bacteriochlorophyll antenna aggregates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Trinkunas, Gediminas; Freiberg, Arvi

    2006-01-01

    Excitonic polarons in antenna complexes are subject to static lattice disorder. A model has been developed to analyze polarized fluorescence excitation spectra of circular light-harvesting complexes from purple photosynthetic bacteria containing bacteriochlorophyll as the main photoactive pigment that includes both diagonal (energetic) and off-diagonal (structural) disorders. Essential differences of disorder realizations seem to exist between the core LH1 and peripheral LH2 complexes from the bacterium Rhodobacter sphaeroides. The disorder in LH1 appears to be dominated by the structural disorder, while that in LH2, by energetic one. These differences may be due to relatively bigger size of the LH1 complex and, consequently, with its enhanced structural flexibility

  20. Activity, polypeptide and gene identification of thylakoid Ndh complex in trees: potential physiological relevance of fluorescence assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serrot, Patricia H; Sabater, Bartolomé; Martín, Mercedes

    2012-09-01

    Three evergreen (Laurus nobilis, Viburnum tinus and Thuja plicata) and two autumnal abscission deciduous trees (Cydonia oblonga and Prunus domestica) have been investigated for the presence (zymogram and immunodetection) and functionality (post-illumination chlorophyll fluorescence) of the thylakoid Ndh complex. The presence of encoding ndh genes has also been investigated in T. plicata. Western assays allowed tentative identification of zymogram NADH dehydrogenase bands corresponding to the Ndh complex after native electrophoresis of solubilized fractions from L. nobilis, V. tinus, C. oblonga and P. domestica leaves, but not in those of T. plicata. However, Ndh subunits were detected after SDS-PAGE of thylakoid solubilized proteins of T. plicata. The leaves of the five plants showed the post-illumination chlorophyll fluorescence increase dependent on the presence of active Ndh complex. The fluorescence increase was higher in autumn in deciduous, but not in evergreen trees, which suggests that the thylakoid Ndh complex could be involved in autumnal leaf senescence. Two ndhB genes were sequenced from T. plicata that differ at the 350 bp 3' end sequence. Comparison with the mRNA revealed that ndhB genes have a 707-bp type II intron between exons 1 (723 bp) and 2 (729 bp) and that the UCA 259th codon is edited to UUA in mRNA. Phylogenetically, the ndhB genes of T. plicata group close to those of Metasequoia, Cryptomeria, Taxodium, Juniperus and Widdringtonia in the cupresaceae branch and are 5' end shortened by 18 codons with respect to that of angiosperms. Copyright © Physiologia Plantarum 2012.

  1. Crystallography and Molecular Arrangement of Polymorphic Monolayer J-Aggregates of a Cyanine Dye: Multiangle Polarized Light Fluorescence Optical Microscopy Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Prokhorov, Valery V; Pozin, Sergey I; Perelygina, Olga M; Mal'tsev, Eugene I

    2018-04-24

    The molecular orientation in monolayer J-aggregates of 3,3-di(γ-sulfopropyl)-5,5-dichlorotiamonomethinecyanine dye has been precisely estimated using improved linear polarization measurements in the fluorescence microscope in which a multiangle set of polarization data is obtained using sample rotation. The estimated molecular orientation supplemented with the previously established crystallographic constraints based on the analysis of the well-developed two-dimensional J-aggregate shapes unambiguously indicate the staircase type of molecular arrangement for striplike J-aggregates with the staircases oriented along strips. The molecular transition dipoles are inclined at an angle of ∼25° to the strip direction, whereas the characteristic strip vertex angle ∼45° is formed by the [100] and [1-10] directions of the monoclinic unit cell. Measurements of the geometry of partially unwound tubes and their polarization properties support the model of tube formation by close-packed helical winding of flexible monolayer strips. In the tubes, the long molecular axes are oriented at a small angle in the range of 5-15° to the normal to the tube axis providing low bending energy. At a nanoscale, high-resolution atomic force microscopy imaging of J-aggregate monolayers reveals a complex quasi-one-dimensional organization.

  2. Rapid screening of aflatoxin B1 in beer by fluorescence polarization immunoassay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Beloglazova, N V; Eremin, S A

    2015-09-01

    This manuscript describes the development of a sensitive, fast and easily-performed fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) for the mycotoxin aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) in various beer samples, both lager and dark. The highest sensitivity was determined for six poly- and monoclonal antibodies selective towards aflatoxins. The sample pretreatment design was emphasized since beer samples are characterized by extremely diverse matrices. Herein, the choice of sorbent for effective removal of matrix interferences prior to analysis was crucial. The samples were diluted with a borate buffer solution containing 1% PEG 6000 and passed through the clean-up column packed with NH2-derivated silica. This sample pretreatment technique was perfectly suitable for the FPIA of lager beer samples, but for dark beer and ale it did not suffice. An artificial matrix was constructed to plot a calibration curve and quantify the results of the latter samples. The developed immunoassay was characterized by a limit of detection of 1 ng mL(-1). Apparent recovery values of 89-114% for lager and 80-125% for dark beer were established. The FPIA data for AFB1 was characterized by elevated linear regression coefficients, 0.9953 for spiked lager and 0.9895 for dark beer samples respectively. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Quantification of Material Fluorescence and Light Scattering Cross Sections Using Ratiometric Bandwidth-Varied Polarized Resonance Synchronous Spectroscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xu, Joanna Xiuzhu; Hu, Juan; Zhang, Dongmao

    2018-05-25

    Presented herein is the ratiometric bandwidth-varied polarized resonance synchronous spectroscopy (BVPRS2) method for quantification of material optical activity spectra. These include the sample light absorption and scattering cross-section spectrum, the scattering depolarization spectrum, and the fluorescence emission cross-section and depolarization spectrum in the wavelength region where the sample both absorbs and emits. This ratiometric BVPRS2 spectroscopic method is a self-contained technique capable of quantitatively decoupling material fluorescence and light scattering signal contribution to its ratiometric BVPRS2 spectra through the linear curve-fitting of the ratiometric BVPRS2 signal as a function of the wavelength bandwidth used in the PRS2 measurements. Example applications of this new spectroscopic method are demonstrated with materials that can be approximated as pure scatterers, simultaneous photon absorbers/emitters, simultaneous photon absorbers/scatterers, and finally simultaneous photon absorbers/scatterers/emitters. Because the only instruments needed for this ratiometric BVPRS2 technique are the conventional UV-vis spectrophotometer and spectrofluorometer, this work should open doors for routine decomposition of material UV-vis extinction spectrum into its absorption and scattering component spectra. The methodology and insights provided in this work should be of broad significance to all chemical research that involves photon/matter interactions.

  4. Synchronous fluorescence spectroscopic study of solvatochromic curcumin dye

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patra, Digambara; Barakat, Christelle

    2011-09-01

    Curcumin, the main yellow bioactive component of turmeric, has recently acquired attention by chemists due its wide range of potential biological applications as an antioxidant, an anti-inflammatory, and an anti-carcinogenic agent. This molecule fluoresces weakly and poorly soluble in water. In this detailed study of curcumin in thirteen different solvents, both the absorption and fluorescence spectra of curcumin was found to be broad, however, a narrower and simple synchronous fluorescence spectrum of curcumin was obtained at Δ λ = 10-20 nm. Lippert-Mataga plot of curcumin in different solvents illustrated two sets of linearity which is consistent with the plot of Stokes' shift vs. the ET30. When Stokes's shift in wavenumber scale was replaced by synchronous fluorescence maximum in nanometer scale, the solvent polarity dependency measured by λSFSmax vs. Lippert-Mataga plot or ET30 values offered similar trends as measured via Stokes' shift for protic and aprotic solvents for curcumin. Better linear correlation of λSFSmax vs. π* scale of solvent polarity was found compared to λabsmax or λemmax or Stokes' shift measurements. In Stokes' shift measurement both absorption/excitation as well as emission (fluorescence) spectra are required to compute the Stokes' shift in wavenumber scale, but measurement could be done in a very fast and simple way by taking a single scan of SFS avoiding calculation and obtain information about polarity of the solvent. Curcumin decay properties in all the solvents could be fitted well to a double-exponential decay function.

  5. Selective nonspecific solvation under dielectric saturation and fluorescence spectra of dye solutions in binary solvents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bakhshiev, N G; Kiselev, M B

    1991-09-01

    The influence of selective nonspecific solvation on the fluorescence spectra of three substitutedN-methylphthalimides in a binary solvent system consisting of a nonpolar (n-heptane) and a polar (pyridine) component has been studied under conditions close to dielectric saturation. The substantially nonlinearity of the effect is confirmation that the spectral shifts of fluorescence bands depend on the number of polar solvent molecules involved in solvating the dye molecule. The measured fluorescence spectral shifts determined by substituting one nonpolar solvent molecula with a polar one in the proximity of the dye molecule agree quantitatively with the forecasts of the previously proposed semiempirical theory which describes this nonlinear solvation phenomenon.

  6. Monitoring changes in membrane polarity, membrane integrity, and intracellular ion concentrations in Streptococcus pneumoniae using fluorescent dyes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clementi, Emily A; Marks, Laura R; Roche-Håkansson, Hazeline; Håkansson, Anders P

    2014-02-17

    Membrane depolarization and ion fluxes are events that have been studied extensively in biological systems due to their ability to profoundly impact cellular functions, including energetics and signal transductions. While both fluorescent and electrophysiological methods, including electrode usage and patch-clamping, have been well developed for measuring these events in eukaryotic cells, methodology for measuring similar events in microorganisms have proven more challenging to develop given their small size in combination with the more complex outer surface of bacteria shielding the membrane. During our studies of death-initiation in Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), we wanted to elucidate the role of membrane events, including changes in polarity, integrity, and intracellular ion concentrations. Searching the literature, we found that very few studies exist. Other investigators had monitored radioisotope uptake or equilibrium to measure ion fluxes and membrane potential and a limited number of studies, mostly in Gram-negative organisms, had seen some success using carbocyanine or oxonol fluorescent dyes to measure membrane potential, or loading bacteria with cell-permeant acetoxymethyl (AM) ester versions of ion-sensitive fluorescent indicator dyes. We therefore established and optimized protocols for measuring membrane potential, rupture, and ion-transport in the Gram-positive organism S. pneumoniae. We developed protocols using the bis-oxonol dye DiBAC4(3) and the cell-impermeant dye propidium iodide to measure membrane depolarization and rupture, respectively, as well as methods to optimally load the pneumococci with the AM esters of the ratiometric dyes Fura-2, PBFI, and BCECF to detect changes in intracellular concentrations of Ca(2+), K(+), and H(+), respectively, using a fluorescence-detection plate reader. These protocols are the first of their kind for the pneumococcus and the majority of these dyes have not been used in any other bacterial

  7. Novel Photochrome Aptamer Switch Assay (PHASA) for adaptive binding to aptamers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Papper, Vladislav; Pokholenko, Oleksandr; Wu, Yuanyuan; Zhou, Yubin; Jianfeng, Ping; Steele, Terry W J; Marks, Robert S

    2014-11-01

    A novel Photochrome-Aptamer Switch Assay (PHASA) for the detection and quantification of small environmentally important molecules such as toxins, explosives, drugs and pollutants, which are difficult to detect using antibodies-based assays with high sensitivity and specificity, has been developed. The assay is based on the conjugation of a particular stilbene-analyte derivative to any aptamer of interest. A unique feature of the stilbene molecule is its reporting power via trans-cis photoisomerisation (from fluorescent trans-isomer to non-fluorescent cis-isomer) upon irradiation with the excitation light. The resulting fluorescence decay rate for the trans-isomer of the stilbene-analyte depends on viscosity and spatial freedom to rotate in the surrounding medium and can be used to indicate the presence of the analyte. Quantification of the assay is achieved by calibration of the fluorescence decay rate for the amount of the tested analyte. Two different formats of PHASA have been recently developed: direct conjugation and adaptive binding. New stilbene-maleimide derivatives used in the adaptive binding format have been prepared and characterised. They demonstrate effective binding to the model thiol compound and to the thiolated Malachite Green aptamer.

  8. Sensitive fluorescence HPLC assay for AQ-13, a candidate aminoquinoline antimalarial, that also detects chloroquine and N-dealkylated metabolites.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Haiyan; Liu, Huayin; Krogstad, Frances M; Krogstad, Donald J

    2006-04-03

    A sensitive, specific and reproducible fluorescence high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) assay has been developed for the separate or simultaneous measurement of AQ-13 (a candidate 4-aminoquinoline antimalarial), chloroquine (CQ), and their metabolites in whole blood. After liquid-solid extraction using commercially available extraction cartridges, these two aminoquinolines (AQs) and their metabolites were separated on C18 (Xterra RP18) columns using a mobile phase containing 60% borate buffer (20 mM, pH 9.0) and 40% acetonitrile with isocratic elution at a flow-rate of 1.0 ml/min. The assay uses a biologically inactive 8-chloro-4-aminoquinoline (AQ-18) as its internal standard (IS). There is a linear relationship between the concentrations of these AQs and the peak area ratio (ratio between the peak area of the AQ or metabolite and the peak area of the IS) on the chromatogram. Linear calibration curves with correlation coefficients > or = 0.997 (r2 > or = 0.995, p < 0.001) were obtained for AQ-13, CQ and their N-dealkylated metabolites. Reproducibility of the assay was excellent with coefficients of variation (CVs) < or = 3.8% for AQ-13 and its metabolites, and < or =2.5% for CQ and its metabolites. The sensitivity of the assay is 5 nM using 1.0 ml of blood and a 20 microl injection volume, and can be increased by using 5.0 ml of blood with an injection volume of 40 microl.

  9. DART: Recent Advances in Remote Sensing Data Modeling With Atmosphere, Polarization, and Chlorophyll Fluorescence

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gastellu-Etchegorry, Jean-Phil; Lauret, Nicolas; Yin, Tiangang; Landier, Lucas; Kallel, Abdelaziz; Malenovsky, Zbynek; Bitar, Ahmad Al; Aval, Josselin; Benhmida, Sahar; Qi, Jianbo; hide

    2017-01-01

    To better understand the life-essential cycles and processes of our planet and to further develop remote sensing (RS) technology, there is an increasing need for models that simulate the radiative budget (RB) and RS acquisitions of urban and natural landscapes using physical approaches and considering the three-dimensional (3-D) architecture of Earth surfaces. Discrete anisotropic radiative transfer (DART) is one of the most comprehensive physically based 3-D models of Earth-atmosphere radiative transfer, covering the spectral domain from ultraviolet to thermal infrared wavelengths. It simulates the optical 3-DRB and optical signals of proximal, aerial, and satellite imaging spectrometers and laser scanners, for any urban and/or natural landscapes and for any experimental and instrumental configurations. It is freely available for research and teaching activities. In this paper, we briefly introduce DART theory and present recent advances in simulated sensors (LiDAR and cameras with finite field of view) and modeling mechanisms (atmosphere, specular reflectance with polarization and chlorophyll fluorescence). A case study demonstrating a novel application of DART to investigate urban landscapes is also presented.

  10. A Low-Cost, High-Performance System for Fluorescence Lateral Flow Assays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Linda G. Lee

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available We demonstrate a fluorescence lateral flow system that has excellent sensitivity and wide dynamic range. The illumination system utilizes an LED, plastic lenses and plastic and colored glass filters for the excitation and emission light. Images are collected on an iPhone 4. Several fluorescent dyes with long Stokes shifts were evaluated for their signal and nonspecific binding in lateral flow. A wide range of values for the ratio of signal to nonspecific binding was found, from 50 for R-phycoerythrin (R-PE to 0.15 for Brilliant Violet 605. The long Stokes shift of R-PE allowed the use of inexpensive plastic filters rather than costly interference filters to block the LED light. Fluorescence detection with R-PE and absorbance detection with colloidal gold were directly compared in lateral flow using biotinylated bovine serum albumen (BSA as the analyte. Fluorescence provided linear data over a range of 0.4–4,000 ng/mL with a 1,000-fold signal change while colloidal gold provided non-linear data over a range of 16–4,000 ng/mL with a 10-fold signal change. A comparison using human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG as the analyte showed a similar advantage in the fluorescent system. We believe our inexpensive yet high-performance platform will be useful for providing quantitative and sensitive detection in a point-of-care setting.

  11. Photobleaching and Fluorescence Recovery of RPE Bisretinoids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhao Liu

    Full Text Available The autofluorescence of the retina that originates primarily from lipofuscin fluorophores in retinal pigment epithelial cells, is observed to undergo photobleaching during the acquisition of fundus autofluorescence images. Bisretinoid fluorophores isolated from retinal pigment epithelial cells have the spectral characteristics consistent with their being the source of fundus autofluorescence. Clinically relevant experiments were designed to better understand conditions in the micromilieu of bisretinoid fluorophores that can influence fluorescence efficiencies, photobleaching, and subsequent fluorescence recovery of this fluorophore. The consumption of the bisretinoid A2E due to photooxidation-induced degradation was quantified in solvent systems of variable relative permittivity (formerly called dielectric constant, in micelles, and in phospholipid vesicles of varying composition. Reorganization within biphasic systems was also examined. A2E content was measured by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC and fluorescence intensity was quantified spectroscopically. As solvent polarity was increased, A2E fluorescent spectra exhibited red-shifted maxima and reduced intensity. A2E was depleted by light irradiation and the loss was more pronounced in less polar solvents, lower concentrations of anionic surfactant, and in gel- versus fluid-ordered phospholipid liposomes. Conditions that permit A2E aggregation promoted photooxidation/photodegradation, while movement of A2E between bisphasic systems was associated with fluorescence recovery after photobleaching. The fluorescence characteristics of A2E are subject to environmental modulation. Photooxidation and photodegradation of bisretinoid can account for fundus autofluorescence photobleaching. Return of fluorescence intensity after photobleaching likely occurs due to redistribution of A2E fractions amongst co-existing heterogeneous microdomains of the lysosomal compartment.

  12. One Pot Synthesis, Photophysical and X-ray Studies of Novel Highly Fluorescent Isoquinoline Derivatives with Higher Antibacterial Efficacy Based on the In-vitro and Density Functional Theory.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asiri, Abdullah M; Khan, Salman A; Al-Thaqafy, Saad H; Sharma, Kamlesh

    2015-05-01

    Series of cyano substituted isoquinoline dyes were synthesized by one-pot multicomponent reactions (MCRs) of aldehydes, malononitrile, 6-methoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-naphthalin-1-one and ammonium acetate. Results obtained from spectroscopic (FT-IR, (1)H-NMR, (13)C-NMR, EI-MS) and elemental analysis of synthesized compounds was in agreement with their chemical structures. Structure of the compound was further conformed by X-ray crystallographic. UV-vis and fluorescence spectroscopy measurements provided that all compounds are good absorbent and fluorescent. Fluorescence polarity study demonstrated that these compounds were sensitive to the polarity of the microenvironment provided by different solvents. In addition, spectroscopic and physicochemical parameters, including electronic absorption, extenction coefficient, Stokes shift, oscillator strength transition dipole moment and fluorescence quantum yield were investigated in order to explore the analytical potential of synthesized compounds. The anti-bacterial activity of these compounds were first studied in vitro by the disk diffusion assay against two Gram-positive and two Gram-negative bacteria. The minimum inhibitory concentration was then determined with the reference of standard drug chloramphenicol. The results displayed that compound 3 was better inhibitors of both types of the bacteria (Gram-positive and Gram-negative) than chloramphenicol. Furthermore, quantum chemistry calculations using DFT/6-31-G* level of theory confirm the results. Dipole moment and frontier molecular orbitals were also investigated.

  13. Development of a keratinocyte-based screening model for antipsoriatic drugs using green fluorescent protein under the control of an endogenous promoter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pol, Arno; van Ruissen, Fred; Schalkwijk, Joost

    2002-08-01

    Inflamed epidermis (psoriasis, wound healing, ultraviolet-irradiated skin) harbors keratinocytes that are hyperproliferative and display an abnormal differentiation program. A distinct feature of this so-called regenerative maturation pathway is the expression of proteins such as the cytokeratins CK6, CK16, and CK17 and the antiinflammatory protein SKALP/elafin. These proteins are absent in normal skin but highly induced in lesional psoriatic skin. Expression of these genes can be used as a surrogate marker for psoriasis in drug-screening procedures of large compound libraries. The aim of this study was to develop a keratinocyte cell line that contained a reporter gene under the control of a psoriasis-associated endogenous promoter and demonstrate its use in an assay suitable for screening. We generated a stably transfected keratinocyte cell line that expresses enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP), under the control of a 0.8-kb fragment derived from the promoter of the SKALP/elafin gene, which confers high levels of tissue-specific expression at the mRNA level. Induction of the SKALP promoter by tumor necrosis factor-alpha resulted in increased expression levels of the secreted SKALP-EGFP fusion protein as assessed by direct readout of fluorescence and fluorescence polarization in 96-well cell culture plates. The fold stimulation of the reporter gene was comparable to that of the endogenous SKALP gene as assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Although the dynamic range of the screening system is limited, the small standard deviation yields a Z factor of 0.49. This indicates that the assay is suitable as a high-throughput screen, and provides proof of the concept that a secreted EGFP fusion protein under the control of a physiologically relevant endogenous promoter can be used as a fluorescence-based high-throughput screen for differentiation-modifying or antiinflammatory compounds that act via the keratinocyte.

  14. Establishment of a 10-Plex Quantitative Fluorescent-PCR Assay for rapid diagnosis of sex chromosome aneuploidies.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xingmei Xie

    Full Text Available Sex chromosome aneuploidies occur commonly in the general population, with an incidence of 1 in 400 newborns. However, no tests specifically targeting sex chromosomes have been carried out in prenatal diagnosis or newborn screening, resulting in late recognition of these diseases. In this study, a rapid diagnostic method for sex chromosome aneuploidies was established using Quantitative Fluorescent-PCR (QF-PCR. Ten markers were included in one multiplex QF-PCR assay, including two sex determination genes (AMXY and SRY, five X-linked short tandem repeats (STRs; DXS1053, DXS981, DXS6809, DXS1187, and DXS8377, one X/Y-common STR (X22, and two autosomal STRs (D13S305 and D21S11. Retrospective tests of 70 cases with known cytogenetic results indicated that the 10-plex QF-PCR assay could well determine sex chromosome copy numbers by both allelic peak numbers and a sex chromosome dosage calculation with the autosomal STRs as internal controls. Prospective comparison with cytogenetic karyotyping on 534 cases confirmed that the 10-plex QF-PCR assay could be well employed for sex chromosome aneuploidy diagnosis in at least the Chinese Han population. This is the first QF-PCR test for the diagnosis of sex chromosome aneuploidies in the Chinese population. This test is superior to previous designs by including up to 8 sex-linked markers covering different parts of sex chromosomes as well as employing internal controls for copy number dosage calculation in a single PCR reaction. Due to simple technique and data analysis, as well as easy implementation within routine clinical services, this method is of great clinical application value and could be widely applied.

  15. Highly thermostable fluorescent proteins

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bradbury, Andrew M [Santa Fe, NM; Waldo, Geoffrey S [Santa Fe, NM; Kiss, Csaba [Los Alamos, NM

    2011-03-22

    Thermostable fluorescent proteins (TSFPs), methods for generating these and other stability-enhanced proteins, polynucleotides encoding such proteins, and assays and method for using the TSFPs and TSFP-encoding nucleic acid molecules are provided. The TSFPs of the invention show extremely enhanced levels of stability and thermotolerance. In one case, for example, a TSFP of the invention is so stable it can be heated to 99.degree. C. for short periods of time without denaturing, and retains 85% of its fluorescence when heated to 80.degree. C. for several minutes. The invention also provides a method for generating stability-enhanced variants of a protein, including but not limited to fluorescent proteins.

  16. Characterization of antibody-chelator conjugates: Determination of chelator content by terbium fluorescence titration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Brandt, K.D.; Schnobrich, K.E.; Johnson, D.K. (Abbott Laboratories, Department 90M, Abbott Park, IL (United States))

    1991-01-01

    Fluorescence titrations were performed by adding varying mole ratios of terbium(III) to antibody conjugates formed by benzyl isothiocyanate derivatives of three different polyaminopolycarboxylate chelators (NTA, EDTA, and DTPA) and the results compared to values for average chelator content obtained by cobalt-57 binding assays. For two different murine monoclonal antibodies, the average chelator content obtained by terbium fluorescence titration correlated closely with that measured by the cobalt-57 binding assay. It is concluded that lanthanide fluorescence titrations provide a useful alternative to radiometal binding assays for the determination of chelator content in protein-chelator conjugates.

  17. Characterization of antibody-chelator conjugates: Determination of chelator content by terbium fluorescence titration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Brandt, K.D.; Schnobrich, K.E.; Johnson, D.K.

    1991-01-01

    Fluorescence titrations were performed by adding varying mole ratios of terbium(III) to antibody conjugates formed by benzyl isothiocyanate derivatives of three different polyaminopolycarboxylate chelators (NTA, EDTA, and DTPA) and the results compared to values for average chelator content obtained by cobalt-57 binding assays. For two different murine monoclonal antibodies, the average chelator content obtained by terbium fluorescence titration correlated closely with that measured by the cobalt-57 binding assay. It is concluded that lanthanide fluorescence titrations provide a useful alternative to radiometal binding assays for the determination of chelator content in protein-chelator conjugates

  18. Fluorescence Decay Dynamics of Ethidium Bromide in Polymers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jee, Ah Young; Min Yung

    2010-01-01

    The fluorescence lifetimes of EB in five polymers covering LDPE, HDPE, PC, PS, and PAA were measured by picosecond time-correlated single photon counting. The lifetime change of EB has been previously described by hydrogen bonding ability. In this work, we have observed that the lifetime of EB depends strongly on the Young's modulus of medium. Thus, it is possible that the fluorescence decay dynamics of EB could be influenced by medium rigidity rather than hydrogen bonding ability in polymer. The medium influence on the fluorescence decay dynamics of ethidium bromide (EB) has been investigated in various environments. For example, Ohmstead and Kearns related the fluorescence lifetime of EB to the excited-state proton transfer process. In addition, they reported that the solvent viscosity plays a minor role in the excited state decay process of EB. Chirico et al. measured the fluorescence decay of EB as 1.7 ns in water and 6.5 ns in ethanol and concluded that hydrogen bonding ability is a key factor for the nonradiative relaxation. Pal et al. measured the fluorescence decay time of EB in acetone, acetonitrile, and their mixtures. They observed that the fluorescence decay processes were independent on the solvent polarity. These results show that the EB lifetime does not depend much on polarity or viscosity, but is mainly influenced by hydrogen bonding. Overall, EB is one of most widely used dyes for probing DNA. When EB is intercalated into the helical structure of DNA, a large increase in the fluorescence lifetime has been observed in comparison with water environment, and the fluorescence enhancement was attributed to the blocking of the excited-state proton transfer

  19. Propagation of ionization waves during ignition of fluorescent lamps

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Langer, R; Tidecks, R; Horn, S; Garner, R; Hilscher, A

    2008-01-01

    The propagation of the first ionization wave in a compact fluorescent lamp (T4 tube with standard electrodes) during ignition was investigated for various initial dc-voltages (both polarities measured against ground) and gas compositions (with and without mercury). In addition the effect of the presence of a fluorescent powder coating was studied. The propagation velocity of the initial wave was measured by an assembly of photomultipliers installed along the tube, which detected the light emitted by the wave head. The propagation was found to be faster for positive than for negative polarity. This effect is explained involving processes in the electrode region as well as in the wave head. Waves propagate faster in the presence of a fluorescent powder coating than without it and gases of lighter mass show a faster propagation than gases with higher mass

  20. Highly Sensitive Ratiometric Fluorescent Sensor for Trinitrotoluene Based on the Inner Filter Effect between Gold Nanoparticles and Fluorescent Nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lu, Hongzhi; Quan, Shuai; Xu, Shoufang

    2017-11-08

    In this work, we developed a simple and sensitive ratiometric fluorescent assay for sensing trinitrotoluene (TNT) based on the inner filter effect (IFE) between gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) and ratiometric fluorescent nanoparticles (RFNs), which was designed by hybridizing green emissive carbon dots (CDs) and red emissive quantum dots (QDs) into a silica sphere as a fluorophore pair. AuNPs in their dispersion state can be a powerful absorber to quench CDs, while the aggregated AuNPs can quench QDs in the IFE-based fluorescent assays as a result of complementary overlap between the absorption spectrum of AuNPs and emission spectrum of RFNs. As a result of the fact that TNT can induce the aggregation of AuNPs, with the addition of TNT, the fluorescent of QDs can be quenched, while the fluorescent of CDs would be recovered. Then, ratiometric fluorescent detection of TNT is feasible. The present IFE-based ratiometric fluorescent sensor can detect TNT ranging from 0.1 to 270 nM, with a detection limit of 0.029 nM. In addition, the developed method was successfully applied to investigate TNT in water and soil samples with satisfactory recoveries ranging from 95 to 103%, with precision below 4.5%. The simple sensing approach proposed here could improve the sensitivity of colorimetric analysis by changing the ultraviolet analysis to ratiometric fluorescent analysis and promote the development of a dual-mode detection system.

  1. Proceedings of the Japan-US workshop on plasma polarization spectroscopy and the international seminar on plasma polarization spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujimoto, Takashi; Beiersdorfer, Peter [eds.

    1998-06-01

    The international meeting on Plasma Polarization Spectroscopy (PPS) was held in Kyoto during January 26-28, 1998. This Proceedings book includes the papers of the talks given at the meeting. These include: overviews of PPS from the aspects of atomic physics, and of plasma physics; several PPS and MSE (motional Stark effect) experiments on magnetically confined plasmas and a laser-produced plasma; polarized laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy, several experiments on EBITs (electron beam ion trap) and their theoretical interpretations; polarized profiles of spectral lines, basic formulation of PPS; inelastic and elastic electron collisions leading to polarized atomic states; polarization in recombining plasma; relationship between the collisional polarization relaxation and the line broadening; and characteristics of the plasma produced by very short pulse and high power laser irradiation. The 19 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

  2. Nucleic Acid Sandwich Hybridization Assay with Quantum Dot-Induced Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer for Pathogen Detection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chou, Cheng-Chung; Huang, Yi-Han

    2012-01-01

    This paper reports a nucleic acid sandwich hybridization assay with a quantum dot (QD)-induced fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) reporter system. Two label-free hemagglutinin H5 sequences (60-mer DNA and 630-nt cDNA fragment) of avian influenza viruses were used as the targets in this work. Two oligonucleotides (16 mers and 18 mers) that specifically recognize two separate but neighboring regions of the H5 sequences were served as the capturing and reporter probes, respectively. The capturing probe was conjugated to QD655 (donor) in a molar ratio of 10:1 (probe-to-QD), and the reporter probe was labeled with Alexa Fluor 660 dye (acceptor) during synthesis. The sandwich hybridization assay was done in a 20 μL transparent, adhesive frame-confined microchamber on a disposable, temperature-adjustable indium tin oxide (ITO) glass slide. The FRET signal in response to the sandwich hybridization was monitored by a homemade optical sensor comprising a single 400 nm UV light-emitting diode (LED), optical fibers, and a miniature 16-bit spectrophotometer. The target with a concentration ranging from 0.5 nM to 1 μM was successfully correlated with both QD emission decrease at 653 nm and dye emission increase at 690 nm. To sum up, this work is beneficial for developing a portable QD-based nucleic acid sensor for on-site pathogen detection. PMID:23211753

  3. An Ultra-High Fluorescence Enhancement and High Throughput Assay for Revealing Expression and Internalization of Chemokine Receptor CXCR4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    He, Hua; Wang, Xiaojuan; Cheng, Tiantian; Xia, Yongqing; Lao, Jun; Ge, Baosheng; Ren, Hao; Khan, Naseer Ullah; Huang, Fang

    2016-04-18

    Revealing chemokine receptor CXCR4 expression, distribution, and internalization levels in different cancers helps to evaluate cancer progression or prognosis and to set personalized treatment strategy. We here describe a sensitive and high-throughput immunoassay for determining CXCR4 expression and distribution in cancer cells. The assay is accessible to a wide range of users in an ordinary lab only by dip-coating poly(styrene-co-N-isopropylacrylamide) spheres on the glass substrate. The self- assembled spheres form three-dimensional photonic colloidal crystals which enhance the fluorescence of CF647 and Alexa Fluor 647 by a factor of up to 1000. CXCR4 in cells is detected by using the sandwich immunoassay, where the primary antibody recognizes CXCR4 and the secondary antibody is labeled with CF647. With the newly established assay, we quantified the total expression of CXCR4, its distribution on the cell membrane and cytoplasm, and revealed their internalization level upon SDF-1α activation in various cancer cells, even for those with extremely low expression level. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  4. On-chip multiplexed solid-phase nucleic acid hybridization assay using spatial profiles of immobilized quantum dots and fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noor, M Omair; Tavares, Anthony J; Krull, Ulrich J

    2013-07-25

    A microfluidic based solid-phase assay for the multiplexed detection of nucleic acid hybridization using quantum dot (QD) mediated fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is described herein. The glass surface of hybrid glass-polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic channels was chemically modified to assemble the biorecognition interface. Multiplexing was demonstrated using a detection system that was comprised of two colors of immobilized semi-conductor QDs and two different oligonucleotide probe sequences. Green-emitting and red-emitting QDs were paired with Cy3 and Alexa Fluor 647 (A647) labeled oligonucleotides, respectively. The QDs served as energy donors for the transduction of dye labeled oligonucleotide targets. The in-channel assembly of the biorecognition interface and the subsequent introduction of oligonucleotide targets was accomplished within minutes using a combination of electroosmotic flow and electrophoretic force. The concurrent quantification of femtomole quantities of two target sequences was possible by measuring the spatial coverage of FRET sensitized emission along the length of the channel. In previous reports, multiplexed QD-FRET hybridization assays that employed a ratiometric method for quantification had challenges associated with lower analytical sensitivity arising from both donor and acceptor dilution that resulted in reduced energy transfer pathways as compared to single-color hybridization assays. Herein, a spatial method for quantification that is based on in-channel QD-FRET profiles provided higher analytical sensitivity in the multiplexed assay format as compared to single-color hybridization assays. The selectivity of the multiplexed hybridization assays was demonstrated by discrimination between a fully-complementary sequence and a 3 base pair sequence at a contrast ratio of 8 to 1. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Statistical uncertainties of nondestructive assay for spent nuclear fuel by using nuclear resonance fluorescence

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Shizuma, Toshiyuki, E-mail: shizuma.toshiyuki@jaea.go.jp [Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Hayakawa, Takehito; Angell, Christopher T.; Hajima, Ryoichi [Quantum Beam Science Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Minato, Futoshi; Suyama, Kenya [Nuclear Science and Engineering Directorate, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1195 (Japan); Seya, Michio [Integrated Support Center for Nuclear Nonproliferation and Nuclear Security, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai, Ibaraki 319-1198 (Japan); Johnson, Micah S. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave. Livermore, CA 94550 (United States); Department of Physics and Astronomy, San Jose State University, One Washington Square, San Jose, CA 9519 (United States); McNabb, Dennis P. [Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, 7000 East Ave. Livermore, CA 94550 (United States)

    2014-02-11

    We estimated statistical uncertainties of a nondestructive assay system using nuclear resonance fluorescence (NRF) for spent nuclear fuel including low-concentrations of actinide nuclei with an intense, mono-energetic photon beam. Background counts from radioactive materials inside the spent fuel were calculated with the ORIGEN2.2-UPJ burn-up computer code. Coherent scattering contribution associated with Rayleigh, nuclear Thomson, and Delbrück scattering was also considered. The energy of the coherent scattering overlaps with that of NRF transitions to the ground state. Here, we propose to measure NRF transitions to the first excited state to avoid the coherent scattering contribution. Assuming that the total NRF cross-sections are in the range of 3–100 eV b at excitation energies of 2.25, 3.5, and 5 MeV, statistical uncertainties of the NRF measurement were estimated. We concluded that it is possible to assay 1% actinide content in the spent fuel with 2.2–3.2% statistical precision during 4000 s measurement time for the total integrated cross-section of 30 eV b at excitation energies of 3.5–5 MeV by using a photon beam with an intensity of 10{sup 6} photons/s/eV. We also examined both the experimental and theoretical NRF cross-sections for actinide nuclei. The calculation based on the quasi-particle random phase approximation suggests the existence of strong magnetic dipole resonances at excitation energies ranging from 2 to 6 MeV with the scattering cross-sections of tens eV b around 5 MeV in {sup 238}U.

  6. Clinical Comparison of the Treponema pallidum CAPTIA Syphilis-G Enzyme Immunoassay with the Fluorescent Treponemal Antibody Absorption Immunoglobulin G Assay for Syphilis Testing

    OpenAIRE

    Halling, V. W.; Jones, M. F.; Bestrom, J. E.; Wold, A. D.; Rosenblatt, J. E.; Smith, T. F.; Cockerill, F. R.

    1999-01-01

    Recently, a treponema-specific immunoglobulin G (IgG) enzyme immunoassay (EIA), the CAPTIA Syphilis-G (Trinity Biotech, Jamestown, N.Y.), has become available as a diagnostic test for syphilis. A total of 89 stored sera previously tested by the fluorescent treponemal antibody absorption (FTA-ABS) IgG assay were evaluated by the CAPTIA EIA. The FTA-ABS IgG procedure was performed by technologists unblinded to results of rapid plasmid reagin (RPR) testing of the same specimens. Borderline CAPTI...

  7. Portable ultrahigh-vacuum sample storage system for polarization-dependent total-reflection fluorescence x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Watanabe, Yoshihide, E-mail: e0827@mosk.tytlabs.co.jp; Nishimura, Yusaku F.; Suzuki, Ryo; Beniya, Atsushi; Isomura, Noritake [Toyota Central R& D Labs., Inc., Yokomichi 41-1, Nagakute, Aichi 480-1192 (Japan); Uehara, Hiromitsu; Asakura, Kiyotaka; Takakusagi, Satoru [Catalysis Research Center, Hokkaido University, Kita 21-10, Sapporo, Hokkaido 001-0021 (Japan); Nimura, Tomoyuki [AVC Co., Ltd., Inada 1450-6, Hitachinaka, Ibaraki 312-0061 (Japan)

    2016-03-15

    A portable ultrahigh-vacuum sample storage system was designed and built to investigate the detailed geometric structures of mass-selected metal clusters on oxide substrates by polarization-dependent total-reflection fluorescence x-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (PTRF-XAFS). This ultrahigh-vacuum (UHV) sample storage system provides the handover of samples between two different sample manipulating systems. The sample storage system is adaptable for public transportation, facilitating experiments using air-sensitive samples in synchrotron radiation or other quantum beam facilities. The samples were transferred by the developed portable UHV transfer system via a public transportation at a distance over 400 km. The performance of the transfer system was demonstrated by a successful PTRF-XAFS study of Pt{sub 4} clusters deposited on a TiO{sub 2}(110) surface.

  8. Establishment of 60Co dose calibration curve using fluorescent in situ hybridization assay technique: Result of preliminary study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rahimah Abdul Rahim; Noriah Jamal; Noraisyah Mohd Yusof; Juliana Mahamad Napiah; Nelly Bo Nai Lee

    2010-01-01

    This study aims at establishing an in-vitro 60 Co dose calibration curve using Fluorescent In-Situ Hybridization assay technique for the Malaysian National Bio dosimetry Laboratory. Blood samples collected from a female healthy donor were irradiated with several doses of 60 Co radiation. Following culturing of lymphocytes, microscopic slides are prepared, denatured and hybridized. The frequencies of translocation are estimated in the metaphases. A calibration curve was then generated using a regression technique. It shows a good fit to a linear-quadratic model. The results of this study might be useful in estimating absorbed dose for the individual exposed to ionizing radiation retrospectively. This information may be useful as a guide for medical treatment for the assessment of possible health consequences. (author)

  9. Pi overlapping ring systems contained in a homogeneous assay: a novel homogeneous assay for antigens

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kidwell, David A.

    1993-05-01

    A novel immunoassay, Pi overlapping ring systems contained in a homogeneous assay (PORSCHA), is described. This assay relies upon the change in fluorescent spectral properties that pyrene and its derivatives show with varying concentration. Because antibodies and other biomolecules can bind two molecules simultaneously, they can change the local concentration of the molecules that they bind. This concentration change may be detected spectrally as a change in the fluorescence emission wavelength of an appropriately labeled biomolecule. Several tests of PORSCHA have been performed which demonstrate this principle. For example: with streptavidin as the binding biomolecule and a biotin labeled pyrene derivative, the production of the excimer emitting at 470 nm is observed. Without the streptavidin present, only the monomer emitting at 378 and 390 nm is observed. The ratio of monomer to excimer provides the concentration of unlabeled biotin in the sample. Approximately 1 ng/mL of biotin may be detected with this system using a 50 (mu) l sample (2 X 10-16 moles biotin). The principles behind PORSCHA, the results with the streptavidin/biotin system are discussed and extensions of the PORSCHA concept to antibodies as the binding partner and DNA in homogeneous assays are suggested.

  10. Development of a real-time fluorescence loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid and quantitative detection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 in soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xin; Zhang, He; Pu, Jinji; Qi, Yanxiang; Yu, Qunfang; Xie, Yixian; Peng, Jun

    2013-01-01

    Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc), the causal agent of Fusarium wilt (Panama disease), is one of the most devastating diseases of banana (Musa spp.). The Foc tropical race 4 (TR4) is currently known as a major concern in global banana production. No effective resistance is known in Musa to Foc, and no effective measures for controlling Foc once banana plants have been infected in place. Early and accurate detection of Foc TR4 is essential to protect banana industry and guide banana planting. A real-time fluorescence loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (RealAmp) was developed for the rapid and quantitative detection of Foc TR4 in soil. The detection limit of the RealAmp assay was approximately 0.4 pg/µl plasmid DNA when mixed with extracted soil DNA or 10(3) spores/g of artificial infested soil, and no cross-reaction with other relative pathogens were observed. The RealAmp assay for quantifying genomic DNA of TR4 was confirmed by testing both artificially and naturally infested samples. Quantification of the soil-borne pathogen DNA of Foc TR4 in naturally infested samples was no significant difference compared to classic real-time PCR (P>0.05). Additionally, RealAmp assay was visual with an improved closed-tube visual detection system by adding SYBR Green I fluorescent dye to the inside of the lid prior to amplification, which avoided the inhibitory effects of the stain on DNA amplification and makes the assay more convenient in the field and could thus become a simple, rapid and effective technique that has potential as an alternative tool for the detection and monitoring of Foc TR4 in field, which would be a routine DNA-based testing service for the soil-borne pathogen in South China.

  11. Development of a real-time fluorescence loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for rapid and quantitative detection of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense tropical race 4 in soil.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xin Zhang

    Full Text Available Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. cubense (Foc, the causal agent of Fusarium wilt (Panama disease, is one of the most devastating diseases of banana (Musa spp.. The Foc tropical race 4 (TR4 is currently known as a major concern in global banana production. No effective resistance is known in Musa to Foc, and no effective measures for controlling Foc once banana plants have been infected in place. Early and accurate detection of Foc TR4 is essential to protect banana industry and guide banana planting. A real-time fluorescence loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay (RealAmp was developed for the rapid and quantitative detection of Foc TR4 in soil. The detection limit of the RealAmp assay was approximately 0.4 pg/µl plasmid DNA when mixed with extracted soil DNA or 10(3 spores/g of artificial infested soil, and no cross-reaction with other relative pathogens were observed. The RealAmp assay for quantifying genomic DNA of TR4 was confirmed by testing both artificially and naturally infested samples. Quantification of the soil-borne pathogen DNA of Foc TR4 in naturally infested samples was no significant difference compared to classic real-time PCR (P>0.05. Additionally, RealAmp assay was visual with an improved closed-tube visual detection system by adding SYBR Green I fluorescent dye to the inside of the lid prior to amplification, which avoided the inhibitory effects of the stain on DNA amplification and makes the assay more convenient in the field and could thus become a simple, rapid and effective technique that has potential as an alternative tool for the detection and monitoring of Foc TR4 in field, which would be a routine DNA-based testing service for the soil-borne pathogen in South China.

  12. Fluorenyl benzothiadiazole and benzoselenadiazole near-IR fluorescent probes for two-photon fluorescence imaging (Conference Presentation)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Belfield, Kevin D.; Yao, Sheng; Kim, Bosung; Yue, Xiling

    2016-03-01

    Imaging biological samples with two-photon fluorescence (2PF) microscopy has the unique advantage of resulting high contrast 3D resolution subcellular image that can reach up to several millimeters depth. 2PF probes that absorb and emit at near IR region need to be developed. Two-photon excitation (2PE) wavelengths are less concerned as 2PE uses wavelengths doubles the absorption wavelength of the probe, which means 2PE wavelengths for probes even with absorption at visible wavelength will fall into NIR region. Therefore, probes that fluoresce at near IR region with high quantum yields are needed. A series of dyes based on 5-thienyl-2, 1, 3-benzothiadiazole and 5-thienyl-2, 1, 3-benzoselenadiazole core were synthesized as near infrared two-photon fluorophores. Fluorescence maxima wavelengths as long as 714 nm and fluorescence quantum yields as high as 0.67 were achieved. The fluorescence quantum yields of the dyes were nearly constant, regardless of solvents polarity. These diazoles exhibited large Stokes shift (GM), and high two-photon fluorescence figure of merit (FM , 1.04×10-2 GM). Cells incubated on a 3D scaffold with one of the new probes (encapsulated in Pluronic micelles) exhibited bright fluorescence, enabling 3D two-photon fluorescence imaging to a depth of 100 µm.

  13. FLIPR assays of intracellular calcium in GPCR drug discovery

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Kasper Bø; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

    2009-01-01

    Fluorescent dyes sensitive to changes in intracellular calcium have become increasingly popular in G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) drug discovery for several reasons. First of all, the assays using the dyes are easy to perform and are of low cost compared to other assays. Second, most non...

  14. Concentration Effect on Quenching of Chlorophyll a Fluorescence by All-Trans-β-Carotene in Photosynthesis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Chen

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Absorption, fluorescence spectra of chlorophyll a (Chl-a and all-trans-β-carotene (β-Car mixing solution are investigated in different polarity and polarizability solvents. The carotenoids regulate the energy flow in photosynthesis by interaction with chlorophyll, leading to an observable reduction of Chl-a fluorescence. The fluorescence red shifts with the increasing solvent polarizability. The energy transfer in the Chl-a and β-Car system is proposed. The electron transfer should be dominant in quenching Chl-a fluorescence rather than the energy transfer in this system. Polar solvent with large polarizability shows high quenching efficiency. When dissolved in carbon tetrachloride, Chl-a presents red shift of absorption and blue shift of fluorescence spectra with increasing β-Car concentration, which implies a Chl-a conformational change.

  15. Cysteine residue is not essential for CPM protein thermal-stability assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Zhaoshuai; Ye, Cui; Zhang, Xinyi; Wei, Yinan

    2015-05-01

    A popular thermal-stability assay developed especially for the study of membrane proteins uses a thiol-specific probe, 7-diethylamino-3-(4-maleimidophenyl)-4-methylcoumarin (CPM). The fluorescence emission of CPM surges when it forms a covalent bond with the side chain of a free Cys, which becomes more readily accessible upon protein thermal denaturation. Interestingly, the melting temperatures of membrane proteins determined using the CPM assay in literature are closely clustered in the temperature range 45-55 °C. A thorough understanding of the mechanism behind the observed signal change is critical for the accurate interpretation of the protein unfolding. Here we used two α-helical membrane proteins, AqpZ and AcrB, as model systems to investigate the nature of the fluorescence surge in the CPM assay. We found that the transition temperatures measured using circular-dichroism (CD) spectroscopy and the CPM assay were significantly different. To eliminate potential artifact that might arise from the presence of detergent, we monitored the unfolding of two soluble proteins. We found that, contrary to current understanding, the presence of a sulfhydryl group was not a prerequisite for the CPM thermal-stability assay. The observed fluorescence increase is probably caused by binding of the fluorophore to hydrophobic patches exposed upon protein unfolding.

  16. Leveraging the contribution of thermodynamics in drug discovery with the help of fluorescence-based thermal shift assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hau, Jean Christophe; Fontana, Patrizia; Zimmermann, Catherine; De Pover, Alain; Erdmann, Dirk; Chène, Patrick

    2011-06-01

    The development of new drugs with better pharmacological and safety properties mandates the optimization of several parameters. Today, potency is often used as the sole biochemical parameter to identify and select new molecules. Surprisingly, thermodynamics, which is at the core of any interaction, is rarely used in drug discovery, even though it has been suggested that the selection of scaffolds according to thermodynamic criteria may be a valuable strategy. This poor integration of thermodynamics in drug discovery might be due to difficulties in implementing calorimetry experiments despite recent technological progress in this area. In this report, the authors show that fluorescence-based thermal shift assays could be used as prescreening methods to identify compounds with different thermodynamic profiles. This approach allows a reduction in the number of compounds to be tested in calorimetry experiments, thus favoring greater integration of thermodynamics in drug discovery.

  17. Detection of Babesia canis vogeli and Hepatozoon canis in canine blood by a single-tube real-time fluorescence resonance energy transfer polymerase chain reaction assay and melting curve analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kongklieng, Amornmas; Intapan, Pewpan M; Boonmars, Thidarut; Thanchomnang, Tongjit; Janwan, Penchom; Sanpool, Oranuch; Lulitanond, Viraphong; Taweethavonsawat, Piyanan; Chungpivat, Sudchit; Maleewong, Wanchai

    2015-03-01

    A real-time fluorescence resonance energy transfer polymerase chain reaction (qFRET PCR) coupled with melting curve analysis was developed for detection of Babesia canis vogeli and Hepatozoon canis infections in canine blood samples in a single tube assay. The target of the assay was a region within the 18S ribosomal RNA gene amplified in either species by a single pair of primers. Following amplification from the DNA of infected dog blood, a fluorescence melting curve analysis was done. The 2 species, B. canis vogeli and H. canis, could be detected and differentiated in infected dog blood samples (n = 37) with high sensitivity (100%). The detection limit for B. canis vogeli was 15 copies of a positive control plasmid, and for H. canis, it was 150 copies of a positive control plasmid. The assay could simultaneously distinguish the DNA of both parasites from the DNA of controls. Blood samples from 5 noninfected dogs were negative, indicating high specificity. Several samples can be run at the same time. The assay can reduce misdiagnosis and the time associated with microscopic examination, and is not prone to the carryover contamination associated with the agarose gel electrophoresis step of conventional PCR. In addition, this qFRET PCR method would be useful to accurately determine the range of endemic areas or to discover those areas where the 2 parasites co-circulate. © 2015 The Author(s).

  18. A flow cytometric assay technology based on quantum dots-encoded beads

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang Haiqiao; Liu Tiancai; Cao Yuancheng; Huang Zhenli; Wang Jianhao; Li Xiuqing; Zhao Yuandi

    2006-01-01

    A flow cytometric detecting technology based on quantum dots (QDs)-encoded beads has been described. Using this technology, several QDs-encoded beads with different code were identified effectively, and the target molecule (DNA sequence) in solution was also detected accurately by coupling to its complementary sequence probed on QDs-encoded beads through DNA hybridization assay. The resolution of this technology for encoded beads is resulted from two longer wavelength fluorescence identification signals (yellow and red fluorescent signals of QDs), and the third shorter wavelength fluorescence signal (green reporting signal of fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC)) for the determination of reaction between probe and target. In experiment, because of QDs' unique optical character, only one excitation light source was needed to excite the QDs and probe dye FITC synchronously comparing with other flow cytometric assay technology. The results show that this technology has present excellent repeatability and good accuracy. It will become a promising multiple assay platform in various application fields after further improvement

  19. Cell Painting, a high-content image-based assay for morphological profiling using multiplexed fluorescent dyes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bray, Mark-Anthony; Singh, Shantanu; Han, Han; Davis, Chadwick T.; Borgeson, Blake; Hartland, Cathy; Kost-Alimova, Maria; Gustafsdottir, Sigrun M.; Gibson, Christopher C.; Carpenter, Anne E.

    2016-01-01

    In morphological profiling, quantitative data are extracted from microscopy images of cells to identify biologically relevant similarities and differences among samples based on these profiles. This protocol describes the design and execution of experiments using Cell Painting, a morphological profiling assay multiplexing six fluorescent dyes imaged in five channels, to reveal eight broadly relevant cellular components or organelles. Cells are plated in multi-well plates, perturbed with the treatments to be tested, stained, fixed, and imaged on a high-throughput microscope. Then, automated image analysis software identifies individual cells and measures ~1,500 morphological features (various measures of size, shape, texture, intensity, etc.) to produce a rich profile suitable for detecting subtle phenotypes. Profiles of cell populations treated with different experimental perturbations can be compared to suit many goals, such as identifying the phenotypic impact of chemical or genetic perturbations, grouping compounds and/or genes into functional pathways, and identifying signatures of disease. Cell culture and image acquisition takes two weeks; feature extraction and data analysis take an additional 1-2 weeks. PMID:27560178

  20. Nondestructive assay measurements applied to reprocessing plants

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ruhter, Wayne D.; Lee, R. Stephen; Ottmar, Herbert; Guardini, Sergio

    1999-01-01

    Nondestructive assay for reprocessing plants relies on passive gamma-ray spectrometry for plutonium isotopic and plutonium mass values of medium-to-low-density samples and holdup deposits; on active x-ray fluorescence and densitometry techniques for uranium and plutonium concentrations in solutions; on calorimetry for plutonium mass in product; and passive neutron techniques for plutonium mass in spent fuel, product, and waste. This paper will describe the radiation-based nondestructive assay techniques used to perform materials accounting measurements. The paper will also discuss nondestructive assay measurements used in inspections of reprocessing plants [ru

  1. Fluorescent multiplex cell flow systems and methods

    KAUST Repository

    Merzaban, Jasmeen

    2017-06-01

    Systems and methods are provided for simultaneously assaying cell adhesion or cell rolling for multiple cell specimens. One embodiment provides a system for assaying adhesion or cell rolling of multiple cell specimens that includes a confocal imaging system containing a parallel plate flow chamber, a pump in fluid communication with the parallel plate flow chamber via a flow chamber inlet line and a cell suspension in fluid communication with the parallel plate flow chamber via a flow chamber outlet line. The system also includes a laser scanning system in electronic communication with the confocal imaging system, and a computer in communication with the confocal imaging system and laser scanning system. In certain embodiments, the laser scanning system emits multiple electromagnetic wavelengths simultaneously it cause multiple fluorescent labels having different excitation wavelength maximums to fluoresce. The system can simultaneously capture real-time fluorescence images from at least seven cell specimens in the parallel plate flow chamber.

  2. Construction of a multiple fluorescence labeling system for use in co-invasion studies of Listeria monocytogenes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Andersen, Jens Bo; Roldgaard, Bent; Lindner, A. B.

    2006-01-01

    strains at the single cell level by use of fluorescence microscopy. More than 90% of the L. monocytogenes host cells maintained the fluorescence tags for 40 generations. The fluorescence tags did not alter the invasive capacity of the L. monocytogenes cells in a traditional Caco-2 cell invasion assay......, and visual discrimination between invaded bacteria carrying different fluorescent labels inside the cells was possible. Conclusion The constructed fluorescent marker system is stable, easy to use, does not affect the virulence of L. monocytogenes in Caco-2 cell assays, and allows discrimination between...... deviations in the observed capacity for infection when animal models are used. One way to circumvent this problem is to carry out virulence studies as competition assays between 2 or more strains. This, however, requires invasion-neutral markers that enable easy discrimination between the different strains...

  3. Continuous recording of long-chain acyl-coenzyme A synthetase activity using fluorescently labeled bovine serum albumin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Demant, Erland J.F.; Nystrøm, Birthe T.

    2001-01-01

    acyl-Coenzyme A, synthetase, activity assay, fluorescence recording, fatty acid probe, serum albumin, hydroxycoumarin, detergent, micelles, Pseudomonas fragi, rat liver microsomes......acyl-Coenzyme A, synthetase, activity assay, fluorescence recording, fatty acid probe, serum albumin, hydroxycoumarin, detergent, micelles, Pseudomonas fragi, rat liver microsomes...

  4. Nanoantenna array-induced fluorescence enhancement and reduced lifetimes

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bakker, R. M.; Drachev, V. P.; Liu, Z.

    2008-01-01

    Enhanced fluorescence is observed from dye molecules interacting with optical nanoantenna arrays. Elliptical gold dimers form individual nanoantennae with tunable plasmon resonances depending upon the geometry of the two particles and the size of the gap between them. A fluorescent dye, Rhodamine...... 800, is uniformly embedded in a dielectric host that coats the nanoantennae. The nanoantennae act to enhance the dye absorption. In turn, emission from the dye drives the plasmon resonance of the antennae; the nanoantennae act to enhance the fluorescence signal and change the angular distribution...... of emission. These effects depend upon the overlap of the plasmon resonance with the excitation wavelength and the fluorescence emission band. A decreased fluorescence lifetime is observed along with highly polarized emission that displays the characteristics of the nanoantenna's dipole mode. Being able...

  5. Dual fluorescence and laser emissions from fluorescein-Na and eosin-B

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Math, N.N.; Naik, L.R.; Suresh, H.M.; Inamdar, S.R.

    2006-01-01

    Dual laser emissions were observed from fluorescein-Na and eosin-B in ethanolic solutions individually in the concentration range from 10 -2 to 10 -3 mol dm -3 under N 2 laser excitation. The first compound was found to lase at two distinct regions with wavelength maxima around 540, 550 nm, while the second one around 558, 574 nm. Steady-state absorption, fluorescence excitation, fluorescence polarization, fluorescence emission and decays of the dyes in various solvents under varying conditions of excitation and detection systems were carried out to identify the nature of the emitting species responsible for laser emissions in two distinct regions. Both the dyes exhibited concentration and excitation wavelength dependence of fluorescence and the effects were found to be more pronounced in binary solution. The fluorescence decays of dyes were monoexponential in ethanol, while in some other solvents used, the decays showed biexponential behavior. The absorption and excitation studies using thin layers of solutions revealed the formation of dimers with the dye concentration around 1x10 -3 mol dm -3 . Fluorescence polarization and decay studies confirmed the presence of dimers. The two laser bands observed in the shorter and longer wavelengths were respectively ascribed to monomeric and dimeric species

  6. Dual fluorescence and laser emissions from fluorescein-Na and eosin-B

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Math, N.N. [Laser Spectroscopy (DRDO/KU) Programme, Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 003 (India)]. E-mail: nnm31@rediffmail.com; Naik, L.R. [Laser Spectroscopy (DRDO/KU) Programme, Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 003 (India); Suresh, H.M. [Laser Spectroscopy (DRDO/KU) Programme, Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 003 (India); Inamdar, S.R. [Laser Spectroscopy (DRDO/KU) Programme, Department of Physics, Karnatak University, Dharwad 580 003 (India)

    2006-12-15

    Dual laser emissions were observed from fluorescein-Na and eosin-B in ethanolic solutions individually in the concentration range from 10{sup -2} to 10{sup -3} mol dm{sup -3} under N{sub 2} laser excitation. The first compound was found to lase at two distinct regions with wavelength maxima around 540, 550 nm, while the second one around 558, 574 nm. Steady-state absorption, fluorescence excitation, fluorescence polarization, fluorescence emission and decays of the dyes in various solvents under varying conditions of excitation and detection systems were carried out to identify the nature of the emitting species responsible for laser emissions in two distinct regions. Both the dyes exhibited concentration and excitation wavelength dependence of fluorescence and the effects were found to be more pronounced in binary solution. The fluorescence decays of dyes were monoexponential in ethanol, while in some other solvents used, the decays showed biexponential behavior. The absorption and excitation studies using thin layers of solutions revealed the formation of dimers with the dye concentration around 1x10{sup -3} mol dm{sup -3}. Fluorescence polarization and decay studies confirmed the presence of dimers. The two laser bands observed in the shorter and longer wavelengths were respectively ascribed to monomeric and dimeric species.

  7. A Brief Introduction to Single-Molecule Fluorescence Methods.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van den Wildenberg, Siet M J L; Prevo, Bram; Peterman, Erwin J G

    2018-01-01

    One of the more popular single-molecule approaches in biological science is single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, which will be the subject of the following section of this volume. Fluorescence methods provide the sensitivity required to study biology on the single-molecule level, but they also allow access to useful measurable parameters on time and length scales relevant for the biomolecular world. Before several detailed experimental approaches will be addressed, we will first give a general overview of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. We start with discussing the phenomenon of fluorescence in general and the history of single-molecule fluorescence microscopy. Next, we will review fluorescent probes in more detail and the equipment required to visualize them on the single-molecule level. We will end with a description of parameters measurable with such approaches, ranging from protein counting and tracking, single-molecule localization super-resolution microscopy, to distance measurements with Förster Resonance Energy Transfer and orientation measurements with fluorescence polarization.

  8. Dual Functional Core-Shell Fluorescent Ag2S@Carbon Nanostructure for Selective Assay of E. coli O157:H7 and Bactericidal Treatment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ning; Wei, Xing; Zheng, An-Qi; Yang, Ting; Chen, Ming-Li; Wang, Jian-Hua

    2017-03-24

    A dual functional fluorescent core-shell Ag 2 S@Carbon nanostructure is prepared by a hydrothermally assisted multi-amino synthesis approach with folic acid (FA), polyethylenimine (PEI), and mannoses (Mans) as carbon and nitrogen sources (FA-PEI-Mans-Ag 2 S nanocomposite shortly as Ag 2 S@C). The nanostructure exhibits strong fluorescent emission at λ ex /λ em = 340/450 nm with a quantum yield of 12.57 ± 0.52%. Ag 2 S@C is bound to E. coli O157:H7 via strong interaction with the Mans moiety in Ag 2 S@C with FimH proteins on the fimbriae tip in E. coli O157:H7. Fluorescence emission from Ag 2 S@C/E. coli conjugate is closely related to the content of E. coli O157:H7. Thus, a novel procedure for fluorescence assay of E. coli O157:H7 is developed, offering a detection limit of 330 cfu mL -1 . Meanwhile, the Ag 2 S@C nanostructure exhibits excellent antibacterial performance against E. coli O157:H7. A 99.9% sterilization rate can be readily achieved for E. coli O157:H7 at a concentration of 10 6 -10 7 cfu mL -1 with 3.3 or 10 μg mL -1 of Ag 2 S@C with an interaction time of 5 or 0.5 min, respectively.

  9. Studying atomic-resolution by X-ray fluorescence holography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gao Hongyi; Chen Jianwen; Xie Honglan; Zhu Huafeng; Li Ruxin; Xu Zhizhan

    2005-01-01

    In this work, the results of numerical simulations of X-ray fluorescence holograms and the reconstructed atomic images for Fe single crystal are given. The influences of the recording angles ranges and the polarization effect on the reconstruction of the atomic images are discussed. The process for removing twin images by multiple energy fluorescence holography and expanding the energy range of the incident X-rays to improve the resolution of the reconstructed images is presented

  10. Proceedings of the Japan-US workshop on plasma polarization spectroscopy and the fourth international symposium on plasma polarization spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fujimoto, Takashi; Beiersdorfer, Peter [eds.

    2004-07-01

    The international meeting on Plasma Polarization Spectroscopy (PPS) was held at Kyoto University during February 4-6, 2004. This Proceedings book includes the summaries of the talks given in that meeting. Starting with the Overview talk by Csanak, the subjects cover: x-ray polarization experiments on z-pinches (plasma foci), and an x-pinch, a laser-produced plasma in a gas atmosphere, an interpretation of the polarized 1<- 0 x-ray laser line, polarization observation from various laser-produced plasmas including a recombining phase plasma, a report on the on-going project of a laser facility, several polarization observations on magnetically confined plasmas including the Large Helical Device and an ECR plasma, a new laser-induced fluorescence diagnostic method. On atomic physics side given are: various polarization measurements on EBIT, precision spectroscopy on the TEXTOR, user-friendly atomic codes. Instrumentation is also a subject of this book. The 18 of the presented papers are indexed individually. (J.P.N.)

  11. The potential of a fluorescent-based approach for bioassay of antifungal agents against chili anthracnose disease in Thailand.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chutrakul, Chanikul; Khaokhajorn, Pratoomporn; Auncharoen, Patchanee; Boonruengprapa, Tanapong; Mongkolporn, Orarat

    2013-01-01

    Severe chili anthracnose disease in Thailand is caused by Colletotrichum gloeosporioides and C. capsici. To discover anti-anthracnose substances we developed an efficient dual-fluorescent labeling bioassay based on a microdilution approach. Indicator strains used in the assay were constructed by integrating synthetic green fluorescent protein (sGFP) and Discosoma sp. red fluorescent protein (DsRedExp) genes into the genomes of C. gloeosporioides or C. capsici respectively. Survival of co-spore cultures in the presence of inhibitors was determined by the expression levels of these fluorescent proteins. This developed assay has high potential for utilization in the investigation of selective inhibition activity to either one of the pathogens as well as the broad-range inhibitory effect against both pathogens. The value of using the dual-fluorescent assay is rapid, reliable, and consistent identification of anti-anthracnose agents. Most of all, the assay enables the identification of specific inhibitors under the co-cultivation condition.

  12. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy analysis for accurate determination of proportion of doubly labeled DNA in fluorescent DNA pool for quantitative biochemical assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hou, Sen; Sun, Lili; Wieczorek, Stefan A; Kalwarczyk, Tomasz; Kaminski, Tomasz S; Holyst, Robert

    2014-01-15

    Fluorescent double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecules labeled at both ends are commonly produced by annealing of complementary single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) molecules, labeled with fluorescent dyes at the same (3' or 5') end. Because the labeling efficiency of ssDNA is smaller than 100%, the resulting dsDNA have two, one or are without a dye. Existing methods are insufficient to measure the percentage of the doubly-labeled dsDNA component in the fluorescent DNA sample and it is even difficult to distinguish the doubly-labeled DNA component from the singly-labeled component. Accurate measurement of the percentage of such doubly labeled dsDNA component is a critical prerequisite for quantitative biochemical measurements, which has puzzled scientists for decades. We established a fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) system to measure the percentage of doubly labeled dsDNA (PDL) in the total fluorescent dsDNA pool. The method is based on comparative analysis of the given sample and a reference dsDNA sample prepared by adding certain amount of unlabeled ssDNA into the original ssDNA solution. From FCS autocorrelation functions, we obtain the number of fluorescent dsDNA molecules in the focal volume of the confocal microscope and PDL. We also calculate the labeling efficiency of ssDNA. The method requires minimal amount of material. The samples have the concentration of DNA in the nano-molar/L range and the volume of tens of microliters. We verify our method by using restriction enzyme Hind III to cleave the fluorescent dsDNA. The kinetics of the reaction depends strongly on PDL, a critical parameter for quantitative biochemical measurements. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Development of a Novel Green Fluorescent Protein-Based Binding Assay to Study the Association of Plakins with Intermediate Filament Proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Favre, Bertrand; Begré, Nadja; Bouameur, Jamal-Eddine; Borradori, Luca

    2016-01-01

    Protein-protein interactions are fundamental for most biological processes, such as the formation of cellular structures and enzymatic complexes or in signaling pathways. The identification and characterization of protein-protein interactions are therefore essential for understanding the mechanisms and regulation of biological systems. The organization and dynamics of the cytoskeleton, as well as its anchorage to specific sites in the plasma membrane and organelles, are regulated by the plakins. These structurally related proteins anchor different cytoskeletal networks to each other and/or to other cellular structures. The association of several plakins with intermediate filaments (IFs) is critical for maintenance of the cytoarchitecture. Pathogenic mutations in the genes encoding different plakins can lead to dramatic manifestations, occurring principally in the skin, striated muscle, and/or nervous system, due to cytoskeletal disorganization resulting in abnormal cell fragility. Nevertheless, it is still unclear how plakins bind to IFs, although some general rules are slowly emerging. We here describe in detail a recently developed protein-protein fluorescence binding assay, based on the production of recombinant proteins tagged with green fluorescent protein (GFP) and their use as fluid-phase fluorescent ligands on immobilized IF proteins. Using this method, we have been able to assess the ability of C-terminal regions of GFP-tagged plakin proteins to bind to distinct IF proteins and IF domains. This simple and sensitive technique, which is expected to facilitate further studies in this area, can also be potentially employed for any kind of protein-protein interaction studies. © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Evaluation of assays for quantification of DNA in canine plasma as an indirect marker of NETosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Stephanie A; Lawson, Corinne M; McMichael, Maureen A; Jung, Katrina; O'Brien, Mauria; Achiel, Ron

    2017-06-01

    Neutrophil extracellular traps (NET), consisting of a filamentous DNA/chromatin-histone scaffold originating from neutrophils are part of the innate immune response, may be released under a variety of inflammatory conditions and are associated with an increased risk for thrombosis. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a SYTOX green fluorescence assay and a histone-DNA complex (hisDNA) ELISA for quantification of NET-related DNA in canine plasma. The influence of variations in blood sample handling on assay results was tested. Accuracy of the SYTOX green fluorescence and the hisDNA ELISA was evaluated with dilutional linearity using serial dilutions. Interference was assessed by addition of purified bilirubin or hemoglobin. Precision was determined by calculating the intra- and inter-assay CV. Preanalytic sample handling did not influence DNA measurements by either assay. Citrate and EDTA plasma samples were equivalent. For the DNA fluorescence assay, dilutional linearity was poor due to autofluorescence, which was corrected by addition of canine plasma to the diluent. The presence of bilirubin and hemoglobin also increased autofluorescence, and resulted in falsely low concentrations of DNA. On the hisDNA ELISA, pigmentemia had no effect. Both assays as modified in this study are suitable for measuring DNA in canine EDTA or citrate plasma. However, performance of the fluorescence assay was impacted by pigmentemia, and it was less sensitive than the ELISA in detecting the presence of nucleosome material in the plasma. © 2017 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

  15. Flow Cytometry-Based Bead-Binding Assay for Measuring Receptor Ligand Specificity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sprokholt, Joris K.; Hertoghs, Nina; Geijtenbeek, Teunis B. H.

    2016-01-01

    In this chapter we describe a fluorescent bead-binding assay, which is an efficient and feasible method to measure interaction between ligands and receptors on cells. In principle, any ligand can be coated on fluorescent beads either directly or via antibodies. Binding between ligand-coated beads

  16. Resonance fluorescence from an atom in a squeezed vacuum

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carmichael, H. J.; Lane, A. S.; Walls, D. F.

    1987-06-01

    The fluorescent spectrum for a two-level atom which is damped by a squeezed vacuum shows striking differences from the spectrum for ordinary resonance fluorescence. For strong coherent driving fields the Mollow triplet depends on the relative phase of the driving field and the squeezed vacuum field. The central peak may have either subnatural linewidth or supernatural linewidth depending on this phase. The mean atomic polarization also shows a phase sensitivity.

  17. Fluorescent-labeled ligands for the benzodiazepine receptor - Part 1 : Synthesis and characterization of fluorescent-labeled benzodiazepines

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Janssen, M.J; Hulst, A.J R L; Kellogg, R.M; Hendriks, M.M W B; Ensing, K; de Zeeuw, R.A

    Because radioactive labeled ligands in receptor assays have several disadvantages, we synthesized a number of fluorescent-labeled benzodiazepines. Several fluorophores were attached at different positions of 1,4-benzodiazepine molecules in order to assess the impact of the fluorophores and their

  18. Advances in polarization sensitive multiphoton nano-bio-imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zyss J.

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available In this talk, we shall shortly review four main directions of ongoing research in our laboratories, directed at the conception and demonstration of a variety of innovative configurations in nanoscale multiphoton imaging. A common feature to all of these directions appears to be the central role played by the involvement of polarization features, both in- and outgoing, moreover so in view of the tensorial aspects inherent to nonlinear schemes such second-harmonic generation, electro-optic modulation or two-photon fluorescence which will ne emphasized. These advances relate to the new domain of nonlinear ellipsometry in multiphoton imaging [1], of high relevance to fundamental aspects of nanophotonics and nanomaterial engineering as well as towards basic life science issues. The four domains to be shortly reported are: a polarization resolved second-harmonic generation in semiconductor QD’s with record small sizes in the 10-12 nm range [2] b original use of two-photon confocal polarization resolved microscopy in DNA stained by two photon fluorescent dyes in different LC phases arrangements so as to characterize these as well as ascertain the respective DNA-dye orientation (intercalant or groves [3] c elaboration and demonstration of an electrooptic confocal microscope in a highly sensitive interferometric and homodyne detection configuration allowing to map weak electric potentials such as in artificial functionalized membranes, the dynamical investigation of firing and propagation aspects of action potentials in neurones being currently the next step [4] d original plasmon based enhanced nanoscale confocal imaging involving a dual detection scheme (fluorescence imaging and ATR plasmon coupling in reflection whereby adequate preparation and switching of the incoming polarization state between radial, linear and azimuthal configurations, entail different images and plasmon enhancement levels [5].

  19. Using Fluorescence Intensity of Enhanced Green Fluorescent Protein to Quantify Pseudomonas aeruginosa

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Erin Wilson

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available A variety of direct and indirect methods have been used to quantify planktonic and biofilm bacterial cells. Direct counting methods to determine the total number of cells include plate counts, microscopic cell counts, Coulter cell counting, flow cytometry, and fluorescence microscopy. However, indirect methods are often used to supplement direct cell counting, as they are often more convenient, less time-consuming, and require less material, while providing a number that can be related to the direct cell count. Herein, an indirect method is presented that uses fluorescence emission intensity as a proxy marker for studying bacterial accumulation. A clinical strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa was genetically modified to express a green fluorescent protein (PA14/EGFP. The fluorescence intensity of EGFP in live cells was used as an indirect measure of live cell density, and was compared with the traditional cell counting methods of optical density (OD600 and plate counting (colony-forming units (CFUs. While both OD600 and CFUs are well-established methods, the use of fluorescence spectroscopy to quantify bacteria is less common. This study demonstrates that EGFP intensity is a convenient reporter for bacterial quantification. In addition, we demonstrate the potential for fluorescence spectroscopy to be used to measure the quantity of PA14/EGFP biofilms, which have important human health implications due to their antimicrobial resistance. Therefore, fluorescence spectroscopy could serve as an alternative or complementary quick assay to quantify bacteria in planktonic cultures and biofilms.

  20. Identification of Rift Valley fever virus nucleocapsid protein-RNA binding inhibitors using a high-throughput screening assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ellenbecker, Mary; Lanchy, Jean-Marc; Lodmell, J Stephen

    2012-09-01

    Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is an emerging infectious pathogen that causes severe disease in humans and livestock and has the potential for global spread. Currently, there is no proven effective treatment for RVFV infection, and there is no licensed vaccine. Inhibition of RNA binding to the essential viral nucleocapsid (N) protein represents a potential antiviral therapeutic strategy because all of the functions performed by N during infection involve RNA binding. To target this interaction, we developed a fluorescence polarization-based high-throughput drug-screening assay and tested 26 424 chemical compounds for their ability to disrupt an N-RNA complex. From libraries of Food and Drug Administration-approved drugs, druglike molecules, and natural product extracts, we identified several lead compounds that are promising candidates for medicinal chemistry.

  1. A comparative study on fluorescent cholesterol analogs as versatile cellular reporters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Sezgin, Erdinc; Betul Can, Fatma; Schneider, Falk

    2016-01-01

    Cholesterol is a crucial component of cellular membranes, but knowledge of its intracellular dynamics is scarce. Thus, it is of utmost interest to develop tools for visualization of cholesterol organization and dynamics in cells and tissues. For this purpose, many studies make use of fluorescently...... for their performance in cellular assays: 1) plasma membrane incorporation, specifically the preference for more ordered membrane environments in phase separated giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and giant plasma membrane vesicles (GPMVs); 2) cellular trafficking, specifically subcellular localization in Niemann-Pick C...... in the intracellular trafficking assay. However, none showed positive performance in all assays. Our results constitute a concise guide for the careful use of fluorescent cholesterol analogs in visualizing cellular cholesterol dynamics....

  2. A novel method to assay special nuclear materials by measuring prompt neutrons from polarized photofission

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mueller, J.M., E-mail: mueller@tunl.duke.edu [Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Ahmed, M.W. [Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States); Department of Mathematics and Physics, North Carolina Central University, Durham, NC 27707 (United States); Weller, H.R. [Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Durham, NC 27710 (United States); Department of Physics, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708 (United States)

    2014-08-01

    A novel method of measuring the enrichment of special nuclear material is presented. Recent photofission measurements using a linearly polarized γ-ray beam were performed on samples of {sup 232}Th, {sup 233,235,238}U, {sup 237}Np, and {sup 239,240}Pu. Prompt neutron polarization asymmetries, defined to be the difference in the prompt neutron yields parallel and perpendicular to the plane of beam polarization divided by their sum, were measured. It was discovered that the prompt neutron polarization asymmetries differed significantly depending on the sample. Prompt neutrons from photofission of even–even (non-fissile) targets had significant polarization asymmetries (∼0.2 to 0.5), while those from odd-A (generally fissile) targets had polarization asymmetries close to zero. This difference in the polarization asymmetries could be exploited to measure the fissile versus non-fissile content of special nuclear materials, and potentially to detect the presence of fissile material during active interrogation. The proposed technique, its expected performance, and its potential applicability are discussed.

  3. A novel method to assay special nuclear materials by measuring prompt neutrons from polarized photofission

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mueller, J.M.; Ahmed, M.W.; Weller, H.R.

    2014-01-01

    A novel method of measuring the enrichment of special nuclear material is presented. Recent photofission measurements using a linearly polarized γ-ray beam were performed on samples of 232 Th, 233,235,238 U, 237 Np, and 239,240 Pu. Prompt neutron polarization asymmetries, defined to be the difference in the prompt neutron yields parallel and perpendicular to the plane of beam polarization divided by their sum, were measured. It was discovered that the prompt neutron polarization asymmetries differed significantly depending on the sample. Prompt neutrons from photofission of even–even (non-fissile) targets had significant polarization asymmetries (∼0.2 to 0.5), while those from odd-A (generally fissile) targets had polarization asymmetries close to zero. This difference in the polarization asymmetries could be exploited to measure the fissile versus non-fissile content of special nuclear materials, and potentially to detect the presence of fissile material during active interrogation. The proposed technique, its expected performance, and its potential applicability are discussed

  4. Solvent effects on the fluorescence and effective three-photon absorption of a Zn(II)-[meso-tetrakis(4-octyloxyphenyl)porphyrin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wan, Yong; Xue, Yuxiong; Sheng, Ning; Rui, Guanghao; Lv, Changgui; He, Jun; Gu, Bing; Cui, Yiping

    2018-06-01

    The fluorescence and effective three-photon absorption (3PA) properties of Zn(II)-[meso-tetrakis(4-octyloxyphenyl)porphyrin] (labeled Zn(II)-porphyrin) dissolved in three different polar solvents were systematically investigated. The electrochemical and photophysical properties of Zn(II)-porphyrin were investigated by 1H NMR spectra, IR spectra, mass spectroscopy, and electronic absorption spectra. The fluorescence emission of Zn(II)-porphyrin in three different solvents excited at the wavelengths of 420 nm (Soret band) and 550 nm (Q-band) were analyzed. By performing Z-scan experiments with femtosecond laser pulses at a wavelength of 800 nm, the effective 3PA process of Zn(II)-porphyrin in three different solvents was observed and the underlying mechanism was discussed in detail. It is found that the fluorescence spectra slightly depend on the polarity of the solvent. Interestingly, the effective 3PA properties of Zn(II)-porphyrin strongly depend on the solvent polarity. The lower the solvent polarity is, the larger effective 3PA cross-section is. Low polar solvents are beneficial to applications of Zn(II)-porphyrin in optical limiting, photodynamic therapy, etc.

  5. A new seed-based assay for meiotic recombination in Arabidopsis thaliana.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Melamed-Bessudo, C.; Yehuda, E.; Stuitje, A.R.; Levy, A.A.

    2005-01-01

    Meiotic recombination is a fundamental biological process that plays a central role in the evolution and breeding of plants. We have developed a new seed-based assay for meiotic recombination in Arabidopsis. The assay is based on the transformation of green and red fluorescent markers expressed

  6. Automatic and integrated micro-enzyme assay (AIμEA) platform for highly sensitive thrombin analysis via an engineered fluorescence protein-functionalized monolithic capillary column.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Lihua; Liu, Shengquan; Nie, Zhou; Chen, Yingzhuang; Lei, Chunyang; Wang, Zhen; Yin, Chao; Hu, Huiping; Huang, Yan; Yao, Shouzhuo

    2015-04-21

    Nowadays, large-scale screening for enzyme discovery, engineering, and drug discovery processes require simple, fast, and sensitive enzyme activity assay platforms with high integration and potential for high-throughput detection. Herein, a novel automatic and integrated micro-enzyme assay (AIμEA) platform was proposed based on a unique microreaction system fabricated by a engineered green fluorescence protein (GFP)-functionalized monolithic capillary column, with thrombin as an example. The recombinant GFP probe was rationally engineered to possess a His-tag and a substrate sequence of thrombin, which enable it to be immobilized on the monolith via metal affinity binding, and to be released after thrombin digestion. Combined with capillary electrophoresis-laser-induced fluorescence (CE-LIF), all the procedures, including thrombin injection, online enzymatic digestion in the microreaction system, and label-free detection of the released GFP, were integrated in a single electrophoretic process. By taking advantage of the ultrahigh loading capacity of the AIμEA platform and the CE automatic programming setup, one microreaction column was sufficient for many times digestion without replacement. The novel microreaction system showed significantly enhanced catalytic efficiency, about 30 fold higher than that of the equivalent bulk reaction. Accordingly, the AIμEA platform was highly sensitive with a limit of detection down to 1 pM of thrombin. Moreover, the AIμEA platform was robust and reliable to detect thrombin in human serum samples and its inhibition by hirudin. Hence, this AIμEA platform exhibits great potential for high-throughput analysis in future biological application, disease diagnostics, and drug screening.

  7. Aptamer based fluorescent cocaine assay based on the use of graphene oxide and exonuclease III-assisted signal amplification

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhang, Yulin; Zhang, Guo-Jun; Sun, Zhongyue; Tang, Lina; Zhang, Hong

    2016-01-01

    The article reports an aptamer based assay for cocaine by employing graphene oxide and exonuclease III-assisted signal amplification. It is based on the following scheme and experimental steps: (1) Exo III can digest dsDNA with blunt or recessed 3-terminus, but it has limited activity to ssDNA or dsDNA with protruding 3-terminus; (2) GO can absorb the FAM-labeled ssDNA probe and quench the fluorescence of probe, while the affinity between FAM-labeled mononucleotide and GO is negligible; (3) Cocaine aptamer can be split into two flexible ssDNA pieces (Probe 1 and Probe 2) without significant perturbation of cocaine-binding abilities; (4) The triple complex consisting of Probe 1, Probe 2 and cocaine can be digested by Exo III with the similar efficiency as normal dsDNA. Cocaine aptamer is split into two flexible ssDNA pieces (Probe 2 and 3′-FAM-labeled Probe 1). Cocaine can mediate the cocaine aptamer fragments forming a triplex. The triple complex has unique characteristic with 3′-FAM-labeled blunt end at the Probe 1 and 3′-overhang end at Probe 2. If exonuclease III is added, it will catalyze the stepwise removal of fluorescein (FAM) labeled mononucleotides from the 3-hydroxy termini of the special triplex complex, resulting in liberation of cocaine. The cocaine released in this step can produce a new cleavage cycle, thereby leading to target recycling. Through such a cyclic bound-hydrolysis process, small amounts of cocaine can induce the cleavage of a large number of FAM-labeled probe 1. The cleaved FAM-labeled mononucleotides are not adsorbed on the surface of graphene oxide (GO), so a strong fluorescence signal enhancement is observed as the cocaine triggers enzymatic digestion. Under optimized conditions, the assay allows cocaine to be detected in the 1 to 500 nM concentration range with a detection limit of 0.1 nM. The method was applied to the determination of cocaine in spiked human plasma, with recoveries ranging from 92.0 to 111.8 % and RSD of <12

  8. Kinetics of bacterial fluorescence staining with 3,3'-diethylthiacyanine.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Marlon S; Nuñez, Vicente; Upadhyayula, Srigokul; Zielins, Elizabeth R; Bao, Duoduo; Vasquez, Jacob M; Bahmani, Baharak; Vullev, Valentine I

    2010-06-15

    For more than a century, colorimetric and fluorescence staining have been the foundation of a broad range of key bioanalytical techniques. The dynamics of such staining processes, however, still remains largely unexplored. We investigated the kinetics of fluorescence staining of two gram-negative and two gram-positive species with 3,3'-diethylthiacyanine (THIA) iodide. An increase in the THIA fluorescence quantum yield, induced by the bacterial dye uptake, was the principal reason for the observed emission enhancement. The fluorescence quantum yield of THIA depended on the media viscosity and not on the media polarity, which suggested that the microenvironment of the dye molecules taken up by the cells was restrictive. The kinetics of fluorescence staining did not manifest a statistically significant dependence neither on the dye concentration, nor on the cell count. In the presence of surfactant additives, however, the fluorescence-enhancement kinetic patterns manifested species specificity with statistically significant discernibility.

  9. Validating potential toxicity assays to assess petroleum hydrocarbon toxicity in polar soil.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Harvey, Alexis Nadine; Snape, Ian; Siciliano, Steven Douglas

    2012-02-01

    Potential microbial activities are commonly used to assess soil toxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons (PHC) and are assumed to be a surrogate for microbial activity within the soil ecosystem. However, this assumption needs to be evaluated for frozen soil, in which microbial activity is limited by liquid water (θ(liquid)). Influence of θ(liquid) on in situ toxicity was evaluated and compared to the toxicity endpoints of potential microbial activities using soil from an aged diesel fuel spill at Casey Station, East Antarctica. To determine in situ toxicity, gross mineralization and nitrification rates were determined by the stable isotope dilution technique. Petroleum hydrocarbon-contaminated soil (0-8,000 mg kg(-1)), packed at bulk densities of 1.4, 1.7, and 2.0 g cm(-3) to manipulate liquid water content, was incubated at -5°C for one, two, and three months. Although θ(liquid) did not have a significant effect on gross mineralization or nitrification, gross nitrification was sensitive to PHC contamination, with toxicity decreasing over time. In contrast, gross mineralization was not sensitive to PHC contamination. Toxic response of gross nitrification was comparable to potential nitrification activity (PNA) with similar EC25 (effective concentration causing a 25% effect in the test population) values determined by both measurement endpoints (400 mg kg(-1) for gross nitrification compared to 200 mg kg(-1) for PNA), indicating that potential microbial activity assays are good surrogates for in situ toxicity of PHC contamination in polar regions. Copyright © 2011 SETAC.

  10. Development of LEDs-based microplate reader for bioanalytical assay measurements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Alaruri, Sami D; Katzlinger, Michael; Schinwald, Bernhard; Kronberger, Georg; Atzler, Joseph

    2013-01-01

    The optical design for an LEDs-based microplate reader that can perform fluorescence intensity (top and bottom), absorbance, luminescence and time-resolved fluorescence measurements is described. The microplate reader is the first microplate reader in the marketplace that incorporates LEDs as excitation light sources. Absorbance measurements over the 0–3.5 optical density range for caffeine solution are presented. Additionally, fluorescence intensity readings collected at 535 and 625 nm from a green and a red RediPlate TM are reported. Furthermore, fluorescence decay lifetime measurements obtained for Eu (europium) and Sm (samarium) standard solutions using 370 nm excitation are presented. The microplate reader detection limits for the fluorescence intensity top, fluorescence intensity bottom, fluorescence polarization and time-resolved fluorescence modes are 1.5 fmol 100 µL −1 fluorescein (384-well plate), 25 fmol 100 µL −1 fluorescein (384-well plate), 5 mP at 10 nM fluorescein (black 384-well plate) and 30 amol 100 µL −1 europium solution (white 384-well plate), respectively. (paper)

  11. Development of LEDs-based microplate reader for bioanalytical assay measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alaruri, Sami D.; Katzlinger, Michael; Schinwald, Bernhard; Kronberger, Georg; Atzler, Joseph

    2013-10-01

    The optical design for an LEDs-based microplate reader that can perform fluorescence intensity (top and bottom), absorbance, luminescence and time-resolved fluorescence measurements is described. The microplate reader is the first microplate reader in the marketplace that incorporates LEDs as excitation light sources. Absorbance measurements over the 0-3.5 optical density range for caffeine solution are presented. Additionally, fluorescence intensity readings collected at 535 and 625 nm from a green and a red RediPlateTM are reported. Furthermore, fluorescence decay lifetime measurements obtained for Eu (europium) and Sm (samarium) standard solutions using 370 nm excitation are presented. The microplate reader detection limits for the fluorescence intensity top, fluorescence intensity bottom, fluorescence polarization and time-resolved fluorescence modes are 1.5 fmol 100 µL-1 fluorescein (384-well plate), 25 fmol 100 µL-1 fluorescein (384-well plate), 5 mP at 10 nM fluorescein (black 384-well plate) and 30 amol 100 µL-1 europium solution (white 384-well plate), respectively.

  12. Angle-resolved polarimetry of antenna-mediated fluorescence

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mohtashami, A.; Osorio, C.I.; Koenderink, A.F.

    2015-01-01

    Optical phase-array antennas can be used to control not only the angular distribution but also the polarization of fluorescence from quantum emitters. The emission pattern of the resulting system is determined by the properties of the antenna, the properties of the emitters, and the strength of the

  13. Application of a Homogenous Assay for the Detection of 2,4,6-Trinitrotoluene to Environmental Water Samples

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ellen R. Goldman

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available A homogeneous assay was used to detect 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT spiked into environmental water samples. This assay is based on changes in fluorescence emission intensity when TNT competitively displaces a fluorescently labeled, TNT analog bound to an anti-TNT antibody. The effectiveness of the assay was highly dependent on the source of the sample being tested. As no correlation between pH and assay performance was observed, ionic strength was assumed to be the reason for variation in assay results. Addition of 10x phosphate-buffered saline to samples to increase their ionic strength to that of our standard laboratory buffer (about 0.17 M significantly improved the range over which the assay functioned in several river water samples.

  14. A cutin fluorescence pattern in developing embryos of some angiosperms

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ewa Szczuka

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available A cuticle visualized by auramine O fluorescence appears on the developing embryos of 9 species belonging to Cruciferae, Caryophyllaceae, Plantaginaceae, Linaceae and Papilionaceae. In the investigated species the formation and extent of fluorescing and non-fluorescing embryonic areas follow a similar pattern. At first the cutin fluorescing layer is formed on the apical part of the proembryo without delimited protoderm. This layer extends and at the late globular stage envelops the embryo proper, except for a cell adjoining the suspensor. Fluorescing cutin persists during the heart stage but disappears from the torpedo embryo. During these stages there is no cutine fluorescence on suspensorial cells. Continuous cutin fluorescence appears again on the surface of the whole embryo by the late torpedo stage. Then fluorescence disappears from the radicular part of U-shaped embryos, but persists on the shoot apex, cotyledons and at least on the upper part of hypocotyl. It is assumed that polarization and nutrition of the embryo may be influenced by cuticular changes.

  15. Variety of Polarized Line Profiles in Interacting Supernovae

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoffman, Jennifer L.; Huk, L. N.; Peters, C. L.

    2013-01-01

    The dense circumstellar material that creates strong emission lines in the spectra of interacting supernovae also gives rise to complex line polarization behavior. Viewed in polarized light, the emission line profiles of these supernovae encode information about the geometrical and optical characteristics of their surrounding circumstellar material (CSM) that is inaccessible by other observational techniques. To facilitate quantitative interpretation of these spectropolarimetric signatures, we have created a large grid of model polarized line profiles using a three-dimensional radiative transfer code that simulates polarization via electron and resonant/fluorescent line scattering. The simulated polarized lines take on an array of profile shapes that vary with viewing angle and CSM properties. We present the major results from the grid and investigate the dependence of polarized line profiles on CSM characteristics including temperature, optical depth, and geometry. These results will allow more straightforward interpretation of polarized line profiles in interacting supernovae than has previously been possible. This research is supported by the National Science Foundation through the AAG program and the XSEDE collaboration, and uses the resources of the Texas Advanced Computing Center.

  16. Two-photon fluorescence and fluorescence imaging of two styryl heterocyclic dyes combined with DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gao, Chao; Liu, Shu-yao; Zhang, Xian; Liu, Ying-kai; Qiao, Cong-de; Liu, Zhao-e

    2016-03-05

    Two new styryl heterocyclic two-photon (TP) materials, 4-[4-(N-methyl)styrene]-imidazo [4,5-f][1,10] phenanthroline-benzene iodated salt (probe-1) and 4,4-[4-(N-methyl)styrene]-benzene iodated salt (probe-2) were successfully synthesized and studied as potential fluorescent probes of DNA detection. The linear and nonlinear photophysical properties of two compounds in different solvents were investigated. The absorption, one- and two-photon fluorescent spectra of the free dye and dye-DNA complex were also examined to evaluate their photophysical properties. The binding constants of dye-DNA were obtained according to Scatchard equation with good values. The results showed that two probes could be used as fluorescent DNA probes by two-photon excitation, and TP fluorescent properties of probe-1 are superior to that of probe-2. The fluorescent method date indicated that the mechanisms of dye-DNA complex interaction may be groove binding for probe-1 and electrostatic interaction for probe-2, respectively. The MTT assay experiments showed two probes are low toxicity. Moreover, the TP fluorescence imaging of DNA detection in living cells at 800 nm indicated that the ability to locate in cell nuclei of probe-1 is better than that of probe-2. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  17. Double-gated spectral snapshots for biomolecular fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nakamura, Ryosuke; Hamada, Norio; Ichida, Hideki; Tokunaga, Fumio; Kanematsu, Yasuo

    2007-01-01

    A versatile method to take femtosecond spectral snapshots of fluorescence has been developed based on a double gating technique in the combination of an optical Kerr gate and an image intensifier as an electrically driven gate set in front of a charge-coupled device detector. The application of a conventional optical-Kerr-gate method is limited to molecules with the short fluorescence lifetime up to a few hundred picoseconds, because long-lifetime fluorescence itself behaves as a source of the background signal due to insufficiency of the extinction ratio of polarizers employed for the Kerr gate. By using the image intensifier with the gate time of 200 ps, we have successfully suppressed the background signal and overcome the application limit of optical-Kerr-gate method. The system performance has been demonstrated by measuring time-resolved fluorescence spectra for laser dye solution and the riboflavin solution as a typical sample of biomolecule

  18. Paper-based solid-phase multiplexed nucleic acid hybridization assay with tunable dynamic range using immobilized quantum dots as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Noor, M Omair; Krull, Ulrich J

    2013-08-06

    A multiplexed solid-phase nucleic acid hybridization assay on a paper-based platform is presented using multicolor immobilized quantum dots (QDs) as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). The surface of paper was modified with imidazole groups to immobilize two types of QD-probe oligonucleotide conjugates that were assembled in solution. Green-emitting QDs (gQDs) and red-emitting QDs (rQDs) served as donors with Cy3 and Alexa Fluor 647 (A647) acceptors. The gQD/Cy3 FRET pair served as an internal standard, while the rQD/A647 FRET pair served as a detection channel, combining the control and analytical test zones in one physical location. Hybridization of dye-labeled oligonucleotide targets provided the proximity for FRET sensitized emission from the acceptor dyes, which served as an analytical signal. Hybridization assays in the multicolor format provided a limit of detection of 90 fmol and an upper limit of dynamic range of 3.5 pmol. The use of an array of detection zones was designed to provide improved analytical figures of merit compared to that which could be achieved on one type of array design in terms of relative concentration of multicolor QDs. The hybridization assays showed excellent resistance to nonspecific adsorption of oligonucleotides. Selectivity of the two-plex hybridization assay was demonstrated by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection at a contrast ratio of 50:1. Additionally, it is shown that the use of preformed QD-probe oligonucleotide conjugates and consideration of the relative number density of the two types of QD-probe conjugates in the two-color assay format is advantageous to maximize assay sensitivity and the upper limit of dynamic range.

  19. A Label-Free and Sensitive Fluorescent Qualitative Assay for Bisphenol A Based on Rolling Circle Amplification/Exonuclease III-Combined Cascade Amplification

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xia Li

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Bisphenol A (BPA detection in drinking water and food packaging materials has attracted much attention since the discovery that BPA can interfere with normal physiological processes and cause adverse health effects. Here, we constructed a label-free aptamer fluorescent assay for selective and sensitive detection of BPA based on the rolling circle amplification (RCA/Exonuclease III (Exo III-combined cascade amplification strategy. First, the duplex DNA probe (RP with anti-BPA aptamer and trigger sequence was designed for BPA recognition and signal amplification. Next, under the action of BPA, the trigger probe was liberated from RP to initiate RCA reaction as primary amplification. Subsequently, the RCA products were used to trigger Exo III assisted secondary amplification with the help of hairpin probes, producing plenty of “G-quadruplex” in lantern-like structures. Finally, the continuously enriched “G-quadruplex lanterns” were lightened by zinc(II-protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX generating enhanced fluorescence signals. By integrating the primary RCA and secondary Exo III mediated cascade amplification strategy, this method displayed an excellent sensitivity with the detection limits of 5.4 × 10−17 M. In addition, the anti-BPA aptamer exhibits high recognition ability with BPA, guaranteeing the specificity of detection. The reporter signal probe (G-quadruplex with ZnPPIX provides a label-free fluorescence signals readout without complicated labeling procedures, making the method simple in design and cost-effective in operation. Moreover, environmental samples analysis was also performed, suggesting that our strategy was reliable and had a great potential application in environmental monitoring.

  20. A Label-Free and Sensitive Fluorescent Qualitative Assay for Bisphenol A Based on Rolling Circle Amplification/Exonuclease III-Combined Cascade Amplification.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xia; Song, Juan; Xue, Qing-Wang; You, Fu-Heng; Lu, Xia; Kong, Yan-Cong; Ma, Shu-Yi; Jiang, Wei; Li, Chen-Zhong

    2016-10-21

    Bisphenol A (BPA) detection in drinking water and food packaging materials has attracted much attention since the discovery that BPA can interfere with normal physiological processes and cause adverse health effects. Here, we constructed a label-free aptamer fluorescent assay for selective and sensitive detection of BPA based on the rolling circle amplification (RCA)/Exonuclease III (Exo III)-combined cascade amplification strategy. First, the duplex DNA probe (RP) with anti-BPA aptamer and trigger sequence was designed for BPA recognition and signal amplification. Next, under the action of BPA, the trigger probe was liberated from RP to initiate RCA reaction as primary amplification. Subsequently, the RCA products were used to trigger Exo III assisted secondary amplification with the help of hairpin probes, producing plenty of "G-quadruplex" in lantern-like structures. Finally, the continuously enriched "G-quadruplex lanterns" were lightened by zinc(II)-protoporphyrin IX (ZnPPIX) generating enhanced fluorescence signals. By integrating the primary RCA and secondary Exo III mediated cascade amplification strategy, this method displayed an excellent sensitivity with the detection limits of 5.4 × 10 -17 M. In addition, the anti-BPA aptamer exhibits high recognition ability with BPA, guaranteeing the specificity of detection. The reporter signal probe (G-quadruplex with ZnPPIX) provides a label-free fluorescence signals readout without complicated labeling procedures, making the method simple in design and cost-effective in operation. Moreover, environmental samples analysis was also performed, suggesting that our strategy was reliable and had a great potential application in environmental monitoring.

  1. Excited state hydrogen bonding fluorescent probe: Role of structure and environment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dey, Debarati, E-mail: debaratidey07@gmail.com [Department of Chemistry, Vidyasagar College, 39 Sankar Ghosh Lane, Kolkata 700006 (India); Sarangi, Manas Kumar [Chemical Sciences Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India); Ray, Angana; Bhattacharyya, Dhananjay [Computational Science Division, Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, 1/AF, Bidhannagar, Kolkata 700064 (India); Maity, Dilip Kumar [Department of Chemistry, University College of Science and Technology, 92 A.P.C. Road, Kolkata 700009 (India)

    2016-05-15

    An environment sensitive fluorescent probe, 11-benzoyl-dibenzo[a,c]phenazine (BDBPZ), has been synthesized and characterized that acts via excited state hydrogen bonding (ESHB). On interaction with hydrogen bond donating solvents the fluorescence intensity of BDBPZ increases abruptly with a concomitant bathochromic shift. The extent of fluorescence increment and the red-shift of λ{sub max} depend on hydrogen bond donating ability of the solvent associated. ESHB restricts the free rotation of the benzoyl group and hence blocks the non-radiative deactivation pathway. BDBPZ forms an exciplex with organic amine in nonpolar medium that readily disappears on increasing the polarity of the solvent. In polar environment the fluorescence of both the free molecule and excited state hydrogen bonded species are quenched on addition of amine unlike its parent dibenzo[a,c]phenazine (DBPZ), that remains very much inaccessible towards the solvent as well as quencher molecules due to its structure. This newly synthesized derivative BDBPZ is much more interactive due to the benzoyl group that is flanked outside the skeletal aromatic rings of DBPZ, which helps to sense the environment properly and thus shows better ESHB capacity than DBPZ.

  2. Interfacial chemistry and the design of solid-phase nucleic acid hybridization assays using immobilized quantum dots as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Algar, W Russ; Krull, Ulrich J

    2011-01-01

    The use of quantum dots (QDs) as donors in fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) offer several advantages for the development of multiplexed solid-phase QD-FRET nucleic acid hybridization assays. Designs for multiplexing have been demonstrated, but important challenges remain in the optimization of these systems. In this work, we identify several strategies based on the design of interfacial chemistry for improving sensitivity, obtaining lower limits of detection (LOD) and enabling the regeneration and reuse of solid-phase QD-FRET hybridization assays. FRET-sensitized emission from acceptor dyes associated with hybridization events at immobilized QD donors provides the analytical signal in these assays. The minimization of active sensing area reduces background from QD donor PL and allows the resolution of smaller amounts of acceptor emission, thus lowering the LOD. The association of multiple acceptor dyes with each hybridization event can enhance FRET efficiency, thereby improving sensitivity. Many previous studies have used interfacial protein layers to generate selectivity; however, transient destabilization of these layers is shown to prevent efficient regeneration. To this end, we report a protein-free interfacial chemistry and demonstrate the specific detection of as little as 2 pmol of target, as well as an improved capacity for regeneration.

  3. FRET-Aptamer Assays for Bone Marker Assessment, C-Telopeptide, Creatinine, and Vitamin D

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bruno, John G.

    2013-01-01

    Astronauts lose 1.0 to 1.5% of their bone mass per month on long-duration spaceflights. NASA wishes to monitor the bone loss onboard spacecraft to develop nutritional and exercise countermeasures, and make adjustments during long space missions. On Earth, the same technology could be used to monitor osteoporosis and its therapy. Aptamers bind to targets against which they are developed, much like antibodies. However, aptamers do not require animal hosts or cell culture and are therefore easier, faster, and less expensive to produce. In addition, aptamers sometimes exhibit greater affinity and specificity vs. comparable antibodies. In this work, fluorescent dyes and quenchers were added to the aptamers to enable pushbutton, one-step, bind-and-detect fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assays or tests that can be freeze-dried, rehydrated with body fluids, and used to quantitate bone loss of vitamin D levels with a handheld fluorometer in the spacecraft environment. This work generated specific, rapid, one-step FRET assays for the bone loss marker C-telopeptide (CTx) when extracted from urine, creatinine from urine, and vitamin D congeners in diluted serum. The assays were quantified in nanograms/mL using a handheld fluorometer connected to a laptop computer to convert the raw fluorescence values into concentrations of each analyte according to linear standard curves. DNA aptamers were selected and amplified for several rounds against a 26- amino acid form of CTx, creatinine, and vitamin D. The commonalities between loop structures were studied, and several common loop structures were converted into aptamer beacons with a fluorophore and quencher on each end. In theory, when the aptamer beacon binds its cognate target (CTx bone peptide, creatinine, or vitamin D), it is forced open and no longer quenched, so it gives off fluorescent light (when excited) in proportion to the amount of target present in a sample. This proportional increase in fluorescence is

  4. Using fluorescent dissolved organic matter to trace and distinguish the origin of Arctic surface waters

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Goncalves-Araujo, Rafael; Granskog, Mats A.; Bracher, Astrid

    2016-01-01

    were performed in the Fram and Davis Straits, and on the east Greenland Shelf (EGS), in late summer 2012/2013. Meteoric (f(mw)), sea-ice melt, Atlantic and Pacific water fractions were determined and the fluorescence properties of dissolved organic matter (FDOM) were characterized. In Fram Strait...... and EGS, a robust correlation between visible wavelength fluorescence and f(mw) was apparent, suggesting it as a reliable tracer of polar waters. However, a pattern was observed which linked the organic matter characteristics to the origin of polar waters. At depth in Davis Strait, visible wavelength FDOM...

  5. Fluorescence Imaging of Fast Retrograde Axonal Transport in Living Animals

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dawid Schellingerhout

    2009-11-01

    Full Text Available Our purpose was to enable an in vivo imaging technology that can assess the anatomy and function of peripheral nerve tissue (neurography. To do this, we designed and tested a fluorescently labeled molecular probe based on the nontoxic C fragment of tetanus toxin (TTc. TTc was purified, labeled, and subjected to immunoassays and cell uptake assays. The compound was then injected into C57BL/6 mice (N = 60 for in vivo imaging and histologic studies. Image analysis and immunohistochemistry were performed. We found that TTc could be labeled with fluorescent moieties without loss of immunoreactivity or biologic potency in cell uptake assays. In vivo fluorescent imaging experiments demonstrated uptake and retrograde transport of the compound along the course of the sciatic nerve and in the spinal cord. Ex vivo imaging and immunohistochemical studies confirmed the presence of TTc in the sciatic nerve and spinal cord, whereas control animals injected with human serum albumin did not exhibit these features. We have demonstrated neurography with a fluorescently labeled molecular imaging contrast agent based on the TTc.

  6. In vivo x-ray fluorescence of lead and other toxic trace elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chettle, D.R.

    1995-01-01

    The first in vivo x-ray fluorescence measurements of lead in bone used y-rays from a 57 Co source to excite Pb K x-rays. Later systems used γ-rays from 109 Cd to excite Pb K x-rays or polarized x-rays to excite Ph L x-rays. All three approaches involve an extremely low effective dose to the subject. Of the two K x-ray techniques, 109 Cd is more precise and more flexible in choice of measurement site. Pb L x-ray fluorescence (L-XRF) effectively samples lead at bone surfaces, whereas Ph K x-ray fluorescence (K-XRF) samples through the bulk of a bone. Both the polarized L-XRF and 109 Cd K-XRF achieve similar precision. Renal mercury has recently been determined using a polarized x-ray source, Both renal and hepatic cadmium can be measured using polarized x-rays in conjunction with a Si(Li) detector. Platinum and gold have been measured both by radioisotopic source excitation and by using polarized x-rays, but the latter is to be preferred. Applications of Pb K-XRF have shown that measured bone lead relates strongly to cumulative lead exposure. Secondly, biological half lives of lead in different bone types have been estimated from limited longitudinal data sets and from some cross sectional surveys. Thirdly, the effect of bone lead as an endogenous source of lead has been demonstrated and it has been shown that a majority of circulating blood lead can be mobilized from bone, rather than deriving from new exposure, in some retired lead workers. 35 refs., 5 tabs

  7. Time-resolved fluorescence analysis of the mobile flavin cofactor

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Conformational heterogeneity of the FAD cofactor in -hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase (PHBH) was investigated with time-resolved polarized flavin fluorescence. For binary enzyme/substrate (analogue) complexes of wild-type PHBH and Tyr222 mutants, crystallographic studies have revealed two distinct flavin conformations ...

  8. Differential Polarization Nonlinear Optical Microscopy with Adaptive Optics Controlled Multiplexed Beams

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Virginijus Barzda

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Differential polarization nonlinear optical microscopy has the potential to become an indispensable tool for structural investigations of ordered biological assemblies and microcrystalline aggregates. Their microscopic organization can be probed through fast and sensitive measurements of nonlinear optical signal anisotropy, which can be achieved with microscopic spatial resolution by using time-multiplexed pulsed laser beams with perpendicular polarization orientations and photon-counting detection electronics for signal demultiplexing. In addition, deformable membrane mirrors can be used to correct for optical aberrations in the microscope and simultaneously optimize beam overlap using a genetic algorithm. The beam overlap can be achieved with better accuracy than diffraction limited point-spread function, which allows to perform polarization-resolved measurements on the pixel-by-pixel basis. We describe a newly developed differential polarization microscope and present applications of the differential microscopy technique for structural studies of collagen and cellulose. Both, second harmonic generation, and fluorescence-detected nonlinear absorption anisotropy are used in these investigations. It is shown that the orientation and structural properties of the fibers in biological tissue can be deduced and that the orientation of fluorescent molecules (Congo Red, which label the fibers, can be determined. Differential polarization microscopy sidesteps common issues such as photobleaching and sample movement. Due to tens of megahertz alternating polarization of excitation pulses fast data acquisition can be conveniently applied to measure changes in the nonlinear signal anisotropy in dynamically changing in vivo structures.

  9. Imaging molecular interactions in cells by dynamic and static fluorescence anisotropy (rFLIM and emFRET)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Lidke, D.S.; Nagy, P.; Barisas, B.G.; Heintzmann, R.; Post, Janine Nicole; Lidke, K.A.; Clayton, A.H.A.; Arndt-jovin, D.J.; Jovin, T.M.

    2003-01-01

    We report the implementation and exploitation of fluorescence polarization measurements, in the form of anisotropy fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (rFLIM) and energy migration Förster resonance energy transfer (emFRET) modalities, for wide-field, confocal laser-scanning microscopy and flow

  10. Nuclear resonance fluorescence of {sup 203,205}Tl

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pfeifer, Fabian; Fritzsche, Matthias; Pietralla, Norbert; Savran, Deniz; Weller, Henry; Zweidinger, Markus [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Technische Universitaet, Darmstadt (Germany); Rusev, Gencho; Tonchev, Anton P.; Tornow, Werner [Triangle Universities Nuclear Laboratory, Duke University, Durham (United States); Zilges, Andreas [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Universitaet Koeln (Germany)

    2009-07-01

    In order to investigate the dipole strength distribution in Thalium isotopes we have studied Nuclear Resonance Fluorescence of a sample composed of natural Thallium (consisting of 30% {sup 203}Tl and 70% {sup 205}Tl). Unpolarized bremsstrahlung with photo energies up to 7.5 MeV was used at the High Intensity Photon Setup (HIPS) at S-DALINAC at the IKP Darmstadt. 24 fluorescent {gamma}-ray transitions were observed, 19 of them for the first time. For the assignment of the polarity of two prominent {gamma}-ray transitions, one at 4.7 MeV and one at 4.9 MeV, the polarized photon beam of the High Intensity {gamma}-ray Source (HI{gamma}S) at Duke University was used. The experiment at HI{gamma}S revealed the existence of a photo-excited state of {sup 205}Tl at an excitation energy of 4.971 MeV that exhibits a transition to the first excited state at 203 keV.

  11. Highly sensitive and selective fluorescent assay for guanine based on the Cu2 +/eosin Y system

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Huimin; Cui, Yi; Gong, Yijun; Feng, Suling

    2016-05-01

    A fluorescent probe has been developed for the determination of guanine based on the quenched fluorescence signal of Cu2 +/eosin Y. Cu2 + interacted with eosin Y, resulting in fluorescence quenching. Subsequently, with the addition of guanine to the Cu2 +/eosin Y system, guanine reacted with Cu2 + to form 1:1 chelate cation, which further combined with eosin Y to form a 1:1 ternary ion-association complex by electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic interaction, resulting in significant decrease of the fluorescence. Hence, a fluorescent system was constructed for rapid, sensitive and selective detection of guanine with a detection limit as low as 1.5 nmol L- 1 and a linear range of 3.3-116 nmol L- 1. The method has been applied satisfactorily to the determination of guanine in DNA and urine samples with the recoveries from 98.7% to 105%. This study significantly expands the realm of application of ternary ion-association complex in fluorescence probe.

  12. Application of europium(III) chelates-bonded silica nanoparticle in time-resolved immunofluorometric detection assay for human thyroid stimulating hormone

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Zhou Yulin; Xia Xiaohu; Xu Ye; Ke Wei; Yang Wei; Li Qingge

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► A rapid and ultrasensitive TSH immunoassay was developed using fluorescent silica nanoparticles-based TrIFA. ► The assay is of high sensitivity with short period time request. ► method can be potentially used at hospitals for daily clinical practice in hTSH screening. - Abstract: Eu(III) chelate-bonded silica nanoparticle was used as a fluorescent label to develop a highly sensitive time-resolved immunofluorometric assay (TrIFA) for human thyroid stimulating hormone (hTSH). The limit of detection of the assay calculated according to the 2SD method was 0.0007 mIU L −1 and became 0.003 mIU L −1 when serum-based matrix was used for calibrators, indicating that this TrIFA is comparable with the most sensitive assays. The linear range was from 0.005 to 100 mIU L −1 of hTSH with coefficient of variation between 1.9% and 8.3%. The correlation study using 204 blood spot samples from newborns showed that the results from this new method were coincident with that of the commercial dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluorescence immunoassay (DELFIA) system, with a correlation coefficient of 0.938. The fluorescent nanoparticle label allows directly reading the fluorescent signal, omitting the signal development step required for the DELFIA system, and the whole procedure of this assay is fulfilled within 2 h. Thus, we developed a novel, sensitive, quantitative and simple nanoparticle label-based TrIFA assay, suitable for routine application in hTSH screening of neonatal hypothyroidism.

  13. Application of europium(III) chelates-bonded silica nanoparticle in time-resolved immunofluorometric detection assay for human thyroid stimulating hormone

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Zhou Yulin [Xiamen Branch of Fujian Newborn Screening Centre and Xiamen Prenatal Diagnosis Centre, Xiamen Maternal and Children' s Health Care Hospital, Xiamen, Fujian 361003 (China); Xia Xiaohu; Xu Ye; Ke Wei [Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, MOE, Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Cell Biology and Tumor Cell Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005 (China); Yang Wei, E-mail: weiyang@xmu.edu.cn [Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, MOE, Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Cell Biology and Tumor Cell Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005 (China); Li Qingge, E-mail: qgli@xmu.edu.cn [Engineering Research Centre of Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, MOE, Department of Biomedical Sciences and the Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education for Cell Biology and Tumor Cell Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian 361005 (China)

    2012-04-13

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A rapid and ultrasensitive TSH immunoassay was developed using fluorescent silica nanoparticles-based TrIFA. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The assay is of high sensitivity with short period time request. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer method can be potentially used at hospitals for daily clinical practice in hTSH screening. - Abstract: Eu(III) chelate-bonded silica nanoparticle was used as a fluorescent label to develop a highly sensitive time-resolved immunofluorometric assay (TrIFA) for human thyroid stimulating hormone (hTSH). The limit of detection of the assay calculated according to the 2SD method was 0.0007 mIU L{sup -1} and became 0.003 mIU L{sup -1} when serum-based matrix was used for calibrators, indicating that this TrIFA is comparable with the most sensitive assays. The linear range was from 0.005 to 100 mIU L{sup -1} of hTSH with coefficient of variation between 1.9% and 8.3%. The correlation study using 204 blood spot samples from newborns showed that the results from this new method were coincident with that of the commercial dissociation-enhanced lanthanide fluorescence immunoassay (DELFIA) system, with a correlation coefficient of 0.938. The fluorescent nanoparticle label allows directly reading the fluorescent signal, omitting the signal development step required for the DELFIA system, and the whole procedure of this assay is fulfilled within 2 h. Thus, we developed a novel, sensitive, quantitative and simple nanoparticle label-based TrIFA assay, suitable for routine application in hTSH screening of neonatal hypothyroidism.

  14. Real-time PCR Detection of Brucella Abortus: A Comparative Study of SYBR Green I, 5'-exonuclease, and Hybridization Probe Assays

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Newby, Deborah Trishelle; Hadfield, Ted; Roberto, Francisco Figueroa

    2003-08-01

    Real-time PCR provides a means of detecting and quantifying DNA targets by monitoring PCR product accumulation during cycling as indicated by increased fluorescence. A number of different approaches can be used to generate the fluorescence signal. Three approaches—SYBR Green I (a double-stranded DNA intercalating dye), 5'-exonuclease (enzymatically released fluors), and hybridization probes (fluorescence resonance energy transfer)—were evaluated for use in a real-time PCR assay to detect Brucella abortus. The three assays utilized the same amplification primers to produce an identical amplicon. This amplicon spans a region of the B. abortus genome that includes portions of the alkB gene and the IS711 insertion element. All three assays were of comparable sensitivity, providing a linear assay over 7 orders of magnitude (from 7.5 ng down to 7.5 fg). However, the greatest specificity was achieved with the hybridization probe assay.

  15. Rapid Simultaneous Amplification and Detection of the MBR/JH Chromosomal Translocation by Fluorescence Melting Curve Analysis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bohling, Sandra D.; King, Thomas C.; Wittwer, Carl T.; Elenitoba-Johnson, Kojo S. J.

    1999-01-01

    Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and product analysis for the detection of chromosomal translocations, such as the t(14;18), has traditionally been a two-step process. PCR product detection has generally entailed gel electrophoresis and/or hybridization or sequencing for confirmation of assay specificity. Using a microvolume fluorimeter integrated with a thermal cycler and a PCR-compatible double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) binding fluorescent dye (SYBR Green I), we investigated the feasibility of simultaneous thermal amplification and detection of MBR/JH translocation products by fluorescence melting curve analysis. We analyzed DNA from 30 cases of lymphoproliferative disorders comprising 19 cases of previously documented MBR/JH-positive follicle center lymphoma and 11 reactive lymphadenopathies. The samples were coded and analyzed blindly for the presence of MBR/JH translocations by fluorescence melting curve analysis. We also performed dilutional assays using the MBR/JH-positive cell line SUDHL-6. Multiplex PCR for MBR/JH and β-globin was used to simultaneously assess sample adequacy. All (100%) of the 19 cases previously determined to be MBR/JH positive by conventional PCR analysis showed a characteristic sharp decrease in fluorescence at ∼90°C by melting curve analysis after amplification. Fluorescence melting peaks obtained by plotting the negative derivative of fluorescence over temperature (−dF/dT) versus temperature (T) showed melting temperatures (Tm) at 88.85 ± 1.15°C. In addition, multiplex assays using both MBR/JH and β-globin primers yielded easily distinguishable fluorescence melting peaks at ∼90°C and 81.2°C, respectively. Dilutional assays revealed that fluorescence melting curve analysis was more sensitive than conventional PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis with ultraviolet transillumination by as much as 100-fold. Simultaneous amplification and fluorescence melting curve analysis is a simple, reliable, and sensitive method

  16. Spectral, stoichiometric ratio, physicochemical, polarity and photostability studies of newly synthesized chalcone dye in organized media

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Marwani, Hadi M.; Asiri, Abdullah M.; Khan, Salman A.

    2013-01-01

    The main focus of this study was to investigate spectroscopic properties, stoichiometric ratios, physicochemical parameters, polarity and photostability behaviors of newly synthesized chalcone dye in organized media. The chalcone dye, 1-(2,5-Dimethyl-thiophen-3-yl)-3-(9-etnyl-9H-carbazol-3-yl)-propenone (DTEP), was prepared by the reaction of carbazole aldehyde with 3-acetyl-2,5-dimethythiophene. Data obtained from FT-IR, 1 H-–NMR, 13 C-NMR and elemental analysis were consistent with chemical structure of newly prepared DTEP. Increases in fluorescence intensities of DTEP with cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) were observed. In comparison of fluorescence intensities for DTEP with CTAB, reductions in fluorescence intensities for DTEP with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) were noticed under the same experimental and instrumental conditions. Additionally, Benesi–Hildebrand method was applied to determine stoichiometric ratios and association constants of DTEP with CTAB and SDS. Stern–Volmer plot was used in order to further confirm the stoichiometric ratio and association constant of DTEP with SDS. Physicochemical parameters such as singlet absorption, molar absorptivity, oscillator strength, dipole moment and fluorescence quantum yield of DTEP were also determined. Fluorescence polarity study displayed that DTEP was sensitive to the polarity of the microenvironment provided by different solvents. Finally, fluorescence steady-state measurements revealed that DTEP has high photostability against photobleaching. -- Highlights: ► Mechanistic understanding of molecular structure of newly synthesized chalcone dye. ► Exploring spectral behaviors and physicochemical parameters of chalcone dye. ► Determination of stoichiometric ratios and association constants of chalcone dye. ► Determination of fluorescence quantum yield in different solvents. ► High photostability against photobleaching of chalcone dye was observed

  17. [A double antibody sandwich ELISA based assay for titration of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Lin; Zhang, Quan-Fu; Li, Chuan; Li, Jian-Dong; Jiang, Xiao-Lin; Zhang, Fu-Shun; Wu, Wei; Liang, Mi-Fang; Li, De-Xin

    2013-06-01

    To develop an assay for titration of severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) based on double antibody sandwich ELISA. A double antibody sandwich ELISA was developed for detection of SFTSV based on SFTSV nucleocapsid (N) protein specific poly- and monoclonal antibodies, procedures were optimized and evaluated. This ELISA based titration assay was compared with fluorescence assasy and plaque assay based titration method. The results suggested that the titers obtained by ELISA based method are consistent with those obtained by IFA based method (R = 0.999) and the plaque assay titration method (R = 0.949). The novel ELISA based titration method with high sensitivity and specificity is easy to manage and perform, and can overcome the subjectivity associated with result determination of the fluorescence assay and plaque assay based methods. The novel ELISA based titration method can also be applied to high throughput detection.

  18. Assay strategies and methods for phospholipases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reynolds, L.J.; Washburn, W.N.; Deems, R.A.; Dennis, E.A.

    1991-01-01

    Of the general considerations discussed, the two issues which are most important in choosing an assay are (1) what sensitivity is required to assay a particular enzyme and (2) whether the assay must be continuous. One can narrow the options further by considering substrate availability, enzyme specificity, assay convenience, or the presence of incompatible side reactions. In addition, the specific preference of a particular phospholipase for polar head group, micellar versus vesicular substrates, and anionic versus nonionic detergents may further restrict the options. Of the many assays described in this chapter, several have limited applicability or serious drawbacks and are not commonly employed. The most commonly used phospholipase assays are the radioactive TLC assay and the pH-stat assay. The TLC assay is probably the most accurate, sensitive assay available. These aspects often outweigh the disadvantages of being discontinuous, tedious, and expensive. The radioactive E. coli assay has become popular recently as an alternative to the TLC assay for the purification of the mammalian nonpancreatic phospholipases. The assay is less time consuming and less expensive than the TLC assay, but it is not appropriate when careful kinetics are required. Where less sensitivity is needed, or when a continuous assay is necessary, the pH-stat assay is often employed. With purified enzymes, when free thiol groups are not present, a spectrophotometric thiol assay can be used. This assay is ∼ as sensitive as the pH-stat assay but is more convenient and more reproducible, although the substrate is not available commercially. Despite the many assay choices available, the search continues for a convenient, generally applicable assay that is both sensitive and continuous

  19. Comparison of Clot-based, Chromogenic, and Fluorescence Assays for Measurement of Factor VIII Inhibitors in the U.S. Hemophilia Inhibitor Research Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Miller, Connie H.; Rice, Anne S.; Boylan, Brian; Shapiro, Amy D.; Lentz, Steven R.; Wicklund, Brian M.; Kelly, Fiona M.; Soucie, J. Michael

    2015-01-01

    Summary Background Detection and validation of inhibitors (antibodies) to hemophilia treatment products are important for clinical care, evaluation of product safety, and assessment of population trends. Methods Centralized monitoring for factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors was conducted for patients in the Hemophilia Inhibitor Research Study using a previously reported modified Nijmegen-Bethesda clotting assay (NBA), a chromogenic Bethesda assay (CBA), and a novel fluorescence immunoassay (FLI). Results NBA and CBA were performed on 1005 specimens and FLI on 272 specimens. CBA was negative on 880/883 specimens (99.7%) with Nijmegen-Bethesda units (NBU)NBA and negative CBA, 58.1% were FLI-negative, 12.9% had evidence of lupus anticoagulant, and 35.5% had non-time-dependent inhibition. CBA and FLI were positive on 72.4% and 100% of 1.0–1.9 NBU specimens and 43.1% and 50.0% of 0.5–0.9 NBU specimens. FLI detected antibodies in 98.0% of CBA-positive and 81.6% of NBA-positive specimens (P=0.004). Among 21 new inhibitors detected by NBA, 5 (23.8%) with 0.7–1.3 NBU did not react in CBA or FLI. Among previously positive patients with 0.5–1.9 NBU, 7/25 (28%) were not CBA or FLI positive. FLI was positive on 36/169 NBU-negative specimens (21.3%). Conclusions FVIII specificity could not be demonstrated by CBA or FLI for 26% of inhibitors of 0.5–1.9 NBU; such results must be interpreted with caution. Low titer inhibitors detected in clot-based assays should always be repeated, with consideration given to evaluating their reactivity with FVIII using more specific assays. PMID:23601690

  20. Studies of radiation induced membrane damage in lymphocytes using fluorescent probes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nikesch, W.

    1974-01-01

    The fluorescent probes perylene (PER), 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonic acid (ANS), and fluorescein diacetate (FDA) were used to investigate membrane changes caused by ionizing radiation. Probe response to various other perturbations (variation of pH, temperature, and salt concentration, and treatment with phythohemagglutinin (PHA) and saponins) was also investigated to better understand membrane-probe interactions. ANS was used to probe the membrane surface, PER to probe the membrane interior, and FDA to investigate membrane integrity. Polarization of fluorescent light from ANS and PER was used to investigate the microviscosity and order of the membrane surface and interior respectively. Irradiated cells (600 R) were shown to have a decreased rate of hydrolysis of FDA probably due to cytoplasmic changes effecting the enzymatic reaction. Also evident was an increase in loss of intracellular fluorescein and a decrease in PER polarization indicating that the cells have a decreased membrane integrity, possibly the result of an increased disorganization of the phospholipid hydrocarbon chains in the membrane interior. Experiments with PHA link the decreased membrane integrity with the eventual interphase death of the cells. In general it is shown that the fluorescent probes ANS, PER, and FDA provide useful ways to investigate order and microviscosity in the cell membrane surface and interior, membrane surface charges, internal membrane polarity changes, and membrane integrity. (U.S.)

  1. Dyes assay for measuring physicochemical parameters.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moczko, Ewa; Meglinski, Igor V; Bessant, Conrad; Piletsky, Sergey A

    2009-03-15

    A combination of selective fluorescent dyes has been developed for simultaneous quantitative measurements of several physicochemical parameters. The operating principle of the assay is similar to electronic nose and tongue systems, which combine nonspecific or semispecific elements for the determination of diverse analytes and chemometric techniques for multivariate data analysis. The analytical capability of the proposed mixture is engendered by changes in fluorescence signal in response to changes in environment such as pH, temperature, ionic strength, and presence of oxygen. The signal is detected by a three-dimensional spectrofluorimeter, and the acquired data are processed using an artificial neural network (ANN) for multivariate calibration. The fluorescence spectrum of a solution of selected dyes allows discreet reading of emission maxima of all dyes composing the mixture. The variations in peaks intensities caused by environmental changes provide distinctive fluorescence patterns which can be handled in the same way as the signals collected from nose/tongue electrochemical or piezoelectric devices. This optical system opens possibilities for rapid, inexpensive, real-time detection of a multitude of physicochemical parameters and analytes of complex samples.

  2. A novel turn-on fluorescent strategy for sensing ascorbic acid using graphene quantum dots as fluorescent probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Hua; Na, Weidan; Liu, Ziping; Chen, Xueqian; Su, Xingguang

    2017-06-15

    In this paper, a facile and rapid fluorescence turn-on assay for fluorescent detection of ascorbic acid (AA) was developed by using the orange emission graphene quantum dots (GQDs). In the presence of horse radish peroxidase (HRP) and hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ), catechol can be oxidized by hydroxyl radicals and converted to o-benzoquinone, which can significantly quench the fluorescence of GQDs. However, when AA present in the system, it can consume part of H 2 O 2 and hydroxyl radicals to inhibit the generation of o-benzoquinone, resulting in fluorescence recovery. Under the optimized experimental conditions, the fluorescence intensity was linearly correlated with the concentration of H 2 O 2 in the range of 3.33-500µM with a detection limit of 1.2µM. The linear detection for AA was in the range from 1.11 to 300µM with a detection limit of 0.32µM. The proposed method was applied to the determination of AA in human serum samples with satisfactory results. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  3. Surface-biofunctionalized multicore/shell CdTe@SiO2 composite particles for immunofluorescence assay

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jing, Lihong; Li, Yilin; Ding, Ke; Qiao, Ruirui; Rogach, Andrey L.; Gao, Mingyuan

    2011-12-01

    Strongly fluorescent multicore/shell structured CdTe@SiO2 composite particles of ~ 50 nm were synthesized via the reverse microemulsion method by using CdTe quantum dots co-stabilized by thioglycolic acid and thioglycerol. The optical stability of the CdTe@SiO2 composite particles in a wide pH range, under prolonged UV irradiation in pure water, or in different types of physiological buffers was systematically investigated. Towards immunofluorescence assay, both poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) and carboxyl residues were simultaneously grafted on the surface of the silanol-terminated CdTe@SiO2 composite particles upon further reactions with silane reagents bearing a PEG segment and carboxyl group, respectively, in order to suppress the nonspecific interactions of the silica particles with proteins and meanwhile introduce reactive moieties to the fluorescent particles. Agarose gel electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering and conventional optical spectroscopy were combined to investigate the effectiveness of the surface modifications. Via the surface carboxyl residue, various antibodies were covalently conjugated to the fluorescent particles and the resultant fluorescent probes were used in detecting cancer cells through both direct fluorescent antibody and indirect fluorescent antibody assays, respectively.

  4. Highly sensitive and selective fluorescent assay for guanine based on the Cu(2+)/eosin Y system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shi, Huimin; Cui, Yi; Gong, Yijun; Feng, Suling

    2016-05-15

    A fluorescent probe has been developed for the determination of guanine based on the quenched fluorescence signal of Cu(2+)/eosin Y. Cu(2+) interacted with eosin Y, resulting in fluorescence quenching. Subsequently, with the addition of guanine to the Cu(2+)/eosin Y system, guanine reacted with Cu(2+) to form 1:1 chelate cation, which further combined with eosin Y to form a 1:1 ternary ion-association complex by electrostatic attraction and hydrophobic interaction, resulting in significant decrease of the fluorescence. Hence, a fluorescent system was constructed for rapid, sensitive and selective detection of guanine with a detection limit as low as 1.5 nmol L(-1) and a linear range of 3.3-116 nmol L(-1). The method has been applied satisfactorily to the determination of guanine in DNA and urine samples with the recoveries from 98.7% to 105%. This study significantly expands the realm of application of ternary ion-association complex in fluorescence probe. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Plasmonics Enhanced Smartphone Fluorescence Microscopy

    KAUST Repository

    Wei, Qingshan

    2017-05-12

    Smartphone fluorescence microscopy has various applications in point-of-care (POC) testing and diagnostics, ranging from e.g., quantification of immunoassays, detection of microorganisms, to sensing of viruses. An important need in smartphone-based microscopy and sensing techniques is to improve the detection sensitivity to enable quantification of extremely low concentrations of target molecules. Here, we demonstrate a general strategy to enhance the detection sensitivity of a smartphone-based fluorescence microscope by using surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) created by a thin metal-film. In this plasmonic design, the samples are placed on a silver-coated glass slide with a thin spacer, and excited by a laser-diode from the backside through a glass hemisphere, generating surface plasmon polaritons. We optimized this mobile SEF system by tuning the metal-film thickness, spacer distance, excitation angle and polarization, and achieved ~10-fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity compared to a bare glass substrate, which enabled us to image single fluorescent particles as small as 50 nm in diameter and single quantum-dots. Furthermore, we quantified the detection limit of this platform by using DNA origami-based brightness standards, demonstrating that ~80 fluorophores per diffraction-limited spot can be readily detected by our mobile microscope, which opens up new opportunities for POC diagnostics and sensing applications in resource-limited-settings.

  6. Plasmonics Enhanced Smartphone Fluorescence Microscopy

    KAUST Repository

    Wei, Qingshan; Acuna, Guillermo; Kim, Seungkyeum; Vietz, Carolin; Tseng, Derek; Chae, Jongjae; Shir, Daniel; Luo, Wei; Tinnefeld, Philip; Ozcan, Aydogan

    2017-01-01

    Smartphone fluorescence microscopy has various applications in point-of-care (POC) testing and diagnostics, ranging from e.g., quantification of immunoassays, detection of microorganisms, to sensing of viruses. An important need in smartphone-based microscopy and sensing techniques is to improve the detection sensitivity to enable quantification of extremely low concentrations of target molecules. Here, we demonstrate a general strategy to enhance the detection sensitivity of a smartphone-based fluorescence microscope by using surface-enhanced fluorescence (SEF) created by a thin metal-film. In this plasmonic design, the samples are placed on a silver-coated glass slide with a thin spacer, and excited by a laser-diode from the backside through a glass hemisphere, generating surface plasmon polaritons. We optimized this mobile SEF system by tuning the metal-film thickness, spacer distance, excitation angle and polarization, and achieved ~10-fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity compared to a bare glass substrate, which enabled us to image single fluorescent particles as small as 50 nm in diameter and single quantum-dots. Furthermore, we quantified the detection limit of this platform by using DNA origami-based brightness standards, demonstrating that ~80 fluorophores per diffraction-limited spot can be readily detected by our mobile microscope, which opens up new opportunities for POC diagnostics and sensing applications in resource-limited-settings.

  7. Near-infrared fluorescence glucose sensing based on glucose/galactose-binding protein coupled to 651-Blue Oxazine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Khan, Faaizah; Pickup, John C., E-mail: john.pickup@kcl.ac.uk

    2013-08-30

    Highlights: •We showed that the NIR fluorophore, 651-Blue Oxazine, is solvatochromic (polarity sensitive). •Blue Oxazine was covalently attached to mutants of glucose/galactose-binding protein (GBP). •Fluorescence intensity of GBP-Blue Oxazine increased with addition of glucose. •Fluorescence from bead-immobilised GBP-Blue Oxazine was detectable through skin in vitro. •This shows proof-of-concept for non-invasive glucose sensing using GBP-Blue Oxazine. -- Abstract: Near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dyes that are environmentally sensitive or solvatochromic are useful tools for protein labelling in in vivo biosensor applications such as glucose monitoring in diabetes since their spectral properties are mostly independent of tissue autofluorescence and light scattering, and they offer potential for non-invasive analyte sensing. We showed that the fluorophore 651-Blue Oxazine is polarity-sensitive, with a marked reduction in NIR fluorescence on increasing solvent polarity. Mutants of glucose/galactose-binding protein (GBP) used as the glucose receptor were site-specifically and covalently labelled with Blue Oxazine using click chemistry. Mutants H152C/A213R and H152C/A213R/L238S showed fluorescence increases of 15% and 21% on addition of saturating glucose concentrations and binding constants of 6 and 25 mM respectively. Fluorescence responses to glucose were preserved when GBP-Blue Oxazine was immobilised to agarose beads, and the beads were excited by NIR light through a mouse skin preparation studied in vitro. We conclude GBP-Blue Oxazine shows proof-of-concept as a non-invasive continuous glucose sensing system.

  8. Photoacoustic-fluorescence in vitro flow cytometry for quantification of absorption, scattering and fluorescence properties of the cells

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nedosekin, D. A.; Sarimollaoglu, M.; Foster, S.; Galanzha, E. I.; Zharov, V. P.

    2013-03-01

    Fluorescence flow cytometry is a well-established analytical tool that provides quantification of multiple biological parameters of cells at molecular levels, including their functional states, morphology, composition, proliferation, and protein expression. However, only the fluorescence and scattering parameters of the cells or labels are available for detection. Cell pigmentation, presence of non-fluorescent dyes or nanoparticles cannot be reliably quantified. Herewith, we present a novel photoacoustic (PA) flow cytometry design for simple integration of absorbance measurements into schematics of conventional in vitro flow cytometers. The integrated system allow simultaneous measurements of light absorbance, scattering and of multicolor fluorescence from single cells in the flow at rates up to 2 m/s. We compared various combinations of excitation laser sources for multicolor detection, including simultaneous excitation of PA and fluorescence using a single 500 kHz pulsed nanosecond laser. Multichannel detection scheme allows simultaneous detection of up to 8 labels, including 4 fluorescent tags and 4 PA colors. In vitro PA-fluorescence flow cytometer was used for studies of nanoparticles uptake and for the analysis of cell line pigmentation, including genetically encoded melanin expression in breast cancer cell line. We demonstrate that this system can be used for direct nanotoxicity studies with simultaneous quantification of nanoparticles content and assessment of cell viability using a conventional fluorescent apoptosis assays.

  9. Novel migrating mouse neural crest cell assay system utilizing P0-Cre/EGFP fluorescent time-lapse imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kawakami Minoru

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Neural crest cells (NCCs are embryonic, multipotent stem cells. Their long-range and precision-guided migration is one of their most striking characteristics. We previously reported that P0-Cre/CAG-CAT-lacZ double-transgenic mice showed significant lacZ expression in tissues derived from NCCs. Results In this study, by embedding a P0-Cre/CAG-CAT-EGFP embryo at E9.5 in collagen gel inside a culture glass slide, we were able to keep the embryo developing ex vivo for more than 24 hours; this development was with enough NCC fluorescent signal intensity to enable single-cell resolution analysis, with the accompanying NCC migration potential intact and with the appropriate NCC response to the extracellular signal maintained. By implantation of beads with absorbed platelet-derived growth factor-AA (PDGF-AA, we demonstrated that PDGF-AA acts as an NCC-attractant in embryos. We also performed assays with NCCs isolated from P0-Cre/CAG-CAT-EGFP embryos on culture plates. The neuromediator 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT has been known to regulate NCC migration. We newly demonstrated that dopamine, in addition to 5-HT, stimulated NCC migration in vitro. Two NCC populations, with different axial levels of origins, showed unique distribution patterns regarding migration velocity and different dose-response patterns to both 5-HT and dopamine. Conclusions Although avian species predominated over the other species in the NCC study, our novel system should enable us to use mice to assay many different aspects of NCCs in embryos or on culture plates, such as migration, division, differentiation, and apoptosis.

  10. Time-resolved UV-excited microarray reader for fluorescence energy transfer (FRET) measurements

    Science.gov (United States)

    Orellana, Adelina; Hokkanen, Ari P.; Pastinen, Tomi; Takkinen, Kristina; Soderlund, Hans

    2001-05-01

    Analytical systems based on immunochemistry are largely used in medical diagnostics and in biotechnology. There is a significant pressure to develop the present assay formats to become easier to use, faster, and less reagent consuming. Further developments towards high density array--like multianalyte measurement systems would be valuable. To this aim we have studied the applicability of fluorescence resonance energy transfer and time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer in immunoassays on microspots and in microwells. We have used engineered recombinant antibodies detecting the pentameric protein CRP as a model analyte system, and tested different assay formats. We describe also the construction of a time-resolved scanning epifluorometer with which we could measure the FRET interaction between the slow fluorescence decay from europium chelates and its energy transfer to the rapidly decaying fluorophore Cy5.

  11. Ultrasensitive fluorescence immunoassay for detection of ochratoxin A using catalase-mediated fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Xiaolin; Zhan, Shengnan; Xu, Hengyi; Meng, Xianwei; Xiong, Yonghua; Chen, Xiaoyuan

    2016-04-01

    Herein, for the first time we report an improved competitive fluorescent enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the ultrasensitive detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) by using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced fluorescence quenching of mercaptopropionic acid-modified CdTe quantum dots (QDs). In this immunoassay, catalase (CAT) was labeled with OTA as a competitive antigen to connect the fluorescence signals of the QDs with the concentration of the target. Through the combinatorial use of H2O2-induced fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs as a fluorescence signal output and the ultrahigh catalytic activity of CAT to H2O2, our proposed method could be used to perform a dynamic linear detection of OTA ranging from 0.05 pg mL-1 to 10 pg mL-1. The half maximal inhibitory concentration was 0.53 pg mL-1 and the limit of detection was 0.05 pg mL-1. These values were approximately 283- and 300-folds lower than those of horseradish peroxidase (HRP)-based conventional ELISA, respectively. The reported method is accurate, highly reproducible, and specific against other mycotoxins in agricultural products as well. In summary, the developed fluorescence immunoassay based on H2O2-induced fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs can be used for the rapid and highly sensitive detection of mycotoxins or haptens in food safety monitoring.Herein, for the first time we report an improved competitive fluorescent enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for the ultrasensitive detection of ochratoxin A (OTA) by using hydrogen peroxide (H2O2)-induced fluorescence quenching of mercaptopropionic acid-modified CdTe quantum dots (QDs). In this immunoassay, catalase (CAT) was labeled with OTA as a competitive antigen to connect the fluorescence signals of the QDs with the concentration of the target. Through the combinatorial use of H2O2-induced fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs as a fluorescence signal output and the ultrahigh catalytic activity of CAT to H2O2, our proposed method could be used to

  12. Fluorescent Probes for Analysis and Imaging of Monoamine Oxidase Activity

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kim, Dokyoung; Jun, Yong Woong; Ahn, Kyo Han [POSTECH, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-05-15

    Monoamine oxidases catalyze the oxidative deamination of dietary amines and amine neurotransmitters, and assist in maintaining the homeostasis of the amine neurotransmitters in the brain. Dysfunctions of these enzymes can cause neurological and behavioral disorders including Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases. To understand their physiological roles, efficient assay methods for monoamine oxidases are essential. Reviewed in this Perspective are the recent progress in the development of fluorescent probes for monoamine oxidases and their applications to enzyme assays in cells and tissues. It is evident that still there is strong need for a fluorescent probe with desirable substrate selectivity and photophysical properties to challenge the much unsolved issues associated with the enzymes and the diseases.

  13. Assay of flippase activity in proteoliposomes using fluorescent lipid derivatives

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marek, Magdalena; Günther-Pomorski, Thomas

    2016-01-01

    Specific membrane proteins, termed lipid flippases, play a central role in facilitating the movement of lipids across cellular membranes. In this protocol, we describe the reconstitution of ATP-driven lipid flippases in liposomes and the analysis of their in vitro flippase activity based on the use...... of fluorescent lipid derivatives. Working with purified and reconstituted systems provides a well-defined experimental setup and allows to directly characterize these membrane proteins at the molecular level....

  14. Using fluorescence measurement of zinc ions liberated from ZnS nanoparticle labels in bioassay for Escherichia coli O157:H7

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cowles, Chad L.; Zhu Xiaoshan; Pai, Chi-Yun

    2011-01-01

    In this study, an alternative approach using ZnS nanoparticle biolabels as fluorescence signal transducers is reported for the immunoassay of E. coli O157:H7 in tap water samples. Instead of measuring the fluorescence of ZnS nanoparticles in the assay, the fluorescence signal is generated through the binding of zinc ions released from nanoparticle labels with zinc-ion sensitive fluorescence indicator Fluozin-3. In the assay, ZnS nanoparticles around 50 nm in diameter were synthesized, bioconjugated, and applied for the detection of E. coli O157:H7. The assay shows a detection range over two orders of magnitude and a detection limit around 1000 colony-forming units (cfu) of E. coli O157:H7.

  15. From Dark to Light to Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET): Polarity-Sensitive Aggregation-Induced Emission (AIE)-Active Tetraphenylethene-Fused BODIPY Dyes with a Very Large Pseudo-Stokes Shift.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Şen, Esra; Meral, Kadem; Atılgan, Serdar

    2016-01-11

    The work presented herein is devoted to the fabrication of large Stokes shift dyes in both organic and aqueous media by combining dark resonance energy transfer (DRET) and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) in one donor-acceptor system. In this respect, a series of donor-acceptor architectures of 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene (BODIPY) dyes substituted by one, two, or three tetraphenylethene (TPE) luminogens were designed and synthesised. The photophysical properties of these three chromophore systems were studied to provide insight into the nature of donor-acceptor interactions in both THF and aqueous media. Because the generation of emissive TPE donor(s) is strongly polarity dependent, due to its aggregation-induced emission (AIE) feature, one might expect the formation of appreciable fluorescence emission intensity with a very large pseudo-Stokes shift in aqueous media when considering FRET process. Interestingly, similar results were also recorded in THF for the chromophore systems, although the TPE fragment(s) of the dyes are non-emissive. The explanation for this photophysical behaviour lies in the DRET. This is the first report on combining two energy-transfer processes, namely, FRET and DRET, in one polarity-sensitive donor-acceptor pair system. The accuracy of the dark-emissive donor property of the TPE luminogen is also presented for the first time as a new feature for AIE phenomena. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  16. A novel fluorescent assay for edaravone with aqueous functional CdSe quantum dots

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Ping; Yan, Zheng-Yu; Xu, Zhi-Ji; Sun, Xiao

    2009-06-01

    Aqueous thiol-capped CdSe QDs with a narrow, symmetric emission were prepared under a low temperature. Based on the fluorescence enhancement of thiol-stabilized CdSe quantum dots (QDs) caused by edaravone, a simple, rapid and specific quantitative method was proposed to the edaravone determination. The concentration dependence of fluorescence intensity followed the binding of edaravone to surface of the thiol-capped CdSe QDs was effectively described by a modified Langmuir-type binding isotherm. Factors affecting the fluorescence detection for edaravone with thiol-stabilized CdSe QDs were studied, such as the effect of pH, reaction time, the concentration of CdSe QDs and so on. Under the optimal conditions, the calibration plot of C/( I - I0) with concentration of edaravone was linear in the range of (1.45-17.42) μg/mL (0.008-0.1 μmol/L) with correlation coefficient of 0.998. The limit of detection (LOD) (3 σ/ κ) was 0.15 μg/mL (0.0009 μmol/mL). Possible interaction mechanism was discussed.

  17. Hybridization chain reaction amplification for highly sensitive fluorescence detection of DNA with dextran coated microarrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chao, Jie; Li, Zhenhua; Li, Jing; Peng, Hongzhen; Su, Shao; Li, Qian; Zhu, Changfeng; Zuo, Xiaolei; Song, Shiping; Wang, Lianhui; Wang, Lihua

    2016-07-15

    Microarrays of biomolecules hold great promise in the fields of genomics, proteomics, and clinical assays on account of their remarkably parallel and high-throughput assay capability. However, the fluorescence detection used in most conventional DNA microarrays is still limited by sensitivity. In this study, we have demonstrated a novel universal and highly sensitive platform for fluorescent detection of sequence specific DNA at the femtomolar level by combining dextran-coated microarrays with hybridization chain reaction (HCR) signal amplification. Three-dimensional dextran matrix was covalently coated on glass surface as the scaffold to immobilize DNA recognition probes to increase the surface binding capacity and accessibility. DNA nanowire tentacles were formed on the matrix surface for efficient signal amplification by capturing multiple fluorescent molecules in a highly ordered way. By quantifying microscopic fluorescent signals, the synergetic effects of dextran and HCR greatly improved sensitivity of DNA microarrays, with a detection limit of 10fM (1×10(5) molecules). This detection assay could recognize one-base mismatch with fluorescence signals dropped down to ~20%. This cost-effective microarray platform also worked well with samples in serum and thus shows great potential for clinical diagnosis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Real-time PCR based on SYBR-Green I fluorescence: An alternative to the TaqMan assay for a relative quantification of gene rearrangements, gene amplifications and micro gene deletions

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Puisieux Alain

    2003-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Real-time PCR is increasingly being adopted for RNA quantification and genetic analysis. At present the most popular real-time PCR assay is based on the hybridisation of a dual-labelled probe to the PCR product, and the development of a signal by loss of fluorescence quenching as PCR degrades the probe. Though this so-called 'TaqMan' approach has proved easy to optimise in practice, the dual-labelled probes are relatively expensive. Results We have designed a new assay based on SYBR-Green I binding that is quick, reliable, easily optimised and compares well with the published assay. Here we demonstrate its general applicability by measuring copy number in three different genetic contexts; the quantification of a gene rearrangement (T-cell receptor excision circles (TREC in peripheral blood mononuclear cells; the detection and quantification of GLI, MYC-C and MYC-N gene amplification in cell lines and cancer biopsies; and detection of deletions in the OPA1 gene in dominant optic atrophy. Conclusion Our assay has important clinical applications, providing accurate diagnostic results in less time, from less biopsy material and at less cost than assays currently employed such as FISH or Southern blotting.

  19. Fluorescent glycosidase inhibiting 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-iminoalditols

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Greimel, Peter; Häusler, Herwig; Lundt, Inge

    2006-01-01

    1,5-Dideoxy-1,5-iminoalditols of various configurations as well as isofagomine were N-alkylated with non-polar straight chain spacer-arms by a set of simple standard procedures. The spacer-arms’ terminal functional groups, primary amines, were employed to introduce fluorescent tags such as dansyl...

  20. Enzyme activity assays within microstructured optical fibers enabled by automated alignment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Warren-Smith, Stephen C; Nie, Guiying; Schartner, Erik P; Salamonsen, Lois A; Monro, Tanya M

    2012-12-01

    A fluorescence-based enzyme activity assay has been demonstrated within a small-core microstructured optical fiber (MOF) for the first time. To achieve this, a reflection-based automated alignment system has been developed, which uses feedback and piezoelectric actuators to maintain optical alignment. The auto-alignment system provides optical stability for the time required to perform an activity assay. The chosen assay is based on the enzyme proprotein convertase 5/6 (PC6) and has important applications in women's health.

  1. Intermolecular G-quadruplex structure-based fluorescent DNA detection system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Hui; Wu, Zai-Sheng; Shen, Guo-Li; Yu, Ru-Qin

    2013-03-15

    Adopting multi-donors to pair with one acceptor could improve the performance of fluorogenic detection probes. However, common dyes (e.g., fluorescein) in close proximity to each other would self-quench the fluorescence, and the fluorescence is difficult to restore. In this contribution, we constructed a novel "multi-donors-to-one acceptor" fluorescent DNA detection system by means of the intermolecular G-quadruplex (IGQ) structure-based fluorescence signal enhancement combined with the hairpin oligonucleotide. The novel IGQ-hairpin system was characterized using the p53 gene as the model target DNA. The proposed system showed an improved assay performance due to the introduction of IGQ-structure into fluorescent signaling probes, which could inhibit the background fluorescence and increase fluorescence restoration amplitude of fluoresceins upon target DNA hybridization. The proof-of-concept scheme is expected to provide new insight into the potential of G-quadruplex structure and promote the application of fluorescent oligonucleotide probes in fundamental research, diagnosis, and treatment of genetic diseases. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  2. Long term storage of virus templated fluorescent materials for sensing applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Seetharam, Raviraja N; Guerra, Charles; Satir, Peter [Department of Anatomy and Structural Biology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY 10461 (United States); Blum, Amy Szuchmacher; Soto, Carissa M; Ratna, Banahalli R [Center for Bio/Molecular Science and Engineering, Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375 (United States); Whitley, Jessica L [Geo-Centers, Incorporated, Newton, MA 02459 (United States); Sapsford, Kim E [George Mason University, 10910 University Boulevard, Manassas, VA 20110 (United States); Chatterji, Anju; Lin Tianwei; Johnson, John E [Department of Molecular Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, 10550 North Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 (United States)], E-mail: amy.blum@nrl.navy.mil

    2008-03-12

    Wild type, mutant, and chemically modified Cowpea mosaic viruses (CPMV) were studied for long term preservation in the presence and absence of cryoprotectants. Viral complexes were reconstituted and tested via fluorescence spectroscopy and a UV/vis-based RNase assay for structural integrity. When viruses lyophilized in the absence of cryoprotectant were rehydrated and RNase treated, UV absorption increased, indicating that the capsids were damaged. The addition of trehalose during lyophilization protected capsid integrity for at least 7 weeks. Measurements of the fluorescence peak maximum of CPMV lyophilized with trehalose and reconstituted also indicate that the virus remained intact. Microarray binding assays indicated that CPMV particles chemically modified for use as a fluorescent tracer were intact and retained binding specificity after lyophilization in the presence of trehalose. Thus, we demonstrate that functionalized CPMV nanostructures can be stored for the long term, enabling their use in practical sensing applications.

  3. Long term storage of virus templated fluorescent materials for sensing applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Seetharam, Raviraja N; Guerra, Charles; Satir, Peter; Blum, Amy Szuchmacher; Soto, Carissa M; Ratna, Banahalli R; Whitley, Jessica L; Sapsford, Kim E; Chatterji, Anju; Lin Tianwei; Johnson, John E

    2008-01-01

    Wild type, mutant, and chemically modified Cowpea mosaic viruses (CPMV) were studied for long term preservation in the presence and absence of cryoprotectants. Viral complexes were reconstituted and tested via fluorescence spectroscopy and a UV/vis-based RNase assay for structural integrity. When viruses lyophilized in the absence of cryoprotectant were rehydrated and RNase treated, UV absorption increased, indicating that the capsids were damaged. The addition of trehalose during lyophilization protected capsid integrity for at least 7 weeks. Measurements of the fluorescence peak maximum of CPMV lyophilized with trehalose and reconstituted also indicate that the virus remained intact. Microarray binding assays indicated that CPMV particles chemically modified for use as a fluorescent tracer were intact and retained binding specificity after lyophilization in the presence of trehalose. Thus, we demonstrate that functionalized CPMV nanostructures can be stored for the long term, enabling their use in practical sensing applications

  4. Fluorescence detection of a protein-bound 2Fe2S cluster.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoff, Kevin G; Goodlitt, Rochelle; Li, Rui; Smolke, Christina D; Silberg, Jonathan J

    2009-03-02

    A fluorescent biosensor is described for 2Fe2S clusters that is composed of green fluorescent protein (GFP) fused to glutaredoxin 2 (Grx2), as illustrated here. 2Fe2S detection is based on the reduction of GFP fluorescence upon the 2Fe2S-induced dimerization of GFP-Grx2. This assay is sufficiently sensitive to detect submicromolar changes in 2Fe2S levels, thus making it suitable for high-throughput measurements of metallocluster degradation and synthesis reactions.

  5. Fluorometric assay for phenotypic differentiation of drug-resistant HIV mutants

    OpenAIRE

    Zhu, Qinchang; Yu, Zhiqiang; Kabashima, Tsutomu; Yin, Sheng; Dragusha, Shpend; El-Mahdy, Ahmed F. M.; Ejupi, Valon; Shibata, Takayuki; Kai, Masaaki

    2015-01-01

    Convenient drug-resistance testing of viral mutants is indispensable to effective treatment of viral infection. We developed a novel fluorometric assay for phenotypic differentiation of drug-resistant mutants of human immunodeficiency virus-I protease (HIV-PR) which uses enzymatic and peptide-specific fluorescence (FL) reactions and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of three HIV-PR substrates. This assay protocol enables use of non-purified enzyme sources and multiple substrates f...

  6. A Dansyl Fluorescence-Based Assay for Monitoring Kinetics of Lipid Extraction and Transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ran, Yong

    2008-01-01

    Lipid transfer proteins (LTPs) play important roles in cellular biology, and fluorescence spectroscopy has found wide range use as a facile means for time-resolved monitoring of protein-lipid interactions[1]. Here, we show how the fluorescence emission properties of dansyl-DHPE can be exploited to characterize lipid extraction and lipid transfer kinetics. The GM2 activator protein serves as an example LTP where the ability to independently characterize lipid extraction from donor vesicles, formation of a protein:lipid complex in solution, and release of lipid from the complex to acceptor liposomes is crucial for full kinetic characterization of lipid transfer. PMID:18694718

  7. Very bright orange fluorescent plants: endoplasmic reticulum targeting of orange fluorescent proteins as visual reporters in transgenic plants

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mann David GJ

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The expression of fluorescent protein (FP genes as real-time visual markers, both transiently and stably, has revolutionized plant biotechnology. A palette of colors of FPs is now available for use, but the diversity has generally been underutilized in plant biotechnology. Because of the green and far-red autofluorescent properties of many plant tissues and the FPs themselves, red and orange FPs (RFPs, and OFPs, respectfully appear to be the colors with maximum utility in plant biotechnology. Within the color palette OFPs have emerged as the brightest FP markers in the visible spectra. This study compares several native, near-native and modified OFPs for their “brightness” and fluorescence, therefore, their usability as marker genes in transgenic plant tissues. Results The OFPs DsRed2, tdTomato, mOrange and pporRFP were all expressed under the control of the CaMV 35S promoter in agroinfiltration-mediated transient assays in Nicotiana benthamiana. Each of these, as well as endoplasmic reticulum (ER-targeted versions, were stably expressed in transgenic Nicotiana tabacum and Arabidopsis thaliana. Congruent results were observed between transient and stable assays. Our results demonstrated that there are several adequate OFP genes available for plant transformation, including the new pporRFP, an unaltered tetramer from the hard coral Porites porites. When the tandem dimer tdTomato and the monomeric mOrange were targeted to the ER, dramatic, ca. 3-fold, increase in plant fluorescence was observed. Conclusions From our empirical data, and a search of the literature, it appears that tdTomato-ER and mOrange-ER are the two highest fluorescing FPs available as reporters for transgenic plants. The pporRFP is a brightly fluorescing tetramer, but all tetramer FPs are far less bright than the ER-targeted monomers we report here.

  8. Characterization of fatty acid amide hydrolase activity by a fluorescence-based assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dato, Florian M; Maaßen, Andreas; Goldfuß, Bernd; Pietsch, Markus

    2018-04-01

    Fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) is involved in many human diseases, particularly cancer, pain and inflammation as well as neurological, metabolic and cardiovascular disorders. Therefore, FAAH is an attractive target for the development of low-molecular-weight inhibitors as therapeutics, which requires robust assays that can be used for high-throughput screening (HTS) of compound libraries. Here, we report the development of a fluorometric assay based on FAAH's ability to effectively hydrolyze medium-chain fatty acid amides, introducing N-decanoyl-substituted 5-amino-2-methoxypyridine (D-MAP) as new amide substrate. D-MAP is cleaved by FAAH with an 8-fold larger specificity constant than the previously reported octanoyl-analog Oc-MAP (V max /K m of 1.09 and 0.134 mL min -1 mg -1 , respectively), with both MAP derivatives possessing superior substrate properties and much increased aqueous solubility compared to the respective p-nitroaniline compounds D-pNA and Oc-pNA. The new assay with D-MAP as substrate is highly sensitive using a lower enzyme concentration (1 μg mL -1 ) than literature-reported fluorimetric FAAH assays. In addition, D-MAP was validated in comparison to the substrate Oc-MAP for the characterization of FAAH inhibitors by means of the reference compounds URB597 and TC-F2 and was shown to be highly suitable for HTS in both kinetic and endpoint assays (Z' factors of 0.81 and 0.78, respectively). Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Polarized spectral properties of Sm3+:LiYF4 crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, G.Q.; Lin, Y.F.; Gong, X.H.; Chen, Y.J.; Huang, J.H.; Luo, Z.D.; Huang, Y.D.

    2014-01-01

    A trivalent samarium-doped LiYF 4 single crystal was grown by the vertical Bridgman technique. Its polarized absorption and fluorescence spectra and fluorescence decay curves were recorded at room temperature. On the basis of the Judd–Ofelt theory, the spectral parameters of the Sm 3+ :LiYF 4 crystal were calculated. The emission cross sections for the 4 G 5/2 → 6 H J (J=5/2, 7/2. 9/2, and 11/2) transitions of special interest for visible laser application were obtained by the Fuchtbauer–Ladenburg formula. -- Highlights: • Polarized spectral properties of Sm 3+ :LiYF 4 crystal at room temperature were analyzed in detail. • The emission cross sections for the transitions of special interest for visible laser application are calculated. • Sm 3+ :LiYF 4 is a promising laser material for 401 nm GaN LD pumped 605 nm visible laser

  10. Nine New Fluorescent Probes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Tsung-I.; Jovanovic, Misa V.; Dowben, Robert M.

    1989-06-01

    Absorption and fluorescence spectroscopic studies are reported here for nine new fluorescent probes recently synthesized in our laboratories: four pyrene derivatives with substituents of (i) 1,3-diacetoxy-6,8-dichlorosulfonyl, (ii) 1,3-dihydroxy-6,8-disodiumsulfonate, (iii) 1,3-disodiumsulfonate, and (iv) l-ethoxy-3,6,8-trisodiumsulfonate groups, and five [7-julolidino] coumarin derivatives with substituents of (v) 3-carboxylate-4-methyl, (vi) 3- methylcarboxylate, (vii) 3-acetate-4-methyl, (viii) 3-propionate-4-methyl, and (ix) 3-sulfonate-4-methyl groups. Pyrene compounds i and ii and coumarin compounds v and vi exhibit interesting absorbance and fluorescence properties: their absorption maxima are red shifted compared to the parent compound to the blue-green region, and the band width broadens considerably. All four blue-absorbing dyes fluoresce intensely in the green region, and the two pyrene compounds emit at such long wavelengths without formation of excimers. The fluorescence properties of these compounds are quite environment-sensitive: considerable spectral shifts and fluorescence intensity changes have been observed in the pH range from 3 to 10 and in a wide variety of polar and hydrophobic solvents with vastly different dielectric constants. The high extinction and fluorescence quantum yield of these probes make them ideal fluorescent labeling reagents for proteins, antibodies, nucleic acids, and cellular organelles. The pH and hydrophobicity-dependent fluorescence changes can be utilized as optical pH and/or hydrophobicity indicators for mapping environmental difference in various cellular components in a single cell. Since all nine probes absorb in the UV, but emit at different wavelengths in the visible, these two groups of compounds offer an advantage of utilizing a single monochromatic light source (e.g., a nitrogen laser) to achieve multi-wavelength detection for flow cytometry application. As a first step to explore potential application in

  11. Fluorescent quantification of melanin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandes, Bruno; Matamá, Teresa; Guimarães, Diana; Gomes, Andreia; Cavaco-Paulo, Artur

    2016-11-01

    Melanin quantification is reportedly performed by absorption spectroscopy, commonly at 405 nm. Here, we propose the implementation of fluorescence spectroscopy for melanin assessment. In a typical in vitro assay to assess melanin production in response to an external stimulus, absorption spectroscopy clearly overvalues melanin content. This method is also incapable of distinguishing non-melanotic/amelanotic control cells from those that are actually capable of performing melanogenesis. Therefore, fluorescence spectroscopy is the best method for melanin quantification as it proved to be highly specific and accurate, detecting even small variations in the synthesis of melanin. This method can also be applied to the quantification of melanin in more complex biological matrices like zebrafish embryos and human hair. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  12. Implementation of anion-receptor macrocycles in supramolecular tandem assays for enzymes involving nucleotides as substrates, products, and cofactors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Florea, Mara; Nau, Werner M

    2010-03-07

    A supramolecular tandem assay for direct continuous monitoring of nucleotide triphosphate-dependent enzymes such as potato apyrase is described. The underlying principle of the assay relies on the use of anion-receptor macrocycles in combination with fluorescent dyes as reporter pairs. A combinatorial approach was used to identify two complementary reporter pairs, i.e. an amino-gamma-cyclodextrin with 2-anilinonaphtalene-6-sulfonate (ANS) as dye (fluorescence enhancement factor of 17 upon complexation) and a polycationic cyclophane with 8-hydroxy-1,3,6-pyrene trisulfonate (HPTS) as dye (fluorescence decrease by a factor of more than 2000), which allow the kinetic monitoring of potato apyrase activity at different ATP concentration ranges (microM and mM) with different types of photophysical responses (switch-ON and switch-OFF). Competitive fluorescence titrations revealed a differential binding of ATP (strongest competitor) versus ADP and AMP, which constitutes the prerequisite for monitoring enzymatic conversions (dephosphorylation or phosphorylation) involving nucleotides. The assay was tested for different enzyme and substrate concentrations and exploited for the screening of activating additives, namely divalent transition metal ions (Ni(2+), Mg(2+), Mn(2+), and Ca(2+)). The transferability of the assay could be demonstrated by monitoring the dephosphorylation of other nucleotide triphosphates (GTP, TTP, and CTP).

  13. Enzyme-Free Detection of Mutations in Cancer DNA Using Synthetic Oligonucleotide Probes and Fluorescence Microscopy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Miotke, Laura; Maity, Arindam; Ji, Hanlee

    2015-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Rapid reliable diagnostics of DNA mutations are highly desirable in research and clinical assays. Current development in this field goes simultaneously in two directions: 1) high-throughput methods, and 2) portable assays. Non-enzymatic approaches are attractive for both types...... 1000-fold above the potential detection limit. CONCLUSION: Overall, the novel assay we describe could become a new approach to rapid, reliable and enzyme-free diagnostics of cancer or other associated DNA targets. Importantly, stoichiometry of wild type and mutant targets is conserved in our assay...... of methods since they would allow rapid and relatively inexpensive detection of nucleic acids. Modern fluorescence microscopy is having a huge impact on detection of biomolecules at previously unachievable resolution. However, no straightforward methods to detect DNA in a non-enzymatic way using fluorescence...

  14. Polarized spectroscopic properties of Nd3+-doped KGd(WO4)2 single crystal

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen Yujin; Lin Yanfu; Gong Xinghong; Tan Qiguang; Zhuang Jian; Luo Zundu; Huang Yidong

    2007-01-01

    The polarized absorption spectra, infrared fluorescence spectra, upconversion visible fluorescence spectra, and fluorescence decay curve of orientated Nd 3+ :KGd(WO 4 ) 2 crystal were measured at room-temperature. Some important spectroscopic parameters were investigated in detail in the framework of the Judd-Ofelt theory and the Fuchtbauer-Ladenburg formula. The effect of the crystal structure on the spectroscopic properties of the Nd 3+ ions was analyzed. The relation among the spectroscopic parameters and the laser performances of the Nd 3+ :KGd(WO 4 ) 2 crystal was discussed

  15. Viability of exploiting L-shell fluorescence for X-ray polarimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weisskopf, M C; Elsner, R F; Ramsey, B D [National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Huntsville, AL (USA). Space Sciences Lab.; Sutherland, P G [McMaster Univ., Hamilton, Ontario (Canada). Dept. of Physics

    1985-05-15

    It has been suggested that one may build an X-ray polarimeter by exploiting the polarization dependence of the angular distribution of L-shell fluorescence photons. In this paper we examine, theoretically, the sensitivity of this approach to polarimetry. We apply our calculations to several detection schemes using imaging proportional counters that would have direct application in X-ray astronomy. We find, however, that the sensitivity of this method for measuring X-ray polarization is too low to be of use for other than laboratory applications.

  16. Synthesis and characterization of novel 2, 2'-bipyrimidine fluorescent derivative for protein binding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Padalkar Vikas S

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Fluorescent dyes with biocompatible functional group and good fluorescence behavior are used as biosensor for monitoring different biological processes as well as detection of protein assay. All reported fluorophore used as sensors are having high selectivity and sensitivity but till there is more demand to synthesized new fluorophore which have improved fluorescence properties and good biocompatibility. Results Novel 4, 4'-(1, 1'-(5-(2-methoxyphenoxy-[2, 2'-bipyrimidine]-4, 6-diylbis(1H-pyrazol-3, 1-diyl dianiline fluorescent dye was synthesized by multistep synthesis from 2-phenylacetonitrile, 2-chloropyrimidine and 2-methoxyphenol. This dye has absorption at 379 nm with intense single emission at 497 nm having fairly good quantum yield (0.375 and Stokes shift. The intermediates and dye were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and Mass spectral analysis. The pyrazole bipyrimidine based fluorescent dye possessing two amino groups suitable for binding with protein is reported. Its utility as a biocompatible conjugate was explained by conjugation with bovine serum albumin. The method is based on direct fluorescence detection of fluorophore-labelled protein before and after conjugation. Purified fluorescent conjugate was subsequently analyzed by fluorimetry. The analysis showed that the tested conjugation reaction yielded fluorescent conjugates of the dye through carbodiimide chemistry. Conclusion In summery synthesized fluorophore pyrazole-bipyrimidine has very good interaction towards protein bovine serum albumin and it acts as good candidate for protein assay.

  17. A novel multiparametric flow cytometry-based cytotoxicity assay simultaneously immunophenotypes effector cells: comparisons to a 4 h 51Cr-release assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, G G; Donnenberg, V S; Donnenberg, A D; Gooding, W; Whiteside, T L

    2007-08-31

    Natural killer (NK) cell-or T cell-mediated cytotoxicity traditionally is measured in 4-16 h (51)Cr-release assays (CRA). A new four-color flow cytometry-based cytotoxicity assay (FCC) was developed to simultaneously measure NK cell cytotoxicity and NK cell phenotype (CD3(-)CD16(+)CD56(+)). Target cells, K562 or Daudi, were labeled with Cell Tracker Orange (CTO) prior to the addition of effector cells. Following co-incubation, 7 amino-actinomycin D (7-AAD) was added to measure death of target cells. The phenotype of effectors, viability of targets, the formation of tumor-effector cell conjugates and absolute numbers of all cells were measured based on light scatter (FSC/SSC), double discrimination of the fluorescence peak integral and height, and fluorescence intensity. Kinetic studies (0.5 and 1 to 4 h) at different effector to target (E:T) cell ratios (50, 25, 12, and 6) confirmed that the 3 h incubation was optimal. The FCC assay is more sensitive than the CRA, has a coefficient of variation (CV) 8-13% and reliably measures NK cell-or lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cell-mediated killing of target cells in normal controls and subjects with cancer. The FCC assay can be used to study a range of phenotypic attributes, in addition to lytic activity of various subsets of effector cells, without radioactive tracers and thus, it is relatively inexpensive. The FCC assay has a potential for providing information about molecular interactions underlying target cell lysis and thus becoming a major tool for studies of disease pathogenesis as well as development of novel immune therapies.

  18. Quantitative fluorescence microscopy and image deconvolution.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Swedlow, Jason R

    2013-01-01

    Quantitative imaging and image deconvolution have become standard techniques for the modern cell biologist because they can form the basis of an increasing number of assays for molecular function in a cellular context. There are two major types of deconvolution approaches--deblurring and restoration algorithms. Deblurring algorithms remove blur but treat a series of optical sections as individual two-dimensional entities and therefore sometimes mishandle blurred light. Restoration algorithms determine an object that, when convolved with the point-spread function of the microscope, could produce the image data. The advantages and disadvantages of these methods are discussed in this chapter. Image deconvolution in fluorescence microscopy has usually been applied to high-resolution imaging to improve contrast and thus detect small, dim objects that might otherwise be obscured. Their proper use demands some consideration of the imaging hardware, the acquisition process, fundamental aspects of photon detection, and image processing. This can prove daunting for some cell biologists, but the power of these techniques has been proven many times in the works cited in the chapter and elsewhere. Their usage is now well defined, so they can be incorporated into the capabilities of most laboratories. A major application of fluorescence microscopy is the quantitative measurement of the localization, dynamics, and interactions of cellular factors. The introduction of green fluorescent protein and its spectral variants has led to a significant increase in the use of fluorescence microscopy as a quantitative assay system. For quantitative imaging assays, it is critical to consider the nature of the image-acquisition system and to validate its response to known standards. Any image-processing algorithms used before quantitative analysis should preserve the relative signal levels in different parts of the image. A very common image-processing algorithm, image deconvolution, is used

  19. Fluorescence properties of 6-aryl-2‧-deoxy-furanouridine and -pyrrolocytidine and their derivatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ro, Jong Jin; Go, Gui Han; Wilhelmsson, L. Marcus; Hyean Kim, Byeang

    2018-01-01

    2‧-deoxyfuranouridine derivatives presenting various aryl groups have been synthesized through Cu(I)-catalyzed intramolecular cyclizations. Moreover, corresponding pyrrolo-dC derivatives have been synthesized and both families of compounds thoroughly characterized using UV/vis and fluorescence spectroscopy as well as time-dependent density functional theory calculations. The photophysical characterization, show that our newly synthesized derivatives of the important pyrrolo-dC family have high fluorescence quantum yields (QYs) and brightness values. Pyrrolo-dC derivative, 3a, shows an environment sensitive QY of up to >60% and brightness of almost 3000, in low polarity solvents and excitation and emission maxima between 365-381 nm and 479-510 nm, respectively, in solvents of different polarities. Two other derivatives, 3b and 3c, show high QYs and brightness values of up to 3300 that are fairly insensitive to their microenvironment. These promising photophysical features suggest future applicability as fluorescent nucleobase analogs.

  20. Fluorescent Biosensors Based on Single-Molecule Counting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ma, Fei; Li, Ying; Tang, Bo; Zhang, Chun-Yang

    2016-09-20

    Biosensors for highly sensitive, selective, and rapid quantification of specific biomolecules make great contributions to biomedical research, especially molecular diagnostics. However, conventional methods for biomolecular assays often suffer from insufficient sensitivity and poor specificity. In some case (e.g., early disease diagnostics), the concentration of target biomolecules is too low to be detected by these routine approaches, and cumbersome procedures are needed to improve the detection sensitivity. Therefore, there is an urgent need for rapid and ultrasensitive analytical tools. In this respect, single-molecule fluorescence approaches may well satisfy the requirement and hold promising potential for the development of ultrasensitive biosensors. Encouragingly, owing to the advances in single-molecule microscopy and spectroscopy over past decades, the detection of single fluorescent molecule comes true, greatly boosting the development of highly sensitive biosensors. By in vitro/in vivo labeling of target biomolecules with proper fluorescent tags, the quantification of certain biomolecule at the single-molecule level is achieved. In comparison with conventional ensemble measurements, single-molecule detection-based analytical methods possess the advantages of ultrahigh sensitivity, good selectivity, rapid analysis time, and low sample consumption. Consequently, single-molecule detection may be potentially employed as an ideal analytical approach to quantify low-abundant biomolecules with rapidity and simplicity. In this Account, we will summarize our efforts for developing a series of ultrasensitive biosensors based on single-molecule counting. Single-molecule counting is a member of single-molecule detection technologies and may be used as a very simple and ultrasensitive method to quantify target molecules by simply counting the individual fluorescent bursts. In the fluorescent sensors, the signals of target biomolecules may be translated to the

  1. Molecular Level Understanding of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) Induced Sol-Gel Transition of Pluronic F127 Using Fisetin as a Fluorescent Molecular Probe.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mishra, Jhili; Swain, Jitendriya; Mishra, Ashok Kumar

    2018-01-11

    The thermoreversible sol-gel transition of pluronic F127 is markedly altered even with addition of submicellar concentration of sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) surfactant. Multiple fluorescence parameters like fluorescence intensity, fluorescence anisotropy and fluorescence lifetime of both the prototropic forms (anion (A - *) and phototautomer FT*) of the photoprototropic fluorescent probe fisetin has been efficiently used to understand the molecular level properties like polarity and microviscosity of the PF127-SDS system as a function of temperature. The SDS-induced increase in the interfacial hydrophobicity level is seen to affect the sol-gel phase transition of PF127 (21-18 °C). The E T (30) polarity parameter value of anionic emission of fisetin suggests that there is a considerable decrease in the polarity of the PF127 medium with increase in temperature and with the addition of SDS. The microviscosity progressively increases from ∼5 mPa s (sol state, 10 °C) to ∼22.01 mPa s (gel state 35 °C) in aqueous solution of PF127. The variation in microviscosity with addition of SDS in PF127-SDS mixed system is significant in sol phase whereas in gel phase this variation is significantly less. Temperature dependent fluorescence lifetime of FT* indicates that there is heterogeneity in distribution of fisetin molecules at different domains of PF127. This work also show-cases the sensitivity of fisetin toward change in polarity and change in sol-gel transition temperature of copolymer PF127 with variation in temperature (both forward and reverse directions) and SDS.

  2. Analysis of signal to background ratio in synchrotron radiation X-ray fluorescence

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sakurai, Kenji; Gohshi, Yohichi; Iida, Atsuo.

    1988-01-01

    The signal to background (S/B) ratio in energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence using synchrotron radiation (SR) was quantitatively analyzed. The S/B ratio, which has been significantly improved by taking advantage of the polarized nature of SR, was found to be strongly dependent on geometrical factors of the measurement system. From the analysis on the origin of the scattered background, the dependence of the S/B ratio on the geometry was quantitatively explained, mainly by the polarization properties of SR. Experimental conditions could be optimized by adjusting the degree of polarization of the incident beam and the detector solid angle. (author)

  3. Development of assay platforms for in vitro screening of Treg modulating potential of pharmacological compounds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Pedersen, Anders Elm; Holmstrøm, Kim; Jørgensen, Flemming

    2015-01-01

    that investigates Treg modulation by current drugs. For such research as well as for novel cell based therapies based on Treg infusions, rapid in vitro assays as well as functional assays based on inhibitory capacity of Tregs are required. Here, we report on such assays using highly pure fluorescence-activated cell...... and TNF-α. In conclusion, these assays have the potential for use in pharmacological screening and discovery in relation to drug development in immunology....

  4. Development of a screening fluorescence polarization immunoassay for the simultaneous detection of fumonisins B₁ and B₂ in maize.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Chenglong; Mi, Tiejun; Conti, Gea Oliveri; Yu, Qing; Wen, Kai; Shen, Jianzhong; Ferrante, Margherita; Wang, Zhanhui

    2015-05-27

    This paper reports the development of a screening fluorescence polarization immunoassay (FPIA) for the simultaneous detection of fumonisins B1 (FB1) and B2 (FB2) in maize. Three FB1 tracers including FB1-fluorescein isothiocyanate isomer I (FB1-FITC), FB1-5-([4,6-dichlorotriazine-2-yl]amino)-fluorescein (FB1-5-DTAF), and FB1-Texas Red-X succinimidyl ester (FB1-TRX) were synthesized and studied to select appropriate tracer-antibody pairs using seven previously produced monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). An FPIA employing the pair of FB1-FITC and mAb 4B9 showing 98.9% cross-reactivity (CR) toward FB2 was used to simultaneously detect FB1 and FB2. Maize flour samples were extracted with methanol/water (2:3, v/v). After optimization, the FPIA revealed a limit of detection (LOD) of 157.4 μg/kg for FB1 and an LOD of 290.6 μg/kg for FB2, respectively. Recoveries were measured for spiked samples of FB1 or FB2 separately, ranging from 84.7 to 93.6%, with a coefficient of variation (CV) of fumonisins in maize.

  5. Real-time PCR and enzyme-linked fluorescent assay methods for detecting Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli in mincemeat samples.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Stefan, A; Scaramagli, S; Bergami, R; Mazzini, C; Barbanera, M; Perelle, S; Fach, P

    2007-03-01

    This work aimed to compare real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) with the commercially available enzyme-linked fluorescent assay (ELFA) VIDAS ECOLI O157 for detecting Escherichia coli O157 in mincemeat. In addition, a PCR-based survey on Shiga-toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in mincemeat collected in Italy is presented. Real-time PCR assays targeting the stx genes and a specific STEC O157 sequence (SILO157, a small inserted locus of STEC O157) were tested for their sensitivity on spiked mincemeat samples. After overnight enrichment, the presence of STEC cells could be clearly determined in the 25 g samples containing 10 bacterial cells, while the addition of five bacteria provided equivocal PCR results with Ct values very close to or above the threshold of 40. The PCR tests proved to be more sensitive than the ELFA-VIDAS ECOLI O157, whose detection level started from 50 bacterial cells/25 g of mincemeat. The occurrence of STEC in 106 mincemeat (bovine, veal) samples collected from September to November 2004 at five different points of sale in Italy (one point of sale in Arezzo, Tuscany, central Italy, two in Mantova, Lombardy, Northern Italy, and two in Bologna, Emilia-Romagna, upper-central Italy) was less than 1%. Contamination by the main STEC O-serogroups representing a major public health concern, including O26, O91, O111, O145, and O157, was not detected. This survey indicates that STEC present in these samples are probably not associated with pathogenesis in humans.

  6. Mapping the Local Organization of Cell Membranes Using Excitation-Polarization-Resolved Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy

    OpenAIRE

    Kress, Alla; Wang, Xiao; Ranchon, Hubert; Savatier, Julien; Rigneault, Hervé; Ferrand, Patrick; Brasselet, Sophie

    2013-01-01

    International audience; Fluorescence anisotropy and linear dichroism imaging have been widely used for imaging biomolecular orientational distributions in protein aggregates, fibrillar structures of cells, and cell membranes. However, these techniques do not give access to complete orientational order information in a whole image, because their use is limited to parts of the sample where the average orientation of molecules is known a priori. Fluorescence anisotropy is also highly sensitive t...

  7. Single-Molecule Fluorescence Studies of Membrane Transporters Using Total Internal Reflection Microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Goudsmits, Joris M H; van Oijen, Antoine M; Slotboom, Dirk J

    2017-01-01

    Cells are delineated by a lipid bilayer that physically separates the inside from the outer environment. Most polar, charged, or large molecules require proteins to reduce the energetic barrier for passage across the membrane and to achieve transport rates that are relevant for life. Here, we describe techniques to visualize the functioning of membrane transport proteins with fluorescent probes at the single-molecule level. First, we explain how to produce membrane-reconstituted transporters with fluorescent labels. Next, we detail the construction of a microfluidic flow cell to image immobilized proteoliposomes on a total internal reflection fluorescence microscope. We conclude by describing the methods that are needed to analyze fluorescence movies and obtain useful single-molecule data. © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Chemical sensing of Benzo[a]pyrene using Corchorus depressus fluorescent flavonoids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ahmad, Wajiha; Rana, Nosheen Fatima; Riaz, Sundus; Ahmad, Nasir Mehmood; Hameed, Maryam; Naeem, Ayesha; Tahir, Rabbiya

    2018-04-01

    Plant phytochemicals, such as flavonoids are in use for the development of optical biosensor. Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P), is a pervasive environmental and dietary carcinogen. A fluorescent assay is developed using plant isolated flavonoid for the detection of B[a]P. High content saponins are excluded from the flavonoid-containing methanolic extract of Corchorus depressus by implying reduction of silver ions by saponins resulting in formation of silver nanoparticles. Isolated plant flavonoids are used to develop a spectrofluorometric assay for the detection of B[a]P. Decrease in the flavonoid fluorescence intensity by B[a]P is found to be based on both static and dynamic quenching. Specificity of the assay for B[a]P was tested for other carcinogens belonging to different classes of compounds. Flavonoids-mediated sensing can be implied for the development of new generation of nanoparticle-based biosensors that can be more sensitive and less susceptible to external factors, such as temperature and humidity.

  9. A mass spectrometry-based assay for improved quantitative measurements of efflux pump inhibition.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam R Brown

    Full Text Available Bacterial efflux pumps are active transport proteins responsible for resistance to selected biocides and antibiotics. It has been shown that production of efflux pumps is up-regulated in a number of highly pathogenic bacteria, including methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus. Thus, the identification of new bacterial efflux pump inhibitors is a topic of great interest. Existing assays to evaluate efflux pump inhibitory activity rely on fluorescence by an efflux pump substrate. When employing these assays to evaluate efflux pump inhibitory activity of plant extracts and some purified compounds, we observed severe optical interference that gave rise to false negative results. To circumvent this problem, a new mass spectrometry-based method was developed for the quantitative measurement of bacterial efflux pump inhibition. The assay was employed to evaluate efflux pump inhibitory activity of a crude extract of the botanical Hydrastis Canadensis, and to compare the efflux pump inhibitory activity of several pure flavonoids. The flavonoid quercetin, which appeared to be completely inactive with a fluorescence-based method, showed an IC50 value of 75 μg/mL with the new method. The other flavonoids evaluated (apigenin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, luteolin, myricetin, were also active, with IC50 values ranging from 19 μg/mL to 75 μg/mL. The assay described herein could be useful in future screening efforts to identify efflux pump inhibitors, particularly in situations where optical interference precludes the application of methods that rely on fluorescence.

  10. Anticholinesterase activity of the fluorescent zoanthid pigment, parazoanthoxanthin A.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sepcić, K; Turk, T; Macek, P

    1998-06-01

    A synthetic linear tetrazacyclopent(f)azulene compound, parazoanthoxanthin A (m.w. 214.2), strongly fluorescent pigment occurring in zoanthids, was characterized and assayed for anticholinesterase activity. The pigment, emitting fluorescence at lambda(em) 420 nm, was found to be a pure competitive inhibitor of cholinesterases. At pH 8.0, a Ki value of 19 and 26 microM was determined with insect recombinant, and electric eel acetylcholinesterase. Horse serum butyrylcholinesterase was less sensitive with a Ki of 70 microM.

  11. Rapid algal toxicity assay using variable chlorophyll fluorescence for Chlorella kessleri (Chlorophyta)

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kvíderová, Jana

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 25, č. 6 (2010), s. 554-562 ISSN 1520-4081 R&D Projects: GA MŠk 1M0571 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z60050516 Keywords : bioassay * variable chlorophyll fluorescence * Chlorella kessleri Subject RIV: EF - Botanics Impact factor: 1.932, year: 2010

  12. Use of Modern Chemical Protein Synthesis and Advanced Fluorescent Assay Techniques to Experimentally Validate the Functional Annotation of Microbial Genomes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kent, Stephen [University of Chicago

    2012-07-20

    The objective of this research program was to prototype methods for the chemical synthesis of predicted protein molecules in annotated microbial genomes. High throughput chemical methods were to be used to make large numbers of predicted proteins and protein domains, based on microbial genome sequences. Microscale chemical synthesis methods for the parallel preparation of peptide-thioester building blocks were developed; these peptide segments are used for the parallel chemical synthesis of proteins and protein domains. Ultimately, it is envisaged that these synthetic molecules would be ‘printed’ in spatially addressable arrays. The unique ability of total synthesis to precision label protein molecules with dyes and with chemical or biochemical ‘tags’ can be used to facilitate novel assay technologies adapted from state-of-the art single molecule fluorescence detection techniques. In the future, in conjunction with modern laboratory automation this integrated set of techniques will enable high throughput experimental validation of the functional annotation of microbial genomes.

  13. Preparation and application of new fluorescein-labeled fumonisins B1 in fluorescence polarization analysis technique

    Science.gov (United States)

    Objective: To prepare a new fluorescent tracer against common mycotoxins such as fumonisin B1 in order to replace 6-(4,6-Dichlorotriazinyl) aminofluorescein (6-DTAF), an expensive marker, and to develop a technique for quick detection of fumonisin B1 based on the principle of fluorescence polarizati...

  14. Photodegradation and polarization properties of vertical external surface-emitting organic laser

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Leang, Tatiana

    2014-01-01

    Although organic solid-state dye lasers can provide wavelength tunability in the whole visible spectrum and offers perspectives of low-cost compact lasers, they are still limited by several drawbacks, especially photodegradation. The geometry of a Vertical External Cavity Surface-emitting Organic Laser (VECSOL) enables organic lasers to reach high energies, excellent conversion efficiencies and good beam quality, it also enables an external control on many parameters, a feature that we have used here to study the photodegradation phenomenon as well as some polarization properties of organic solid-state lasers. In the first part of this thesis, we studied the lifetime of the laser upon varying several parameters (pump pulse-width, repetition rate, output coupling,...) and we found that the intracavity laser intensity, independently of the pump intensity, had a major on photodegradation rate. Moreover, we observed that the profile of the laser beam was also degrading with time: while it is Gaussian in the beginning it gradually shifts to an annular shape. In the second part, we investigated the polarization properties of VECSOLs, with a special emphasis on fluorescence properties of some typical dyes used in lasers. The crucial role played by resonant non-radiative energy transfers between dye molecules (HOMO-FRET) is evidenced and enables explaining the observed fluorescence depolarization, compared to the expected limiting fluorescence anisotropy. Energy transfers happen to play a negligible role above laser threshold, as the organic laser beam is shown to be linearly polarized in a wide range of experimental conditions when excitation occurs in the first singlet state. (author) [fr

  15. A versatile, high through-put, bead-based phagocytosis assay for Plasmodium falciparum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lloyd, Yukie M.; Ngati, Elise P.; Salanti, Ali

    2017-01-01

    Antibody-mediated phagocytosis is an important immune effector mechanism against Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (IE); however, current phagocytosis assays use IE collected from infected individuals or from in vitro cultures of P. falciparum, making them prone to high variation....... A simple, high-throughput flow cytometric assay was developed that uses THP-1 cells and fluorescent beads covalently-coupled with the malarial antigen VAR2CSA. The assay is highly repeatable, provides both the overall percent phagocytosis and semi-quantitates the number of antigen-coupled beads...

  16. Assessment of bacterial endospore viability with fluorescent dyes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Laflamme, C; Lavigne, S; Ho, J; Duchaine, C

    2004-01-01

    To validate three fluorescence viability assays designed primarily for vegetative cells on pure Bacillus endospores. Purified fresh and gamma-irradiated Bacillus endospores (Bacillus cereus, B. coagulans and two strains of B. subtilis) were used. The viability assays were: 5-cyano-2,3-diotolyl tetrazolium chloride (CTC) to test respiratory activity and early germination, DiBAC4(3) and Live/Dead BacLight to measure membrane energization and permeabilization, respectively. Gamma irradiation treatment completely eliminated spore culturability and was used as negative control. The untreated spores showed respiratory activity after 1 h of incubation and this was characteristic of almost 100% of spores after 24 h. The membrane potential assessment gave no answer about spore viability. A lower proportion of untreated spores had permeabilized membrane compared with gamma-irradiated spores using Live/Dead BacLight (P plate count. This study shows that fluorescence tests could be applied to assess viability in potentially pathogenic Bacillus spore preparations within 1 h.

  17. A sensitive fluorescent sensor for quantification of alpha-fetoprotein based on immunosorbent assay and click chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Xie, Qunfang; Weng, Xiuhua; Lu, Lijun; Lin, Zhenyu; Xu, Xiongwei; Fu, Caili

    2016-03-15

    A novel fluoresencent immunosensor for determination of cancer biomarkers such as alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) was designed by utilizing both the high specificity of antigen-antibody sandwich structure and the high sensitivity of the click chemistry based fluorescence detection. Instead of an enzyme or fluorophore, the CuO nanoparticles are labeled on the detection antibody, which was not susceptible to the change of the external environments. The CuO nanoparticles which were modified on the sandwich structure can be dissolved to produce Cu(2+) ions with the help of HCl and then the Cu(2+) ions were reduced by sodium ascorbate to produce Cu(+) ions which triggered the Cu(+) catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) reaction between the weak fluorescent compound (3-azido-7-hydroxycoumarin) and propargyl alcohol to form a strong fluorescent compound. A good linear relationship was observed between the fluorescence increase factor of the system and the concentration of AFP in the range of 0.025-5.0 ng/mL with a detection limit of 12 pg/mL (S/N=3). The proposed fluorescent sensor had been applied to detect AFP in the human serum samples and gave satisfactory results. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Status report of the S-DALINAC polarized electron injector SPIN at Darmstadt

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Eckardt, Christian; Bahlo, Thore; Bangert, Phillip; Barday, Roman; Bonnes, Uwe; Brunken, Marco; Eichhorn, Ralf; Enders, Joachim; Platz, Markus; Poltoratska, Yuliya; Roth, Markus; Schneider, Fabian; Wagner, Markus; Weber, Antje; Zwicker, Benjamin [Institut fuer Kernphysik, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (Germany); Ackermann, Wolfgang; Mueller, Wolfgang F.O.; Weiland, Thomas [Institut fuer Theorie Elektromagnetischer Felder, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt (Germany)

    2010-07-01

    At the superconducting 130 MeV Darmstadt electron linac S-DALINAC a source of polarized electrons is being installed. Polarized electrons are produced by photoemission from a negative electron affinity strained superlattice GaAs cathode and preaccelerated to 100 keV. With a Wien filter and Mott polarimeter in the beam line the polarization is manipulated and measured. For beam diagnostics wire scanners, fluorescent screens and a coaxial Faraday cup are included. To measure the beam polarization at higher energies, a 5-10 MeV Mott polarimeter and a 50-130 MeV Moeller polarimeter as well as a Compton transmission polarimeter will be installed. We report on the status of the implementation and show plans for future development and experiments.

  19. Evidence for the TICT mediated nonradiative deexcitation process for the excited coumarin-1 dye in high polarity protic solvents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Barik, Atanu [Radiation Chemistry and Chemical Dynamics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Kumbhakar, Manoj [Radiation Chemistry and Chemical Dynamics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Nath, Sukhendu [Radiation Chemistry and Chemical Dynamics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085 (India); Pal, Haridas [Radiation Chemistry and Chemical Dynamics Division, Bhabha Atomic Research Center, Trombay, Mumbai 400 085 (India)

    2005-08-29

    Photophysical properties of coumarin-1 (C1) dye in different protic solvents have been investigated using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence measurements. Correlation of the Stokes' shifts ({delta}{nu}-bar ) with the solvent polarity ({delta}f) suggests the intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) character for the dye fluorescent state. Fluorescence quantum yields ({phi}{sub f}) and lifetimes ({tau}{sub f}) of the dye show an abrupt reduction in high polarity solvents having {delta}f >{approx}0.28. In these solvents {tau}{sub f} is seen to be strongly temperature dependent, though it is temperature independent in solvents with {delta}f <{approx}0.28. It is inferred that in high polarity protic solvents there is a participation of an additional nonradiative decay process via the involvement of twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) state. Unlike present results, no involvement of TICT state was observed even in strongly polar aprotic solvent like acetonitrile. It is indicated that the intermolecular hydrogen bonding of the dye with protic solvents in addition with the solvent polarity helps in the stabilization of the TICT state for C1 dye. Unlike most TICT molecules, the activation barrier ({delta}E{sub a}) for the TICT mediated nonradiative process for C1 dye is seen to increase with solvent polarity. This is rationalized on the basis of the assumption that the TICT to ground state conversion is the activation-controlled rate-determining step for the present system than the usual ICT to TICT conversion as encountered for most other TICT molecules.

  20. Developing a novel fiber optic fluorescence device for multiplexed high-throughput cytotoxic screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lee, Dennis; Barnes, Stephen

    2010-01-01

    The need for new pharmacological agents is unending. Yet the drug discovery process has changed substantially over the past decade and continues to evolve in response to new technologies. There is presently a high demand to reduce discovery time by improving specific lab disciplines and developing new technology platforms in the area of cell-based assay screening. Here we present the developmental concept and early stage testing of the Ab-Sniffer, a novel fiber optic fluorescence device for high-throughput cytotoxicity screening using an immobilized whole cell approach. The fused silica fibers are chemically functionalized with biotin to provide interaction with fluorescently labeled, streptavidin functionalized alginate-chitosan microspheres. The microspheres are also functionalized with Concanavalin A to facilitate binding to living cells. By using lymphoma cells and rituximab in an adaptation of a well-known cytotoxicity protocol we demonstrate the utility of the Ab-Sniffer for functional screening of potential drug compounds rather than indirect, non-functional screening via binding assay. The platform can be extended to any assay capable of being tied to a fluorescence response including multiple target cells in each well of a multi-well plate for high-throughput screening.

  1. Optical characterization and polarization calibration for rigid endoscopes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia, Missael; Gruev, Viktor

    2017-02-01

    Polarization measurements give orthogonal information to spectral images making them a great tool in the characterization of environmental parameters in nature. Thus, polarization imagery has proven to be remarkably useful in a vast range of biomedical applications. One such application is the early diagnosis of flat cancerous lesions in murine colorectal tumor models, where polarization data complements NIR fluorescence analysis. Advances in nanotechnology have led to compact and precise bio-inspired imaging sensors capable of accurately co-registering multidimensional spectral and polarization information. As more applications emerge for these imagers, the optics used in these instruments get very complex and can potentially compromise the original polarization state of the incident light. Here we present a complete optical and polarization characterization of three rigid endoscopes of size 1.9mm x 10cm (Karl Storz, Germany), 5mm x 30cm, and 10mm x 33cm (Olympus, Germany), used in colonoscopy for the prevention of colitis-associated cancer. Characterization results show that the telescope optics act as retarders and effectively depolarize the linear component. These incorrect readings can cause false-positives or false-negatives leading to an improper diagnosis. In this paper, we offer a polarization calibration scheme for these endoscopes based on Mueller calculus. By modeling the optical properties from training data as real-valued Mueller matrices, we are able to successfully reconstruct the initial polarization state acquired by the imaging system.

  2. On-bead fluorescent DNA nanoprobes to analyze base excision repair activities

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gines, Guillaume; Saint-Pierre, Christine; Gasparutto, Didier

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •On magnetic beads fluorescent enzymatic assays. •Simple, easy, non-radioactive and electrophoresis-free functional assay. •Lesion-containing hairpin DNA probes are selective for repair enzymes. •The biosensing platform allows the measurement of DNA repair activities from purified enzymes or within cell free extracts. -- Abstract: DNA integrity is constantly threatened by endogenous and exogenous agents that can modify its physical and chemical structure. Changes in DNA sequence can cause mutations sparked by some genetic diseases or cancers. Organisms have developed efficient defense mechanisms able to specifically repair each kind of lesion (alkylation, oxidation, single or double strand break, mismatch, etc). Here we report the adjustment of an original assay to detect enzymes’ activity of base excision repair (BER), that supports a set of lesions including abasic sites, alkylation, oxidation or deamination products of bases. The biosensor is characterized by a set of fluorescent hairpin-shaped nucleic acid probes supported on magnetic beads, each containing a selective lesion targeting a specific BER enzyme. We have studied the DNA glycosylase alkyl-adenine glycosylase (AAG) and the human AP-endonuclease (APE1) by incorporating within the DNA probe a hypoxanthine lesion or an abasic site analog (tetrahydrofuran), respectively. Enzymatic repair activity induces the formation of a nick in the damaged strand, leading to probe's break, that is detected in the supernatant by fluorescence. The functional assay allows the measurement of DNA repair activities from purified enzymes or in cell-free extracts in a fast, specific, quantitative and sensitive way, using only 1 pmol of probe for a test. We recorded a detection limit of 1 μg mL −1 and 50 μg mL −1 of HeLa nuclear extracts for APE1 and AAG enzymes, respectively. Finally, the on-bead assay should be useful to screen inhibitors of DNA repair activities

  3. Synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of a fluorescent pyrrole derivative containing electron acceptor and donor groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Almeida, A. K. A.; Monteiro, M. P.; Dias, J. M. M.; Omena, L.; da Silva, A. J. C.; Tonholo, J.; Mortimer, R. J.; Navarro, M.; Jacinto, C.; Ribeiro, A. S.; de Oliveira, I. N.

    2014-07-01

    The synthesis and fluorescence characterization of a new pyrrole derivative (PyPDG) containing the electron donor-acceptor dansyl substituent is reported. The effects of temperature and solvent polarity on the steady-state fluorescence of this compound are investigated. Our results show that PyPDG exhibits desirable fluorescent properties which makes it a promising candidate to be used as the photoactive material in optical thermometry and thermography applications. Further, the electrochemical and emission properties of polymeric films obtained from the oxidation polymerization of PyPDG are also analyzed.

  4. Combining polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) with toxicity testing to evaluate pesticide mixture effects on natural phototrophic biofilms

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pesce, Stephane; Morin, Soizic; Lissalde, Sophie; Montuelle, Bernard; Mazzella, Nicolas

    2011-01-01

    Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) are valuable tools in passive sampling methods for monitoring polar organic pesticides in freshwaters. Pesticides extracted from the environment using such methods can be used to toxicity tests. This study evaluated the acute effects of POCIS extracts on natural phototrophic biofilm communities. Our results demonstrate an effect of POCIS pesticide mixtures on chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic efficiency and community structure. Nevertheless, the range of biofilm responses differs according to origin of the biofilms tested, revealing spatial variations in the sensitivity of natural communities in the studied stream. Combining passive sampler extracts with community-level toxicity tests offers promising perspectives for ecological risk assessment. - Research highlights: → Polar organic chemical integrative samplers (POCIS) were used for monitoring polar organic pesticides in a contaminated river. → The acute effects of POCIS extracts were tested on natural phototrophic biofilm communities. → POCIS pesticide mixtures affected chlorophyll a fluorescence, photosynthetic efficiency and community structure. → Biofilm responses differed according to origin of the biofilms tested, revealing variations in the sensitivity of natural communities. → Combining passive sampler extracts with community-level toxicity tests offers promising perspectives for ecological risk assessment. - Pesticide mixtures extracted from POCIS can affect chl a fluorescence, photosynthetic efficiency and community structure of natural biofilms.

  5. Single-analyte to multianalyte fluorescence sensors

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lavigne, John J.; Metzger, Axel; Niikura, Kenichi; Cabell, Larry A.; Savoy, Steven M.; Yoo, J. S.; McDevitt, John T.; Neikirk, Dean P.; Shear, Jason B.; Anslyn, Eric V.

    1999-05-01

    The rational design of small molecules for the selective complexation of analytes has reached a level of sophistication such that there exists a high degree of prediction. An effective strategy for transforming these hosts into sensors involves covalently attaching a fluorophore to the receptor which displays some fluorescence modulation when analyte is bound. Competition methods, such as those used with antibodies, are also amenable to these synthetic receptors, yet there are few examples. In our laboratories, the use of common dyes in competition assays with small molecules has proven very effective. For example, an assay for citrate in beverages and an assay for the secondary messenger IP3 in cells have been developed. Another approach we have explored focuses on multi-analyte sensor arrays with attempt to mimic the mammalian sense of taste. Our system utilizes polymer resin beads with the desired sensors covalently attached. These functionalized microspheres are then immobilized into micromachined wells on a silicon chip thereby creating our taste buds. Exposure of the resin to analyte causes a change in the transmittance of the bead. This change can be fluorescent or colorimetric. Optical interrogation of the microspheres, by illuminating from one side of the wafer and collecting the signal on the other, results in an image. These data streams are collected using a CCD camera which creates red, green and blue (RGB) patterns that are distinct and reproducible for their environments. Analysis of this data can identify and quantify the analytes present.

  6. Recombinant Helicobacter bilis Protein P167 for Mouse Serodiagnosis in a Multiplex Microbead Assay

    OpenAIRE

    Feng, Sunlian; Kendall, Lon V.; Hodzic, Emir; Wong, Scott; Lorenzana, Edward; Freet, Kimberly; Ku, Karin S.; Luciw, Paul A.; Barthold, Stephen W.; Khan, Imran H.

    2004-01-01

    Infection of mice with Helicobacter bilis is widespread in research and commercial mouse colonies. Therefore, sensitive, specific, and high-throughput assays are needed for rapid and accurate testing of mice in large numbers. This report describes a novel multiplex assay, based on fluorescent microbeads, for serodetection of H. bilis infection. The assay requires only a few microliters of serum to perform and is amenable to a high-throughput format. Individual microbead sets were conjugated t...

  7. Effect of light polarization on the efficiency of photodynamic therapy of basal cell carcinomas: an in vitro cellular study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    JalalKamali, M; Nematollahi-Mahani, S N; Shojaei, M; Shamsoddini, A; Arabpour, N

    2018-02-01

    In an in vitro study, the effect of light polarization on the efficiency of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) photodynamic therapy (PDT) of basal cell carcinoma (BCC) was investigated. Three states of light polarization (non-polarized, linearly polarized, and circularly polarized) were considered. Cells were exposed to green (532 pm 20 nm) irradiation from light emitting diodes. Cell survival was measured by the colorimetric assay (WST-1) and Trypan blue staining. The colorimetric assay showed a pronounced decrease in the cell viability (up to 30%) using polarized light compared to the non-polarized one in the wavelength region used. Similar results were obtained by the cell counting method (20-30% increase in cell death). The observed effect was dependent on the concentration of photosensitizer. The effect is more expressed in the case of linearly polarized light compared to the circularly polarized one. Results show that the use of polarized light increases the efficiency of in vitro ALA-PDT of BCC. Utilizing polarized light, it is possible to obtain the same effect from PDT by lower concentrations of photosensitizer. Additionally, the concentration dependency of PDT response and photo-bleaching is also reduced.

  8. Comparison of Antioxidant Evaluation Assays for Investigating Antioxidative Activity of Gallic Acid and Its Alkyl Esters in Different Food Matrices.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Phonsatta, Natthaporn; Deetae, Pawinee; Luangpituksa, Pairoj; Grajeda-Iglesias, Claudia; Figueroa-Espinoza, Maria Cruz; Le Comte, Jérôme; Villeneuve, Pierre; Decker, Eric A; Visessanguan, Wonnop; Panya, Atikorn

    2017-08-30

    The addition of antioxidants is one of the strategies to inhibit lipid oxidation, a major cause of lipid deterioration in foods leading to rancidity development and nutritional losses. However, several studies have been reported that conventional antioxidant assays, e.g., TPC, ABTS, FRAP, and ORAC could not predict antioxidant performance in several foods. This study aimed to investigate the performance of two recently developed assays, e.g., the conjugated autoxidizable triene (CAT) and the apolar radical-initiated conjugated autoxidizable triene (ApoCAT) assays to predict the antioxidant effectiveness of gallic acid and its esters in selected food models in comparison with the conventional antioxidant assays. The results indicated that the polarities of the antioxidants have a strong impact on antioxidant activities. In addition, different oxidant locations demonstrated by the CAT and ApoCAT assays influenced the overall antioxidant performances of the antioxidants with different polarities. To validate the predictability of the assays, the antioxidative performance of gallic acid and its alkyl esters was investigated in oil-in-water (O/W) emulsions, bulk soybean oils, and roasted peanuts as the lipid food models. The results showed that only the ApoCAT assay could be able to predict the antioxidative performances in O/W emulsions regardless of the antioxidant polarities. This study demonstrated that the relevance of antioxidant assays to food models was strongly dependent on physical similarities between the tested assays and the food structure matrices.

  9. Fluorescence ELISA for sensitive detection of ochratoxin A based on glucose oxidase-mediated fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liang, Yi; Huang, Xiaolin; Yu, Ruijin; Zhou, Yaofeng; Xiong, Yonghua

    2016-01-01

    The present study described a novel fluorescence enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) used to detect ochratoxin A (OTA) by using the glucose oxidase (GOx)-mediated fluorescence quenching of mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdTe quantum dots (MPA-QDs), in which GOx was used as an alternative to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for the oxidization of glucose into hydrogen peroxide (H_2O_2) and gluconic acid. The MPA-QDs were used as a fluorescent signal output, whose fluorescence variation was extremely sensitive to the presence of H_2O_2 or hydrogen ions in the solution. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed fluorescence ELISA demonstrated a good linear detection of OTA in corn extract from 2.4 pg mL"−"1 to 625 pg mL"−"1 with a limit of detection of 2.2 pg mL"−"1, which was approximately 15-fold lower than that of conventional HRP-based ELISA. Our developed fluorescence immunoassay was also similar to HRP-based ELISA in terms of selectivity, accuracy, and reproducibility. In summary, this study was the first to use the GOx-mediated fluorescence quenching of QDs in immunoassay to detect OTA, offering a new possibility for the analysis of other mycotoxins and biomolecules. - Highlights: • A novel fluorescence ELISA was first developed for the detection of OTA by using GOx-mediated fluorescence quenching of QDs. • The pH- and H_2O_2-sensitive MPA-capped CdTe QDs were used as a fluorescent signal output to improve the detection sensitivity. • This novel method open up a different vision to detect other mycotoxins and biomolecules.

  10. 8-Anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate/Layered Double Hydroxide Ultrathin Films: Small Anion Assembly and Its Potential Application as a Fluorescent Biosensor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Ping; Li, Ling; Zhao, Yun; Tian, Zeyun; Qin, Yumei; Lu, Jun

    2016-09-06

    The fluorescent dye 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonate (ANS) is a widely used fluorescent probe molecule for biochemistry analysis. This paper reported the fabrication of ANS/layered double hydroxide nanosheets (ANS/LDH)n ultrathin films (UTFs) via the layer-by-layer small anion assembly technique based on electrostatic interaction and two possible weak interactions: hydrogen-bond and induced electrostatic interactions between ANS and positive-charged LDH nanosheets. The obtained UTFs show a long-range-ordered periodic layered stacking structure and weak fluorescence in dry air or water, but it split into three narrow strong peaks in a weak polarity environment induced by the two-dimensional (2D) confinement effect of the LDH laminate; the fluorescence intensity increases with decreasing the solvent polarity, concomitant with the blue shift of the emission peaks, which show good sensoring reversibility. Meanwhile, the UTFs exhibit selective fluorescence enhancement to the bovine serum albumin (BSA)-like protein biomolecules, and the rate of fluorescence enhancement with the protein concentration is significantly different with the different protein aggregate states. The (ANS/LDH)n UTF has the potential to be a novel type of biological flourescence sensor material.

  11. Fluorescence ON–OFF switching using micelle of stimuli-responsive double hydrophilic block copolymers: Nile Red fluorescence in micelles of poly(acrylic acid-b-N-isopropylacrylamide)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yee, Min Min; Tsubone, Miyabi; Morita, Takuya [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science & Engineering, Saga University, 1 Honjo, Saga 840-8502 (Japan); Yusa, Shin-ichi [Department of Materials Science and Chemistry, University of Hyogo, 2167 Shosha, Himeji 671-2280 (Japan); Nakashima, Kenichi, E-mail: nakashik@cc.saga-u.ac.jp [Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science & Engineering, Saga University, 1 Honjo, Saga 840-8502 (Japan)

    2016-08-15

    The dual-mode fluorescence ON–OFF switching of Nile Red (NR) by using stimuli-responsive polymeric micelle of poly(acrylic acid-b-N-isopropylacrylamide) (PAA-b-PNIPAM) has been studied. PAA-b-PNIPAM, one of double hydrophilic block copolymers, is known to form PNIPAM-core/PAA-corona micelles in aqueous solutions when the temperature of the solution is elevated up to the lower critical solution temperature (LCST) of PNIPAM block. It also forms PAA-core/PNIPAM-corona micelles when the anionic PAA block is charge-neutralized with cationic cetyltrimethylammonium ion. Fluorescence properties of NR in the micelles are elucidated by observing various fluorescence parameters such as intensity, polarization, and quantum yield. It is found that the fluorescence intensity is negligibly low (OFF-state) when PAA-b-PNIPAM exists as a form of unimer, whereas it is remarkably enhanced (ON-state) when the PNIPAM-core or PAA-core micelles are formed. These results demonstrate that a novel fluorescence ON–OFF switching system can be constructed by using PAA-b-PNIPAM micelles and NR.

  12. New fluorimetric assay of horseradish peroxidase using sesamol as substrate and its application to EIA

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hidetoshi Arakawa

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Horseradish peroxidase (HRP is generally used as a label enzyme in enzyme immunoassay (EIA. The procedure used for HRP detection in EIA is critical for sensitivity and precision. This paper describes a novel fluorimetric assay for horseradish peroxidase (HRP using sesamol as substrate. The principle of the assay is as follow: sesamol (3,4-methylenedioxy phenol is reacted enzymatically in the presence of hydrogen peroxide to produce dimeric sesamol. The dimer is fluorescent and can be detected sensitively at ex. 347 nm, em. 427 nm.The measurable range of HRP was 1.0×10−18 to 1.0×10−15 mol/assay, with a detection limit of 1.0×10−18 mol/assay. The coefficient of variation (CV, n=8 was examined at each point on the standard curve, with a mean CV percentage of 3.8%. This assay system was applied to thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH EIA using HRP as the label enzyme. Keywords: Sesamol, Fluorescence, Enzyme immunoassay (EIA, Horseradish peroxidase (HRP, Thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH

  13. Effects of genetic mutations and chemical exposures on Caenorhabditis elegans feeding: evaluation of a novel, high-throughput screening assay.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Windy A Boyd

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available Government agencies have defined a need to reduce, refine or replace current mammalian-based bioassays with testing methods that use alternative species. Invertebrate species, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, provide an attractive option because of their short life cycles, inexpensive maintenance, and high degree of evolutionary conservation with higher eukaryotes. The C. elegans pharynx is a favorable model for studying neuromuscular function, and the effects of chemicals on neuromuscular activity, i.e., feeding. Current feeding methodologies, however, are labor intensive and only semi-quantitative.Here a high-throughput assay is described that uses flow cytometry to measure C. elegans feeding by determining the size and intestinal fluorescence of hundreds of nematodes after exposure to fluorescent-labeled microspheres. This assay was validated by quantifying fluorescence in feeding-defective C. elegans (eat mutants, and by exposing wild-type nematodes to the neuroactive compounds, serotonin and arecoline. The eat mutations previously determined to cause slow pumping rates exhibited the lowest feeding levels with our assay. Concentration-dependent increases in feeding levels after serotonin exposures were dependent on food availability, while feeding levels decreased in arecoline-exposed nematodes regardless of the presence of food. The effects of the environmental contaminants, cadmium chloride and chlorpyrifos, on wild-type C. elegans feeding were then used to demonstrate an application of the feeding assay. Cadmium exposures above 200 microM led to a sharp drop in feeding levels. Feeding of chlorpyrifos-exposed nematodes decreased in a concentration-dependent fashion with an EC(50 of 2 microM.The C. elegans fluorescence microsphere feeding assay is a rapid, reliable method for the assessment of neurotoxic effects of pharmaceutical drugs, industrial chemicals or environmental agents. This assay may also be applicable to large scale genetic or

  14. Evaluation of a fluorescence-based method for antibabesial drug screening.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guswanto, Azirwan; Sivakumar, Thillaiampalam; Rizk, Mohamed Abdo; Elsayed, Shimaa Abd Elsalam; Youssef, Mohamed Ahmed; ElSaid, ElSaid El Shirbini; Yokoyama, Naoaki; Igarashi, Ikuo

    2014-08-01

    In vitro evaluation of chemotherapeutic agents against Babesia and Theileria parasites has become routine, and the effectiveness of these chemicals is usually determined by comparing the parasitemia dynamics of untreated and treated parasites. Although microscopy is widely used to calculate parasitemia, several disadvantages are associated with this technique. The present study evaluated a fluorescence-based method using SYBR green I stain (SG I) to screen antibabesial agents in in vitro cultures of Babesia bovis. The linearity between relative fluorescence units (RFU) and parasitemia was found to be well correlated with a 0.9944 goodness-of-fit (r(2)) value. Subsequently, 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) values were calculated for 3 antiprotozoan agents, diminazene aceturate, nimbolide, and gedunin, by this method. For diminazene aceturate and nimbolide, the IC(50)s determined by the fluorescence-based method (408 nM and 8.13 μM, respectively) and microscopy (400.3 nM and 9.4 μM, respectively) were in agreement. Furthermore, the IC50 of gedunin determined by the fluorescence-based method (19 μM) was similar to the recently described microscopy-based value (21.7 μM) for B. bovis. Additionally, the Z' factor (0.80 to 0.90), signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio (44.15 to 87.64), coefficient of variation at the maximum signal (%CVmax) (0.50 to 2.85), and coefficient of variation at the minimum signal (%CVmin) (1.23 to 2.21) calculated for the fluorescence method using diminazene aceturate were comparable to those previously determined in malaria research for this assay. These findings suggest that the fluorescence-based method might be useful for antibabesial drug screening and may have potential to be developed into a high-throughput screening (HTS) assay. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

  15. Development of UV-curable liquid for in-liquid fluorescence alignment in ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ochiai, Kento; Kikuchi, Eri; Ishito, Yota; Kumagai, Mari; Nakamura, Takahiro; Nakagawa, Masaru

    2018-06-01

    We studied a fluorescent UV-curable resin suitable for fluorescence alignment in UV nanoimprinting. The addition of a cationic fluorescent dye caused radical photopolymerization of a UV-curable resin by exposure to visible excitation light for fluorescence microscope observation. The microscope observation of a resin film prepared by pressing resin droplets on a silica substrate with a fluorinated silica superstrate revealed that the cationic dye molecules were preferably adsorbed onto the silica surface. It was indicated that the dye molecules concentrated on the silica surface may cause the photocuring. A nonionic fluorescent dye was selected owing to its low polar symmetrical structure and its solubility parameter close to monomers. The fluorescent UV-curable resin with the nonionic dye showed uncured stability to exposure to visible excitation light for 30 min with a light intensity of 8.5 mW cm‑2 detected at 530 nm.

  16. Application of fluorescent in situ hybridisation for demonstration of Coxiella burnetti in placentas from ruminant abortions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Tim Kåre; Montgomery, Donald L.; Jaeger, Paula T.

    2007-01-01

    A fluorescent in situ hybridisation (FISH) assay targeting 16S ribosomal RNA was developed for detection of the zoonotic bacterium Coxiella burnetii in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue, and applied on placentas from ruminant abortions. The applicability of the FISH assay was compared...

  17. Trials and Tribulations of Fluorescent Dissolved Organic Matter Chemical Interpretations: A case study of polar ice cores

    Science.gov (United States)

    D'Andrilli, J.

    2017-12-01

    Excitation emission matrix fluorescence spectroscopy is widely applied for rapid dissolved organic matter (DOM) characterization in aquatic systems. Fluorescent DOM surveys are booming, not only as a central focus in aquatic environments, but also as an important addition to interdisciplinary research (e.g., DOM analysis in concert with ice core paleoclimate reconstructions, stream metabolism, hydrologic regimes, agricultural developments, and biological activity), opening new doors, not just for novelty, but also for more challenges with chemical interpretations. Recently, the commonly used protein- versus humic-like classifications of DOM have been ineffective at describing DOM chemistry in various systems (e.g., ice cores, wastewaters, incubations/engineered). Moreover, the oversimplification of such classifications used to describe fluorescing components, without further scrutiny, has become commonplace, ultimately producing vague reporting. For example, West Antarctic ice core DOM was shown to contain fluorescence in the low excitation/emission wavelength region, however resolved fluorophores depicting tyrosine- and tryptophan-like DOM were not observed. At first, as literature suggested, we reported this result as protein-like, and concluded that microbial contributions were dominant in deep ice. That initial interpretation would disintegrate the conservation paradigm of atmospheric composition during deposition, the crux of ice core research, and contradict other lines of evidence. This begged the question, "How can we describe DOM chemistry without distinct fluorophores?" Antarctic ice core DOM was dominated by neither tyrosine- nor tryptophan-like fluorescence, causing "unusual" looking fluorescent components. After further examination, deep ice DOM was reported to contain fluorescent species most similar to monolignols and tannin-like phenols, describing the precursors of lignin from low carbon producing environments, consistent with marine sediment

  18. On the viability of exploiting L-shell fluorescence for X-ray polarimetry

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Weisskopf, M C; Elsner, R F; Ramsey, B D; Sutherland, P G

    1985-05-15

    It has been suggested that one may build an X-ray polarimeter by exploiting the polarization dependence of the angular distribution of L-shell fluorescence photons. In this paper we examine, theoretically, the sensitivity of this approach to polarimetry. We apply our calculations to several detection schemes using imaging proportional counters that would have direct application in X-ray astronomy. We find, however, that the sensitivity of this method for measuring X-ray polarization is too low to be of use for other than laboratory applications. (orig.).

  19. Fluorescence ELISA for sensitive detection of ochratoxin A based on glucose oxidase-mediated fluorescence quenching of CdTe QDs

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liang, Yi [State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047 (China); Jiangxi-OAI Joint Research Institute, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047 (China); Huang, Xiaolin [State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047 (China); Yu, Ruijin [College of Science, Northwest A& F University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100 (China); Zhou, Yaofeng [State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047 (China); Xiong, Yonghua, E-mail: yhxiongchen@163.com [State Key Laboratory of Food Science and Technology, Nanchang University, Nanchang, 330047 (China); Jiangxi-OAI Joint Research Institute, Nanchang University, Nanchang 330047 (China)

    2016-09-14

    The present study described a novel fluorescence enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) used to detect ochratoxin A (OTA) by using the glucose oxidase (GOx)-mediated fluorescence quenching of mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdTe quantum dots (MPA-QDs), in which GOx was used as an alternative to horseradish peroxidase (HRP) for the oxidization of glucose into hydrogen peroxide (H{sub 2}O{sub 2}) and gluconic acid. The MPA-QDs were used as a fluorescent signal output, whose fluorescence variation was extremely sensitive to the presence of H{sub 2}O{sub 2} or hydrogen ions in the solution. Under the optimized conditions, the proposed fluorescence ELISA demonstrated a good linear detection of OTA in corn extract from 2.4 pg mL{sup −1} to 625 pg mL{sup −1} with a limit of detection of 2.2 pg mL{sup −1}, which was approximately 15-fold lower than that of conventional HRP-based ELISA. Our developed fluorescence immunoassay was also similar to HRP-based ELISA in terms of selectivity, accuracy, and reproducibility. In summary, this study was the first to use the GOx-mediated fluorescence quenching of QDs in immunoassay to detect OTA, offering a new possibility for the analysis of other mycotoxins and biomolecules. - Highlights: • A novel fluorescence ELISA was first developed for the detection of OTA by using GOx-mediated fluorescence quenching of QDs. • The pH- and H{sub 2}O{sub 2}-sensitive MPA-capped CdTe QDs were used as a fluorescent signal output to improve the detection sensitivity. • This novel method open up a different vision to detect other mycotoxins and biomolecules.

  20. Resonance Fluorescence of a Trapped Four-Level Atom with Bichromatic Driving

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bergou, J.; Jakob, M.; Abranyos, Y.

    1999-01-01

    The resonance fluorescence spectrum of a bichromatically driven four-level atom is polarization dependent. Very narrow lines occur in the incoherent parts of the spectrum for polarization directions which are different from that of the driving fields. The degree of squeezing has a maximum of 56% which should make it easily observable. The second-order correlation function exhibits anti bunching for zero time delay and strong super bunching for certain values of the interaction parameter and time delay. For these parameters resonant two-photon emission takes place in the form of polarization entangled photon pairs. The system can be a novel source of photons in the EPR and/or Bell states. Some experiments will be proposed which make use of this unique source. (Authors)

  1. Surface recognition and fluorescence sensing of histone by dansyl-appended cyclophane-based resorcinarene trimer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashida, Osamu; Ogawa, Naoyuki; Uchiyama, Masaki

    2007-11-07

    A cyclophane-based resorcinarene trimer (3) bearing a dansyl moiety as an environmentally sensitive fluorophore was prepared by stepwise condensation of a tetraaza[6.1.6.1]paracyclophane skeleton with a dansyl moiety and three resorcinarene derivatives having heptacarboxylic acid residues in this sequence. The dansyl-appended cyclophane exhibited the following fluorescence properties regarding solvent polarity dependency and histone surface recognition: With increasing dioxane contents in dioxane/water solvents, the fluorescence intensity originating from the dansyl moiety of 3 increased along with a concomitant blue shift of the fluorescence maximum (lambdaem). The microenvironmentally sensitive fluorescence properties of dansyl fluorophore were maintained, even when the dansyl moiety was covalently attached to a cyclophane. Most interestingly, the cyclophane-based resorcinarene trimer exhibited recognition and fluorescence sensing capabilities toward histone, a small basic protein of eukaryotic chromatins. The fluorescence intensity originating from 3 increased along with a concomitant blue shift of lambdaem upon the addition of histone, reflecting the formation of 3-histone complexes. A relatively large fluorescence polarization (P) value was obtained for the 3-histone complexes (0.15), reflecting highly restricted conformations of 3, and the obtained P value was much larger than that of 3 alone in aqueous medium (0.07). The binding constant (K) of 3 with histone (unit basis) was estimated to be 2.1 x 106 M-1. On the other hand, upon the addition of acetylated histone (Ac-histone) to an aqueous solution containing 3, the extent of change in fluorescence intensity originating from the dansyl group of 3 was almost negligible, indicating that the electrostatic interactions between 3 and Ac-histone were weak. In addition, the fluorescence spectral changes were also small or negligible upon the addition of other proteins such as albumin, ovalbumin, peanut agglutinin

  2. Solid-phase single molecule biosensing using dual-color colocalization of fluorescent quantum dot nanoprobes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jianbo; Yang, Xiaohai; Wang, Kemin; Wang, Qing; Liu, Wei; Wang, Dong

    2013-10-01

    The development of solid-phase surface-based single molecule imaging technology has attracted significant interest during the past decades. Here we demonstrate a sandwich hybridization method for highly sensitive detection of a single thrombin protein at a solid-phase surface based on the use of dual-color colocalization of fluorescent quantum dot (QD) nanoprobes. Green QD560-modified thrombin binding aptamer I (QD560-TBA I) were deposited on a positive poly(l-lysine) assembled layer, followed by bovine serum albumin blocking. It allowed the thrombin protein to mediate the binding of the easily detectable red QD650-modified thrombin binding aptamer II (QD650-TBA II) to the QD560-TBA I substrate. Thus, the presence of the target thrombin can be determined based on fluorescent colocalization measurements of the nanoassemblies, without target amplification or probe separation. The detection limit of this assay reached 0.8 pM. This fluorescent colocalization assay has enabled single molecule recognition in a separation-free detection format, and can serve as a sensitive biosensing platform that greatly suppresses the nonspecific adsorption false-positive signal. This method can be extended to other areas such as multiplexed immunoassay, single cell analysis, and real time biomolecule interaction studies.The development of solid-phase surface-based single molecule imaging technology has attracted significant interest during the past decades. Here we demonstrate a sandwich hybridization method for highly sensitive detection of a single thrombin protein at a solid-phase surface based on the use of dual-color colocalization of fluorescent quantum dot (QD) nanoprobes. Green QD560-modified thrombin binding aptamer I (QD560-TBA I) were deposited on a positive poly(l-lysine) assembled layer, followed by bovine serum albumin blocking. It allowed the thrombin protein to mediate the binding of the easily detectable red QD650-modified thrombin binding aptamer II (QD650-TBA II) to

  3. PREVALENCE OF ANTIBODIES AGAINST TOXOPLASMA GONDII IN POLAR BEARS (URSUS MARITIMUS) FROM SVALBARD AND EAST GREENLAND

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serum samples from 419 polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from Svalbard and the Barents Sea (collected 1990 - 2000) and 108 polar bears from East Greenland (collected 1999 - 2004) were assayed for antibodies against Toxoplasma gondii using the modified agglutination test (MAT). Antibody prevalences were ...

  4. Analysis of trace element compositions in adhesive cloth tapes using high-energy x-ray fluorescence spectrometer with three-dimensional polarization optics for forensic discrimination

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Goto, Akiko; Hokura, Akiko; Nakai, Izumi

    2008-01-01

    The forensic discrimination of adhesive cloth tapes often used in crimes was developed using a high-energy energy-dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometer with 3-dimensional polarization optics. The best measurement condition for discrimination of the tape was as follows: secondary targets, Rh and Al 2 O 3 ; measurement time, 300 s for Rh and 600 s for Al 2 O 3 ; 14 elements (Ca, Ti, Cr, Mn, Fe, Ni, Zn, Sr, Zr, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ba and Pb) were used for discrimination. It is found that the combined information of yarn density and the XRF peak intensity of the 14 elements successfully discriminated 29 out of 31 samples, of which 2 probably had the same origin. This technique is useful for forensic analysis, because it is nondestructive, rapid and easy. Therefore, it can be applied to actual forensic identification. (author)

  5. Microcystin Detection Characteristics of Fluorescence Immunochromatography and High Performance Liquid Chromatography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pyo, Dong Jin; Park, Geun Young; Choi, Jong Chon; Oh, Chang Suk

    2005-01-01

    Different detection characteristics of fluorescence immunochromatography method and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method for the analysis of cyanobacterial toxins were studied. In particular, low and high limits of detection, detection time and reproducibility and detectable microcystin species were compared when fluorescence immunochromatography method and high performance liquid chromatography method were applied for the detection of microcystin (MC), a cyclic peptide toxin of the freshwater cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa. A Fluorescence immunochromatography assay system has the unique advantages of short detection time and low detection limit, and high performance liquid chromatography detection method has the strong advantage of individual quantifications of several species of microcystins

  6. Multiplexing a high-throughput liability assay to leverage efficiencies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Herbst, John; Anthony, Monique; Stewart, Jeremy; Connors, David; Chen, Taosheng; Banks, Martyn; Petrillo, Edward W; Agler, Michele

    2009-06-01

    In order to identify potential cytochrome P-450 3A4 (drug-metabolizing enzyme) inducers at an early stage of the drug discovery process, a cell-based transactivation high-throughput luciferase reporter assay for the human pregnane X receptor (PXR) in HepG2 cells has been implemented and multiplexed with a viability end point for data interpretation, as part of a Lead Profiling portfolio of assays. As a routine part of Lead Profiling operations, assays are periodically evaluated for utility as well as for potential improvements in technology or process. We used a recent evaluation of our PXR-transactivation assay as a model for the application of Lean Thinking-based process analysis to lab-bench assay optimization and automation. This resulted in the development of a 384-well multiplexed homogeneous assay simultaneously detecting PXR transactivation and HepG2 cell cytotoxicity. In order to multiplex fluorescent and luminescent read-outs, modifications to each assay were necessary, which included optimization of multiple assay parameters such as cell density, plate type, and reagent concentrations. Subsequently, a set of compounds including known cytotoxic compounds and PXR inducers were used to validate the multiplexed assay. Results from the multiplexed assay correlate well with those from the singleplexed assay formats measuring PXR transactivation and viability separately. Implementation of the multiplexed assay for routine compound profiling provides improved data quality, sample conservation, cost savings, and resource efficiencies.

  7. Structural and dynamical aspects of skin studied by multiphoton excitation fluorescence microscopy-based methods

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bloksgaard, Maria; Brewer, Jonathan R.; Bagatolli, Luis

    2013-01-01

    ' parameters. Specifically, by applying these methods, spatially resolved maps of water dipolar relaxation (generalized polarization function using the 6-lauroyl-2-(N,N-dimethylamino)naphthale probe), activity of protons (fluorescence lifetime imaging using a proton sensitive fluorescence probe--2,7-bis-(2......-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein) and diffusion coefficients of distinct fluorescence probes (raster imaging correlation spectroscopy) can be obtained from different regions of the tissue. Comparative studies of different tissue strata, but also between equivalent regions of normal and abnormal......This mini-review reports on applications of particular multiphoton excitation microscopy-based methodologies employed in our laboratory to study skin. These approaches allow in-depth optical sectioning of the tissue, providing spatially resolved information on specific fluorescence probes...

  8. Bio-Inspired Microsystem for Robust Genetic Assay Recognition

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaw-Chyng Lue

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available A compact integrated system-on-chip (SoC architecture solution for robust, real-time, and on-site genetic analysis has been proposed. This microsystem solution is noise-tolerable and suitable for analyzing the weak fluorescence patterns from a PCR prepared dual-labeled DNA microchip assay. In the architecture, a preceding VLSI differential logarithm microchip is designed for effectively computing the logarithm of the normalized input fluorescence signals. A posterior VLSI artificial neural network (ANN processor chip is used for analyzing the processed signals from the differential logarithm stage. A single-channel logarithmic circuit was fabricated and characterized. A prototype ANN chip with unsupervised winner-take-all (WTA function was designed, fabricated, and tested. An ANN learning algorithm using a novel sigmoid-logarithmic transfer function based on the supervised backpropagation (BP algorithm is proposed for robustly recognizing low-intensity patterns. Our results show that the trained new ANN can recognize low-fluorescence patterns better than an ANN using the conventional sigmoid function.

  9. Imaging of polarity during zygotic and somatic embryogenesis of carrot (Daucus carota L.)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Timmers, A.C.J.

    1993-01-01

    In this thesis a study of the regulation of coordinated growth and the development of polarity during embryogenesis of carrot, Daucus carota L., is described. To this end, several microscopical techniques were used, such as light microscopy, fluorescence microscopy,

  10. Resonance Polarization and Phase-Mismatched CARS of Pheophytin b Excited in the Qy Band

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    de Boeij, W.P.; Lucassen, G.W.; Lucassen, Gerald; Otto, Cornelis; Greve, Jan

    1993-01-01

    Resonance polarization and phase-mismatched coherent anti-Stokes Raman scattering (CARS) measurements were performed on pheophytin b dissolved in acetone excited in the Qy absorption band, where strong broad fluorescence makes spontaneous Raman spectroscopy impossible. The phase-mismatching

  11. Micromotor-based on-off fluorescence detection of sarin and soman simulants.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singh, Virendra V; Kaufmann, Kevin; Orozco, Jahir; Li, Jinxing; Galarnyk, Michael; Arya, Gaurav; Wang, Joseph

    2015-06-30

    Self-propelled micromotor-based fluorescent "On-Off" detection of nerve agents is described. The motion-based assay utilizes Si/Pt Janus micromotors coated with fluoresceinamine toward real-time "on-the-fly" field detection of sarin and soman simulants.

  12. Area-under-the-curve monitoring of cyclosporine therapy: Performance of different assay methods and their target concentrations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Grevel, J.; Napoli, K.L.; Gibbons, S.; Kahan, B.D.

    1990-01-01

    The measurement of areas under the concentration-time curve (AUC) was recently introduced as an alternative to trough level monitoring of cyclosporine therapy. The AUC is divided by the oral dosing interval to calculate an average concentration. All measurements are performed at clinical steady state. The initial evaluation of AUC monitoring showed advantages over trough level monitoring with concentrations of cyclosporine measured in serum by the polyclonal radioimmunoassay of Sandoz. This assay technique is no longer available and the following assays were performed in parallel during up to 173 AUC determinations in 51 consecutive renal transplant patients: polyclonal fluorescence polarization immunoassay of Abbott in serum, specific and nonspecific monoclonal radioimmunoassays using 3 H and 125 I tracers in serum and whole blood, and high performance liquid chromatography in whole blood. Both trough levels and average concentrations at steady state measured by those different techniques were significantly correlated with the oral dose. The best correlation (r2 = 0.54) was shown by average concentrations measured in whole blood by the specific monoclonal radioimmunoassay of Sandoz ( 3 H tracer). This monitoring technique was also associated with the smallest absolute error between repeated observations in the same patient while the oral dose rate remained the same or was changed. Both allegedly specific monoclonal radioimmunoassays (with 3 H and 125 I tracer) measured significantly higher concentrations than the liquid chromatography

  13. Using fluorescent dissolved organic matter to trace and distinguish the origin of Arctic surface waters

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonçalves-Araujo, Rafael; Granskog, Mats A.; Bracher, Astrid; Azetsu-Scott, Kumiko; Dodd, Paul A.; Stedmon, Colin A.

    2016-01-01

    Climate change affects the Arctic with regards to permafrost thaw, sea-ice melt, alterations to the freshwater budget and increased export of terrestrial material to the Arctic Ocean. The Fram and Davis Straits represent the major gateways connecting the Arctic and Atlantic. Oceanographic surveys were performed in the Fram and Davis Straits, and on the east Greenland Shelf (EGS), in late summer 2012/2013. Meteoric (fmw), sea-ice melt, Atlantic and Pacific water fractions were determined and the fluorescence properties of dissolved organic matter (FDOM) were characterized. In Fram Strait and EGS, a robust correlation between visible wavelength fluorescence and fmw was apparent, suggesting it as a reliable tracer of polar waters. However, a pattern was observed which linked the organic matter characteristics to the origin of polar waters. At depth in Davis Strait, visible wavelength FDOM was correlated to apparent oxygen utilization (AOU) and traced deep-water DOM turnover. In surface waters FDOM characteristics could distinguish between surface waters from eastern (Atlantic + modified polar waters) and western (Canada-basin polar waters) Arctic sectors. The findings highlight the potential of designing in situ multi-channel DOM fluorometers to trace the freshwater origins and decipher water mass mixing dynamics in the region without laborious samples analyses. PMID:27667721

  14. Exploring the dynamics of fluorescence staining of bacteria with cyanine dyes for the development of kinetic assays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thomas, Marlon Sheldon

    Bacterial infections continue to be one of the major health risks in the United States. The common occurrence of such infection is one of the major contributors to the high cost of health care and significant patient mortality. The work presented in this thesis describes spectroscopic studies that will contribute to the development of a fluorescent assay that may allow the rapid identification of bacterial species. Herein, the optical interactions between six bacterial species and a series of thiacyanine dyes are investigated. The interactions between the dyes and the bacterial species are hypothesized to be species-specific. For this thesis, two Gram-negative strains, Escherichia coli (E. coli) TOP10 and Enterobacter aerogenes; two Gram-positive bacterial strains, Bacillus sphaericus and Bacillus subtilis; and two Bacillus endospores, B. globigii and B. thuringiensis, were used to test the proposed hypothesis. A series of three thiacyanine dyes---3,3'-diethylthiacyanine iodide (THIA), 3,3'-diethylthiacarbocyanine iodide (THC) and thiazole orange (THO)---were used as fluorescent probes. The basis of our spectroscopic study was to explore the bacterium-induced interactions of the bacterial cells with the individual thiacyanine dyes or with a mixture of the three dyes. Steady-state absorption spectroscopy revealed that the different bacterial species altered the absorption properties of the dyes. Mixed-dye solutions gave unique absorption patterns for each bacteria tested, with competitive binding observed between the bacteria and spectrophotometric probes (thiacyanine dyes). Emission spectroscopy recorded changes in the emission spectra of THIA following the introduction of bacterial cells. Experimental results revealed that the emission enhancement of the dyes resulted from increases in the emission quantum yield of the thiacyanine dyes upon binding to the bacteria cellular components. The recorded emission enhancement data were fitted to an exponential (mono

  15. On-bead fluorescent DNA nanoprobes to analyze base excision repair activities

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Gines, Guillaume; Saint-Pierre, Christine; Gasparutto, Didier, E-mail: didier.gasparutto@cea.fr

    2014-02-17

    Graphical abstract: -- Highlights: •On magnetic beads fluorescent enzymatic assays. •Simple, easy, non-radioactive and electrophoresis-free functional assay. •Lesion-containing hairpin DNA probes are selective for repair enzymes. •The biosensing platform allows the measurement of DNA repair activities from purified enzymes or within cell free extracts. -- Abstract: DNA integrity is constantly threatened by endogenous and exogenous agents that can modify its physical and chemical structure. Changes in DNA sequence can cause mutations sparked by some genetic diseases or cancers. Organisms have developed efficient defense mechanisms able to specifically repair each kind of lesion (alkylation, oxidation, single or double strand break, mismatch, etc). Here we report the adjustment of an original assay to detect enzymes’ activity of base excision repair (BER), that supports a set of lesions including abasic sites, alkylation, oxidation or deamination products of bases. The biosensor is characterized by a set of fluorescent hairpin-shaped nucleic acid probes supported on magnetic beads, each containing a selective lesion targeting a specific BER enzyme. We have studied the DNA glycosylase alkyl-adenine glycosylase (AAG) and the human AP-endonuclease (APE1) by incorporating within the DNA probe a hypoxanthine lesion or an abasic site analog (tetrahydrofuran), respectively. Enzymatic repair activity induces the formation of a nick in the damaged strand, leading to probe's break, that is detected in the supernatant by fluorescence. The functional assay allows the measurement of DNA repair activities from purified enzymes or in cell-free extracts in a fast, specific, quantitative and sensitive way, using only 1 pmol of probe for a test. We recorded a detection limit of 1 μg mL{sup −1} and 50 μg mL{sup −1} of HeLa nuclear extracts for APE1 and AAG enzymes, respectively. Finally, the on-bead assay should be useful to screen inhibitors of DNA repair

  16. A KIND OF FLUORESCENCE PROBE TO STUDY THE KINETICS OF POLYMERIZATION PROCESS

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    YANG Guoqiang; WU Shikang

    1994-01-01

    Fluorescence properties of 1-phenyl-3-(4'-nitrophenyl) pyrazoline (PNP) were studied in bulk polymerization process of methylmethacrylate (MMA). The fluorescence intensity of PNP was enhanced and the emission maximum was blue shifted with the polymerization progress. In the period of auto-acceleration of the polymerization the enhancement of fluorescence intensity and blue shift of peak wavelength in spectra could be observed evidently. This means that the solvatochromic properties of PNP are influenced not only by the solvent polarity but also by the viscosity of the medium(especially by the phase transition). In solid state PNP emits from the charge transfer excited state without solvent relaxation. The transient emission spectra and the results from Bakhshiev model of solvent relaxation coincide with that from the polymerization experiment.

  17. Use of the fluorescent micronucleus assay to detect the genotoxic effects of radiation and arsenic exposure in exfoliated human epithelial cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Moore, L.E.; Warner, M.L.; Smith, A.H.

    1996-01-01

    The exfoliated cell micronucleus (MN) assay using fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) with a centromeric probe is a rapid method for determining the mechanism of MN formation in epithelial tissues exposed to carcinogenic agents. Here, we describe the use of this assay to detect the presence or absence of centromeric DNA in MN induced in vivo by radiation therapy and chronic arsenic (As) ingestion. We examined the buccal cells of an individual receiving 6,500 rads of photon radiation to the head and neck. Exfoliated cells were collected before, during, and after treatment. After radiation exposure a 16.6-fold increase in buccal cell MN frequency was seen. All induced MN were centromere negative (MN-) resulting from chromosome breakage. This finding is consistent with the clastogenic action of radiation and confirmed the reliability of the method. Three weeks post-therapy, MN frequencies returned to baseline. The assay was used on 18 people chronically exposed to high levels of inorganic arsenic (In-As) in drinking water (average level, 1,312 μg As/L) and 18 matched controls (average level, 16 μg As/L). The combined increase in MN frequency was 1.8-fold (P = 0.001, Fisher's exact test). Frequencies of micronuclei containing acentric fragments (MN-) and those containing whole chromosomes (MN+) both increased, suggesting that arsenic may have both clastogenic and weak aneuploidogenic properties in vivo. After stratification on sex, the effect was stronger in male than in female bladder cells. In males the MN-frequency increased 2.06-fold (P =0.07) while the frequency of MN+ increased 1.86-fold (P = 0.08). In addition, the frequencies of MN and MN+ were positively associated with urinary arsenic and its metabolites. The association was stronger for micronuclei containing acentric fragments. By using FISH with centromeric probes, the mechanism of chemically induced genotoxicity can not be determined in epithelial tissues. 35 refs., 4 tabs

  18. Comparison of a spectrophotometric, a fluorometric, and a novel radiometric assay for carboxypeptidase E and other carboxypeptidase B-like enzymes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Fricker, L.D.; Devi, L. (Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY (USA))

    1990-01-01

    Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) is a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of numerous peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. A sensitive assay for CPE and other carboxypeptidase B-like enzymes has been developed using 125I-acetyl-Tyr-Ala-Arg (125I-AcYAR) as the substrate. This peptide is poorly soluble in ethyl acetate whereas the product of carboxypeptidase B-like enzymatic activity (125I-AcYA) can be quantitatively extracted with this solvent, allowing the rapid separation of product from substrate. This radiometric assay can detect less than 1 pg of either CPE or carboxypeptidase B. For CPE, the assay with 125I-AcYAR is approximately 1000 times more sensitive than a fluorescent assay using dansyl-Phe-Ala-Arg (dans-FAR), and 6000 times more sensitive than a spectrophotometric assay using hippuryl-Arg (hipp-R). CPE hydrolyzes the three substrates with Kcat values of 16 s-1 for AcYAR, 13 s-1 for dans-FAR, and 8.5 s-1 for hipp-R. The Km values for CPE with AcYAR (28 microM) and dans-FAR (34 microM) are similar, and are much lower than the Km with hipp-R (400 microM). Thus, the primary reason for the increased sensitivity of the 125I-AcYAR assay over the fluorescent assay is not a result of kinetic differences but is due to the detection limit of iodinated product (10(-15) mol), compared to the fluorescent product (5 x 10(-11) mol). Applications of this rapid and sensitive radiometric assay to detect CPE in cultured cells and in subcellular fractions of the pituitary are described.

  19. Comparison of a spectrophotometric, a fluorometric, and a novel radiometric assay for carboxypeptidase E and other carboxypeptidase B-like enzymes

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Fricker, L.D.; Devi, L.

    1990-01-01

    Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) is a carboxypeptidase B-like enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of numerous peptide hormones and neurotransmitters. A sensitive assay for CPE and other carboxypeptidase B-like enzymes has been developed using 125I-acetyl-Tyr-Ala-Arg (125I-AcYAR) as the substrate. This peptide is poorly soluble in ethyl acetate whereas the product of carboxypeptidase B-like enzymatic activity (125I-AcYA) can be quantitatively extracted with this solvent, allowing the rapid separation of product from substrate. This radiometric assay can detect less than 1 pg of either CPE or carboxypeptidase B. For CPE, the assay with 125I-AcYAR is approximately 1000 times more sensitive than a fluorescent assay using dansyl-Phe-Ala-Arg (dans-FAR), and 6000 times more sensitive than a spectrophotometric assay using hippuryl-Arg (hipp-R). CPE hydrolyzes the three substrates with Kcat values of 16 s-1 for AcYAR, 13 s-1 for dans-FAR, and 8.5 s-1 for hipp-R. The Km values for CPE with AcYAR (28 microM) and dans-FAR (34 microM) are similar, and are much lower than the Km with hipp-R (400 microM). Thus, the primary reason for the increased sensitivity of the 125I-AcYAR assay over the fluorescent assay is not a result of kinetic differences but is due to the detection limit of iodinated product (10(-15) mol), compared to the fluorescent product (5 x 10(-11) mol). Applications of this rapid and sensitive radiometric assay to detect CPE in cultured cells and in subcellular fractions of the pituitary are described

  20. Passive nondestructive assay of nuclear materials

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reilly, D.; Ensslin, N.; Smith, H. Jr.; Kreiner, S.

    1991-03-01

    The term nondestructive assay (NDA) is applied to a series of measurement techniques for nuclear fuel materials. The techniques measure radiation induced or emitted spontaneously from the nuclear material; the measurements are nondestructive in that they do not alter the physical or chemical state of the nuclear material. NDA techniques are characterized as passive or active depending on whether they measure radiation from the spontaneous decay of the nuclear material or radiation induced by an external source. This book emphasizes passive NDA techniques, although certain active techniques like gamma-ray absorption densitometry and x-ray fluorescence are discussed here because of their intimate relation to passive assay techniques. The principal NDA techniques are classified as gamma-ray assay, neutron assay, and calorimetry. Gamma-ray assay techniques are treated in Chapters 1--10. Neutron assay techniques are the subject of Chapters 11--17. Chapters 11--13 cover the origin of neutrons, neutron interactions, and neutron detectors. Chapters 14--17 cover the theory and applications of total and coincidence neutron counting. Chapter 18 deals with the assay of irradiated nuclear fuel, which uses both gamma-ray and neutron assay techniques. Chapter 19 covers perimeter monitoring, which uses gamma-ray and neutron detectors of high sensitivity to check that no unauthorized nuclear material crosses a facility boundary. The subject of Chapter 20 is attribute and semiquantitative measurements. The goal of these measurements is a rapid verification of the contents of nuclear material containers to assist physical inventory verifications. Waste and holdup measurements are also treated in this chapter. Chapters 21 and 22 cover calorimetry theory and application, and Chapter 23 is a brief application guide to illustrate which techniques can be used to solve certain measurement problems

  1. A new trend to determine biochemical parameters by quantitative FRET assays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liao, Jia-yu; Song, Yang; Liu, Yan

    2015-12-01

    Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) has been widely used in biological and biomedical research because it can determine molecule or particle interactions within a range of 1-10 nm. The sensitivity and efficiency of FRET strongly depend on the distance between the FRET donor and acceptor. Historically, FRET assays have been used to quantitatively deduce molecular distances. However, another major potential application of the FRET assay has not been fully exploited, that is, the use of FRET signals to quantitatively describe molecular interactive events. In this review, we discuss the use of quantitative FRET assays for the determination of biochemical parameters, such as the protein interaction dissociation constant (K(d)), enzymatic velocity (k(cat)) and K(m). We also describe fluorescent microscopy-based quantitative FRET assays for protein interaction affinity determination in cells as well as fluorimeter-based quantitative FRET assays for protein interaction and enzymatic parameter determination in solution.

  2. Evidence of excited state localization and static disorder in LH2 investigated by 2D-polarization single-molecule imaging at room temperature.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tubasum, Sumera; Camacho, Rafael; Meyer, Matthias; Yadav, Dheerendra; Cogdell, Richard J; Pullerits, Tõnu; Scheblykin, Ivan G

    2013-12-07

    Two-dimensional polarization fluorescence imaging of single light harvesting complexes 2 (LH2) of Rps. acidophila was carried out to investigate the polarization properties of excitation and fluorescence emission simultaneously, at room temperature. In two separate experiments we excited LH2 with a spectrally narrow laser line matched to the absorption bands of the two chromophore rings, B800 and B850, thereby indirectly and directly triggering fluorescence of the B850 exciton state. A correlation analysis of the polarization modulation depths in excitation and emission for a large number of single complexes was performed. Our results show, in comparison to B800, that the B850 ring is a more isotropic absorber due to the excitonic nature of its excited states. At the same time, we observed a strong tendency for LH2 to emit with dipolar character, from which preferential localization of the emissive exciton, stable for minutes, is inferred. We argue that the observed effects can consistently be explained by static energetic disorder and/or deformation of the complex, with possible involvement of exciton self-trapping.

  3. Fluorometric assay for phenotypic differentiation of drug-resistant HIV mutants

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhu, Qinchang; Yu, Zhiqiang; Kabashima, Tsutomu; Yin, Sheng; Dragusha, Shpend; El-Mahdy, Ahmed F. M.; Ejupi, Valon; Shibata, Takayuki; Kai, Masaaki

    2015-01-01

    Convenient drug-resistance testing of viral mutants is indispensable to effective treatment of viral infection. We developed a novel fluorometric assay for phenotypic differentiation of drug-resistant mutants of human immunodeficiency virus-I protease (HIV-PR) which uses enzymatic and peptide-specific fluorescence (FL) reactions and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) of three HIV-PR substrates. This assay protocol enables use of non-purified enzyme sources and multiple substrates for the enzymatic reaction. In this study, susceptibility of HIV mutations to drugs was evaluated by selective formation of three FL products after the enzymatic HIV-PR reaction. This proof-of-concept study indicates that the present HPLC-FL method could be an alternative to current phenotypic assays for the evaluation of HIV drug resistance. PMID:25988960

  4. A simple viability analysis for unicellular cyanobacteria using a new autofluorescence assay, automated microscopy, and ImageJ

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Schulze Katja

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Currently established methods to identify viable and non-viable cells of cyanobacteria are either time-consuming (eg. plating or preparation-intensive (eg. fluorescent staining. In this paper we present a new and fast viability assay for unicellular cyanobacteria, which uses red chlorophyll fluorescence and an unspecific green autofluorescence for the differentiation of viable and non-viable cells without the need of sample preparation. Results The viability assay for unicellular cyanobacteria using red and green autofluorescence was established and validated for the model organism Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803. Both autofluorescence signals could be observed simultaneously allowing a direct classification of viable and non-viable cells. The results were confirmed by plating/colony count, absorption spectra and chlorophyll measurements. The use of an automated fluorescence microscope and a novel ImageJ based image analysis plugin allow a semi-automated analysis. Conclusions The new method simplifies the process of viability analysis and allows a quick and accurate analysis. Furthermore results indicate that a combination of the new assay with absorption spectra or chlorophyll concentration measurements allows the estimation of the vitality of cells.

  5. Fluorogenic dansyl-ligated gold nanoparticles for the detection of sulfur mustard by displacement assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Knighton, Richard C; Sambrook, Mark R; Vincent, Jack C; Smith, Simon A; Serpell, Christopher J; Cookson, James; Vickers, Matthew S; Beer, Paul D

    2013-03-21

    The dansyl fluorophore ligated to gold nanoparticles via imidazole and amine groups affords conjugates capable of detecting micromolar concentrations of the chemical warfare agent sulfur mustard by a fluorescence switching 'ON' displacement assay.

  6. New insight in the template decomposition process of large zeolite ZSM-5 crystals: an in situ UV-Vis/fluorescence micro-spectroscopy study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Karwacki, L.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/304824283; Weckhuysen, B.M.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/285484397

    2011-01-01

    A combination of in situ UV-Vis and confocal fluorescence micro-spectroscopy was used to study the template decomposition process in large zeolite ZSM-5 crystals. Correlation of polarized light dependent UV-Vis absorption spectra with confocal fluorescence emission spectra in the 400–750 nm region

  7. Polarized two-photon photoselection in EGFP: Theory and experiment.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masters, T A; Marsh, R J; Blacker, T S; Armoogum, D A; Larijani, B; Bain, A J

    2018-04-07

    In this work, we present a complete theoretical description of the excited state order created by two-photon photoselection from an isotropic ground state; this encompasses both the conventionally measured quadrupolar (K = 2) and the "hidden" degree of hexadecapolar (K = 4) transition dipole alignment, their dependence on the two-photon transition tensor and emission transition dipole moment orientation. Linearly and circularly polarized two-photon absorption (TPA) and time-resolved single- and two-photon fluorescence anisotropy measurements are used to determine the structure of the transition tensor in the deprotonated form of enhanced green fluorescent protein. For excitation wavelengths between 800 nm and 900 nm, TPA is best described by a single element, almost completely diagonal, two-dimensional (planar) transition tensor whose principal axis is collinear to that of the single-photon S 0 → S 1 transition moment. These observations are in accordance with assignments of the near-infrared two-photon absorption band in fluorescent proteins to a vibronically enhanced S 0 → S 1 transition.

  8. Polarized two-photon photoselection in EGFP: Theory and experiment

    Science.gov (United States)

    Masters, T. A.; Marsh, R. J.; Blacker, T. S.; Armoogum, D. A.; Larijani, B.; Bain, A. J.

    2018-04-01

    In this work, we present a complete theoretical description of the excited state order created by two-photon photoselection from an isotropic ground state; this encompasses both the conventionally measured quadrupolar (K = 2) and the "hidden" degree of hexadecapolar (K = 4) transition dipole alignment, their dependence on the two-photon transition tensor and emission transition dipole moment orientation. Linearly and circularly polarized two-photon absorption (TPA) and time-resolved single- and two-photon fluorescence anisotropy measurements are used to determine the structure of the transition tensor in the deprotonated form of enhanced green fluorescent protein. For excitation wavelengths between 800 nm and 900 nm, TPA is best described by a single element, almost completely diagonal, two-dimensional (planar) transition tensor whose principal axis is collinear to that of the single-photon S0 → S1 transition moment. These observations are in accordance with assignments of the near-infrared two-photon absorption band in fluorescent proteins to a vibronically enhanced S0 → S1 transition.

  9. Immunofluorescence Plaque Assay for African Swine Fever Virus

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tessler, J.; Hess, W. R.; Pan, I. C.; Trautman, R.

    1974-01-01

    Suitably diluted cell culture adapted African swine fever virus preparations were inoculated on VERO cell monolayers and grown on coverslips. Gum tragacanth was used as an overlay. After three days incubation at 37°C the infected cultures were fixed with acetone and stained with fluorescent antibody conjugate. Fluorescing plaques consisted of 20-30 infected cells. Three statistical criteria for a quantitatively reliable assay were met: the Poisson distribution for plaque counts, linearity of the relationship between the concentration of virus and the plaque count and reproducibility of replicate titrations. The method is suitable for counts up to at least 70 plaques per 5 cm2 coverslip and computed titers are reproducible within 0.16 log units with a total of 300 plaques enumerated. PMID:4279763

  10. Steady State and Time-Resolved Fluorescence Dynamics of Triphenylamine Based Oligomers with Phenylene/Thiophene/Furan in Solvents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Qi, Zeng; Ying-Liang, Liu; Kang, Meng; Xiang-Jie, Zhao; Shu-Feng, Wang; Qi-Huang, Gong

    2009-01-01

    We investigate the photo-physical properties of a series of triphenylamine-based oligomers by steady-state and picosecond transient fluorescence measurements in solvents. The oligomers are composed alternatively with triphenylamine and phenylene/thiophene/furan group, bridged by vinyl group (PNB/PNT/PNF). Their fluorescence spectra show bathochromic phenomenon with solvent polarity and viscosity increasing. The fluorescence decays are bi-exponential for PNB and PNT, and tri-exponential for PNF in THF and aniline. The strong viscosity dependence suggests conformational relaxation along the PNF chain after photo excitation. (condensed matter: electronicstructure, electrical, magnetic, and opticalproperties)

  11. A fluorescence resonance energy transfer-based method for histone methyltransferases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Devkota, Kanchan; Lohse, Brian; Nyby Jakobsen, Camilla

    2015-01-01

    A simple dye–quencher fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based assay for methyltransferases was developed and used to determine kinetic parameters and inhibitory activity at EHMT1 and EHMT2. Peptides mimicking the truncated histone H3 tail were functionalized in each end with a dye...

  12. First attempt of the measurement of the beam polarization at an accelerator with the optical electron polarimeter POLO

    CERN Document Server

    Collin, B; Essabaa, S; Frascaria, R; Gacougnolle, R; Kunne, Ronald Alexander; Aulenbacher, K; Tioukine, V

    2004-01-01

    The conventional methods for measuring the polarization of electron beams are either time consuming, invasive or accurate only to a few percent. We developped a method to measure electron beam polarization by observing the light emitted by argon atoms following their excitation by the impact of polarized electrons. The degree of circular polarization of the emitted fluorescence is directly related to the electron polarization. We tested the polarimeter on a test GaAs source available at the MAMI electron accelerator in Mainz, Germany. The polarimeter determines the polarization of a 50 keV electron beam decelerated to a few eV and interacting with an effusive argon gas jet. The resulting decay of the excited states produces the emission of a circularly polarized radiation line at 811.5 nm which is observed and analyzed.

  13. Fluorescence-based high-throughput screening of dicer cleavage activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Podolska, Katerina; Sedlak, David; Bartunek, Petr; Svoboda, Petr

    2014-03-01

    Production of small RNAs by ribonuclease III Dicer is a key step in microRNA and RNA interference pathways, which employ Dicer-produced small RNAs as sequence-specific silencing guides. Further studies and manipulations of microRNA and RNA interference pathways would benefit from identification of small-molecule modulators. Here, we report a study of a fluorescence-based in vitro Dicer cleavage assay, which was adapted for high-throughput screening. The kinetic assay can be performed under single-turnover conditions (35 nM substrate and 70 nM Dicer) in a small volume (5 µL), which makes it suitable for high-throughput screening in a 1536-well format. As a proof of principle, a small library of bioactive compounds was analyzed, demonstrating potential of the assay.

  14. APD detectors for biological fluorescence spectroscopy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mazeres, S.; Borrel, V.; Magenc, C.; Courrech, J.L.; Bazer-Bachi, R.

    2006-01-01

    Fluorescence spectroscopy is a very convenient and widely used method for studying the molecular background of biological processes [L. Salome, J.L. Cazeil, A. Lopez, J.F. Tocanne, Eur. Biophys. J. 27 (1998) 391-402]. Chromophores are included in the structure under study and a flash of laser light induces fluorescence (Fluorescence Recovery After Photo-bleaching), the decay of which yields information on the polarity, the speed of rotation, and the speed of diffusion as well as on the temporal and spatial evolution of interactions between molecular species. The method can even be used to study living cells [J.F. Tocanne, L. Cezanne, A. Lopez, Prog. Lipid Res. 33 (1994) 203-237, L. Cezanne, A. Lopez, F. Loste, G. Parnaud, O. Saurel, P. Demange, J.F. Tocanne, Biochemistry 38 (1999) 2779-2786]. This is classically performed with a PM-based system. For biological reasons a decrease of the excitation of the cells is highly desirable. Because the fluorescence response then becomes fainter a significant improvement in detector capability would be welcome. We present here results obtained with an Avalanche Photo Diode (APD)-based system. The small sensitive area of detection allows a very significant improvement in signal/noise ratio, improvement in gain, and the opening-up of a new parameter space. With these new detectors we can begin the study of information transmission between cells through morphine receptors. This work involves both electronics engineers and biophysicists, so results and techniques in both fields will be presented here

  15. Identifying Inhibitors of Inflammation: A Novel High-Throughput MALDI-TOF Screening Assay for Salt-Inducible Kinases (SIKs).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heap, Rachel E; Hope, Anthony G; Pearson, Lesley-Anne; Reyskens, Kathleen M S E; McElroy, Stuart P; Hastie, C James; Porter, David W; Arthur, J Simon C; Gray, David W; Trost, Matthias

    2017-12-01

    Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI TOF) mass spectrometry has become a promising alternative for high-throughput drug discovery as new instruments offer high speed, flexibility and sensitivity, and the ability to measure physiological substrates label free. Here we developed and applied high-throughput MALDI TOF mass spectrometry to identify inhibitors of the salt-inducible kinase (SIK) family, which are interesting drug targets in the field of inflammatory disease as they control production of the anti-inflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 (IL-10) in macrophages. Using peptide substrates in in vitro kinase assays, we can show that hit identification of the MALDI TOF kinase assay correlates with indirect ADP-Hunter kinase assays. Moreover, we can show that both techniques generate comparable IC 50 data for a number of hit compounds and known inhibitors of SIK kinases. We further take these inhibitors to a fluorescence-based cellular assay using the SIK activity-dependent translocation of CRTC3 into the nucleus, thereby providing a complete assay pipeline for the identification of SIK kinase inhibitors in vitro and in cells. Our data demonstrate that MALDI TOF mass spectrometry is fully applicable to high-throughput kinase screening, providing label-free data comparable to that of current high-throughput fluorescence assays.

  16. Crystal growth, polarized spectroscopy and Judd-Ofelt analysis of Tb:YAlO3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Bin; Shi, Jiaojiao; Wang, Qingguo; Tang, Huili; Liu, Junfang; Zhao, Hengyu; Li, Dongzhen; Liu, Jian; Xu, Xiaodong; Wang, Zhanshan; Xu, Jun

    2018-07-05

    Tb 3+ -doped YAlO 3 (YAP) single crystal was grown by Czochralski (Cz) method. Based on the polarized absorption spectra, the spectroscopic parameters were calculated to be Ω 2 =3.49×10 -20 cm 2 , Ω 4 =5.87×10 -20 cm 2 and Ω 6 =2.55×10 -20 cm 2 , and then the spontaneous transition rate, fluorescent branching ratio and radiative lifetime of 5 D 4 multiplet were obtained. The yellow emission cross sections of 5 D 4 → 7 F 4 transition were calculated to be 1.72×10 -22 cm 2 , 2.73×10 -22 cm 2 and 2.65×10 -22 cm 2 for a, b and c polarization, respectively. The fluorescence lifetime of the 5 D 4 multiplet was fitted to be 1.72ms. All the data indicate that Tb:YAP crystal is a promising candidate for yellow laser operation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  17. Polarization control of intermediate state absorption in resonance-mediated multi-photon absorption process

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Shuwu; Yao, Yunhua; Jia, Tianqing; Ding, Jingxin; Zhang, Shian; Sun, Zhenrong; Huang, Yunxia

    2015-01-01

    We theoretically and experimentally demonstrate the control of the intermediate state absorption in an (n + m) resonance-mediated multi-photon absorption process by the polarization-modulated femtosecond laser pulse. An analytical solution of the intermediate state absorption in a resonance-mediated multi-photon absorption process is obtained based on the time-dependent perturbation theory. Our theoretical results show that the control efficiency of the intermediate state absorption by the polarization modulation is independent of the laser intensity when the transition from the intermediate state to the final state is coupled by the single-photon absorption, but will be affected by the laser intensity when this transition is coupled by the non-resonant multi-photon absorption. These theoretical results are experimentally confirmed via a two-photon fluorescence control in (2 + 1) resonance-mediated three-photon absorption of Coumarin 480 dye and a single-photon fluorescence control in (1 + 2) resonance-mediated three-photon absorption of IR 125 dye. (paper)

  18. Comparison of three PCR-based assays for SNP genotyping in sugar beet

    Science.gov (United States)

    Background: PCR allelic discrimination technologies have broad applications in the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in genetics and genomics. The use of fluorescence-tagged probes is the leading method for targeted SNP detection, but assay costs and error rates could be improved t...

  19. 3-D Image Analysis of Fluorescent Drug Binding

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Raquel Miquel

    2005-01-01

    Full Text Available Fluorescent ligands provide the means of studying receptors in whole tissues using confocal laser scanning microscopy and have advantages over antibody- or non-fluorescence-based method. Confocal microscopy provides large volumes of images to be measured. Histogram analysis of 3-D image volumes is proposed as a method of graphically displaying large amounts of volumetric image data to be quickly analyzed and compared. The fluorescent ligand BODIPY FL-prazosin (QAPB was used in mouse aorta. Histogram analysis reports the amount of ligand-receptor binding under different conditions and the technique is sensitive enough to detect changes in receptor availability after antagonist incubation or genetic manipulations. QAPB binding was concentration dependent, causing concentration-related rightward shifts in the histogram. In the presence of 10 μM phenoxybenzamine (blocking agent, the QAPB (50 nM histogram overlaps the autofluorescence curve. The histogram obtained for the 1D knockout aorta lay to the left of that of control and 1B knockout aorta, indicating a reduction in 1D receptors. We have shown, for the first time, that it is possible to graphically display binding of a fluorescent drug to a biological tissue. Although our application is specific to adrenergic receptors, the general method could be applied to any volumetric, fluorescence-image-based assay.

  20. One-step synthesis and applications of fluorescent Cu nanoclusters stabilized by L-cysteine in aqueous solution

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yang, Xiaoming; Feng, Yuanjiao; Zhu, Shanshan; Luo, Yawen; Zhuo, Yan; Dou, Yao

    2014-01-01

    Graphical abstract: An innovative and simple strategy for synthesizing high-fluorescent Cu nanoclusters stabilized with L-cysteine has been successfully established in aqueous solution. Significantly, the Cu nanoclusters were employed for sensitive and selective detections of Hg 2+ , coding and fluorescent staining, suggesting their potential toward various applications. - Highlights: • A novel, one-step strategy for synthesizing water-soluble CuNCs was established. • A simple, selective, and cost-effective assay for Hg 2+ was developed. • CuNCs may broaden ways for fluorescent staining and coding. - Abstract: Herein, an innovative and simple strategy for synthesizing high fluorescent Cu nanoclusters was successfully established while L-cysteine played a role as the stabilizer. Meaningfully, the current Cu nanoclusters together with a quantum yield of 14.3% were prepared in aqueous solution, indicating their extensive applications. Subsequently, the possible fluorescence mechanism was elucidated by fluorescence, UV–vis, HR-TEM, FTIR, XPS, and MS. Additionally, the CuNCs were employed for assaying Hg 2+ on the basis of the interactions between Hg 2+ and L-cysteine; thus facilitating the quenching of their fluorescence. The proposed analytical strategy permitted detections of Hg 2+ in a linear range of 1.0 × 10 −7 mol L −1 × 10 −3 mol L −1 , with a detection limit of 2.4 × 10 −8 mol L −1 at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Significantly, this CuNCs described here were further applied for coding and fluorescent staining, suggesting may broaden avenues toward diverse applications

  1. Intrinsic fluorescence biomarkers in cells treated with chemopreventive drugs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirkpatrick, Nathaniel D.; Brands, William R.; Zou, Changping; Brewer, Molly A.; Utzinger, Urs

    2005-03-01

    Non-invasive monitoring of cellular metabolism offers promising insights into areas ranging from biomarkers for drug activity to cancer diagnosis. Fluorescence spectroscopy can be utilized in order to exploit endogenous fluorophores, typically metabolic co-factors nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD), and estimate the redox status of the sample. Fluorescence spectroscopy was applied to follow metabolic changes in epithelial ovarian cells as well as bladder epithelial cancer cells during treatment with a chemopreventive drug that initiates cellular quiescence. Fluorescence signals consistent with NADH, FAD, and tryptophan were measured to monitor cellular activity, redox status, and protein content. Cells were treated with varying concentrations of N-4-(hydroxyphenyl) retinamide (4-HPR) and measured in a stable environment with a sensitive fluorescence spectrometer. A subset of measurements was completed on a low concentration of cells to demonstrate feasibility for medical application such as in bladder or ovary washes. Results suggest that all of the cells responded with similar dose dependence but started at different estimated redox ratio baseline levels correlating with cell cycle, growth inhibition, and apoptosis assays. NADH and tryptophan related fluorescence changed significantly while FAD related fluorescence remained unaltered. Fluorescence data collected from approximately 1000 - 2000 cells, comparable to a bladder or ovary wash, was measurable and useful for future experiments. This study suggests that future intrinsic biomarker measurements may need to be most sensitive to changes in NADH and tryptophan related fluorescence while using FAD related fluorescence to help estimate the baseline redox ratio and predict response to chemopreventive agents.

  2. Conception, synthesis and evaluation of fluorescent probes and PET radioligands for the oxytocin and vasopressin receptors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Karpenko, Iuliia

    2014-01-01

    In order to better understand the role of OTR and AVPR in ASD, to reveal new features in its pharmacology and signaling and to establish high-throughput screening method on wild-type G protein-coupled receptors, we developed imaging probes for the oxytocin-vasopressin receptors family, namely radiotracers for positron emission tomography and optical probes for fluorescence detection and imaging. The fluorescent ligands have been used to establish TR-FRET binding assay for OTR and to initiate the development the screening assay for the wild-type oxytocin receptor. The PET radiotracers will be shortly tested in mice and monkeys to evaluate their potency in detecting the central oxytocin receptors. (author)

  3. Giemsa as a fluorescent dye for mineralizing bone-like nodules in vitro

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Querido, W; Farina, M; Balduino, A

    2012-01-01

    Giemsa was first used as a fluorescent dye for mineralized bone and cartilage in tissue sections. The aim of this study was to establish the use of Giemsa as a fluorescent dye for mineralizing bone-like nodules produced in cell cultures. Osteoblasts were grown under mineralizing conditions for 14 days, producing typical bone-like nodules. Upon staining with Giemsa stock solution for 1 min, the mineralizing nodules could be selectively visualized emitting intense green and red fluorescence when observed under blue and green illumination, respectively. The textural details of the nodules were clearly observed under fluorescence microscopy, allowing to identify regions with different degrees of mineralization. The mineralized nature of the nodules was confirmed using von Kossa's method, Alizarin Red S staining and x-ray mapping for Ca and P in a scanning electron microscope, showing a strong correlation between the mineralizing and the fluorescent nodules. The selective fluorescence was related to the mineral phase, being absent in decalcified samples. The use of Giemsa as a fluorescent dye for mineralizing bone-like nodules presents a simple alternative method to quickly analyze biomineralization assays in vitro under fluorescence microscopy, particularly in the biological evaluation of biomaterials. (communication)

  4. High resolution x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy - a new technique for site- and spin-selectivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Xin

    1996-12-01

    X-ray spectroscopy has long been used to elucidate electronic and structural information of molecules. One of the weaknesses of x-ray absorption is its sensitivity to all of the atoms of a particular element in a sample. Through out this thesis, a new technique for enhancing the site- and spin-selectivity of the x-ray absorption has been developed. By high resolution fluorescence detection, the chemical sensitivity of K emission spectra can be used to identify oxidation and spin states; it can also be used to facilitate site-selective X-ray Absorption Near Edge Structure (XANES) and site-selective Extended X-ray Absorption Fine Structure (EXAFS). The spin polarization in K fluorescence could be used to generate spin selective XANES or spin-polarized EXAFS, which provides a new measure of the spin density, or the nature of magnetic neighboring atoms. Finally, dramatic line-sharpening effects by the combination of absorption and emission processes allow observation of structure that is normally unobservable. All these unique characters can enormously simplify a complex x-ray spectrum. Applications of this novel technique have generated information from various transition-metal model compounds to metalloproteins. The absorption and emission spectra by high resolution fluorescence detection are interdependent. The ligand field multiplet model has been used for the analysis of Kα and Kβ emission spectra. First demonstration on different chemical states of Fe compounds has shown the applicability of site selectivity and spin polarization. Different interatomic distances of the same element in different chemical forms have been detected using site-selective EXAFS

  5. Mapping microscopic order in plant and mammalian cells and tissues: novel differential polarization attachment for new generation confocal microscopes (DP-LSM)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Steinbach, G.; Pawlak, K.; Pomozi, I.; Tóth, E. A.; Molnár, A.; Matkó, J.; Garab, G.

    2014-03-01

    Elucidation of the molecular architecture of complex, highly organized molecular macro-assemblies is an important, basic task for biology. Differential polarization (DP) measurements, such as linear (LD) and circular dichroism (CD) or the anisotropy of the fluorescence emission (r), which can be carried out in a dichrograph or spectrofluorimeter, respectively, carry unique, spatially averaged information about the molecular organization of the sample. For inhomogeneous samples—e.g. cells and tissues—measurements on macroscopic scale are not satisfactory, and in some cases not feasible, thus microscopic techniques must be applied. The microscopic DP-imaging technique, when based on confocal laser scanning microscope (LSM), allows the pixel by pixel mapping of anisotropy of a sample in 2D and 3D. The first DP-LSM configuration, which, in fluorescence mode, allowed confocal imaging of different DP quantities in real-time, without interfering with the ‘conventional’ imaging, was built on a Zeiss LSM410. It was demonstrated to be capable of determining non-confocally the linear birefringence (LB) or LD of a sample and, confocally, its FDLD (fluorescence detected LD), the degree of polarization (P) and the anisotropy of the fluorescence emission (r), following polarized and non-polarized excitation, respectively (Steinbach et al 2009 Acta Histochem.111 316-25). This DP-LSM configuration, however, cannot simply be adopted to new generation microscopes with considerably more compact structures. As shown here, for an Olympus FV500, we designed an easy-to-install DP attachment to determine LB, LD, FDLD and r, in new-generation confocal microscopes, which, in principle, can be complemented with a P-imaging unit, but specifically to the brand and type of LSM.

  6. Mapping microscopic order in plant and mammalian cells and tissues: novel differential polarization attachment for new generation confocal microscopes (DP-LSM)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Steinbach, G; Pawlak, K; Garab, G; Pomozi, I; Tóth, E A; Molnár, A; Matkó, J

    2014-01-01

    Elucidation of the molecular architecture of complex, highly organized molecular macro-assemblies is an important, basic task for biology. Differential polarization (DP) measurements, such as linear (LD) and circular dichroism (CD) or the anisotropy of the fluorescence emission (r), which can be carried out in a dichrograph or spectrofluorimeter, respectively, carry unique, spatially averaged information about the molecular organization of the sample. For inhomogeneous samples—e.g. cells and tissues—measurements on macroscopic scale are not satisfactory, and in some cases not feasible, thus microscopic techniques must be applied. The microscopic DP-imaging technique, when based on confocal laser scanning microscope (LSM), allows the pixel by pixel mapping of anisotropy of a sample in 2D and 3D. The first DP-LSM configuration, which, in fluorescence mode, allowed confocal imaging of different DP quantities in real-time, without interfering with the ‘conventional’ imaging, was built on a Zeiss LSM410. It was demonstrated to be capable of determining non-confocally the linear birefringence (LB) or LD of a sample and, confocally, its FDLD (fluorescence detected LD), the degree of polarization (P) and the anisotropy of the fluorescence emission (r), following polarized and non-polarized excitation, respectively (Steinbach et al 2009 Acta Histochem.111 316–25). This DP-LSM configuration, however, cannot simply be adopted to new generation microscopes with considerably more compact structures. As shown here, for an Olympus FV500, we designed an easy-to-install DP attachment to determine LB, LD, FDLD and r, in new-generation confocal microscopes, which, in principle, can be complemented with a P-imaging unit, but specifically to the brand and type of LSM. (paper)

  7. A near-infrared fluorescent bioassay for thrombin using aptamer-modified CuInS2 quantum dots

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lin, Zihan; Hu, Tianyu; Liu, Ziping; Su, Xingguang; Pan, Dong

    2015-01-01

    We describe a near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent thrombin assay using a thrombin-binding aptamer (TBA) and Zn(II)-activated CuInS 2 quantum dots (Q-dots). The fluorescence of Zn(II)-activated Q-dots is quenched by the TBA via photoinduced electron transfer, but if thrombin is added, it will bind to TBA to form G-quadruplexes and the Q-dots are released. As a result, the fluorescence intensity of the system is restored. This effect was exploited to design an assay for thrombin whose calibration plot, under optimum conditions, is linear in the 0.034 to 102 nmol L −1 concentration range, with a 12 pmol L −1 detection limit. The method is fairly simple, fast, and due to its picomolar detection limits holds great potential in the diagnosis of diseases associated with coagulation abnormalities and certain kinds of cancer. (author)

  8. Studies of the laser-induced fluorescence of explosives and explosive compositions.

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hargis, Philip Joseph, Jr. (,; .); Thorne, Lawrence R.; Phifer, Carol Celeste; Parmeter, John Ethan; Schmitt, Randal L.

    2006-10-01

    Continuing use of explosives by terrorists throughout the world has led to great interest in explosives detection technology, especially in technologies that have potential for standoff detection. This LDRD was undertaken in order to investigate the possible detection of explosive particulates at safe standoff distances in an attempt to identify vehicles that might contain large vehicle bombs (LVBs). The explosives investigated have included the common homogeneous or molecular explosives, 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN), cyclonite or hexogen (RDX), octogen (HMX), and the heterogeneous explosive, ammonium nitrate/fuel oil (ANFO), and its components. We have investigated standard excited/dispersed fluorescence, laser-excited prompt and delayed dispersed fluorescence using excitation wavelengths of 266 and 355 nm, the effects of polarization of the laser excitation light, and fluorescence imaging microscopy using 365- and 470-nm excitation. The four nitro-based, homogeneous explosives (TNT, PETN, RDX, and HMX) exhibit virtually no native fluorescence, but do exhibit quenching effects of varying magnitude when adsorbed on fluorescing surfaces. Ammonium nitrate and fuel oil mixtures fluoresce primarily due to the fuel oil, and, in some cases, due to the presence of hydrophobic coatings on ammonium nitrate prill or impurities in the ammonium nitrate itself. Pure ammonium nitrate shows no detectable fluorescence. These results are of scientific interest, but they provide little hope for the use of UV-excited fluorescence as a technique to perform safe standoff detection of adsorbed explosive particulates under real-world conditions with a useful degree of reliability.

  9. Data of a fluorescent imaging-based analysis of anti-cancer drug effects on three-dimensional cultures of breast cancer cells

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Junji Itou

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Three-dimensional (3D cell culture is a powerful tool to study cell growth under 3D condition. To perform a simple test for anti-cancer drugs in 3D culture, visualization of non-proliferated cells is required. We propose a fluorescent imaging-based assay to analyze cancer cell proliferation in 3D culture. We used a pulse-labeling technique with a photoconvertible fluorescent protein Kaede to identify non-proliferated cells. This assay allows us to observe change in cell proliferation in 3D culture by simple imaging. Using this assay, we obtained the data of the effects of anti-cancer drugs, 5-fluorouracil and PD0332991 in a breast cancer cell line, MCF-7.

  10. Expression of green fluorescent protein (GFPuv) in Escherichia coli ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Administrator

    The recombinant green fluorescent protein (GFPuv) was expressed by transformed cells of Escherichia coli DH5-α grown in LB/amp broth at 37oC, for 8 h and 24 h. To evaluate the effectiveness of different parameters to improve the expression of GFPuv by E. coli, four variable culturing conditions were set up for assays by ...

  11. Pulsed Laser Deposition of Polymers Doped with Fluorescent Probes. Application to Environmental Sensors

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Rebollar, E; Villavieja, Mm; Gaspard, S; Oujja, M; Corrales, T; Georgiou, S; Domingo, C; Bosch, P; Castillejo, M

    2007-01-01

    Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) has been used to obtain thin films of poly(methyl methacrylate) and polystyrene doped with fluorescent probes, amino aromatic compounds S5 and S6, that could be used to sense the presence of contaminating environmental agents. These dopants both in solution and inserted in polymeric films are sensitive to changes in pH, viscosity and polarity, increasing their fluorescence emission and/or modifying the position of their emission band. Films deposits on quartz substrates, obtained by irradiating targets with a Ti:Sapphire laser (800 nm, 120 fs pulse) were analyzed by optical and Environmental Scanning Electron Microscopy, Fluorescence Microscopy, Laser-Induced Fluorescence, Micro Raman Spectroscopy and Flow Injection Analysis-Mass Spectrometry. The transfer of the polymer and the probe to the substrate is observed to be strongly dependent on the optical absorption coefficient of the polymeric component of the target at the irradiation wavelength

  12. Transfection efficiency and uptake process of polyplexes in human lung endothelial cells: a comparative study in non-polarized and polarized cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mennesson, Eric; Erbacher, Patrick; Piller, Véronique; Kieda, Claudine; Midoux, Patrick; Pichon, Chantal

    2005-06-01

    Following systemic administration, polyplexes must cross the endothelium barrier to deliver genes to the target cells underneath. To design an efficient gene delivery system into lung epithelium, we evaluated capture and transfection efficiencies of DNA complexed with either Jet-PEI (PEI-polyplexes) or histidylated polylysine (His-polyplexes) in human lung microvascular endothelial cells (HLMEC) and tracheal epithelial cells. After optimizing growth conditions to obtain a tight HLMEC monolayer, we characterized uptake of polyplexes by flow cytometry and evaluated their transfection efficiency. Polyplexes were formulated as small particles. YOYO-labelled plasmid fluorescence intensity and luciferase activity were used as readouts for uptake and gene expression, respectively. PEI-polyplexes were more efficiently taken up than His-polyplexes by both non-polarized (2-fold) and polarized HLMEC (10-fold). They were mainly internalized by a clathrin-dependent pathway whatever the cell state. In non-polarized cells, His-polyplexes entered also mainly via a clathrin-dependent pathway but with an involvement of cholesterol. The cell polarization decreased this way and a clathrin-independent pathway became predominant. PEI-polyplexes transfected more efficiently HLMEC than His-polyplexes (10(7) vs. 10(5) relative light units (RLU)/mg of proteins) with a more pronounced difference in polarized cells. In contrast, no negative effect of the cell polarization was observed with tracheal epithelial cells in which both polyplexes had comparable efficiency. We show that the efficiency of polyplex uptake by HLMEC and their internalization mechanism are polymer-dependent. By contrast with His-polyplexes, the HLMEC polarization has little influence on the uptake process and on the transfection efficiency of PEI-polyplexes. Copyright (c) 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Cytoplasmic Actin: Purification and Single Molecule Assembly Assays

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hansen, Scott D.; Zuchero, J. Bradley; Mullins, R. Dyche

    2014-01-01

    The actin cytoskeleton is essential to all eukaryotic cells. In addition to playing important structural roles, assembly of actin into filaments powers diverse cellular processes, including cell motility, cytokinesis, and endocytosis. Actin polymerization is tightly regulated by its numerous cofactors, which control spatial and temporal assembly of actin as well as the physical properties of these filaments. Development of an in vitro model of actin polymerization from purified components has allowed for great advances in determining the effects of these proteins on the actin cytoskeleton. Here we describe how to use the pyrene actin assembly assay to determine the effect of a protein on the kinetics of actin assembly, either directly or as mediated by proteins such as nucleation or capping factors. Secondly, we show how fluorescently labeled phalloidin can be used to visualize the filaments that are created in vitro to give insight into how proteins regulate actin filament structure. Finally, we describe a method for visualizing dynamic assembly and disassembly of single actin filaments and fluorescently labeled actin binding proteins using total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy. PMID:23868587

  14. Widespread nanoparticle-assay interference: implications for nanotoxicity testing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ong, Kimberly J; MacCormack, Tyson J; Clark, Rhett J; Ede, James D; Ortega, Van A; Felix, Lindsey C; Dang, Michael K M; Ma, Guibin; Fenniri, Hicham; Veinot, Jonathan G C; Goss, Greg G

    2014-01-01

    The evaluation of engineered nanomaterial safety has been hindered by conflicting reports demonstrating differential degrees of toxicity with the same nanoparticles. The unique properties of these materials increase the likelihood that they will interfere with analytical techniques, which may contribute to this phenomenon. We tested the potential for: 1) nanoparticle intrinsic fluorescence/absorbance, 2) interactions between nanoparticles and assay components, and 3) the effects of adding both nanoparticles and analytes to an assay, to interfere with the accurate assessment of toxicity. Silicon, cadmium selenide, titanium dioxide, and helical rosette nanotubes each affected at least one of the six assays tested, resulting in either substantial over- or under-estimations of toxicity. Simulation of realistic assay conditions revealed that interference could not be predicted solely by interactions between nanoparticles and assay components. Moreover, the nature and degree of interference cannot be predicted solely based on our current understanding of nanomaterial behaviour. A literature survey indicated that ca. 95% of papers from 2010 using biochemical techniques to assess nanotoxicity did not account for potential interference of nanoparticles, and this number had not substantially improved in 2012. We provide guidance on avoiding and/or controlling for such interference to improve the accuracy of nanotoxicity assessments.

  15. Widespread nanoparticle-assay interference: implications for nanotoxicity testing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kimberly J Ong

    Full Text Available The evaluation of engineered nanomaterial safety has been hindered by conflicting reports demonstrating differential degrees of toxicity with the same nanoparticles. The unique properties of these materials increase the likelihood that they will interfere with analytical techniques, which may contribute to this phenomenon. We tested the potential for: 1 nanoparticle intrinsic fluorescence/absorbance, 2 interactions between nanoparticles and assay components, and 3 the effects of adding both nanoparticles and analytes to an assay, to interfere with the accurate assessment of toxicity. Silicon, cadmium selenide, titanium dioxide, and helical rosette nanotubes each affected at least one of the six assays tested, resulting in either substantial over- or under-estimations of toxicity. Simulation of realistic assay conditions revealed that interference could not be predicted solely by interactions between nanoparticles and assay components. Moreover, the nature and degree of interference cannot be predicted solely based on our current understanding of nanomaterial behaviour. A literature survey indicated that ca. 95% of papers from 2010 using biochemical techniques to assess nanotoxicity did not account for potential interference of nanoparticles, and this number had not substantially improved in 2012. We provide guidance on avoiding and/or controlling for such interference to improve the accuracy of nanotoxicity assessments.

  16. Effect of cathodic polarization on coating doxycycline on titanium surfaces

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Geißler, Sebastian; Tiainen, Hanna; Haugen, Håvard J., E-mail: h.j.haugen@odont.uio.no

    2016-06-01

    Cathodic polarization has been reported to enhance the ability of titanium based implant materials to interact with biomolecules by forming titanium hydride at the outermost surface layer. Although this hydride layer has recently been suggested to allow the immobilization of the broad spectrum antibiotic doxycycline on titanium surfaces, the involvement of hydride in binding the biomolecule onto titanium remains poorly understood. To gain better understanding of the influence this immobilization process has on titanium surfaces, mirror-polished commercially pure titanium surfaces were cathodically polarized in the presence of doxycycline and the modified surfaces were thoroughly characterized using atomic force microscopy, electron microscopy, secondary ion mass spectrometry, and angle-resolved X-ray spectroscopy. We demonstrated that no hydride was created during the polarization process. Doxycycline was found to be attached to an oxide layer that was modified during the electrochemical process. A bacterial assay using bioluminescent Staphylococcus epidermidis Xen43 showed the ability of the coating to reduce bacterial colonization and planktonic bacterial growth. - Highlights: • Titanium hydride was found not to be involved in immobilization of doxycycline. • Doxycycline coating was strongly bound to a modified surface oxide layer. • Effect of coatings tested using a dynamic bacteria assay based on bioluminescence. • Topmost layer of adsorbed doxycycline was shown to have strong antibacterial effect.

  17. NeutrAvidin Functionalization of CdSe/CdS Quantum Nanorods and Quantification of Biotin Binding Sites using Biotin-4-Fluorescein Fluorescence Quenching.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lippert, Lisa G; Hallock, Jeffrey T; Dadosh, Tali; Diroll, Benjamin T; Murray, Christopher B; Goldman, Yale E

    2016-03-16

    We developed methods to solubilize, coat, and functionalize with NeutrAvidin elongated semiconductor nanocrystals (quantum nanorods, QRs) for use in single molecule polarized fluorescence microscopy. Three different ligands were compared with regard to efficacy for attaching NeutrAvidin using the "zero-length cross-linker" 1-ethyl-3-[3-(dimethylamino)propyl]carbodiimide (EDC). Biotin-4-fluorescene (B4F), a fluorophore that is quenched when bound to avidin proteins, was used to quantify biotin binding activity of the NeutrAvidin coated QRs and biotin binding activity of commercially available streptavidin coated quantum dots (QDs). All three coating methods produced QRs with NeutrAvidin coating density comparable to the streptavidin coating density of the commercially available quantum dots (QDs) in the B4F assay. One type of QD available from the supplier (ITK QDs) exhibited ∼5-fold higher streptavidin surface density compared to our QRs, whereas the other type of QD (PEG QDs) had 5-fold lower density. The number of streptavidins per QD increased from ∼7 streptavidin tetramers for the smallest QDs emitting fluorescence at 525 nm (QD525) to ∼20 tetramers for larger, longer wavelength QDs (QD655, QD705, and QD800). QRs coated with NeutrAvidin using mercaptoundecanoicacid (MUA) and QDs coated with streptavidin bound to biotinylated cytoplasmic dynein in single molecule TIRF microscopy assays, whereas Poly(maleic anhydride-alt-1-ocatdecene) (PMAOD) or glutathione (GSH) QRs did not bind cytoplasmic dynein. The coating methods require optimization of conditions and concentrations to balance between substantial NeutrAvidin binding vs tendency of QRs to aggregate and degrade over time.

  18. Fluorescence Dynamics in the Endoplasmic Reticulum of a Live Cell: Time-Resolved Confocal Microscopy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghosh, Shirsendu; Nandi, Somen; Ghosh, Catherine; Bhattacharyya, Kankan

    2016-09-19

    Fluorescence dynamics in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of a live non-cancer lung cell (WI38) and a lung cancer cell (A549) are studied by using time-resolved confocal microscopy. To selectively study the organelle, ER, we have used an ER-Tracker dye. From the emission maximum (λmaxem) of the ER-Tracker dye, polarity (i.e. dielectric constant, ϵ) in the ER region of the cells (≈500 nm in WI38 and ≈510 nm in A549) is estimated to be similar to that of chloroform (λmaxem =506 nm, ϵ≈5). The red shift by 10 nm in λmaxem in the cancer cell (A549) suggests a slightly higher polarity compared to the non-cancer cell (WI38). The fluorescence intensity of the ER-Tracker dye exhibits prolonged intermittent oscillations on a timescale of 2-6 seconds for the cancer cell (A549). For the non-cancer cell (WI38), such fluorescence oscillations are much less prominent. The marked fluorescence intensity oscillations in the cancer cell are attributed to enhanced calcium oscillations. The average solvent relaxation time () of the ER region in the lung cancer cell (A549, 250±50 ps) is about four times faster than that in the non-cancer cell (WI38, 1000±50 ps). © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  19. Visualization of plant viral suppressor silencing activity in intact leaf lamina by quantitative fluorescent imaging

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Francis Kevin P

    2011-08-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Transient expression of proteins in plants has become a favoured method over the production of stably transformed plants because, in addition to enabling high protein yields, it is both fast and easy to apply. An enhancement of transient protein expression can be achieved by plant virus-encoded RNA silencing suppressor proteins. Since viral suppressor proteins differ in their efficiency to enhance transient protein expression in plants, we developed a whole-leaf green fluorescent protein (GFP-based imaging assay to quantitatively assess suppressor protein activity. Results In a transient GFP-expression assay using wild-type and GFP-transgenic N. benthamiana, addition of the plant viral suppressors Beet mild yellowing virus (BMYV-IPP P0 or Plum pox virus (PPV HC-Pro was shown to increase fluorescent protein expression 3-4-fold, 7 days post inoculation (dpi when compared to control plants. In contrast, in agroinfiltrated patches without suppressor activity, near complete silencing of the GFP transgene was observed in the transgenic N. benthamiana at 21 dpi. Both co-infiltrated suppressors significantly enhanced GFP expression over time, with HC-Pro co-infiltrations leading to higher short term GFP fluorescence (at 7 dpi and P0 giving higher long term GFP fluorescence (at 21 dpi. Additionally, in contrast to HC-Pro co-infiltrations, an area of complete GFP silencing was observed at the edge of P0 co-infiltrated areas. Conclusions Fluorescence imaging of whole intact leaves proved to be an easy and effective method for spatially and quantitatively observing viral suppressor efficiency in plants. This suppressor assay demonstrates that plant viral suppressors greatly enhanced transient GFP expression, with P0 showing a more prolonged suppressor activity over time than HC-Pro. Both suppressors could prove to be ideal candidates for enhancing target protein expression in plants.

  20. Bremsstrahlung-Based Imaging and Assays of Radioactive, Mixed and Hazardous Waste

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kwofie, J.; Wells, D. P.; Selim, F. A.; Harmon, F.; Duttagupta, S. P.; Jones, J. L.; White, T.; Roney, T.

    2003-08-01

    A new nondestructive accelerator based x-ray fluorescence (AXRF) approach has been developed to identify heavy metals in large-volume samples. Such samples are an important part of the process and waste streams of U.S Department of Energy sites, as well as other industries such as mining and milling. Distributions of heavy metal impurities in these process and waste samples can range from homogeneous to highly inhomogeneous, and non-destructive assays and imaging that can address both are urgently needed. Our approach is based on using high-energy, pulsed bremsstrahlung beams (3-6.5 MeV) from small electron accelerators to produce K-shell atomic fluorescence x-rays. In addition we exploit pair-production, Compton scattering and x-ray transmission measurements from these beams to probe locations of high density and high atomic number. The excellent penetrability of these beams allows assays and images for soil-like samples at least 15 g/cm2 thick, with elemental impurities of atomic number greater than approximately 50. Fluorescence yield of a variety of targets was measured as a function of impurity atomic number, impurity homogeneity, and sample thickness. We report on actual and potential detection limits of heavy metal impurities in a soil matrix for a variety of samples, and on the potential for imaging, using AXRF and these related probes.

  1. A FLUORESCENCE BASED ASSAY FOR DNA DAMAGE INDUCED BY TOXIC INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS

    Science.gov (United States)

    One of the reported effects for exposure to many of the toxic industrial chemicals is DNA damage. The present study describes a simple, rapid and innovative assay to detect DNA damage resulting from exposure of surrogate DNA to toxic industrial chemicals (acrolein, allylamine, ch...

  2. Development and evaluation of a real-time fluorescent polymerase chain reaction assay for the detection of bovine contaminates in cattle feed.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rensen, Gabriel; Smith, Wayne; Ruzante, Juliana; Sawyer, Mary; Osburn, Bennie; Cullor, James

    2005-01-01

    A real-time fluorescent polymerase chain reaction assay for detecting prohibited ruminant materials such as bovine meat and bone meal (BMBM) in cattle feed using primers and FRET probes targeting the ruminant specific mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was developed and evaluated on two different types of cattle feed. Common problems involved with PCR based testing of cattle feed include the presence of high levels of PCR inhibitors and the need for certain pre-sample processing techniques in order to perform DNA extractions. We have developed a pre-sample processing technique for extracting DNA from cattle feed which does not require the feed sample to be ground to a fine powder and utilizes materials that are disposed of between samples, thus, reducing the potential of cross contamination. The DNA extraction method utilizes Whatman FTA card technology, is adaptable to high sample throughput analysis and allows for room temperature storage with established archiving of samples of up to 14 years. The Whatman FTA cards are subsequently treated with RNAse and undergo a Chelex-100 extraction (BioRad, Hercules, CA), thus removing potential PCR inhibitors and eluting the DNA from the FTA card for downstream PCR analysis. The detection limit was evaluated over a period of 30 trials on calf starter mix and heifer starter ration feed samples spiked with known concentrations of BMBM. The PCR detection assay detected 0.05% wt/wt BMBM contamination with 100% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 100% confidence. Concentrations of 0.005% and 0.001% wt/wt BMBM contamination were also detected in both feed types but with varying levels of confidence.

  3. Nuclear spin polarized alkali beams (Li and Na): Production and acceleration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaensch, H.; Becker, K.; Blatt, K.; Leucker, H.; Fick, D.

    1987-01-01

    Recent improvements of the Heidelberg source for polarized heavy ions (PSI) are described. By means of optical pumping in combination with the existing multipole separation magnet the beam figure of merit (polarization 2 x intensity) was doubled. 7 Li and 23 Na atomic beams can now be produced in pure hyperfine magnetic substates. Fast switching of the polarization is achieved by an adiabatic medium field transition. The hyperfine magnetic substate population is determined by laser-induced fluorescence spectroscopy. In routine operation atomic beams with nuclear polarization p α ≥0.85 (α=z, zz) are obtained. The acceleration of polarized 23 Na - ions by a 12 MV tandem accelerator introduces a new problem: the energy at the terminal stripper foil is not sufficient to produce a usable yield of naked ions. For partially stripped ions hyperfine interaction of the remaining electrons with the nuclear spin reduces the nuclear polarization. Using in addition the Heidelberg postaccelerator 23 Na 9+ beams of energies between 49 and 184 MeV were obtained with an alignment on target of P zz ≅0.45. 7 Li beams have also been accelerated up to 45 MeV with an alignment of P zz =0.69. (orig.)

  4. The detection of T-Nos, a genetic element present in GMOs, by cross-priming isothermal amplification with real-time fluorescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Fang; Wang, Liu; Fan, Kai; Wu, Jian; Ying, Yibin

    2014-05-01

    An isothermal cross-priming amplification (CPA) assay for Agrobacterium tumefaciens nopaline synthase terminator (T-Nos) was established and investigated in this work. A set of six specific primers, recognizing eight distinct regions on the T-Nos sequence, was designed. The CPA assay was performed at a constant temperature, 63 °C, and detected by real-time fluorescence. The results indicated that real-time fluorescent CPA had high specificity, and the limit of detection was 1.06 × 10(3) copies of rice genomic DNA, which could be detected in 40 min. Comparison of real-time fluorescent CPA and conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was also performed. Results revealed that real-time fluorescent CPA had a comparable sensitivity to conventional real-time PCR and had taken a shorter time. In addition, different contents of genetically modified (GM)-contaminated rice seed powder samples were detected for practical application. The result showed real-time fluorescent CPA could detect 0.5 % GM-contaminated samples at least, and the whole reaction could be finished in 35 min. Real-time fluorescent CPA is sensitive enough to monitor labeling systems and provides an attractive method for the detection of GMO.

  5. Fluorescent nanodiamonds and their use in biomedical research

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suarez-Kelly, Lorena P.; Rampersaud, Isaac V.; Moritz, Charles E.; Campbell, Amanda R.; Hu, Zhiwei; Alkahtani, Masfer H.; Alghannam, Fahad S.; Hemmer, Phillip; Carson, William E.; Rampersaud, Arfaan A.

    2016-03-01

    Nanodiamonds containing color-centers produce non-quenching fluorescence that is easily detected. This makes them useful for cellular, proteomic and genomic applications. However, fluorescent nanodiamonds have yet to become popular in the biomedical research community as labeling reagents. We discuss production of nanodiamonds with distinct color-centers and assess their biocompatibility and techniques for bioconjugation. Fluorescent diamonds were fabricated by electron irradiation of high-pressure, high-temperature micron-sized diamonds which generated diamonds with vacancy-related defects (V). These diamonds were annealed to create nitrogen vacancy (NV)-centers then following a milling step were fractionated into nanoparticle sizes of 30, 60, and 95 nm. Optical characterization of Vand NV-center diamonds demonstrated fluorescence in two distinct green and red channels, respectively. In vitro studies demonstrated that these nanodiamonds are biocompatible and readily taken up by murine macrophage cells. Quantification of NV-center nanodiamond uptake by flow cytometry, showed that uptake was independent of nanodiamond size. Confocal microscopy demonstrated that NV-center nanodiamonds accumulate within the cytoplasm of these cells. NV-center nanodiamonds were then conjugated with streptavidin using a short polyethylene chain as linker. Conjugation was confirmed via a catalytic assay employing biotinylated-horseradish peroxidase. We present a technique for large-scale production of biocompatible conjugated V- or NV-center nanodiamonds. Functional testing is essential for standardization of fluorescent nanodiamond bioconjugates and quality control. Large-scale production of bioconjugated fluorescent nanodiamonds is crucial to their development as novel tools for biological and medical applications.

  6. Non-Covalent Fluorescent Labeling of Hairpin DNA Probe Coupled with Hybridization Chain Reaction for Sensitive DNA Detection.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Song, Luna; Zhang, Yonghua; Li, Junling; Gao, Qiang; Qi, Honglan; Zhang, Chengxiao

    2016-04-01

    An enzyme-free signal amplification-based assay for DNA detection was developed using fluorescent hairpin DNA probes coupled with hybridization chain reaction (HCR). The hairpin DNAs were designed to contain abasic sites in the stem moiety. Non-covalent labeling of the hairpin DNAs was achieved when a fluorescent ligand was bound to the abasic sites through hydrogen bonding with the orphan cytosine present on the complementary strand, accompanied by quench of ligand fluorescence. As a result, the resultant probes, the complex formed between the hairpin DNA and ligand, showed almost no fluorescence. Upon hybridization with target DNA, the probe underwent a dehybridization of the stem moiety containing an abasic site. The release of ligand from the abasic site to the solution resulted in an effective fluorescent enhancement, which can be used as a signal. Compared with a sensing system without HCR, a 20-fold increase in the sensitivity was achieved using the sensing system with HCR. The fluorescent intensity of the sensing system increased with the increase in target DNA concentration from 0.5 nM to 100 nM. A single mismatched target ss-DNA could be effectively discriminated from complementary target DNA. Genotyping of a G/C single-nucleotide polymorphism of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products was successfully demonstrated with the sensing system. Therefore, integrating HCR strategy with non-covalent labeling of fluorescent hairpin DNA probes provides a sensitive and cost-effective DNA assay. © The Author(s) 2016.

  7. Rapid and quantitative detection of zoonotic influenza A virus infection utilizing coumarin-derived dendrimer-based fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test (FICT).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yeo, Seon-Ju; Huong, Dinh Thi; Hong, Nguyen Ngoc; Li, Chun-Ying; Choi, Kyunghan; Yu, Kyoungsik; Choi, Du-Young; Chong, Chom-Kyu; Choi, Hak Soo; Mallik, Shyam Kumar; Kim, Hak Sung; Sung, Haan Woo; Park, Hyun

    2014-01-01

    Great efforts have been made to develop robust signal-generating fluorescence materials which will help in improving the rapid diagnostic test (RDT) in terms of sensitivity and quantification. In this study, we developed coumarin-derived dendrimer-based fluorescent immunochromatographic strip test (FICT) assay with enhanced sensitivity as a quantitative diagnostic tool in typical RDT environments. The accuracy of the proposed FICT was compared with that of dot blot immunoassay techniques and conventional RDTs. Through conjugation of coumarin-derived dendrimers with latex beads, fluorescent emission covering broad output spectral ranges was obtained which provided a distinct advantage of easy discrimination of the fluorescent emission of the latex beads with a simple insertion of a long-pass optical filter away from the excitation wavelength. The newly developed FICT assay was able to detect 100 ng/10 μL of influenza A nucleoprotein (NP) antigen within 5 minutes, which corresponded to 2.5-fold higher sensitivity than that of the dot blot immunoassay or conventional RDTs. Moreover, the FICT assay was confirmed to detect at least four avian influenza A subtypes (H5N3, H7N1, H7N7, and H9N2). On applying the FICT to the clinical swab samples infected with respiratory viruses, our FICT assay was confirmed to differentiate influenza H1N1 infection from other respiratory viral diseases. These data demonstrate that the proposed FICT assay is able to detect zoonotic influenza A viruses with a high sensitivity, and it enables the quantitation of the infection intensity by providing the numerical diagnostic values; thus demonstrating enhanced detectability of influenza A viruses.

  8. A fluorescence high throughput screening method for the detection of reactive electrophiles as potential skin sensitizers

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Avonto, Cristina; Chittiboyina, Amar G. [National Center for Natural Products Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 (United States); Rua, Diego [The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, US Food and Drug Administration, College Park, MD 20740 (United States); Khan, Ikhlas A., E-mail: ikhan@olemiss.edu [National Center for Natural Products Research, Research Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 (United States); Division of Pharmacognosy, Department of BioMolecular Sciences, School of Pharmacy, The University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677 (United States)

    2015-12-01

    Skin sensitization is an important toxicological end-point in the risk assessment of chemical allergens. Because of the complexity of the biological mechanisms associated with skin sensitization, integrated approaches combining different chemical, biological and in silico methods are recommended to replace conventional animal tests. Chemical methods are intended to characterize the potential of a sensitizer to induce earlier molecular initiating events. The presence of an electrophilic mechanistic domain is considered one of the essential chemical features to covalently bind to the biological target and induce further haptenation processes. Current in chemico assays rely on the quantification of unreacted model nucleophiles after incubation with the candidate sensitizer. In the current study, a new fluorescence-based method, ‘HTS-DCYA assay’, is proposed. The assay aims at the identification of reactive electrophiles based on their chemical reactivity toward a model fluorescent thiol. The reaction workflow enabled the development of a High Throughput Screening (HTS) method to directly quantify the reaction adducts. The reaction conditions have been optimized to minimize solubility issues, oxidative side reactions and increase the throughput of the assay while minimizing the reaction time, which are common issues with existing methods. Thirty-six chemicals previously classified with LLNA, DPRA or KeratinoSens™ were tested as a proof of concept. Preliminary results gave an estimated 82% accuracy, 78% sensitivity, 90% specificity, comparable to other in chemico methods such as Cys-DPRA. In addition to validated chemicals, six natural products were analyzed and a prediction of their sensitization potential is presented for the first time. - Highlights: • A novel fluorescence-based method to detect electrophilic sensitizers is proposed. • A model fluorescent thiol was used to directly quantify the reaction products. • A discussion of the reaction workflow

  9. A fluorescence high throughput screening method for the detection of reactive electrophiles as potential skin sensitizers

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Avonto, Cristina; Chittiboyina, Amar G.; Rua, Diego; Khan, Ikhlas A.

    2015-01-01

    Skin sensitization is an important toxicological end-point in the risk assessment of chemical allergens. Because of the complexity of the biological mechanisms associated with skin sensitization, integrated approaches combining different chemical, biological and in silico methods are recommended to replace conventional animal tests. Chemical methods are intended to characterize the potential of a sensitizer to induce earlier molecular initiating events. The presence of an electrophilic mechanistic domain is considered one of the essential chemical features to covalently bind to the biological target and induce further haptenation processes. Current in chemico assays rely on the quantification of unreacted model nucleophiles after incubation with the candidate sensitizer. In the current study, a new fluorescence-based method, ‘HTS-DCYA assay’, is proposed. The assay aims at the identification of reactive electrophiles based on their chemical reactivity toward a model fluorescent thiol. The reaction workflow enabled the development of a High Throughput Screening (HTS) method to directly quantify the reaction adducts. The reaction conditions have been optimized to minimize solubility issues, oxidative side reactions and increase the throughput of the assay while minimizing the reaction time, which are common issues with existing methods. Thirty-six chemicals previously classified with LLNA, DPRA or KeratinoSens™ were tested as a proof of concept. Preliminary results gave an estimated 82% accuracy, 78% sensitivity, 90% specificity, comparable to other in chemico methods such as Cys-DPRA. In addition to validated chemicals, six natural products were analyzed and a prediction of their sensitization potential is presented for the first time. - Highlights: • A novel fluorescence-based method to detect electrophilic sensitizers is proposed. • A model fluorescent thiol was used to directly quantify the reaction products. • A discussion of the reaction workflow

  10. CYTOKINESIS-BLOCK MICRONUCLEUS ASSAY IN HUMAN GLIOMA CELLS EXPOSED TO RADIATION

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jerzy Slowinski

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Biological tests are efficient in reflecting the biological influences of several types of generally harmful exposures. The micronucleus assay is widely used in genotoxicity studies or studies on genomic damage in general. We present methodological aspects of cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay performed in human gliomas irradiated in vitro. Eight human glioblastoma cell lines obtained from DSMZ (Deutsche Sammlung von Mikroorganismen und Zellkulturen GmbH, Germany were gamma-irradiated (60Co over a dose range of 0-10 Gy. Cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay was performed to quantitate cytogenetic damage. The cells were fixed directly on dishes, stained with fluorochrome DAPI and evaluated under fluorescent and phase contrast microscope. The micronucleus frequency was expressed as a micronuclei (MN per binucleated cell (BNC ratio, calculated after scoring at least 100 BNC per dish. The frequency of spontaneous MN ranged from 0.17 to 0.613 (mean: 0.29 ± 0.14. After irradiation increase of MN frequency in the range of 0.312 - 2.241 (mean: 0.98 ± 0.68 was found at 10 Gy. Gliomas are extremely heterogenous in regard to cytogenetic effects of irradiation, as shown in this study by cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay. This test is easily performed on irradiated glioma cell lines and can assist in determining their radiosensitivity. However, in order to obtain reliable and reproducible results, precise criteria for MN scoring must be strictly followed. Simultaneous use of fluorescent and phase contrast equipment improves imaging of morphological details and can further optimize MN scoring.

  11. Assay to detect lipid peroxidation upon exposure to nanoparticles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Potter, Timothy M; Neun, Barry W; Stern, Stephan T

    2011-01-01

    This chapter describes a method for the analysis of human hepatocarcinoma cells (HEP G2) for lipid peroxidation products, such as malondialdehyde (MDA), following treatment with nanoparticle formulations. Oxidative stress has been identified as a likely mechanism of nanoparticle toxicity, and cell-based in vitro systems for evaluation of nanoparticle-induced oxidative stress are widely considered to be an important component of biocompatibility screens. The products of lipid peroxidation, lipid hydroperoxides, and aldehydes, such as MDA, can be measured via a thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) assay. In this assay, which can be performed in cell culture or in cell lysate, MDA combines with thiobarbituric acid (TBA) to form a fluorescent adduct that can be detected at an excitation wavelength of 530 nm and an emission wavelength of 550 nm. The results are then expressed as MDA equivalents, normalized to total cellular protein (determined by Bradford assay).

  12. One-step synthesis and applications of fluorescent Cu nanoclusters stabilized by L-cysteine in aqueous solution

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yang, Xiaoming, E-mail: ming4444@swu.edu.cn; Feng, Yuanjiao; Zhu, Shanshan; Luo, Yawen; Zhuo, Yan; Dou, Yao

    2014-10-17

    Graphical abstract: An innovative and simple strategy for synthesizing high-fluorescent Cu nanoclusters stabilized with L-cysteine has been successfully established in aqueous solution. Significantly, the Cu nanoclusters were employed for sensitive and selective detections of Hg{sup 2+}, coding and fluorescent staining, suggesting their potential toward various applications. - Highlights: • A novel, one-step strategy for synthesizing water-soluble CuNCs was established. • A simple, selective, and cost-effective assay for Hg{sup 2+} was developed. • CuNCs may broaden ways for fluorescent staining and coding. - Abstract: Herein, an innovative and simple strategy for synthesizing high fluorescent Cu nanoclusters was successfully established while L-cysteine played a role as the stabilizer. Meaningfully, the current Cu nanoclusters together with a quantum yield of 14.3% were prepared in aqueous solution, indicating their extensive applications. Subsequently, the possible fluorescence mechanism was elucidated by fluorescence, UV–vis, HR-TEM, FTIR, XPS, and MS. Additionally, the CuNCs were employed for assaying Hg{sup 2+} on the basis of the interactions between Hg{sup 2+} and L-cysteine; thus facilitating the quenching of their fluorescence. The proposed analytical strategy permitted detections of Hg{sup 2+} in a linear range of 1.0 × 10{sup −7} mol L{sup −1} × 10{sup −3} mol L{sup −1}, with a detection limit of 2.4 × 10{sup −8} mol L{sup −1} at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3. Significantly, this CuNCs described here were further applied for coding and fluorescent staining, suggesting may broaden avenues toward diverse applications.

  13. Novel dansyl-appended calix[4]arene frameworks: fluorescence properties and mercury sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pandey, Shubha; Azam, Amir; Pandey, Siddharth; Chawla, H M

    2009-01-21

    Covalently-attached fluorophores may impart enhanced chemosensing capabilities to calixarene frameworks. Synthesis and characterization of six novel dansyl-appended calix[4]arenes, namely, H/Dan4, NO2/Dan4, H/(OH)2Dan2, H/(Ester)2(Dan)2, t-Bu/(OH)2Dan2, and t-Bu/(Ester)2Dan2, containing two or four dansyl moieties are reported. Among these, fluorescence intensity of NO2/Dan4 is observed to decrease significantly in the presence Hg2+ in the solution. Based on the decrease in fluorescence, a limit of detection for Hg2+ of 20 ppb is obtained. NO2/Dan4 as a chemosensing agent for Hg2+ shows excellent selectivity and adequate reversibility. Complexation of NO2/Dan4 with Hg2+ is investigated using fluorescence spectroscopy and is observed to be 2:1. The formation constant of (NO2/Dan4)2Hg2+ is estimated to be 5.2(+/- 0.8) x 10(10) M(-2) at ambient conditions. These observations are traced to the fact that while all other dansyl-appended calix[4]arenes show cone conformation in the solution, NO2/Dan4 is in the 1,3-alternate conformation. Stokes shift versus solvent orientational polarizability for NO2/Dan4 also indicates the difference in the ground- to excited-state dipole moment of this compound to be the maximum among all six, rendering it most sensitive to its environment. Fluorescence emission of NO2/Dan4 in nonpolar chloroform, polar-aprotic acetonitrile, and polar-protic ethanol is observed to be different than that of the rest of the dansyl-appended compounds as well.

  14. An organic dye with very large Stokes-shift and broad tunability of fluorescence: Potential two-photon probe for bioimaging and ultra-sensitive solid-state gas sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    He, Tingchao; Tian, Xiaoqing; Lin, Xiaodong, E-mail: linxd@szu.edu.cn, E-mail: hdsun@ntu.edu.sg [College of Physics Science and Technology, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518060 (China); Wang, Yue; Zhao, Xin; Sun, Handong, E-mail: linxd@szu.edu.cn, E-mail: hdsun@ntu.edu.sg [Division of Physics and Applied Physics, and Centre for Disruptive Photonic Technologies (CDPT), School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, 21 Nanyang Link, Singapore 637371 (Singapore); Gao, Yang; Grimsdale, Andrew C. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore 639798 (Singapore)

    2016-01-04

    Light-emitting nonlinear optical molecules, especially those with large Stokes shifts and broad tunability of their emission wavelength, have attracted considerable attention for various applications including biomedical imaging and fluorescent sensors. However, most fluorescent chromophores have only limited potential for such applications due to small Stokes shifts, narrow tunability of fluorescence emissions, and small optical nonlinearity in highly polar solvents. In this work, we demonstrate that a two-photon absorbing stilbene chromophore exhibits a large two-photon absorption action cross-section (ηδ = 320 GM) in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) and shows broad fluorescence tunability (125 nm) by manipulating the polarity of the surrounding medium. Importantly, a very large Stokes shift of up to 227 nm is achieved in DMSO. Thanks to these features, this chromophore can be utilized as a two-photon probe for bioimaging applications and in an ultrasensitive solid-state gas detector.

  15. Hyperpolarized NMR Probes for Biological Assays

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sebastian Meier

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available During the last decade, the development of nuclear spin polarization enhanced (hyperpolarized molecular probes has opened up new opportunities for studying the inner workings of living cells in real time. The hyperpolarized probes are produced ex situ, introduced into biological systems and detected with high sensitivity and contrast against background signals using high resolution NMR spectroscopy. A variety of natural, derivatized and designed hyperpolarized probes has emerged for diverse biological studies including assays of intracellular reaction progression, pathway kinetics, probe uptake and export, pH, redox state, reactive oxygen species, ion concentrations, drug efficacy or oncogenic signaling. These probes are readily used directly under natural conditions in biofluids and are often directly developed and optimized for cellular assays, thus leaving little doubt about their specificity and utility under biologically relevant conditions. Hyperpolarized molecular probes for biological NMR spectroscopy enable the unbiased detection of complex processes by virtue of the high spectral resolution, structural specificity and quantifiability of NMR signals. Here, we provide a survey of strategies used for the selection, design and use of hyperpolarized NMR probes in biological assays, and describe current limitations and developments.

  16. Lowering the quantification limit of the QubitTM RNA HS assay using RNA spike-in.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Xin; Ben-Dov, Iddo Z; Mauro, Maurizio; Williams, Zev

    2015-05-06

    RNA quantification is often a prerequisite for most RNA analyses such as RNA sequencing. However, the relatively low sensitivity and large sample consumption of traditional RNA quantification methods such as UV spectrophotometry and even the much more sensitive fluorescence-based RNA quantification assays, such as the Qubit™ RNA HS Assay, are often inadequate for measuring minute levels of RNA isolated from limited cell and tissue samples and biofluids. Thus, there is a pressing need for a more sensitive method to reliably and robustly detect trace levels of RNA without interference from DNA. To improve the quantification limit of the Qubit™ RNA HS Assay, we spiked-in a known quantity of RNA to achieve the minimum reading required by the assay. Samples containing trace amounts of RNA were then added to the spike-in and measured as a reading increase over RNA spike-in baseline. We determined the accuracy and precision of reading increases between 1 and 20 pg/μL as well as RNA-specificity in this range, and compared to those of RiboGreen(®), another sensitive fluorescence-based RNA quantification assay. We then applied Qubit™ Assay with RNA spike-in to quantify plasma RNA samples. RNA spike-in improved the quantification limit of the Qubit™ RNA HS Assay 5-fold, from 25 pg/μL down to 5 pg/μL while maintaining high specificity to RNA. This enabled quantification of RNA with original concentration as low as 55.6 pg/μL compared to 250 pg/μL for the standard assay and decreased sample consumption from 5 to 1 ng. Plasma RNA samples that were not measurable by the Qubit™ RNA HS Assay were measurable by our modified method. The Qubit™ RNA HS Assay with RNA spike-in is able to quantify RNA with high specificity at 5-fold lower concentration and uses 5-fold less sample quantity than the standard Qubit™ Assay.

  17. Genetic barcoding with fluorescent proteins for multiplexed applications.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smurthwaite, Cameron A; Williams, Wesley; Fetsko, Alexandra; Abbadessa, Darin; Stolp, Zachary D; Reed, Connor W; Dharmawan, Andre; Wolkowicz, Roland

    2015-04-14

    Fluorescent proteins, fluorescent dyes and fluorophores in general have revolutionized the field of molecular cell biology. In particular, the discovery of fluorescent proteins and their genes have enabled the engineering of protein fusions for localization, the analysis of transcriptional activation and translation of proteins of interest, or the general tracking of individual cells and cell populations. The use of fluorescent protein genes in combination with retroviral technology has further allowed the expression of these proteins in mammalian cells in a stable and reliable manner. Shown here is how one can utilize these genes to give cells within a population of cells their own biosignature. As the biosignature is achieved with retroviral technology, cells are barcoded 'indefinitely'. As such, they can be individually tracked within a mixture of barcoded cells and utilized in more complex biological applications. The tracking of distinct populations in a mixture of cells is ideal for multiplexed applications such as discovery of drugs against a multitude of targets or the activation profile of different promoters. The protocol describes how to elegantly develop and amplify barcoded mammalian cells with distinct genetic fluorescent markers, and how to use several markers at once or one marker at different intensities. Finally, the protocol describes how the cells can be further utilized in combination with cell-based assays to increase the power of analysis through multiplexing.

  18. Critical aggregates concentration of fatty esters present in biodiesel determined by turbidity and fluorescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Froehner, Sandro; Sánez, Juan; Dombroski, Luiz Fernando; Gracioto, Maria Paula

    2017-09-01

    Biodiesel for combustible engine is available as mixture of fossil diesel and fatty esters obtained by transesterification of vegetable oils. The use of biodiesel reduces the amount of SO x , mainly. However, it was already observed that biodiesel has a different behavior in environment in cases of accidental spill and groundwater contamination. It was noticed that the biodegradation of hydrocarbons (cyclic and aliphatic) in the presence of biodiesel are speeded, although the mechanism is still unclear. Considering the chemical structure of fatty esters, it was investigated the formation of aggregates in water solution by fatty esters present in commercial biodiesel. In Brazil, biodiesel is composed by 95% of fossil diesel and 5% of fatty esters mixture. In this work, fatty esters were treated as neutral surfactant, i.e., it was treated as a molecule with polar and non-polar part. Turbidity and fluorescence were used to determine the critical aggregates concentration (CAC). Water solutions containing fatty esters were examined exploiting changes in turbidity and fluorescence intensity of pyrene. Abrupt changes were attributed to aggregates formation, following the same behavior of traditional amphiphilic compounds. It was determined the CAC for ethyl palmitate, ethyl stearate, ethyl oleate, and ethyl linoleate. The values of CAC for fatty esters varied from 1.91 to 4.27 μmol/L, while CAC for the mixture of esters (biodiesel) was 2.01 for methyl esters and 1.19 for ethyl esters, both prepared using soybean oil. The aggregates formation was also determined by fluorescence measurements considering the changes in intensity of peaks I and III of pyrene. Pyrene senses the changes in environment polarity. The values found of CAC by fluorescence for individual ethyl esters varied from 1.85 to 3.21 μmol/L, while mixtures of ethyl esters was 2.23 and 2.07 μmol/L for mixture of methyl esters. The results clearly showed that fatty esters form aggregates and might be

  19. Molecular quantification of genes encoding for green-fluorescent proteins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Felske, A; Vandieken, V; Pauling, B V

    2003-01-01

    A quantitative PCR approach is presented to analyze the amount of recombinant green fluorescent protein (gfp) genes in environmental DNA samples. The quantification assay is a combination of specific PCR amplification and temperature gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE). Gene quantification...... PCR strategy is a highly specific and sensitive way to monitor recombinant DNA in environments like the efflux of a biotechnological plant....

  20. GPI-anchored proteins are confined in subdiffraction clusters at the apical surface of polarized epithelial cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paladino, Simona; Lebreton, Stéphanie; Lelek, Mickaël; Riccio, Patrizia; De Nicola, Sergio; Zimmer, Christophe; Zurzolo, Chiara

    2017-12-01

    Spatio-temporal compartmentalization of membrane proteins is critical for the regulation of diverse vital functions in eukaryotic cells. It was previously shown that, at the apical surface of polarized MDCK cells, glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)-anchored proteins (GPI-APs) are organized in small cholesterol-independent clusters of single GPI-AP species (homoclusters), which are required for the formation of larger cholesterol-dependent clusters formed by multiple GPI-AP species (heteroclusters). This clustered organization is crucial for the biological activities of GPI-APs; hence, understanding the spatio-temporal properties of their membrane organization is of fundamental importance. Here, by using direct stochastic optical reconstruction microscopy coupled to pair correlation analysis (pc-STORM), we were able to visualize and measure the size of these clusters. Specifically, we show that they are non-randomly distributed and have an average size of 67 nm. We also demonstrated that polarized MDCK and non-polarized CHO cells have similar cluster distribution and size, but different sensitivity to cholesterol depletion. Finally, we derived a model that allowed a quantitative characterization of the cluster organization of GPI-APs at the apical surface of polarized MDCK cells for the first time. Experimental FRET (fluorescence resonance energy transfer)/FLIM (fluorescence-lifetime imaging microscopy) data were correlated to the theoretical predictions of the model. © 2017 The Author(s).

  1. An improved in vitro micronucleus assay to biological dosimetry

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ocampo, Ivette Z.; Okazaki, Kayo; Vieira, Daniel P.

    2013-01-01

    The biological dosimetry is widely used to estimate the absorbed dose in people occupationally or accidentally exposed to the radiation for a better medical treatment, minimizing the harmful effects. Many techniques and methods have been proposed to detect and quantify the radioinduced lesions in genetic material, among them, the micronucleus (MN) assay. In the present study, we proposed an improved in vitro micronucleus technique that is rapid, sensitive and with minor cell manipulations. Assays were carried out with human tumor cells (MCF-7) seeded (3x10 4 cells) in slides placed into Petri dishes. Adherent cells were maintained with RPMI medium, supplemented with fetal calf serum, 1 % antibiotics, cytochalasin B (2 μg/mL), and incubated at 37 deg C in the presence of 5% CO2 for 72h. Cells were pre-treated for 24h with aminoguanidine, a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor. Nitric oxide is an intracellular free-radical, involved in DNA double-strand break repair mechanisms. After incubation, adherent cells on slides were briefly fixed with paraformaldehyde and stained with acridine orange (100 μg/mL) for analysis through fluorescence microscopy. Dye fluorescence permitted accurate discrimination between nuclei and micronuclei (bright green) and cytoplasm (red), and made possible a faster counting of binucleated cells. Aminoguanidine (2 mM) induced significant increase (p< 0.05) in frequencies of binucleated cells with micronuclei and in the number of micronuclei per binucleated cell. Data showed that proposed modifications permit to understand an early aspect of NO inhibition and suggested an improved protocol to MN assays. (author)

  2. 1-Million droplet array with wide-field fluorescence imaging for digital PCR.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hatch, Andrew C; Fisher, Jeffrey S; Tovar, Armando R; Hsieh, Albert T; Lin, Robert; Pentoney, Stephen L; Yang, David L; Lee, Abraham P

    2011-11-21

    Digital droplet reactors are useful as chemical and biological containers to discretize reagents into picolitre or nanolitre volumes for analysis of single cells, organisms, or molecules. However, most DNA based assays require processing of samples on the order of tens of microlitres and contain as few as one to as many as millions of fragments to be detected. Presented in this work is a droplet microfluidic platform and fluorescence imaging setup designed to better meet the needs of the high-throughput and high-dynamic-range by integrating multiple high-throughput droplet processing schemes on the chip. The design is capable of generating over 1-million, monodisperse, 50 picolitre droplets in 2-7 minutes that then self-assemble into high density 3-dimensional sphere packing configurations in a large viewing chamber for visualization and analysis. This device then undergoes on-chip polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and fluorescence detection to digitally quantify the sample's nucleic acid contents. Wide-field fluorescence images are captured using a low cost 21-megapixel digital camera and macro-lens with an 8-12 cm(2) field-of-view at 1× to 0.85× magnification, respectively. We demonstrate both end-point and real-time imaging ability to perform on-chip quantitative digital PCR analysis of the entire droplet array. Compared to previous work, this highly integrated design yields a 100-fold increase in the number of on-chip digitized reactors with simultaneous fluorescence imaging for digital PCR based assays.

  3. Chiral Recognition by Fluorescence: One Measurement for Two Parameters

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shanshan Yu

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available This outlook describes two strategies to simultaneously determine the enantiomeric composition and concentration of a chiral substrate by a single fluorescent measurement. One strategy utilizes a pseudoenantiomeric sensor pair that is composed of a 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol-based amino alcohol and a partially hydrogenated 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol-based amino alcohol. These two molecules have the opposite chiral configuration with fluorescent enhancement at two different emitting wavelengths when treated with the enantiomers of mandelic acid. Using the sum and difference of the fluorescent intensity at the two wavelengths allows simultaneous determination of both concentration and enantiomeric composition of the chiral acid. The other strategy employs a 1,1′-bi-2-naphthol-based trifluoromethyl ketone that exhibits fluorescent enhancement at two emission wavelengths upon interaction with a chiral diamine. One emission responds mostly to the concentration of the chiral diamine and the ratio of the two emissions depends on the chiral configuration of the enantiomer but independent of the concentration, allowing both the concentration and enantiomeric composition of the chiral diamine to be simultaneously determined. These strategies would significantly simplify the practical application of the enantioselective fluorescent sensors in high-throughput chiral assay.

  4. Single-Photon Source for Quantum Information Based on Single Dye Molecule Fluorescence in Liquid Crystal Host

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lukishova, S.G.; Knox, R.P.; Freivald, P.; McNamara, A.; Boyd, R.W.; Stroud, Jr. C.R.; Schmid, A.W.; Marshall, K.L.

    2006-01-01

    This paper describes a new application for liquid crystals: quantum information technology. A deterministically polarized single-photon source that efficiently produces photons exhibiting antibunching is a pivotal hardware element in absolutely secure quantum communication. Planar-aligned nematic liquid crystal hosts deterministically align the single dye molecules which produce deterministically polarized single (antibunched) photons. In addition, 1-D photonic bandgap cholesteric liquid crystals will increase single-photon source efficiency. The experiments and challenges in the observation of deterministically polarized fluorescence from single dye molecules in planar-aligned glassy nematic-liquid-crystal oligomer as well as photon antibunching in glassy cholesteric oligomer are described for the first time

  5. Label-free identification of macrophage phenotype by fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alfonso-García, Alba; Smith, Tim D.; Datta, Rupsa; Luu, Thuy U.; Gratton, Enrico; Potma, Eric O.; Liu, Wendy F.

    2016-04-01

    Macrophages adopt a variety of phenotypes that are a reflection of the many functions they perform as part of the immune system. In particular, metabolism is a phenotypic trait that differs between classically activated, proinflammatory macrophages, and alternatively activated, prohealing macrophages. Inflammatory macrophages have a metabolism based on glycolysis while alternatively activated macrophages generally rely on oxidative phosphorylation to generate chemical energy. We employ this shift in metabolism as an endogenous marker to identify the phenotype of individual macrophages via live-cell fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM). We demonstrate that polarized macrophages can be readily discriminated with the aid of a phasor approach to FLIM, which provides a fast and model-free method for analyzing fluorescence lifetime images.

  6. Development And Application of Functional Assays For Freshwater Dissolved Organic Matter

    Science.gov (United States)

    Thacker, S.; Tipping, E.; Gondar, D.; Baker, A.

    2006-12-01

    Dissolved organic matter (DOM) in natural waters participates in many important ecological and geochemical reactions, including acid-base buffering, light absorption, proton binding, binding of heavy metals, organic contaminants, aluminium and radionuclides, adsorption at surfaces, aggregation and photochemical reactivity. We are studying DOM in order to understand and quantify these functional properties, so we can use the knowledge to predict the influence of DOM on the natural freshwater environment. As DOM has no readily identifiable structure, our approach is to measure what it does, rather than what it is. Thus, we have developed a series of 12 standardised, reproducible assays of physico-chemical functions of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in freshwaters. The assays provide quantitative information on light absorption, fluorescence, photochemical fading, pH buffering, copper binding, benzo(a)pyrene binding, hydrophilicity and adsorption to alumina. We have collected twenty DOM samples in total, ten samples from a eutrophic lake (Esthwaite Water) and ten samples from three stream waters. A mild isolation method was then used to concentrate the DOM samples for the assay work. When assaying the concentrates, parallel assays were also preformed with Suwannee River Fulvic Acid (SRFA), as a quality control standard. Our results showed that; (i) for eleven of the assays, the variability among the twenty DOM samples was significantly (p<0.001) greater than can be explained by analytical error, i.e. by comparison with results from the SRFA quality control; (ii) the functional properties of the DOM from Esthwaite Water are strongly influenced by the seasonally-dependent input of autochthonous DOM, derived from phytoplankton. The autochthonous DOM is less fluorescent, light absorbing, hydrophobic and has a lower acid group content and capacity to be adsorbed onto alumina than terrestrially derived allochthonous DOM; (iii) significant correlations were found between

  7. Cytotoxicity and fluorescence studies of silica-coated CdSe quantum dots for bioimaging applications

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Vibin, Muthunayagam; Vinayakan, Ramachandran; John, Annie; Raji, Vijayamma; Rejiya, Chellappan S.; Vinesh, Naresh S.; Abraham, Annie

    2011-01-01

    The toxicological effects of silica-coated CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were investigated systematically on human cervical cancer cell line. Trioctylphosphine oxide capped CdSe QDs were synthesized and rendered water soluble by overcoating with silica, using aminopropyl silane as silica precursor. The cytotoxicity studies were conducted by exposing cells to freshly synthesized QDs as a function of time (0–72 h) and concentration up to micromolar level by Lactate dehydrogenase assay, MTT [3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide] assay, Neutral red cell viability assay, Trypan blue dye exclusion method and morphological examination of cells using phase contrast microscope. The in vitro analysis results showed that the silica-coated CdSe QDs were nontoxic even at higher loadings. Subsequently the in vivo fluorescence was also demonstrated by intravenous administration of the QDs in Swiss albino mice. The fluorescence images in the cryosections of tissues depicted strong luminescence property of silica-coated QDs under biological conditions. These results confirmed the role of these luminescent materials in biological labeling and imaging applications.

  8. Cytotoxicity and fluorescence studies of silica-coated CdSe quantum dots for bioimaging applications

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vibin, Muthunayagam [University of Kerala, Department of Biochemistry (India); Vinayakan, Ramachandran [National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology (CSIR), Photosciences and Photonics (India); John, Annie [Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute of Medical Sciences and Technology, Biomedical Technology Wing (India); Raji, Vijayamma; Rejiya, Chellappan S.; Vinesh, Naresh S.; Abraham, Annie, E-mail: annieab2@yahoo.co.in [University of Kerala, Department of Biochemistry (India)

    2011-06-15

    The toxicological effects of silica-coated CdSe quantum dots (QDs) were investigated systematically on human cervical cancer cell line. Trioctylphosphine oxide capped CdSe QDs were synthesized and rendered water soluble by overcoating with silica, using aminopropyl silane as silica precursor. The cytotoxicity studies were conducted by exposing cells to freshly synthesized QDs as a function of time (0-72 h) and concentration up to micromolar level by Lactate dehydrogenase assay, MTT [3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-Diphenyltetrazolium Bromide] assay, Neutral red cell viability assay, Trypan blue dye exclusion method and morphological examination of cells using phase contrast microscope. The in vitro analysis results showed that the silica-coated CdSe QDs were nontoxic even at higher loadings. Subsequently the in vivo fluorescence was also demonstrated by intravenous administration of the QDs in Swiss albino mice. The fluorescence images in the cryosections of tissues depicted strong luminescence property of silica-coated QDs under biological conditions. These results confirmed the role of these luminescent materials in biological labeling and imaging applications.

  9. A functional assay for detection of the mitoxantrone resistance protein, MXR (ABCG2)

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Robey, R W; Honjo, Y; van de Laar, A

    2001-01-01

    The fluorescent compounds rhodamine 123, LysoTracker Green DMD-26, mitoxantrone, and BODIPY-prazosin were used with the antagonist fumitremorgin C (FTC) in order to develop functional assays for the half-transporter, MXR/BCRP/ABCP1. A measure of FTC-inhibitable efflux was generated for each compo...

  10. Electric Dipole Transition Moments and Solvent-Dependent Interactions of Fluorescent Boron-Nitrogen Substituted Indole Derivatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saif, Mari; Widom, Julia R; Xu, Senmiao; Abbey, Eric R; Liu, Shih-Yuan; Marcus, Andrew H

    2015-06-25

    Fluorescent analogues of the indole side chain of tryptophan can be useful spectroscopic probes of protein-protein and protein-DNA interactions. Here we present linear dichroism and solvent-dependent spectroscopic studies of two fluorescent analogues of indole, in which the organic C═C unit is substituted with the isosteric inorganic B-N unit. We studied the so-called "external" BN indole, which has C2v symmetry, and the "fused" BN indole with Cs symmetry. We performed a combination of absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, ultraviolet linear dichroism (UV-LD) in stretched poly(ethylene) (PE) films, and quantum chemical calculations on both BN indole compounds. Our measurements allowed us to characterize the degree of alignment for both molecules in stretched PE films. We thus determined the orientations and magnitudes of the two lowest energy electric dipole transition moments (EDTMs) for external BN indole, and the two lowest energy EDTMs for fused BN indole within the 30 000-45 000 cm(-1) spectral range. We compared our experimental results to those of quantum chemical calculations using standard density functional theory (DFT). Our theoretical predictions for the low-energy EDTMs are in good agreement with our experimental data. The absorption and fluorescence spectra of the external and the fused BN indoles are sensitive to solvent polarity. Our results indicate that the fused BN indole experiences much greater solvation interactions with polar solvents than does the external BN indole.

  11. Homogeneous immunoassay for the cancer marker alpha-fetoprotein using single wavelength excitation fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy and CdSe/ZnS quantum dots and fluorescent dyes as labels

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jinjie; Liu, Heng; Huang, Xiangyi; Ren, Jicun

    2016-01-01

    The article describes sensitive and selective homogeneous immunoassays for the liver cancer biomarker alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in human serum by using single wavelength excitation fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy (SW-FCCS). Both competitive and sandwich immunoassay modes were applied, and AFP served as a model analyte. Fluorescent CdSe/ZnS quantum dots (with a 655 nm emission peak) and the fluorophore Alexa Fluor 488 (520 nm emission) were chosen to label the antibodies in the sandwich mode, and the antibody and the antigen in the competitive mode. Under optimized conditions, the sandwich assay has a linear dynamic range that covers the 20 pM to 5.0 nM concentration range. The competitive assay, in turn, extends from 180 pM to 15.0 nM. The respective detection limits are 20 pM and 180 pM. The method was successfully applied to directly determine AFP in (spiked) clinical samples, and results were in good agreement with data obtained via ELISAs. (author)

  12. Real time monitoring and quantification of reactive oxygen species in breast cancer cell line MCF-7 by 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFDA) assay.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueroa, Daniela; Asaduzzaman, Mohammad; Young, Fiona

    2018-04-07

    The detection of reactive oxygen species (ROS) using 2',7'-dichlorofluorescin diacetate (DCFDA) is commonly performed by a single measurement of fluorescence but this fails to capture a profile of ROS generation over time. This study aimed to develop a real-time monitoring method to increase the utility of the assay, to incorporate cytotoxicity screening and to describe the combined effects of DCFDA and the ROS generator, Ter-butyl hydrogen peroxide (TBHP). Breast cancer MCF-7 cells were loaded with DCFDA (0-50 μM) for 45 min, and then exposed to TBHP (0-50 μM). Fluorescence was recorded according to three different schedules: every hour for 6 h, or once after 6 h or 24 h. Viability was assessed in a crystal violet assay and cell morphology was examined by microscopy. TBHP caused a time and dose-dependent increase in ROS and the magnitude of the fluorescent signal was affected by the loading concentration of DCFDA. Reading the fluorescence every hour for 6 h did not diminish the emission signal. The most sensitive and reliable combination for this ROS assay was 10 μM DCFDA with 25 μM TBHP; since higher concentrations of DCFDA compromised cell viability. In conclusion we adapted a single point ROS assay to enable production of a profile of ROS generation over an extended 6 h period, and related this to cell viability and morphology. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  13. Environment-sensitive quinolone demonstrating long-lived fluorescence and unusually slow excited-state intramolecular proton transfer kinetics

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zamotaiev, O. M.; Shvadchak, Volodymyr; Sych, T. P.; Melnychuk, N. A.; Yushchenko, Dmytro A.; Mely, Y.; Pivovarenko, V. G.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 4, č. 3 (2016), č. článku 034004. ISSN 2050-6120 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : quinolone * fluorescent probes * local polarity * hydration * excited-state intramolecular proton transfer * kinetics Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.656, year: 2016

  14. Rapid Detection of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Activity in Mouse Sperm Using Fluorescent Gel Shift Electrophoresis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hoseok Choi

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available Assaying the glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3 activity in sperm is of great importance because it is closely implicated in sperm motility and male infertility. While a number of studies on GSK3 activity have relied on labor-intensive immunoblotting to identify phosphorylated GSK3, here we report the simple and rapid detection of GSK3 activity in mouse sperm using conventional agarose gel electrophoresis and a fluorescent peptide substrate. When a dye-tethered and prephosphorylated (primed peptide substrate for GSK3 was employed, a distinct mobility shift in the fluorescent bands on the agarose was observed by GSK3-induced phosphorylation of the primed peptides. The GSK3 activity in mouse testes and sperm were quantifiable by gel shift assay with low sample consumption and were significantly correlated with the expression levels of GSK3 and p-GSK3. We suggest that our assay can be used for reliable and rapid detection of GSK3 activity in cells and tissue extracts.

  15. Rapid Detection of Glycogen Synthase Kinase-3 Activity in Mouse Sperm Using Fluorescent Gel Shift Electrophoresis

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choi, Hoseok; Choi, Bomi; Seo, Ju Tae; Lee, Kyung Jin; Gye, Myung Chan; Kim, Young-Pil

    2016-01-01

    Assaying the glycogen synthase kinase-3 (GSK3) activity in sperm is of great importance because it is closely implicated in sperm motility and male infertility. While a number of studies on GSK3 activity have relied on labor-intensive immunoblotting to identify phosphorylated GSK3, here we report the simple and rapid detection of GSK3 activity in mouse sperm using conventional agarose gel electrophoresis and a fluorescent peptide substrate. When a dye-tethered and prephosphorylated (primed) peptide substrate for GSK3 was employed, a distinct mobility shift in the fluorescent bands on the agarose was observed by GSK3-induced phosphorylation of the primed peptides. The GSK3 activity in mouse testes and sperm were quantifiable by gel shift assay with low sample consumption and were significantly correlated with the expression levels of GSK3 and p-GSK3. We suggest that our assay can be used for reliable and rapid detection of GSK3 activity in cells and tissue extracts. PMID:27092510

  16. Photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) reaction in trans-methyl p-(dimethylamino) cinnamate: A combined fluorescence measurement and quantum chemical calculations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chakraborty, Amrita [Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92, A. P. C. Road, Kolkata 700009 (India); Kar, Samiran [Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032 (India); Guchhait, Nikhil [Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92, A. P. C. Road, Kolkata 700009 (India)], E-mail: nikhilg@postmark.net

    2006-01-05

    The photophysical behaviour of trans-methyl p-(dimethylamino) cinnamate (t-MDMAC) donor-acceptor system has been investigated by steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The molecule t-MDMAC shows an emission from the locally excited state in non-polar solvents. In addition to weak local emission, a strong solvent dependent red shifted fluorescence in polar aprotic solvents is attributed to highly polar intramolecular charge transfer state. However, the formation of hydrogen-bonded clusters with polar protic solvents has been suggested from a linear correlation between the observed red shifted fluorescence band maxima with hydrogen bonding parameters ({alpha}). Calculations by ab initio and density functional theory show that the lone pair electron at nitrogen center is out of plane of the benzene ring in the global minimum ground state structure. In the gas phase, a potential energy surface along the twist coordinate at the donor (-NMe{sub 2}) and acceptor (-CH = CHCOOMe) sites shows stabilization of S{sub 1} state and destabilization S{sub 2} and S{sub 0} states. A similar potential energy calculation along the twist coordinate in acetonitrile solvent using non-equilibrium polarized continuum model also shows more stabilization of S{sub 1} state relative to other states and supports solvent dependent red shifted emission properties. In all types of calculations it is found that the nitrogen lone pair is delocalized over the benzene ring in the global minimum ground state and is localized on the nitrogen centre at the 90 deg. twisted configuration. The S{sub 1} energy state stabilization along the twist coordinate at the donor site and localized nitrogen lone pair at the perpendicular configuration support well the observed dual fluorescence in terms of proposed twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) model.

  17. Fluorescent strategy based on cationic conjugated polymer fluorescence resonance energy transfer for the quantification of 5-(hydroxymethyl)cytosine in genomic DNA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hong, Tingting; Wang, Tianlu; Guo, Pu; Xing, Xiwen; Ding, Fei; Chen, Yuqi; Wu, Jinjun; Ma, Jingwei; Wu, Fan; Zhou, Xiang

    2013-11-19

    DNA methylation is dynamically reprogrammed during early embryonic development in mammals. It can be explained partially by the discovery of 5-(hydroxymethyl)cytosine (5-hmC), 5-formylcytosine (5-fC), and 5-carboxylcytosine (5-caC), which are identified as key players involved in both active and passive demethylation pathways. As one of the ten-eleven translocation oxidation products, 5-hmC was found relatively abundant in neuron cells and embryonic stem cells. Herein we report a new method for 5-hmC quantification in genomic DNA based on CCP-FRET (cationic conjugated polymers act as the energy donor and induce fluorescence resonance energy transfer) assay combined with KRuO4 oxidation. 5-hmC in genomic DNA can be selectively transformed into 5-fC by the oxidation of KRuO4 and then labeled with hydroxylamine-BODIPY (BODIPY = 4,4-difluoro-4-bora-3a,4a-diaza-s-indacene) fluorophore through the reaction between 5-fC and hydroxylamine-BODIPY. After the fluorescently labeled DNA was captured by CCP through electrostatic interactions, a significant FRET between CCP and hydroxylamine-BODIPY fluorophore was observed. This CCP-FRET-based assay benefits from light-harvesting, large Stokes shift, and optical signal amplification properties of the CCP. Furthermore, this CCP-FRET-based assay was quite successfully demonstrated for the 5-hmC quantification in three types of cells (mESc, HeLa, HEK 293T), providing a much more convenient choice for 5-hmC quantification in genomic DNA.

  18. Insights into bird wing evolution and digit specification from polarizing region fate maps.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Towers, Matthew; Signolet, Jason; Sherman, Adrian; Sang, Helen; Tickle, Cheryll

    2011-08-09

    The proposal that birds descended from theropod dinosaurs with digits 2, 3 and 4 was recently given support by short-term fate maps, suggesting that the chick wing polarizing region-a group that Sonic hedgehog-expressing cells-gives rise to digit 4. Here we show using long-term fate maps that Green fluorescent protein-expressing chick wing polarizing region grafts contribute only to soft tissues along the posterior margin of digit 4, supporting fossil data that birds descended from theropods that had digits 1, 2 and 3. In contrast, digit IV of the chick leg with four digits (I-IV) arises from the polarizing region. To determine how digit identity is specified over time, we inhibited Sonic hedgehog signalling. Fate maps show that polarizing region and adjacent cells are specified in parallel through a series of anterior to posterior digit fates-a process of digit specification that we suggest is involved in patterning all vertebrate limbs with more than three digits.

  19. A multiplex branched DNA assay for parallel quantitative gene expression profiling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Flagella, Michael; Bui, Son; Zheng, Zhi; Nguyen, Cung Tuong; Zhang, Aiguo; Pastor, Larry; Ma, Yunqing; Yang, Wen; Crawford, Kimberly L; McMaster, Gary K; Witney, Frank; Luo, Yuling

    2006-05-01

    We describe a novel method to quantitatively measure messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of multiple genes directly from crude cell lysates and tissue homogenates without the need for RNA purification or target amplification. The multiplex branched DNA (bDNA) assay adapts the bDNA technology to the Luminex fluorescent bead-based platform through the use of cooperative hybridization, which ensures an exceptionally high degree of assay specificity. Using in vitro transcribed RNA as reference standards, we demonstrated that the assay is highly specific, with cross-reactivity less than 0.2%. We also determined that the assay detection sensitivity is 25,000 RNA transcripts with intra- and interplate coefficients of variance of less than 10% and less than 15%, respectively. Using three 10-gene panels designed to measure proinflammatory and apoptosis responses, we demonstrated sensitive and specific multiplex gene expression profiling directly from cell lysates. The gene expression change data demonstrate a high correlation coefficient (R(2)=0.94) compared with measurements obtained using the single-plex bDNA assay. Thus, the multiplex bDNA assay provides a powerful means to quantify the gene expression profile of a defined set of target genes in large sample populations.

  20. Bilayered near-infrared fluorescent nanoparticles based on low molecular weight PEI for tumor-targeted in vivo imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Hao; Li, Ke [Xi’an Jiaotong University, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Education Ministry, School of Life Science and Technology (China); Xu, Liang [The University of Kansas, Department of Molecular Biosciences (United States); Wu, Daocheng, E-mail: wudaocheng@mail.xjtu.edu.cn [Xi’an Jiaotong University, Key Laboratory of Biomedical Information Engineering of Education Ministry, School of Life Science and Technology (China)

    2014-12-15

    To improve the tumor fluorescent imaging results in vivo, bilayered nanoparticles encapsulating a lipophilic near-infrared (NIR) fluorescent dye 1,1′-dioctadecyl-3,3,3′,3′-tetramethylindotri-carbocyanine iodide (DiR) were prepared using low molecular weight stearic acid-grafted polyethyleneimine and hyaluronic acid (DiR-PgSHA nanoparticles), which were investigated as a novel NIR fluorescent nano-probe for in vivo tumor-targeted optical imaging. These nanoparticles were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), infrared (IR) spectra, UV-visual absorption, and fluorescent emission spectra. Their cytotoxicity in vitro and hepatotoxicity in vivo were tested by MTT assay and histological study, respectively. In vivo NIR fluorescence imaging of the DiR-PgSHA nanoparticles was performed using a Carestream imaging system. The DiR-PgSHA nanoparticles were sphere shaped with a diameter of approximately 50 nm according to the TEM images. The DiR-PgSHA nanoparticles had a low cytotoxicity in vitro according to the MTT assay and low hepatotoxicity in vivo as determined in histological studies. The fluorescent emission of DiR-PgSHA nanoparticles was stable in pH values of 5–9 in solution, with only slight blue-shifts of the emission maxima at the basic pH range. The DiR-PgSHA nanoparticles exhibited a substantial tumor-targeting ability in the optical imaging with the use of tumor-bearing mice. These results demonstrated that the DiR-PgSHA nanoparticle is an excellent biocompatible nano-probe for in vivo tumor-targeted NIR fluorescence imaging with a potential for clinical applications.