Serine Protease Zymography: Low-Cost, Rapid, and Highly Sensitive RAMA Casein Zymography.

To detect serine protease activity by zymography, casein and CBB stain have been used as a substrate and a detection procedure, respectively. Casein zymography has been using substrate concentration at 1 mg/mL and employing conventional CBB stain. Although ordinary casein zymography provides reproducible results, it has several disadvantages including time-consuming and relative low sensitivity.

RAMA casein zymography: Time-saving and highly sensitive casein zymography for MMP7 and trypsin.

To detect metalloproteinase-7 (MMP7), zymography is conducted using a casein substrate and conventional CBB stain. It has disadvantages because it is time consuming and has low sensitivity. Previously, a sensitive method to detect MMP7 up to 30 pg was reported, however it required special substrates and complicated handlings.

Sialyl-glycoconjugates in cholesterol-rich microdomains of P388 cells are the triggers for apoptosis induced by Rana catesbeiana oocyte ribonuclease.

SBL/RC-RNase was originally isolated from frog (Rana catesbeiana) oocytes and purified as a novel sialic acid-binding lectin (SBL) that displayed strong anti-cancer activity. SBL was later shown to be identical to a ribonuclease (RC-RNase) from oocytes of the same species. The administration of SBL/RC-RNase induced apoptosis (with nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation) in mouse leukemia P388 cells but did not kill umbilical vein endothelial or fibroblast cells derived from normal tissues.

A lectin from the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis has a highly novel primary structure and induces glycan-mediated cytotoxicity of globotriaosylceramide-expressing lymphoma cells.

A novel lectin structure was found for a 17-kDa α-D-galactose-binding lectin (termed "MytiLec") isolated from the Mediterranean mussel, Mytilus galloprovincialis. The complete primary structure of the lectin was determined by Edman degradation and mass spectrometric analysis. MytiLec was found to consist of 149 amino acids with a total molecular mass of 16,812.

Fine bubble mixing (FBM) culture of E. coli: a highly cost-effective middle scale-size culture system.

A highly cost-effective and easy-to-assemble cultivation system suitable for middle scale-size culturing of bacterial cells is described. In the culture, from a flat-shaped air-stone with large surface area, fine bubbles are generated with a low-cost air pump available in an aquarium fish shop, and cell-agitation and oxygen supply are efficiently conducted by fine bubbles simultaneously. Growth properties of the cells and their saturation density are comparable to those in a conventional culture system.