Development of an miRFP680-Based Fluorescent Calcium Ion Biosensor Using End-Optimized Transposons.

The development of new or improved single fluorescent protein (FP)-based biosensors (SFPBs), particularly those with excitation and emission at near-infrared wavelengths, is important for the continued advancement of biological imaging applications. In an effort to accelerate the development of new SFPBs, we report modified transposons for the transposase-based creation of libraries of FPs randomly inserted into analyte binding domains, or vice versa. These modified transposons feature ends that are optimized to minimize the length of the linkers that connect the FP to the analyte binding domain.

Beyond antibiotic resistance: The whiB7 transcription factor coordinates an adaptive response to alanine starvation in mycobacteria.

Pathogenic mycobacteria are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. The conserved whiB7 stress response reduces the effectiveness of antibiotic therapy by activating several intrinsic antibiotic resistance mechanisms. Despite our comprehensive biochemical understanding of WhiB7, the complex set of signals that induce whiB7 expression remain less clear.

Beyond antibiotic resistance: the transcription factor coordinates an adaptive response to alanine starvation in mycobacteria.

Pathogenic mycobacteria are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. These bacteria are highly intrinsically drug resistant, making infections challenging to treat. The conserved stress response is a key contributor to mycobacterial intrinsic drug resistance.

Comparisons of false negative rates from a trend test alone and from a trend test jointly with a control-high groups pairwise test in the determination of the carcinogenicity of new drugs.

Interest has been expressed in using a joint test procedure that requires that the results of both a trend test and a pairwise comparison test between the control and the high groups be statistically significant simultaneously at the levels of significance recommended in the FDA 2001 draft guidance for industry document for the separate tests in order for the drug effect on the development of an individual tumor type to be considered as statistically significant. Results of our simulation studies show that there is a serious consequence of large inflations of the false negative rate through large decreases of false positive rate in the use of the above joint test procedure in the final interpretation of the carcinogenicity potential of a new drug if the levels of significance recommended for separate tests are used. The inflation can be as high as 204.

A comparison of false positive rates of peto and poly-3 methods for long-term carcinogenicity data analysis using multiple comparison adjustment method suggested by Lin and Rahman.

Statistical analyses of two-year carcinogenicity data include tests for dose-response relationship (positive trend) among the increasing doses and pairwise comparisons of treated groups with control in tumor incidence by organ/tumor combination. There are two major concerns in analyzing carcinogenicity data, namely, adjustment for the difference in mortality due to drug toxicity and adjustment for the multiplicity due to multiple testing of trends and pairwise differences by organ tumor combination. A widely used method for testing dose-response relationship is the method suggested by Peto et al.

Evaluation of the Tg.AC assay: specificity testing with three noncarcinogenic pharmaceuticals that induce selected stress gene promoters in vitro and the inhibitory effects of solvent components.

Understanding the strengths and limitations of alternative models, such as the Tg.AC assay, for evaluation of the potential carcinogenicity of pharmaceuticals requires assessment of assay specificity through studies that specifically target biologically active compounds that are known to not be carcinogens in rodents. To identify drugs that might provoke a false positive response in the Tg.