Transblot and cytochemical identification of avidin-interacting proteins in mitochondria of cultured cells.

Cell lysates prepared from 3T3-L1 cells were analyzed by western blotting using the avidin-biotin complex system and anti-Bax antibody. The antibody interacted with bands of proteins with estimated molecular weights of 120, 74, 72, and 25 kDa. However, only the 25-kDa band was detected with the anti-Bax antibody when the direct immunoblotting method was used.

Cleavage of nucleolin and argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region associated proteins in apoptosis-induced cells.

To investigate the behavior of nuclear proteins in apoptotic cells, we examined the changes in nucleolin and proteins of the nucleolar organizing region during apoptosis in human osteoblastic cell lines, Saos-2 and MG63. Apoptosis was induced by treatment of these cells with okadaic acid. Proteins prepared from apoptotic cells were subjected to Western blot analysis and a modified Western blot method using silver nitrate.

An unusual sesquiterpene derivative from Ferula kuhistanica.

An unusual new sesquiterpene derivative, kuhistaferone (1), was isolated from the fruits of the Uzbekistan medicinal plant Ferula kuhistanica. The structure of 1 was established on the basis of spectroscopic evidence. Compound 1 showed moderate cytotoxicity against the human colon tumor cell line HCT116.