Characterization of a side population of astrocytoma cells in response to temozolomide.

Object: Cancer progenitor-like cells isolated by Hoechst 33342 dye efflux (termed the "side population" [SP]) have been studied in a variety of cancers, including malignant brain tumors. In this study, the authors investigate the nature of the SP phenotype in 2 glioma cell lines, U87MG and T98G, and their response to temozolomide. The roles of several adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette (ABC) multidrug transporters expressed by SP cells, in particular ABCG2, are also examined.

Open brain gene product Rab23: expression pattern in the adult mouse brain and functional characterization.

The gene mutated in the mouse open brain (opb) phenotype antagonizes sonic hedgehog-mediated signaling and encodes a small GTPase of the Rab family, Rab23. To date, the brain expression profile and exact mechanism of function of the Rab23 protein has remained unknown. Specific antibodies generated against Rab23 showed that the protein is highly enriched in the adult rodent brain and present in low levels in multiple tissues of the adult rodent.

Development of a Western blot assay for detection of antibodies against coronavirus causing severe acute respiratory syndrome.

To identify a major antigenic determinant for use in the development of a rapid serological diagnostic test for severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus infection and to study the immune response during SARS coronavirus infection in humans, we cloned the full length and six truncated fragments of the nucleocapsid gene, expressed them, and purified them as glutathione S-transferase-tagged recombinant proteins. The reactivities of the recombinant proteins to a panel of antibodies containing 33 SARS coronavirus-positive sera and 66 negative sera and to antibodies against other animal coronaviruses were screened. A truncated 195-amino-acid fragment from the C terminus of the nucleocapsid protein (N195) was identified that had a strong ability to detect antibodies against SARS coronavirus.