Preparation and characterization of monoclonal antibody against protein tyrosine phosphatase PRL-3.

PRL-3 is a newly identified nonclassical protein tyrosine phosphatase associated with colorectal cancer metastasis. To prepare specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) against PRL-3, cDNAs of PRL-1, -2, and -3 were cloned by RT-PCR and inserted into prokaryotic expression vector pGEX-4T1, respectively. The fusion proteins were expressed in Escherichia coli.

[Isolation and characteristics of PAHs-degrading strains].

The predominant indigenous microbial population and the strain ZL5 PAHS-degrading were obtained by selective enrichment culture from Liaohe viscous oil-contaminated field. The sequence analysis of 16s rDNA showed that strain ZL5 belonged to Sphingomonas sp. The microbial population and the strain could degrade phenanthrene well.

Methylation of the exon/intron region in the Ubi1 promoter complex correlates with transgene silencing in barley.

Methylation of plant promoters is often associated with transcriptional gene silencing, while methylation of the transcribed region is associated with post-transcriptional gene silencing. Promoter complexes that include the first untranslated exon and intron, such as maize ubiquitin1 and rice actin1, have been widely used in monocot transformation because they support higher levels of transient transgene expression than the core promoter does. However, persistent problems with transgene silencing driven by these promoter complexes brought up a troubling question: were higher initial levels of transgene expression at the expense of long-term expression stability? Here we report that methylation of an untranslated exon and intron in the promoter complex is correlated with transcriptional transgene silencing in barley.

MAROS: a decision support system for optimizing monitoring plans.

The Monitoring and Remediation Optimization System (MAROS), a decision-support software, was developed to assist in formulating cost-effective ground water long-term monitoring plans. MAROS optimizes an existing ground water monitoring program using both temporal and spatial data analyses to determine the general monitoring system category and the locations and frequency of sampling for future compliance monitoring at the site. The objective of the MAROS optimization is to minimize monitoring locations in the sampling network and reduce sampling frequency without significant loss of information, ensuring adequate future characterization of the contaminant plume.

Groundwater monitoring plans at small-scale sites--an innovative spatial and temporal methodology.

An innovative methodology for improving existing groundwater monitoring plans at small-scale sites is presented. The methodology consists of three stand-alone methods: a spatial redundancy reduction method, a well-siting method for adding new sampling locations, and a sampling frequency determination method. The spatial redundancy reduction method eliminates redundant wells through an optimization process that minimizes the errors in plume delineation and the average plume concentration estimation.

Similarity of expression patterns of knotted1 and ZmLEC1 during somatic and zygotic embryogenesis in maize ( Zea mays L.).

Expression of knotted1 ( kn1) and ZmLEC1, a maize homologue of the Arabidopsis LEAFY COTYLEDON1 ( LEC1) was studied using in situ hybridization during in vitro somatic embryogenesis of maize ( Zea mays L.) genotype Hi-II. Expression of kn1 was initially detected in a small group of cells (5-10) in the somatic embryo proper at the globular stage, in a specific region where the shoot meristem is initiating at the scutellar stage, and specifically in the shoot meristem at the coleoptilar stage.