Simultaneous serodetection of major rat infectious pathogens by a multiplex immunochromatographic assay.

Rapid and simple serologic tests that require only a small amount of blood without the euthanization of animals are valuable for microbial control in colonies of laboratory animals. In this study, we developed a multiplex immunochromatographic assay (ICA) for detection of antibodies to Sendai virus (also known as hemagglutinating virus of Japan), hantavirus, and sialodacryoadenitis virus, which are causative agents of major infectious diseases in rats. For this assay, an ICA strip was placed into a microtube containing 150 µl PBS and either 0.

Multiplex Immunochromatographic Assay for Serologic Diagnosis of Major Infectious Diseases in Laboratory Mice.

Serologic monitoring of infectious diseases is important for microbial control in colonies of laboratory mice. Rapid and simple tests that do not require killing animals are valuable for this purpose. In this study, we developed a multiplex immunochromatographic assay (ICA) for detection of antibodies to mouse hepatitis virus (MHV), Sendai virus (also known as hemagglutinating virus of Japan [HVJ]), and (The pathogen that causes Tyzzer disease), which are major infectious diseases in mice.

Comparison of immune response in mice sensitized to an animal allergen, Can f 1, and to a food allergen, ovalbumin.

Can f 1 belongs to the lipocalin superfamily and is considered to be an animal allergen. The immune response induced by Can f 1 in mice was compared with that induced by ovalbumin (OVA), a typical food allergen. Female BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice (6 weeks of age) were subcutaneously injected with Can f 1 or OVA with or without aluminum hydroxide (Alum) three times with intervals of two weeks.

Rab7 is a critical mediator in vesicular transport of tyrosinase-related protein 1 in melanocytes.

How melanosomal proteins such as enzymic proteins (tyrosinase and tyrosinase-related proteins, Tyrps) and structural protein (gp100) are transported from Golgi to melanosomal compartments is not yet fully understood. A number of small GTPases have been found to be associated with melanosomes and we have identified one of them, Rab7, a regulator of vesicular transport, organelle motility, phospholipid signaling and cytosolic degradative machinery, as being involved in the transport of Tyrp1 from Golgi to stage I melanosomes. This study further characterizes the role of Rab7 as a regulator of differential sorting of melanosomal proteins in this process.

Critical function of death-associated protein 3 in T cell receptor-mediated apoptosis induction.

Death-associated protein 3 (DAP3) is crucial for promoting apoptosis induced by various stimulations. This report demonstrates that DAP3 is also important for T cell receptor (TCR)-mediated apoptosis induction in immature thymocytes. Enforced expression of DAP3 accelerated the negative selection in developing thymocytes, using the reaggregate thymus organ culture system.

Functional role of death-associated protein 3 (DAP3) in anoikis.

Detachment of adherent epithelial cells from the extracellular matrix induces apoptosis, known as anoikis. Integrin stimulation protects cells from anoikis, but the responsible mechanisms are not well known. Here, we demonstrated that a pro-apoptotic GTP-binding protein, DAP3 (death-associated protein 3), is critical for induction of anoikis.

Critical function of T cell death-associated gene 8 in glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis.

Transcriptional expression of a gene or genes is absolutely required for induction of glucocorticoid-induced thymocyte apoptosis. We have previously shown that expression of T cell death-associated gene 8 (TDAG8) is quickly induced exclusively in the thymus after dexamethasone (DEX) treatment. Here, we present data that TDAG8 expression is induced prior to induction of DEX-mediated apoptosis.