Comparison of two commercial methods for smooth-shelled mussels ( spp.) species identification.

Seafood international trade has increased the labeling requirements in standards and regulations to include product information that enable traders and consumers to make informed choices. The European Union (EU) Regulation No. 1379/2013 imposes the declaration of an official commercial designation and scientific names for all the fishery and aquaculture products to be offered for sale to the final consumers.

Evaluation of nucleocapsid and phosphoprotein p functionality as critical factors during the early phase of paramyxoviral infection.

In the beginning of a paramyxovirus infection after cell entry viral survival depends on efficient primary (1°) transcription and on the stability of only one input nucleocapsid. Here we examined the influence of the viral polymerase co-factor phosphoprotein P on the very early phase of an infection, i.e.

An international parentage and identification panel for the domestic cat (Felis catus).

Seventeen commercial and research laboratories participated in two comparison tests under the auspices of the International Society for Animal Genetics to develop an internationally tested, microsatellite-based parentage and identification panel for the domestic cat (Felis catus). Genetic marker selection was based on the polymorphism information content and allele ranges from seven random-bred populations (n = 261) from the USA, Europe and Brazil and eight breeds (n = 200) from the USA. Nineteen microsatellite markers were included in the comparison test and genotyped across the samples.

TaqMan-based quantification of invasive cells in the chick embryo metastasis assay.

The chick embryonic metastasis (CEM) assay is a fast in vivo method to investigate the invasive properties of tumor cells. Until now, most quantification methods were semiquantitative and time-consuming. Here we describe a rapid quantification method using TaqMan technology to quantify the invaded tumor cells in the chorioallantoic membrane of fertilized eggs.

The fate of foreign DNA in mammalian cells and organisms.

We have investigated the consequences of foreign DNA insertions into the genomes of mammalian cells in transgenic cell lines, in adenovirus type 12 (Ad12)-transformed cells, in Ad12-induced tumor cells or in transgenic mice. We have reported previously on the de novo methylation of integrated foreign genomes and on extensive changes in cellular patterns of DNA methylation upon foreign DNA insertion. These studies have been extended and several independent methods have been applied to document these alterations in cellular DNA methylation and gene expression patterns in transgenic cell lines and in transgenic mice.