Characterization of a Vitellogenin Gene Fragment in Boophilus microplus Ticks.

The objective of this study was to isolate, clone, and characterize a fragment of the vitellogenin (Vg) gene from a B. microplus tick strain from Mexico. Using cDNA and specific primers, an 1800-bp fragment was amplified, cloned, and transformed in into E.

[Spinal cord injury and regenerative medicine].

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a trauma problem striking mainly working age adults, therefore affecting society beyond the victims family circle. Most of the victims of SCI will never recover; therapy for this type of injury consists basically on spinal cord support and stabilization. With the discovery of stem cells (SC), SCI treatment has been given another chance.

Differences in the glycosylation profile of a monoclonal antibody produced by hybridomas cultured in serum-supplemented, serum-free or chemically defined media.

SFM (serum-free medium) is preferred to media containing animal-derived components when culturing mammalian cells for the production of therapeutic recombinant proteins and mAbs (monoclonal antibodies). Nonetheless, eliminating animal-derived components from media can strongly modify culture performance and alter protein glycosylation. In the present study, mAb glycosylation profiles, extracellular exoglycosidase activities, hybridoma growth and mAb production in traditional medium containing 10% (v/v) FBS (fetal bovine serum) [DMEM (Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium)/FBS] were compared with those obtained in either SFM or CDM (chemically defined medium).

Biology of the adult enteric neural stem cell.

An increasing body of evidence has accumulated in recent years supporting the existence of neural stem cells in the adult gut. There are at least three groups that have obtained them using different methodologies and have described them in vitro. There is a growing amount of knowledge on their biology, but many questions are yet unanswered.

Mannosamine supplementation extends the N-acetylglucosaminylation of recombinant human secreted alkaline phosphatase produced in Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper) insect cell cultures.

A major limitation of the insect cell-baculovirus expression vector system is its poor capacity to perform complex glycosylation, since the glycoproteins produced are usually only of the high-mannose and paucimannose types. Nonetheless, recent evidence indicates that, under various conditions, some insect cell lines are capable of producing complex-type glycans. In the present study, we assessed the effects of supplementation with ManN (mannosamine) ManNAc (N-acetylmannosamine) and Cyt (cytidine) on the glycosylation of recombinant human secreted alkaline phosphatase produced by suspension cultures of Trichoplusia ni (cabbage looper) BTI-Tn5B1-4 cells.

Production of recombinant proteins: challenges and solutions.

Efficient strategies for the production of recombinant proteins are gaining increasing importance, as more applications that require high amounts of high-quality proteins reach the market. Higher production efficiencies and, consequently, lower costs of the final product are needed for obtaining a commercially viable process. In this chapter, common problems in recombinant protein production are reviewed and strategies for their solution are discussed.

Acetylcholinesterase engineering for detection of insecticide residues.

To detect traces of insecticides in the environment using biosensors, we engineered Drosophila acetylcholinesterase (AChE) to increase its sensitivity and its rate of phosphorylation or carbamoylation by organophosphates or carbamates. The mutants made by site-directed mutagenesis were expressed in baculovirus. Different strategies were used to obtain these mutants: (i) substitution of amino acids at positions found mutated in AChE from insects resistant to insecticide, (ii) mutations of amino acids at positions suggested by 3-D structural analysis of the active site, (iii) Ala-scan analysis of amino acids lining the active site gorge, (iv) mutagenesis at positions detected as important for sensitivity in the Ala-scan analysis and (v) combination of mutations which independently enhance sensitivity.