3,3'-OH curcumin causes apoptosis in HepG2 cells through ROS-mediated pathway.

In this paper, we synthesized a series of curcumin analogs and evaluated their cytotoxicity against HepG2 cells. The results exhibited that the hydroxyl group at 3,3'-position play an essential role in enhancing their anti-proliferation activity. More importantly, 3,3'-hydroxy curcumin (1b) caused apoptosis in HepG2 cells with the ROS generation, which may be mainly composed of hydroxyl radicals (HO) and H2O2.

Fluorescein-labeled "arch-like" DNA probes for electrochemical detection of DNA on gold nanoparticle-modified gold electrodes.

In the present study, a gold nanoparticle-modified gold electrode (nanogold electrode) was used to develop a novel fluorescein electrochemical DNA biosensor based on a target-induced conformational change. The nanogold electrode was obtained by electrodepositing gold nanoparticles onto a bare gold electrode. This modification not only immobilized probe oligonucleotides, but also adsorbed fluorescein onto the surface of the gold nanoparticles to form an "arch-like" structure.

Analysis of amylose accumulation during seed development in maize.

Starch, which includes amylose and amylopectin, is the most important component in maize (Zea mays L.) seeds. The accumulation of amylose in maize seeds was examined in this study.

Overexpression of CaHSP26 in transgenic tobacco alleviates photoinhibition of PSII and PSI during chilling stress under low irradiance.

A sweet pepper cDNA clone, CaHSP26 encoding the chloroplast (CP)-localized small heat shock protein (sHSP), was isolated and characterized with regard to its sequence, response to various temperatures and function in transgenic tobacco plants. The deduced amino acid sequence contained three highly conserved regions, showing high identities with other plant sHSPs. Expression of the CaHSP26 gene showed that the mRNA accumulation of CaHSP26 was induced by heat stress.

[cDNA cloning and expression of a cytosolic small heat shock protein gene (CaHSP18) from Capsicum annuum].

Full length 779 bp cytosolic clsss I sHSP cDNA was cloned from heat-shocked sweet pepper leaves using a PCR approach with degenerate primers designed from conserved motifs found in a number of plant cytosolic clsss I sHSP genes, named CaHSP18. Its accession number is AY284925. CaHSP18 was high identified with Nicotiana tabacum (Fig.