Customizable OpenGUS immunoassay: A homogeneous detection system using β-glucuronidase switch and label-free antibody.

We developed a customizable OpenGUS immunoassay that enables rapid and sensitive detection of analytes without requiring antibody modification. This immunoassay employs label-free whole antibodies, an antibody-binding Z domain (ZD) derived from Staphylococcal protein A, and a β-glucuronidase (GUS) switch mutant, allowing for easy replacement of antibodies to tailor the immunoassays for various targeted antigens. The working principle is that the OpenGUS probe, the fusion protein of ZD and a GUS switch, converts the antibody-antigen interaction into GUS activation in a one-pot reaction.

Adaptive changes in TEF-1 gene expression during cold acclimation in the medaka.

How animals adaptively respond to a cold or hot environment has been questioned for a long time. Recently, with the aid of microarray analysis, various temperature-sensitive genes have been identified in several species. However, a definitive hypothesis regarding the mechanism of adaptation has not been proposed.

The ESC-E(Z) complex participates in the hedgehog signaling pathway.

Polycomb group (PcG) genes are required for stable inheritance of epigenetic states throughout development, a phenomenon termed cellular memory. In Drosophila and mice, the product of the E(z) gene, one of the PcG genes, constitutes the ESC-E(Z) complex and specifically methylates histone H3. It has been argued that this methylation sets the stage for appropriate repression of certain genes.