A novel Wnt5a-Frizzled4 signaling pathway mediates activity-independent dendrite morphogenesis via the distal PDZ motif of Frizzled 4.

The morphology of the dendritic tree is critical to neuronal function and neural circuit wiring. Several Wnt family members have been demonstrated to play important roles in dendrite development. However, the Wnt receptors responsible for mediating this process remain largely elusive.

Atomic force microscope study of tumor cell membranes following treatment with anti-cancer drugs.

Integrity of the cell membrane is a basic requirement for maintaining the biological characteristics of a cell. In this study, changes in the morphology and ultrastructure of HeLa (human cervical carcinoma), HepG2 (human hepatocellular liver carcinoma), and C6 (rat glioma) cells were studied by atomic force microscopy (AFM) both before and after treatment with the anti-cancer drugs, colchicine or cytarabine. In response to both drugs, the microstructure of the cell membrane of all three cell types displayed similar changes; that is, with increases in drug concentration and reaction time, the degree of morphological changes on the surface of cell membrane increased.

Conjugation of biomolecules with magnetic protein microspheres for the assay of early biomarkers associated with acute myocardial infarction.

This study demonstrates an improved magnetic protein microsphere-aided sandwich fluoroimmunoassay for the analysis of myoglobin and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP), early protein markers associated with acute myocardial infarction. In preparation for the assay we constructed superparamagnetic human serum albumin (HSA)/gamma-Fe(2)O(3) microspheres, and grafted capture antibodies (monoclonal antimyoglobin 7C3 and anti-H-FABP 10E1) onto the protein microspheres using the avidin-biotin system. Then the antibody-carrying microspheres were used in a sequential sandwich fluoroimmunoassay along with detection antibodies (Alexa fluor594-labeled antimyoglobin 4E2 and FITC-labeled anti-H-FABP 9F3).

Carboxylated magnetic microbead-assisted fluoroimmunoassay for early biomarkers of acute myocardial infarction.

A carboxylated superparamagnetic microbead-assisted sandwich fluoroimmunoassay was successfully demonstrated for the analysis of the early protein markers, myoglobin and human heart-type fatty acid-binding protein (H-FABP), associated with acute myocardial infarction. This assay approach consisted of the preparation of superparamagnetic polymer microbeads using a dispersion polymerization, followed by grafting of capture antibodies (monoclonal anti-H-FABP 10E1 and anti-myoglobin 7C3) onto the polymer microbeads using EDC-NHS protocol, and then a sequential sandwich fluoroimmunoassay using detection antibodies (FITC-labeled anti-H-FABP 9F3 and FITC-labeled anti-myoglobin 4E2). The Fe(3)O(4) nanoparticles and carboxylated Fe(3)O(4)-polymer microbeads were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometry, vibrating sample magnetometry, and X-ray diffraction.

Superparamagnetic microsphere-assisted fluoroimmunoassay for rapid assessment of acute myocardial infarction.

Rapid assessment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI) was successfully demonstrated using an improved superparamagnetic polymer microsphere-assisted sandwich fluoroimmunoassay to detect two early cardiac markers-myoglobin and human heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP). This assay used a preparation of superparamagnetic poly(styrene-divinylbenzene-acrylamide) microspheres, glutaraldehyde-coupled capture antibodies (monoclonal anti-myoglobin 7C3 and anti-H-FABP 10E1) grafted onto the polymer microspheres, and a sequential sandwich fluoroimmunoassay using detection antibodies (FITC-labeled anti-myoglobin 4E2 and FITC-labeled anti-H-FABP 9F3). Characterization of the polymer microspheres by TEM, SEM and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) showed that the microspheres were uniformly round with an average diameter of 1.