An Assay for Measuring the Activity of Escherichia coli Inducible Lysine Decarboxyase
Department of Biochemistry, University of Toronto
The activity of the inducible lysine decarboxylase is monitored by reacting the substrate L-lysine and the product cadaverine with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzensulfonic acid to form adducts that have differential solubility in toluene.
Respirometric Oxidative Phosphorylation Assessment in Saponin-permeabilized Cardiac Fibers
1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Calgary, 2Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary
Saponin-permeabilized fiber preparation in conjunction with respirometric oxidative phosphorylation analysis provides integrative assessment of mitochondrial function. Mitochondrial respiration in physiological and pathological states can reflect various regulatory influences including mitochondrial interactions, morphology and biochemistry.
Direct Detection of the Acetate-forming Activity of the Enzyme Acetate Kinase
Department of Genetics and Biochemistry, Clemson University
A method for the determination of acetate kinase activity is described. This assay utilizes a direct reaction for determining enzyme activity and kinetics of acetate kinase in the acetate-forming direction with different phosphoryl acceptors. Furthermore, this method can be utilized for assaying other acetyl phosphate or acetyl-CoA utilizing enzymes.
Preparation of Quality Inositol Pyrophosphates
Inositol pyrophosphates play an important role in human pathologies such cancer, diabetes and obesity; however, the exact mechanism of action is a matter of dispute. The lack of commercially available inositol pyrophosphates renders detailed studies problematic. Here we describe a simple protocol to produce and isolate milligrams of inositol pyrophosphates.
Recombinant Retroviral Production and Infection of B Cells
1Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, 2Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center, Columbia University
An efficient system of structure and function analysis of a gene in an ex vivo culture of splenic B-lymphocytes is described. This method takes advantage of recombinant retroviral production in a helper free, ecotrophic packaging cell line. Stable, heritable expression of a gene of interest within primary lymphocytes is achieved leading to generation of surface antibodies on B cells undergoing class switch recombination.
Mitochondrial Isolation from Skeletal Muscle
Department of Physiology, University of Kentucky
This protocol describes a procedure to study the respiration of mitochondria isolated from skeletal muscles. This method was adapted from Scorrano et al. (2007). The mitochondrial isolation procedure requires about 2 hours. The mitochondrial respiration can be completed in about 1 hour.
A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting
1Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, 2Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, 3Department of Microbiology, Division of Medical Parasitology, New York University School of Medicine
This method investigates the platelet-mediated clumping phenotype of Plasmodium falciparum-infected erythrocytes (pRBC) in clinical isolates. This is performed by isolating and co-incubating platelet-rich plasma and a suspension of pRBC.
