Skidmore College 4 articles published in JoVE Biochemistry Concanavalin A-Based Sedimentation Assay to Measure Substrate Binding of Glucan Phosphatases Eliana M. Wolpaw*1, Marissa L. Frenett*1, Claudia A. Mak1, Sloane M. Zwanger1, Madushi Raththagala1 1Department of Chemistry, Skidmore College This method describes a lectin-based in vitro sedimentation assay to quantify the binding affinity of glucan phosphatase and amylopectin. This co-sedimentation assay is reliable for measuring glucan phosphatase substrate binding and can be applied to various solubilized glucan substrates. Biochemistry Atomic Absorbance Spectroscopy to Measure Intracellular Zinc Pools in Mammalian Cells Shellaina J.V. Gordon*1, Yao Xiao*2, Amanda L. Paskavitz3, Napoleón Navarro-Tito4, Juan G. Navea2, Teresita Padilla-Benavides1 1Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, 2Department of Chemistry, Skidmore College, 3Candiac MR Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 4Facultad de Ciencias Químico Biológicas, Universidad Autónoma de Guerrero Cultured primary or established cell lines are commonly used to address fundamental biological and mechanistic questions as an initial approach before using animal models. This protocol describes how to prepare whole cell extracts and subcellular fractions for studies of zinc (Zn) and other trace elements with atomic absorbance spectroscopy. Medicine Treating SCA1 Mice with Water-Soluble Compounds to Non-Specifically Boost Mitochondrial Function Austin Ferro1, Emily Carbone1, Evan Marzouk1, Asher Siegel2, Donna Nguyen1, Kailen Polley1, Jessilyn Hartman1, Kimberley Frederick2, Stephen Ives3, Sarita Lagalwar1 1Neuroscience Program, Skidmore College, 2Chemistry Department, Skidmore College, 3Health and Exercise Science Department, Skidmore College We present a biochemical and behavioral protocol to evaluate the efficacy of mitochondria-targeted water-soluble compounds for the treatment of Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) and other cerebellar neurodegenerative diseases. Neuroscience Dissection and Lateral Mounting of Zebrafish Embryos: Analysis of Spinal Cord Development Aaron P. Beck1, Roland M. Watt1, Jennifer Bonner1 1Biology Department, Skidmore College Developmental processes such as proliferation, patterning, differentiation, and axon guidance can be readily modeled in the zebrafish spinal cord. In this article, we describe a mounting procedure for zebrafish embryos, which optimizes visualization of these events.
