function Protocols

Category: Immunology: B Cell Protocols

Describes the antigenic stimulation of in vitro antibody production by B cells and the subsequent measurement of secreted antibodies. The first protocol is a generalized system for inducing in vitro antibody production and can accommodate various types of antigens under study. Secreted antibodies can then be measured with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) or other soluble-antibody detection systems. - [Read Assays for B Lymphocyte Function Protocols]

Category: Cell Culture Protocols: Sterile Technique Protocols

Cultured mammalian cells are used extensively in cell biology studies; it requires a number of special skills in order to be able to preserve the structure, function, behavior and biology of the cells. This unit describes the basic skills required to maintain and preserve cell cultures: aseptic technique, medium characteristics, passaging, freezing and storage, recovering frozen stocks, and counting viable cells. - [Read Basic Techniques for Mammalian Cell Tissue Culture Protocol]

Category: Primary Cell Isolation and Culture Protocols: Mammalian Cell Culture Protocols

Cultured mammalian cells are used extensively in cell biology studies; it requires a number of special skills in order to be able to preserve the structure, function, behavior and biology of the cells. This unit describes the basic skills required to maintain and preserve cell cultures: aseptic technique, medium characteristics, passaging, freezing and storage, recovering frozen stocks, and counting viable cells. - [Read Basic Techniques for Mammalian Cell Tissue Culture Protocol]

Category: Cell Organelle Protocols: Subcellular Fractionation Protocols: Peroxisome Isolation Protocols

Peroxisomes of higher eukaryotes, glycosomes of kinetoplastids, & glyoxysomes of plants are related microbody organelles that perform differing metabolic functions tailored to their cellular environments. The close evolutionary relationship of these organelles is most clearly evidenced by the conservation of proteins involved in matrix protein import and biogenesis. glycosome can be viewed as an offshoot of the peroxisomal lineage with additional metabolic functions, specifically glycolysi - [Read Biogenesis and Function of Peroxisomes and Glycosomes]

Category: Immunology: Chemotaxis

Chemotaxis Assay, Springer Lab. A chemotaxis assay's function is to assess whether a factor or molecule of interest has chemotactic activity on a motile cell type. Chemotaxis is the ability of a factor to cause the migration of a cell. The chemotactic assay is based on the creation of a chemical gradient of the chemotactic agent which will cause cells to migrate through the gradient towards the chemotactic agent. - [Read Chemotaxis Assay]

Category: Stem Cell Protocols: Stem Cell Culture Protocols

Culture conditions have been established for a second blastocyst-derived cell line, trophoblast stem (TS) cells, in addition to embryonic stem (ES) cells. This protocol describes a method for culturing TS cell lines. These cells can then be used to study trophoblast differentiation and placental function. - [Read Culturing Trophoblast Stem (TS) Cell Lines Protocol]

Category: Molecular Model Organisms: Yeast Two-Hybrid Screen Protocol

Interactor Hunt Protocol. Testing whether a bait activates transcription. Screening a library for interactors. Finley Lab. 1997. - [Read EXAMINING THE FUNCTION OF PROTEINS AND PROTEIN NETWORKS WITH THE YEAST TWO-HYBRID SYSTEM]

Category: Protein Microarray Protocols

Experimental Procedures for Protein Microarrays. MacBeath G & Schreiber SL (2000). Printing proteins as microarrays for high-throughput function determination. Science 289: 1760-1763. - [Read Experimental Procedures for Protein Microarrays]

Category: Cell Organelle Protocols: Mitochondria Protocols

Protocol describes a method for evaluation of mitochondrial function using the fluorochrome CMXRos. CMXRos is sequestered by actively respiring mitochondria, but washed out when the mitochondrial membrane potential is lost. This analysis can be combined with the TUNEL technique or immunocytochemistry. - [Read Flow Cytometric Analysis of Mitochondrial Transmembrane Potential ({Delta}{Psi}m)]

Category: Cell Organelle Protocols: Subcellular Fractionation Protocols: Membrane Isolation Protocols

This protocol is concerned with the use of iodixanol gradients in an analytical mode to study the membrane localization of a particular protein or function. Continuous gradients are best suited to this task. One of the protocols described in this protocol starts with a discontinuous gradient, but since the gradient is centrifuged at 174,000g for 16 h it will become continuous by diffusion. - [Read Fractionation of Yeast Membranes in Pre-Formed Continuous Iodixanol Gradients]

Category: Pharmacology and Toxicology Protocols: Cytotoxicity Protocols: Cell Specific Cytotoxicity Assays Protocols

Accumulation of lipophilic substances in the plasma membrane may affect the membrane lipid order and consequently affect the function of these proteins.  Changes in the activity of the Na+/K+ -ATPase, which is the major active transport system responsible for the electrochemical potential in mammalian cells, can therefore be an indication of the effect that a chemical may have on the viability of the cell membrane and possibly the whole cell. - [Read Hamster Ovary Cell NA+/K+ -ATPase Test]

Category: Fungi Protocols: Neurospora Protocols

Information and tips on how to use the mtr gene as a selectable marker for loss or gain of function. - [Read How to Use the mtr Gene as a Selectable Marker for Loss or Gain of Function]

Category: Microscopy Protocols: Live-Cell Imaging Protocols

Live-cell imaging techniques provide critical insight into the fundamental nature of cellular & tissue function, especially due to the rapid advances that are currently being witnessed in fluorescent protein & synthetic fluorophore technology. Because of these advances, live-cell imaging has become a requisite analytical tool in most cell biology labs. Includes: Maintaining Live Cells on the Microscope Stage; Live-Cell Imaging Culture Chambers; Optical System and Detector Requirements etc. - [Read Introduction to Live-Cell Imaging Techniques]

Category: Immunology: Mononuclear Cell Isolation Protocols

Presents two methods for preparing dendritic cells (DCs), a highly specialized type of antigen-presenting cell (APC). The first method involves the isolation of DCs from mouse spleen, resulting in a cell population that is highly enriched in accessory cell and APC function. A support protocol for collagenase digestion of splenocyte suspensions is described to increase the yield of dendritic cells. The second method involves generating large numbers of DCs from mouse bone marrow progenitor cells. - [Read Isolation of Dendritic Cells Protocol]

Category: Microscopy Protocols: Live-Cell Imaging Protocols

Live-cell imaging techniques provide a critical insight into the fundamental nature of cellular and tissue function, especially due to the rapid advances that are currently being witnessed in fluorescent protein and synthetic fluorophore technology. Because of these advances, live-cell imaging has become a requisite analytical tool in most cell biology laboratories. - [Read Maintaining Live Cells on the Microscope Stage]

Category: Drosophila Protocols

Method relies on the examination of the ear’s mechanics, which is actively modulated by the motility of auditory neurons and reflects the function of mechanosensory proteins these cells comprise [5-7]. Mechanical signatures arising from the motility of the neurons are assayed by measuring the vibrations of the antennal sound receiver in the presence and absence of sound. - [Read Mechanical Tracing of Protein Function in the Drosophila Ear Protocol]

Category: Neuroscience Protocols

Methods for structure function studies of neurotrophic factors. - [Read Methods for Structure Function Studies of Neurotrophic Factors]

Category: Cell Organelle Protocols: Mitochondria Protocols

Protocol describes a method for the evaluation of mitochondrial function using the fluorochrome CMXRos. CMXRos is sequestered by actively respiring mitochondria, but washed out when the mitochondrial membrane potential is lost. This analysis can be combined with the TUNEL technique or immunocytochemistry. - [Read Microscopic Analysis of Mitochondrial Transmembrane Potential Protocol]

Category: Plant Biology Protocols: Arabidopsis Genetics Protocols

Protocol for precision engineering of plant gene loci by homologous recombination cloning in Escherichia coli. Includes: Key steps in the EL250 RED-HR locus rescue and engineering procedure; Primer design and plasmid constructs; AtSTM gap-repair construct; Targeting construct backbone; Preparation of electrocompetent EL250 cells; Transformation of BAC F24o1 and induction of recombinogenic function in EL250; AtSTM locus rescue from BAC F24o1 by gap-repair HR. - [Read Precision Engineering of Plant Gene Loci by Homologous Recombination Cloning in Escherichia Coli]

Category: Immunology: Mononuclear Cell Isolation Protocols: T-Cell Isolation Protocols

Protocols utilize T hybridomas to detect expression of peptide-MHC complexes, since these cells provide the most convenient, consistent, and flexible T cell readout systems for these purposes. If desired, antigen-specific T cell clones can be used in lieu of T hybridoma cells, but T cell clones often give poorer responses than T hybridomas to fixed APCs due to fixation-induced loss of costimulator function. - [Read Presenting Exogenous Antigen to T Cells Protocol]

Category: Protein Microarray Protocols

MacBeath G & Schreiber SL (2000). Printing proteins as microarrays for high-throughput function determination. Science 289: 1760-1763. MacBeath Lab - [Read Printing proteins as microarrays for high-throughput function determination.]

Category: Immunology: B Cell Protocols

Describes procedures for measuring the capacity of purified B cells to undergo proliferation. The method centers on the use of polyclonal stimulating agents (mitogens) because these agents stimulate the majority of B cells and because the alternative (measurement of antigen-induced proliferation) requires the laborious procedures of isolating antigen-specific B cells (which are otherwise present in too low a concentration in whole B cell populations). - [Read Proliferative Assays for B Cell Function Protocol]

Category: Immunology: T Cell Protocols

Protocols describe the conditions required to induce proliferation are described. Also describe the assay in which CD4·CD25·T cells are co-cultured with conventional T cells in order to assess their suppressive function. Will describe the culture conditions for the activation and expansion of CD4·CD25· cells. - [Read Proliferative Assays for T Cell Function Protocols]

Category: Plant Biology Protocols: Arabidopsis Genetics Protocols

A powerful way to identify a mutation in the gene of interest and to test mutant plants for phenotypes that are predicted to result from loss of function of that gene is by PCR screening. Pools of insertion lines are screened using one primer corresponding to the gene of interest and one primer corresponding to the end of the insertion element. The synthesis of a product indicates the presence of an insertion in the gene of interest. - [Read Screening DNA Pools for T-DNA Insertions in Arabidopsis Genes Protocol]

Category: Cell Biology and Cell Culture

Telomere length can vary from strain to strain and is sensitive to a variety of mutants affecting DNA and chromosome function. Includes: Gel Protocol; Southern blot using oligo probe. - [Read Telomere Length Determination Protocol]