DNA Fingerprinting of Pearls to Determine Their Origins

We report the first successful extraction of oyster DNA from a pearl and use it to identify the source oyster species for the three major pearl-producing oyster species Pinctada margaritifera, P. maxima and P. radiata. Both mitochondrial and nuclear gene fragments could be PCR-amplified and sequenced. A polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) assay in the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region was developed and used to identify 18 pearls of unknown origin. A micro-drilling technique was developed to obtain small amounts of DNA while maintaining the commercial value of the pearls. This DNA fingerprinting method could be used to document the source of historic pearls and will provide more transparency for traders and consumers within the pearl industry

Perfiles del Cuadrante. Experiencias de la Radio.

Los editores hacen una antología de los trabajos de distintos estudiosos de la comunicación, abarcando el análisis de las formas que adquieren las instituciones radiofónicas mexicanas, sus objetivos, programaciones y públicos, además del estudio de los mensajes radiofónicos y su contenido. Se presenta también una recopilación de investigaciones académicas sobre radiodifusión y estudios culturales de la audiencia. Finaliza la edición con una caracterización de las perspectivas de la radio actual.314p

HTRF® total and phospho-YAP(Ser127) cellular assays

International audienceThe YAP protein is a co-transcription factor increasing the expression of genes involved in cell proliferation and repressing the expression of genes important for cell differentiation and apoptosis. It is regulated by several inputs, like the Hippo pathway, through the action of kinases that phosphorylate YAP on several residues. The level of phosphorylation of the residues serine 127 (S127) of YAP is generally assessed in cellular models, native tissues, and organs, as a marker of YAP activity and location, and is regulated by numerous partners. This phosphorylation event is classically detected using a western blot technical approach. Here, we describe a novel approach to detect both the relative amount of total YAP (T-YAP assay) and the phosphorylation of the residue S127 of YAP (S127-P-YAP assay) using a HTRF®-based method. This easy-to-run method can easily be miniaturized and allows for a high-throughput analysis in 96/384-well plate format, requiring less cellular material and being more rapid than other approaches

Paramyxida

Paramyxidans are obligate parasites of marine invertebrates. They produce a characteristic delicate spore with one cell within a second cell. In some genera, these are enclosed within a third cell and even a fourth cell. Life cycles are generally unknown. In two Marteilla species that are major pathogens of oysters, there could be an alternate host in the life cycle