Development of microsatellite markers for the resin-yielding, non-timber forest product species Boswellia serrata (Burseraceae)

PREMISE OF THE STUDY: Boswellia serrata (Burseraceae) is an economically important aromatic,gum-resin–yielding, non-timber forest tree species. Microsatellite markers were developed for B. serrata for the first time to study genetic diversity and population structure. METHODS AND RESULTS: A magnetic bead enrichment method was used to develop 16 microsatellite markers, of which 11 were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus in the 60 individuals studied ranged from three to 10, and the levels of observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.50 to 0.90 and 0.666 to 0.861, respectively. The primers successfully amplified in the congeneric species B. ovalifoliolata. CONCLUSIONS: These microsatellite markers can be used to study the genetic variation and population structure of B. serrata and to provide crucial information on population and ecological issues for management and conservation of the species

Development of DNA aptamers targeting B7H3 by hybrid-SELEX: an alternative to antibodies for immuno-assays

Abstract Antibodies have been extensively used in numerous applications within proteomics-based technologies, requiring high sensitivity, specificity, a broad dynamic range for detection, and precise, reproducible quantification. Seeking alternatives to antibodies due to several inherent limitations of antibodies is an area of active research of tremendous importance. Recently, aptamers have been receiving increasing attention, because they not only have all of the advantages of antibodies, but also have unique advantages, such as thermal stability, low cost, and unlimited applications. Aptamers are gaining importance in immunological studies and can potentially replace antibodies in immunoassays. B7H3, an immunoregulatory protein belonging to the B7 family, is an attractive and promising target due to its overexpression in several tumor tissues while exhibiting limited expression in normal tissues. This study employed hybrid-SELEX with next-generation sequencing to select ssDNA aptamers specifically binding to the B7H3 protein. These aptamers demonstrated versatility across various assays, including flow cytometry, dot-blot, and immunohistochemistry. Effective performance in sandwich dot-blot assays and western blot analysis suggests their potential for diagnostic applications and demonstrates their adaptability and cost-effectiveness in diverse protein detection techniques