Quantification of p53 expression in the nervous system

Features of p53 protein distribution in the corneal epithelium and corneal tear film

Tumor suppressor protein p53 is the key factor in the regulation of cell proliferation. Its concentration is low in the cytoplasm of most cell types. However, in corneal epithelium cells, abnormally high p53 content is detected. The aim of the present study was to characterize p53 distribution in the corneal epithelium. For this purpose, immunohistochemistry, western blot analysis and electronic microscope examinations were performed. A low level of p53 was identified in the lens, iris and retina; by contrast, a significantly high concentration of this protein was observed in the corneal epithelium. In opposite, MDM2 was identified in the lens, iris and retina while it is completely absent in the corneal epithelium. In addition, we found a significant amount of exosomes and other microvesicles containing p53 in the corneal mucin layer. We thus hypothesize that a significantly high level of p53 was caused by a combination of absents of MDM2 in parallel with p53 microvesicles storage.

Nuclear expression of p53 in mature tumor endothelium of retinoblastoma

The present study aimed to investigate the p53 expression pattern in tumor cells and in mature tumor vascular endothelium of retinoblastoma. Nuclear p53 accumulation was observed in most of the tumor cells in both the human and orthotopic retinoblastoma animal models using SNUOT-Rb1 and Y79 cells. In the orthotopic animal model, some of the tumor vascular endothelium also demonstrated nuclear p53 immunoreactivity, and the ratio of p53 positivity among the total mature tumor vascular endothelium was slightly higher in the Y79 cell model when compared with the SNUOT-Rb1 cell model. In addition, in the human retinoblastoma specimens, 32.9% of the tumor vascular endothelium showed p53 nuclear staining. In conclusion, some of the mature tumor vascular endothelium in both the human and orthotopic models of retinoblastoma share the same cytogenetic abnormality (an abnormal nuclear accumulation of p53) with retinoblastoma cells.

A magnetic electrochemical immunosensor for the detection of phosphorylated p53 based on enzyme functionalized carbon nanospheres with signal amplification

A nanomaterial-based disposable immunosensor was developed for detection of phosphorylated protein using enzyme functionalization of carbon nanospheres as amplification labels.

Exonuclease-mediated ELISA-like assay for detecting DNA-binding activity of transcription factors: measurement of activated NF-kappaB

This paper describes an exonuclease-mediated enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-like assay (EMEA) for detecting the DNA binding activity of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). For EMEA, a special double-stranded DNA (dsDNA)-coupled plate was first prepared by immobilizing a DNA probe on an N-oxysuccinimide ester-coated plate. The immobilized DNA probe, which was internally labeled with digoxigenin (DIG)-dT contained a NF-kappaB binding consensus sequence for capturing activated NF- kappaB in analyzed samples. For measurement, the plate was first incubated with a protein sample and then treated with exonuclease III to eliminate the probes not bound by NF-kappaB. Finally, the probes protected by NF-kappaB were colorimetrically detected by an alkaline phosphatase (AP)-conjugated anti-DIG antibody. The major advantage of EMEA is that it detects NF-kappaB without the need for NF-kappaB antibodies. EMEA may provide a general approach for assays of DNA sequence-specific transcription factors for which specific antibodies are unavailable, expensive, or of insufficient quality.

Assay of DNA-binding proteins with a dsDNA-coupled plate

OBJECTIVES

This paper fabricated a cost-effective dsDNA-coupled plate (dcPlate) and applied it to measure the abundance and DNA-binding activity of a DNA-binding protein (DBP).

DESIGN AND METHODS

The dcPlate was manufactured by covalently immobilizing an amino-modified oligonucleotide in wells of the plate coated with N-oxysuccinimide esters. The dcPlate was applied to measure the abundance of DNA-binding activity of a DBP in the same four steps, including protein incubation, primary antibody binding, enzyme-linked secondary antibody binding, and colorimetric development.

RESULTS

The detections of three purified DBPs including NF-kappaB, AP1 and SP1, and HeLa cell nuclear extract and assays of DNA-binding activity of NF-kappaB p50 to five various DNA sequences demonstrated that dcPlate can be used to measure the abundance of DBPs quantitatively and assay DNA-binding activity of DBPs in high throughputs format.

CONCLUSIONS

The homemade cost-effective dcPlate provides a simple and versatile platform for studying DBPs.

p53 inactivation leads to impaired motor synchronization in mice

We have combined genetic and pharmacological approaches to investigate the behavioural consequences of inactivation of the murine p53 protein. Our behavioural analysis revealed that p53-null mice (p53KO) exhibit a very specific and significant motor deficit in rapid walking synchronization. This deficit, observed using the rotarod test, was the only behavioural defect of p53KO mice. We demonstrated that it was not due to an increase in neuronal number or abnormal connectivity in the olivo-cerebellar system, thought to control motor synchronization. In order to test the role of p53 in the central nervous system, we injected a pharmacological inhibitor of p53 activation, pifithrin-alpha, into the cerebellum of wild-type mice. This treatment mimicked the walking synchronization deficit of p53KO mice, suggesting that presence of p53 protein in the cerebellum is necessary to execute this synchronization of walking. Our investigation reveals a functional role of cerebellar p53 protein in adult walking synchronization.

New ELISA technique for analysis of p53 protein/DNA binding properties

The p53 tumour suppressor protein is one of the most important topics in cancer research. Its function is associated with the ability to bind DNA in a sequence-specific manner and to operate as a transcription factor. In the present study, we have developed a rapid and reliable method for analysing sequence-specific binding of p53 protein to DNA using a modified enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). In this p53/DNA-ELISA, we use streptavidin-coated microplates to capture biotinylated oligonucleotides containing p53 consensus sequences (p53CON). This newly developed nonradioactive assay allows the detection of p53/DNA complexes using different monoclonal antibodies recognising p53 and has comparable or higher sensitivity to more complicated radioactive methods. Using this method, we can detect binding of endogenous p53 to p53CON and activation of p53 protein for sequence-specific DNA binding. Variations of the basic protocol have also been developed to perform competition experiments and to study p53 binding to natural binding sequences. This modified DNA-ELISA is applicable for screening p53 binding properties from various sources in a short time.