Abstract: A sensor for detecting an analyte enzyme includes at least one substrate compound and at least one indicator compound selected to produce a measurable change of state as a result of the interaction of the substrate and at least one target or analyte enzyme. Each of the indicator(s) and substrate(s) are incorporated within a single polymer.

Abstract: The present invention provides an enzymatic cycling assay for assessing the amount of homocysteine and/or cystathionine in a solution such as blood, blood, derivatives, or urine. The assay comprises the steps of contacting the solution containing homocysteine and/or cystathionine to form a reaction mixture, with CBS, or a derivative thereof, L-serine, and CBL, or a derivative thereof, for a time period sufficient to catalyze the cyclical conversion of homocysteine form to cystathionine and the reconversion of cystathionine to homocysteine with the production of pyruvate and ammonia; determining the amount of homocysteine and/or ammonia present in the reaction mixture; and determining the amount of homocysteine and/or cystathionine present in the solution based on the amount of pyruvate and/or ammonia formed. Expression vectors and isolation procedures for CBS, or derivatives thereof, and CBL, or derivatives thereof, are also provided as well as test kits for carrying out the assay.

Abstract: Chromogenic 3-Indoxyl choline phosphate compounds of formula (I): wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C1-4 alkyl, such as methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl while R1, R2, R3, and R4 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, halogen, cyano, nitro, carboxy, amino, amino substituted with one or two C1-4 alkyl groups, aminomethyl, hydroxy, C1-4 alkoxy, carboxyalkyl, and sulphonyl. These compounds are capable of being cleaved by lecithinase C leading to products which are calorimetrically detectable.

Abstract: A process for enzymatically producing, from a vegetable oil deodorizer distillate, a dietary sterol fatty acid ester superior in flavor qualities (e.g., color, odor and taste) and safety and containing no or little trans fatty acids, wherein the conditions for treatment of the starting material, synthetic reaction and subsequent purification are controlled so that the sterol fatty acid ester becomes applicable as a daily food material, a health food material or a pharmaceutical material. In the process, fatty acid esters, e.g., triacylglycerol, in the vegetable oil deodorizer distillate are previously degraded by hydrolysis with a chemical catalyst, fatty acids produced in the hydrolysis are removed by molecular distillation to give a sterol-containing fraction. The sterol-containing fraction is added with any fat and oil primarily comprising triacylglycerol. The mixture is used as the starting material, and the synthetic reaction is performed under strictly controlled conditions using a lipolytic enzyme.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to compositions and methods for measuring enzymatic activity, particularly glycosidase activity. Methods of the present invention include assays for quantitatively determining the amount of glycosidase activity in a sample. The present invention also provides methods for the diagnosis of metastatic and inflammatory processes in vitro and in vivo. The present invention further provides compositions and methods for high throughput assays for identifying compounds that effect glycosidase activity.

Abstract: Novel compositions comprising one or more of an acid protease and an acidic buffer, the acidic buffer comprising an acid and a pharmaceutically or cosmetically acceptable carrier, vehicle or excipient, useful for treating or preventing abnormal biological conditions, diseases or disorders, and/or for improving the texture or appearance of the skin, and/or for enhancing epidermal exfoliation and/or for enhancing epidermal cell renewal and to methods for the use of the compositions. The acid protease comprises one or more proteolytic enzymes which exhibit proteolytic activity at pH values below that of the surface of the skin, i.e., approximately pH 5.5. The acidic buffer comprises at least one acidic buffering component that can reversibly disassociate hydrogen ions and has buffering capacity at pH values below that of the surface of the skin, i.e., approximately pH 5.5. or mixtures thereof with a pharmaceutically or cosmetically acceptable carrier, vehicle or excipient.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for determining the hydrogen peroxide content of a fluid. The method includes: (a) contacting the fluid with a catalyst so as to permit decomposition of the hydrogen peroxide present in the fluid to oxygen and water; permitting the oxygen liberated to pass to gas meter; and (c) measuring the volume of oxygen liberated utilizing the gas meter, wherein the volume of oxygen liberated provides a measure of the hydrogen peroxide content of the fluid.

Abstract: The present invention relates to improved diagnostic methods for early detection of a risk for developing type 2 diabetes mellitus in humans, and screening assays for therapeutic agents useful in the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus, by comparing the levels of one or more indicators of altered mitochondrial function. Indicators of altered mitochondrial function include enzymes such as mitochondrial enzymes and ATP biosynthesis factors. Other indicators of altered mitochondrial function include mitochondrial mass, mitochondrial number and mitochondrial DNA content, cellular responses to elevated intracellular calcium and to apoptogens, and free radical production. Methods of treating, and of stratifying, human patients as such methods relate to disclosed indicators of altered mitchondrial function are also provided.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for laser microdissection of specimen regions (23) of interest of a specimen (4) are described. In a first step, a perforation with webs (26, 27, 28) is generated by means of a focused laser beam (7) along a cut line (25) enclosing the specimen region (23) of interest. The perforation has at least two webs (26, 27, 28) which interrupt the cut line (25) and join the specimen region (23) of interest to the surrounding specimen (4). In a second step, the webs (26, 27, 28) are broken with a single laser pulse of the defocused laser beam (7) directed onto the specimen region (23) of interest, thereby detaching the specimen region (23) of interest from the specimen (4).

Abstract: A biosensor comprises a unit, comprising a substrate and an enzyme, which when brought into contact with the substrate is adapted to affect the substrate so that its conductivity changes as a function of time and temperature, and an electric circuit. The unit is included as a component in said electric circuit and the electric circuit is activable by applying an electric field and/or a magnetic field over the same to generate a measurable signal which is dependent on the total resistance of the circuit. The invention also relates to the use of a biosensor, a label with such a biosensor and a method of indicating the status of a product with such a biosensor.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods of modulating capsular polysaccharide production in pneumococci such as Streptococcus pneumoniae. The invention further relates to methods of alleviating pneumococcal infections in animals, and to methods of identifying both agents capable of modulating pneumococcal capsular polysaccharide biosynthesis and agents useful for alleviating pneumococcal infections in animals.

Abstract: The present invention provides an enzymatic cycling assay for assessing the amount of homocysteine and/or cystathionine in a solution such as blood, blood derivatives, or urine. The assay comprises the steps of contacting the solution containing homocysteine and/or cystathionine to form a reaction mixture, with CBS, or a derivative thereof, L-serine, and CBL, or a derivative thereof, for a time period sufficient to catalyze the cyclical conversion of homocysteine form to cystathionine and the reconversion of cystathionine to homocysteine with the production of pyruvate and ammonia; determining the amount of homocysteine and/or ammonia present in the reaction mixture; and determining the amount of homocysteine and/or cystathionine present in the solution based on the amount of pyruvate and/or ammonia formed. Expression vectors and isolation procedures for CBS, or derivatives thereof, and CBL, or derivatives thereof, are also provided as well as test kits for carrying out the assay.

Abstract: A rapid method for detecting spoilage of a food sample, particularly a fish sample, by detecting and enumerating sulfide-producing bacteria (SPB). A growth medium containing iron and sulfur is combined with the food sample forming an incubation mixture which is incubated for a period of time. A plurality of fluorescence measurements are taken during an incubation period of about 4 hours to 17 hours at 30° C. SPB are determined to be present in the sample if the fluorescence measurement initially increases and then decreases to form a fluorescence maximum (peak). The time to detection of the fluorescence peak can be used with a correlation schedule to enumerate the SPB in the food sample. A visual test can also be used to identify color changes in the incubation mixture to provide a semi-quantitative enumeration of SPB effective in about 4 hours to 17 hours at 30° C.

Abstract: The present inventors have discovered that homocitrate synthase is essential for fungal pathogenicity. Specifically, the inhibition of homocitrate synthase gene expression in fungi results in no signs of successful infection or lesions. Thus, homocitrate synthase can be used as a target for the identification of antibiotics, preferably antifungals. Accordingly, the present invention provides methods for the identification of compounds that inhibit homocitrate synthase expression or activity. The methods of the invention are useful for the identification of antibiotics, preferably antifungals.

Abstract: Enzyme assays are performed in microfluidic devices including, e.g., in-line labeling, separation, and detection of assay products. In-line labeling allows assays, e.g., protease assays, to be performed in a continuous flow microfluidic format. Also included are microfluidic devices and integrated systems for performing in-line labeling in continuous flow enzyme assays.

Abstract: A multiplexed enzyme assay method and substrate set for performing the method are disclosed. The method includes performing a plurality of enzyme reactions in the presence of a plurality of enzymes substrates, under conditions effective to convert an enzyme substrate to a corresponding product, where the product of each substrate and the substrate have different separation characteristics from each other and from the other substrates and their corresponding products. After performing the reactions, which may be carried out in separate or combined reactions, the substrates and products in said reactions are separated in a single separation medium. For each separated product and substrate, a separation characteristic effective to identify that product and substrate and a signal related to the amount of the product and substrate is detected. From this, one can determine the amount of substrate converted to the corresponding product in each of the reactions.

Abstract: A method for checking a matrix metalloproteinase-inhibitory activity present in a mammal that has received a compound exhibiting matrix metalloproteinase-inhibitory activity, which comprises utilizing in situ zymography, is provided.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods and devices used for digesting small amounts of protein in tiny cut gel pieces and for extracting the peptides resulting from the digestion in preparation for analysis by mass spectrometry. The invention involves digesting proteins using enzymes within the gel pieces in vessels which have permeable but lyophobic bases in such a manner that they scarcely touch the walls of the vessel, and then rapidly removing the digested proteins from the gel pieces almost completely by gentle centrifuging. It is then advantageous to bond the peptides reversibly to suitable surfaces as quickly as possible. For this purpose, the bases of the vessels may contain structures for bonding the peptides which are suitable for washing and subsequently eluting the peptides. A number of vessels can be combined together to form plates which, for example, can have the size of microtiter plates.

Abstract: The present invention provides high throughput screening Systems for identifying antifungal compounds. The method can be performed in plurality simultaneously with fluorescence or absorbance readouts.

Abstract: The present invention features a method for identifying genes or proteins important in insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). The genes or proteins are useful in identifying IDDM-susceptible individuals, and in identifying and testing potential therapeutic agents for the treatment of IDDM.