Notes: RNA was isolated from adult C. pallens (insect) tissues using the SV Total RNA Isolation System prior to cDNA library construction and sequencing on the Illumina HiSeq™ platform. To validate NGS sequence alignment, end-to-end PCR was performed. PCR products were purified using the Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System prior to cloning into a T vector. To verify the identified differentially expressed genes, quantitative real-time PCR (RT-qPCR) was used. Total RNA was extracted and cDNAs synthesized using the Reverse Transcription System prior to qPCR. (4560)

Notes: PCR products from a tertiary TAIL-PCR were separated by agarose gel electrophoresis and purified using the Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up Kit. Purified fragments were cloned into pGEM®-T Easy Vectors, and clones were sequenced. (4547)

Notes: The authors investigated the suppression of E. coli O157:H7 in sand-based livestock bedding and hypothesized that suppression of E. coli O157:H7 growth was mediated by an environmentally stable population of pathogen-suppressing bacteria. These bacteria were identified by terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of amplified 16S rRNA gene sequences isolated from used bedding followed by cloning and sequencing of the most abundant terminal restriction fragments. Amplifications were performed using the GoTaq^® Flexi DNA Polymerase, then PCR products were cloned into the pGEM^®-T Easy Vector. The PureYield™ Plasmid Miniprep System was used to purify plasmids for sequencing. (4165)

Notes: Wizard® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System was used to purify products after barcodes were attached by PCR prior to sequencing on an Illumina Genome Analyzer GA2. (4553)

Notes: These authors first used a FLAG-tagged protein (nfr2) with a HeLa Nuclear extract and captured interacting proteins via SDS-PAGE and in-gel digests of bands to identify (Krüppel-associated box)-associated protein 1 (KAP1) as a potential interacting partner. Human KAP1 was purchased as a HaloTag^® CMV Flexi^® Vector from Kazusa and used in a Mammalian PullDown scenario (with HaloLink™ Resin) to demonstrate interaction between the two proteins. A reporter assay was used to show that KAP1 facilitates Nrf2 transactivation in a dose-dependent manner. The authors defined the interaction sites using GST-tagged nrf2 and various forms of KAP1-HaloTag® Fusions expressed in TNT® SP6 High-Yield Wheat Germ Extract. GST-tagged proteins were expressed in E. coli and bound to glutathione-Sepharose beads. These bound proteins were mixed with the KAP1 from the cell-free expression system, incubated for 4 hours at 4°C, washed and stained with the HaloTag^® TMR Ligand for 30 minutes. The proteins from the pull-down assay were subjected to SDS-PAGE and the HaloTag^® proteins detected by phosphorimaging and the GST proteins by Coomassie Brilliant Blue Staining. A two-hybrid system consisting of the pRL-TK Vector with a firefly luciferase reporter with Gal4 UAS, mouse Nrf-2 N-terminal domain and KAP1 was also used. The vectors were transfected into Nrf2 knockout MEFs for 4 hours then incubated for 36 hours before luciferase expression was determined using the Dual-Luciferase^® Reporter Assay System. (4123)

Notes: Thrombomodulin (TM) expression was examined by isolating genomic DNA from biopsies of human malignant mesothelioma and normal mesothelial tissue, and cultured cell lines with or without PARP1 silencing treated with 5-aza-2´-deoxycytidine and trichostatin alone or in combination and then subjected to biosulfide modification. To analyze methylation of TM, a CpG island in the promoter, 5´ UTR and an exon region containing 44 CpG dinucleotides were PCR amplified, cloned into the pGEM^®-T Easy Vector, transformed and positive clones selected using IPTG/X-Gal and analyzed by PCR. Colonies were cultured, the plasmids isolated using the Wizard^® Plus SV Minipreps DNA Purification System then 10 clones
from each sample type were sequenced. (4132)

Notes: The authors developed a high-density protein array using a recombinant peptide library to map the epitope recognized by a commercially available anti-vitamin D receptor (VDR) monoclonal antibody. By screening 2304 overlapping VDR peptides, they were able to identify the 37-amino-acid epitope. The library was created by amplifying the 1.2kb VDR coding region, cleaning the PCR product with the Wizard^® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System, sonicating the PCR product, then cloning the VDR fragments into a bacterial expression vector that confers a glutathione-S-transferase (GST) tag. The epitope was verified by showing that the 37-amino-acid sequence was recognized in Western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA); the full-length VDR, also expressed as GST fusion protein, was used as a positive control. These GST fusion proteins were purified using the MagneGST™ Protein Purification System. (4154)

Notes: The authors studied how the basal rate of protein synthesis in primary cortical neurons was affected by chronic treatment of with a variety of neurotrophic factors and cytokines. Rat eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) was cloned by PCR then subcloned into the pCI Mammalian Expression Vector and electroporated into neurons. After 72 hours, the neurons were harvested and used in various translation assays including ribosomal transit time. (4070)

Notes: The authors use the Flexi^® Cloning System to convert their cDNA clones to expression-ready clones. They wanted clones that could be used for comprehensive analysis with the HaloTag^® Technology. They also describe a method of transferring ORFs between Flexi^® Vectors in a 96-well plate format. They also used Wizard^® SV 96 Plasmid DNA Purification, Wizard^® SV PCR Clean-Up, and Wizard^® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up Systems. (4056)

Notes: The researchers examined if a CD20 mutation would affect resistance to rituximab, an adjunct cancer therapy drug used for CD20-positive B-cell lymphoma. CD20 PCR products amplified from genomic DNA were cloned into the pTARGET™ Mammalian Expression Vector. These CD20 mutant constructs were stably introduced into K562 chronic myelogenous leukemia cells by electroporation and selected using G-418. One microgram of CD20 mutant construct DNA was transcribed and translated using an in vitro translation kit from Promega. (4032)

Notes: This study examined the expression levels of each UGT isoform in human liver and evaluated the variability between individuals. Total RNA from appropriate human tissues or various cell lines was used for RT-PCR of various human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGT) cDNAs. The amplimers were cloned into the pTARGET™ Mammalian Expression Vector and verified by sequencing. The UGT vectors were linearized by restriction enzyme digestion and used for standards in real-time RT-PCR analysis. (4034)

Notes: The authors were wanted to study the upstream open reading frame 2 (uORF2) of the 5’ leader of bZIP11 mRNA, which has a role in sucrose regulation. The whole 5’ leader fragment of bZIP11 was subcloned into the pALTER^® Vector and amino acid substitutions were introduced using the Altered Sites^® II in vitro Mutagenesis System. The pGEM^®-T Easy Vector was used to clone two PCR fragments that were then subcloned using restriction enzymes to create a fusion of uORF2 to a different 5’ leader. Arabidopsis seedlings were transformed via particle bombardment. 20mg of plant tissue was ground in Passive Lysis Buffer, centrifuged, and 20µl of the supernatant was assessed for reporter gene expression using the Dual-Luciferase^® Reporter Assay System. (4023)

Notes: The authors characterized the network of protein-protein interactions for 22 MADS-domain proteins in tomato using yeast two-hybrid and three-hybrid assays. To construct bait and prey proteins, total RNA from various tissues was reverse transcribed using the Reverse Transcription System, then amplified using PCR primers containing restriction enzyme sites for cloning into the bait and prey vectors. (3886)

Notes: Increased expression of midkine (MK), a growth factor normally involved in neural development, is associated with several human malignancies. The authors used quantitative RT-PCR to examine mRNA levels for MK and MK receptors in various soft-tissue sarcoma (STS) cell lines. Reverse transcription was performed using 1µg of total RNA, and 2µl of cDNA was used in qPCR using the PCR Master Mix, primers specific to MK and either glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate or β-actin primers for normalization, and EvaGreen^® dye. To examine the protumorigenic effects of MK, the authors incubated HT1080 and SW684 STS cell lines, which express low levels of MK, with human recombinant MK and measured cell proliferation using the CellTiter 96^® AQ_ueous Non-Radioactive Cell Proliferation Assay. In addition, the authors examined cell proliferation in MK-stably transfected HT1080 cells. The plasmid used for stable transfections was created by reverse transcribing the MK-coding region using the ImProm-II™ Reverse Transcription System, then cloning the resulting cDNA into an expression vector. (3895)

Notes: To examine the causes of Factor V (FV) deficiency, the authors examined transcript splicing and its mutated variations. Three regions of human FV (F5) were amplified from a healthy individual and the PCR products cloned into the pTargeT™ Mammalian Expression Vector. Three identified mutations from people with FV deficiency were introduced by site-directed mutatgenesis. All constructs were sequenced before transfection into HeLa cells. After 48 hours, the total RNA was purified and the splicing pattern of the wild type and mutant constructs were analyzed by RT-PCR. The mutant constructs were also transfected into HepG2 cells and tested for nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) with or without NMD inhibitors (puromycin, cycloheximide, and wortmannin) using RT-PCR. (3992)

Notes: These authors describe use of a red recombinase mediated method for generation of reporter constructs in Salmonella enterica setrovar typhimurium. Among the reporter constructs created was a HaloTag^® reporter using the HaloTag^® coding region from the pHT2 promoter. (3924)

Notes: The authors examined the pattern of Anaplasma phagocytophilum msp2 expression, a gene that modulates with little immune pressure and has decreased virulence with prolonged in vitro passage. C57BL/6J mice were inoculated with HL-60 cells infected with low-passage (passage 5) or high-passage (passage 26). Blood samples were taken 2–21 days post-inoculation, and total RNA was isolated. The purified RNA was subjected to RT-PCR, cloned into the pGEM^®-T Easy Vector, transformed and plated. Plasmids were purified using the Wizard^® SV 96 Plasmid DNA Purification System, and the insert size analyzed after EcoRI digestion. The inserts were sequenced, aligned with A. phagocytophilum Webster strain msp2 references using ClustalX and the diversity of msp2 transcripts divided into low- or high-passage bacteria. (3975)

Notes: Snail is a transcriptional repressor of E-cadherin that enhances both cell attachment and cell detachment in Madin Darby canine kidney (MDCK) and A4231 cells. To investigate this effect, the authors used Western blot analysis and RT-PCR to monitor protein and mRNA levels of the major adhesive proteins expressed in epithelial cells: laminin, heparin sulfate proteoglycan and collagens. For RT-PCR, total RNA was isolated from transiently transfected snail-expressing MDCK and A431 cells and untransfected cells, then reverse transcribed. The resulting cDNA was amplified by PCR using GoTaq^® DNA Polymerase; glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was amplified as an internal control. The ability of Snail to regulate the integrin αV promoter was also examined by cloning the promoter and several promoter deletions upstream of a firefly luciferase reporter gene in the pGL3-Basic Vector. Each of these constructs (1µg) and 20ng of pRL-CMV Vector were transfected into MDCK and MDCK/snail cells, and luminescence was measured using the Dual Luciferase Assay System. (3882)

Notes: Sulfatide is present in mammalian organs where influenza A replicates. Ceramide galactosyltransferase (CGT) and cerebroside (galactosylceramide) sulfotransferase (CST), which synthesize sulfatide, were cloned by PCR into the pTargeT™ Mammalian Expression Vector and the pGEM®-T Easy Vector, (CST with or without a three base insertion), respectively. The two genes were removed by restriction digestion and cloned into pIRES-neo to forma bicistronic construct. Arylsulfatase A (ASA), which degrades sulfatide was also amplified and cloned into the pGEM®-T Easy Vector, before being subcloned into a neomycin-resistant expression vector. The expression vectors were transfected into COS-7 cells and selected for stable expression using G418. (3990)

Notes: The authors identified a novel subunit of the voltage-dependent L-type Ca²⁺ channel (Ca_V1.2) with a cysteine-rich N-terminus using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (5´ RACE). The 5´ RACE products were amplified using nested PCR, then cloned into the pGEM^®-T Easy Vector and sequenced using the T7 Promoter Primer. (3801)

Notes: In this paper, the authors hypothesized that bisphosphonates, which are used to prevent tumor metastasis, affect expression of urokinasetype plasminogen activator (uPA), which seems to be critical for prostate cancer metastasis. The authors examined the effect of several bisphosphonates on uPA expression in PC-3 cells. Pamidronate treatment resulted in lower uPA mRNA levels. To investigate the cause, the authors created a uPA reporter construct (pGL3-uPA) by cloning the 5′-flanking region of the human uPA gene upstream of a firefly luciferase reporter gene in the pGL3-Basic Vector. PC-3 cells were seeded at a density of 3 × 10⁴ cells/well in 24-well culture plates and transfected with 0.5µg of pGL3-uPA and 1ng of the Renilla luciferase phRL-TK Vector using FuGENE® 6 Transfection Reagent. At 48 hours post-transfection, the authors measured reporter activity using the Dual-Luciferase® Reporter Assay System to learn that treatment with 100µM pamidronate inhibited transcription of the uPA gene. (4384)

Notes: These authors studied microbial community structure at various locations in an aged underground petroleum plume. DNA was purified from soil samples collected from different sites within a contaminated area. 16S rRNA genes were then amplified from the isolated DNA, and the PCR products were run on a gel and purified using the Wizard^® SV Gel and PCR Clean-Up System. After subcloning into a TA vector, the 16S RNA genes were sequenced and used to identify the various Phyla represented and characterize the microbial populations present throughout the site. (3625)

Notes: To construct dystrophin minigenes, genomic DNA containing a mutation in dystrophin was amplified for exons 30, 31 and 32. The three PCR fragments were combined and amplified into one product. This overlap-extension PCR generated two minigenes which were then cloned into the pGEM^®-T Vector and sequenced. After EcoR I digestion, the minigenes were ligated into the pSI Mammalian Expression Vector and transiently transfected into C2C12 cells for expression analysis. (3499)

Notes: N-terminal GST fusion proteins of portions of the type-1 S2^- Ionsitol 1,4,5-triphosphate receptor were created using the pFN2A (GST) Flexi^® Vector. The constructs were expresed in BL21 (DE3) pLysS cells and used for ATP-binding assays. (3392)

Notes: The outer membrane protein A (ompA) gene of Enterobacter sakazakii was amplified using PCR primers based on E. coli ompA sequences. The resulting PCR product was ligated into the pGEM®-T Easy Vector, and the sequence was confirmed. The ompA sequence was used to develop a PCR for detection of Enterobacter sakazakii in reconstituted infant formula. (3464)