Wild Plum: novel particles of improved optical brightness and fluorescence.

A novel compound named Wild Plum fluoresces blue, and has been synthesized to camouflage skin imperfections, addressing the market demand for an anti-aging product. Wild Plum imparts optical brightness and fluorescence and can be used as an ingredient in cosmetic formulations. Skin appearance before and after application of Wild Plum compounds demonstrated an improved appearance of skin including a decreased number of wrinkles. When added to makeup, lotions, creams, and powders, Wild Plum conveys the glow of healthy youthful skin, replacing other costly or invasive alternatives such as cosmetic surgery.

DETECHIP: a sensor for drugs of abuse.

The design and preliminary characterization of a novel sensor for drugs of abuse, DETECHIP, is described in this proof-of-concept note. Combining both colorimetric and fluorimetric assays, DETECHIP is suitable for lab and field use. More than a conventional spot test which provides a single "yes or no" answer, DETECHIP provides twenty responses for a more complete characterization of suspect material. This is accomplished by visually noting colorimetric and fluorescent changes of carefully selected dyes upon the addition of test analytes, including drugs of abuse, with respect to controls. Color and fluorescence changes are recorded numerically so that a 20 digit identification code can be constructed for comparison of test analytes and known compounds. DETECHIP is applicable to a variety of drugs, both plant-derived and synthetic, addressing the need to use several different spot tests simultaneously for a single sample.

Peroxisomal metabolism of propionic acid and isobutyric acid in plants.

The subcellular sites of branched-chain amino acid metabolism in plants have been controversial, particularly with respect to valine catabolism. Potential enzymes for some steps in the valine catabolic pathway are clearly present in both mitochondria and peroxisomes, but the metabolic functions of these isoforms are not clear. The present study examined the possible function of these enzymes in metabolism of isobutyryl-CoA and propionyl-CoA, intermediates in the metabolism of valine and of odd-chain and branched-chain fatty acids. Using (13)C NMR, accumulation of beta-hydroxypropionate from [2-(13)C]propionate was observed in seedlings of Arabidopsis thaliana and a range of other plants, including both monocots and dicots. Examination of coding sequences and subcellular targeting elements indicated that the completed genome of A. thaliana likely codes for all the enzymes necessary to convert valine to propionyl-CoA in mitochondria. However, Arabidopsis mitochondria may lack some of the key enzymes for metabolism of propionyl-CoA. Known peroxisomal enzymes may convert propionyl-CoA to beta-hydroxypropionate by a modified beta-oxidation pathway. The chy1-3 mutation, creating a defect in a peroxisomal hydroxyacyl-CoA hydrolase, abolished the accumulation of beta-hydroxyisobutyrate from exogenous isobutyrate, but not the accumulation of beta-hydroxypropionate from exogenous propionate. The chy1-3 mutant also displayed a dramatically increased sensitivity to the toxic effects of excess propionate and isobutyrate but not of valine. (13)C NMR analysis of Arabidopsis seedlings exposed to [U-(13)C]valine did not show an accumulation of beta-hydroxypropionate. No evidence was observed for a modified beta-oxidation of valine. (13)C NMR analysis showed that valine was converted to leucine through the production of alpha-ketoisovalerate and isopropylmalate. These data suggest that peroxisomal enzymes for a modified beta-oxidation of isobutyryl-CoA and propionyl-CoA could function for metabolism of substrates other than valine.

Robust classification of renal cell carcinoma based on gene expression data and predicted cytogenetic profiles.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a heterogeneous disease that includes several histologically distinct subtypes. The most common RCC subtypes are clear cell, papillary, and chromophobe, and recent gene expression profiling studies suggest that classification of RCC based on transcriptional signatures could be beneficial. Traditionally, however, patterns of chromosomal alterations have been used to assist in the molecular classification of RCC. The purpose of this study was to determine whether it was possible to develop a classification model for the three major RCC subtypes that utilizes gene expression profiles as the bases for both molecular genetic and cytogenetic classification. Gene expression profiles were first used to build an expression-based RCC classifier. The RCC gene expression profiles were then examined for the presence of regional gene expression biases. Regional expression biases are genetic intervals that contain a disproportionate number of genes that are coordinately up- or down-regulated. The presence of a regional gene expression bias often indicates the presence of a chromosomal abnormality. In this study, we demonstrate an expression-based classifier can distinguish between the three most common RCC subtypes in 99% of cases (n = 73). We also demonstrate that detection of regional expression biases accurately identifies cytogenetic features common to RCC. Additionally, the in silico-derived cytogenetic profiles could be used to classify 81% of cases. Taken together, these data demonstrate that it is possible to construct a robust classification model for RCC using both transcriptional and cytogenetic features derived from a gene expression profile.