Volatile organic compound specific detection by electrochemical signals using a cell-based sensor.

A cell-based in vitro exposure system was developed to determine whether oxidative stress plays a role in the cytotoxic effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) such as benzene, toluene, xylene, and chlorobenzene, using human epithelial HeLa cells. Thin films based on cysteine-terminated synthetic oligopeptides were fabricated for immobilization of the HeLa cells on a gold (Au) substrate. In addition, an immobilized cell-based sensor was applied to the electrochemical detection of the VOCs. Layer formation and immobilization of the cells were investigated with surface plasmon resonance (SPR), cyclic voltammetry (CV), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). The adhered living cells were exposed to VOCs; this caused a change in the SPR angle and the VOC-specific electrochemical signal. In addition, VOC toxicity was found to correlate with the degree of nitric oxide (NO) generation and EIS. The primary reason for the marked increase in impedance was the change of aqueous electrolyte composition as a result of cell responses. The p53 and NF-kappaB downregulation were closely related to the magnitude of growth inhibition associated with increasing concentrations of each VOC. Therefore, the proposed cell immobilization method, using a self-assembly technique and VOC-specific electrochemical signals, can be applied to construct a cell microarray for onsite VOC monitoring.

Functional dissection of the transactivation domain of interferon regulatory factor-1.

Interferon regulatory factor-1 (IRF-1), a putative tumor suppressor protein, is a transcriptional mediator of interferon-responsive signaling pathways that are involved in antiviral defense, apoptosis, immune response, and cell growth regulation. To delineate the IRF-1 domain responsible for transactivation, we performed a detailed deletion analysis of IRF-1. We found that the amino acid segment 217-260 was necessary and sufficient for transactivation. The structure of this region was predicted to be loop-helix-loop-sheet using the program PHD. Further studies indicated that casein kinase II and protein kinase C sites on each of the two loops are not important for transactivation, and a region containing amino acids 233-255 comprises the core activation domain. To verify the physiological role of segment 233-255, we constructed an IRF-1 deletion mutant lacking these amino acids and examined it using IRF-1 transactivation assay, fluorescence-activated cell sorting, and in situ beta-galactosidase staining techniques. From the results of these studies, we conclude that the amino acid segment 233-255 of IRF-1 comprises the core activation domain required for the physiological functions of IRF-1.