Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) and human kallikrein 2 are closely related products of the human kallikrein genes KLK3 and KLK2, respectively. Both PSA and human kallikrein 2 are produced and secreted in the prostate and have important applications in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. We report here the identification of unusual mRNA splice variants of the KLK2 and KLK3 genes that result from inclusion of intronic sequences adjacent to the first exon. The novel proteins encoded by these transcripts, named PSA-linked molecule (PSA-LM) and hK2-linked molecule (K-LM), share only the signal peptide with the original protein product of the respective gene. The mature proteins are entirely different and bear no similarity to the kallikrein family or to other proteins in the databases. As is the case with PSA, PSA-LM is expressed in the secretory epithelial cells of the prostate and is up-regulated in response to androgenic stimulation. A similar pattern of expression is suggested for K-LM.
Compared to open partial nephrectomy the laparoscopic approach offers similar cancer-free survival rates. However, the procedure requires highly skilled surgeons. Of the energy based ablative treatments cryoablation followed by radio frequency ablation offers the most meaningful results, with promising local control rates indicated in some series. These methods can be performed less invasively than partial nephrectomy and require less surgical expertise. We anticipate that these modalities will be formalized into urological practice and serve as a single continuum of care, customized according to disease and surgical expertise.
Plants
are the central source of food for humans around the world.
Unfortunately, plants can be negatively affected by diverse kinds
of diseases that are responsible for major economic losses worldwide.
Thus, monitoring plant health and early detection of pathogens are
essential to reduce disease spread and facilitate effective management
practices. Various detection approaches are currently practiced. These
methods mainly include visual inspection and laboratory tests. Nonetheless,
these methods are labor-intensive, time-consuming, expensive, and
inefficient in the early stages of infection. Thus, it is extremely
important to detect diseases at the early stages of the epidemic.
Here, we would like to present a fast, sensitive, and reliable electrochemical
sensing platform for the detection of airborne soybean rust spores.
The suspected airborne soybean rust spores are first collected and
trapped inside a carbon 3D electrode matrix by high-capacity air-sampling
means. Then, a specific biotinylated aptamer, suitable to target specific
sites of soybean rust spores is applied. This aptamer agent binds
to the surface of the collected spores on the electrode. Finally,
spore-bound aptamer units are incubated with a streptavidin–alkaline
phosphatase agent leading to the enzymatic formation of
p
-nitrophenol, which is characterized by its unique electrochemical
properties. Our method allows for the rapid (ca. 2 min), selective,
and sensitive collection and detection of soybean rust spores (down
to the limit of 100–200 collected spores per cm
2
of electrode area). This method could be further optimized for its
sensitivity and applied to the future multiplex early detection of
various airborne plant diseases.
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