A peptide derived from the N-terminal of NS2A for the preparation of ZIKV NS2A recognition polyclonal antibody.

Zika virus non-structural protein NS2A participates in viral replication, organization, and budding, as well as escaping host immunity. NS2A also involved in the induction of microcephaly by ZIKV. However, the above studies were mainly performed through NS2A with a tag due to the lack of available antibodies against NS2A. ZIKV NS2A is a multiplex transmembrane protein, which leads to difficulties in the preparation of its recognition antibodies, thus seriously affecting the study of ZIKV NS2A. In this study, we found that a peptide (GSTDHMDHFSLGVLC) derived from the N-terminal of ZIKV NS2A coupled to KLH induced antibodies recognizing ZIKV NS2A in rabbits. The purified polyclonal antibody recognized ZIKV NS2A in ZIKV-infected cells with high efficiency and specificity, as detected by western blot and immunofluorescence assay. Our study has important implications for the preparation of ZIKV NS2A antibodies and the in-depth study of ZIKV NS2A.

Increased expression of stathmin in eutopic endometrium of patients with endometriosis.

BACKGROUND: Stathmin was identified as an endometriosis-related protein by comparative proteomics in our previous study. As a microtubule-destabilizing factor, stathmin was shown to participate in the relay and integration of diverse intracellular signaling pathways involved in cell proliferation, differentiation, and many other cellular activities. To investigate whether stathmin is involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, we examined the expression of stathmin in eutopic endometrium of women with or without endometriosis. METHODS: Eutopic endometrium samples were collected from thirty-six patients who were diagnosed as endometriosis and the nineteen age-matched patients who were confirmed to be free of endometriosis surgically and histologically. The expression of stathmin mRNA was detected by real-time PCR, and its protein was detected by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Stathmin was overexpressed in eutopic endometrium of women with endometriosis detected by real-time PCR in mRNA levels and by Western blotting in protein levels, without significant difference between proliferative and secretory phase. Immunohistochemistry showed that stathmin protein was localized in both endometrial glandular and stromal cells throughout the menstrual cycle. CONCLUSIONS: Stathmin is overexpressed in endometrium of patients with endometriosis and may play a role in the pathogenesis of endometriosis.