The fungal bioluminescence pathway (FBP) is a metabolic pathway responsible for the generation of bioluminescence derived from fungi. This pathway utilizes caffeic acid as the substrate, generating a high-energy intermediate, and the decomposition of which yields green fluorescence with a wavelength of approximately 520 nm. The FBP is evolutionally conserved in luminescent fungal groups. Unlike other bioluminescent systems, the FBP is particularly suitable for engineering applications in eukaryotic organisms, especially in plants. Currently, metabolically engineered luminescent plants are able to emit visible light to illuminate its surroundings, which can be visualized clearly in the dark. The fungal bioluminescent system could be explored in various applications in molecular biology, biosensors and glowing ornamental plants, and even green lighting along city streets.
Luminescence ; Light ; Fluorescence ; Eukaryota ; Green Light

No abstract available.
Luminescence* ; Neutrophils*

Objective To establish a rapid diagnosis method for the biological toxicity of soil, accurately and rapidly evaluate the toxicity of contaminated sites and identify the dominant pollutants. Methods Take the soil pollution of a galvanized factory as an example, while the metal concentration level was analyzed and detected, a rapid biological toxicity detection method based on the acute toxicity test of luminescent bacteria （Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67） was established, and the dominant pollutants were identified by stepwise multiple regression. Results The pollutants came from wastewater and metal plating fragments directly discharged from the manufacturing line of the factory. The concentration of those pollutants was correlated with the acute toxicity of Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67. The dominant pollutants in the study were zinc （Zn）, aluminum （Al） and copper （Cu）. Conclusion The luminescent bacteria toxicity test method based on Vibrio qinghaiensis sp.-Q67 can conveniently and rapidly assess the degree of toxic damage of polluted soil and identify the dominant pollutants and can be applied to the acute toxicity evaluation of polluted soil.
Luminescence ; Vibrio ; Wastewater

PURPOSE: Serum Her-2/neu is extracted from the extracelluar domain of the Her-2/neu tyrosine kinase to serum. We evaluated the correlation between the Her-2/neu status as determined by immunohistochemical analysis (IHC) and the serum Her-2/neu concentration in a population of Korean women with breast cancer. METHODS: Serum Her-2/neu levels were examined from 254 female patients with primary breast cancer and 38 patients with metastatic breast cancer. Serum Her-2/neu levels were measured by the use of a chemiluminescence immunoassay (ADVIA centaur(R) system) during the preoperative period. The level of Her-2/neu in all of the breast cancer tissue samples was determined by IHC, and samples with an IHC grade +2 were subject to fluorescence in situ (FISH). When tissue samples exhibited IHC grade +3 or showed amplification of Her-2/neu as determined by FISH analysis, Her-2/neu was considered overexpressed. The cut-off value for serum Her-2/neu level was 10.2 ng/mL. RESULTS: The mean serum Her-2/neu level was 10.1 ng/mL in primary breast cancer samples. The serum Her-2/neu concentration significantly correlated with expression of Her-2/neu as determined by tissue IHC analysis (grade 1/3, 9.33+/-1.7 ng/mL; grade 2/3, 8.89+/-1.6 ng/mL; grade 3/3, 12.37+/-4.0 ng/mL, p<0.001). Increased serum HER-2/neu levels were associated with the lymph node status (p=0.003) and hormone unresponsiveness (p<0.001), tumor size (p<0.01) and age group (p<0.001). In metastatic breast cancer samples, the mean serum Her-2/neu level was 13.6 ng/mL. Elevated serum Her-2/neu levels were seen in 71.7% of metastatic breast cancer samples. The serum Her-2/neu level correlated with expression of Her-2/neu in metastatic tissue as determined by IHC analysis (p<0.001) rather than with the Her-2/neu status of the primary breast cancer (p=0.16) CONCLUSION: Serum Her-2/neu appears to be correlate with tissue Her-2/neu expression in primary and metastatic breast cancer where Her-2/neu is overexpressed. Further studies to determine levels of serum Her-2/neu are required to determine cuttoff values and the clinical application of the finding for breast cancer patients in Korea.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Female ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Korea ; Luminescence ; Lymph Nodes ; Preoperative Period ; Protein-Tyrosine Kinases

Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; analysis ; Humans ; Luminescence

PURPOSE: The extracelluar domain (ECD) of HER2 may be cleaved from the surface of cancer cells whereby serum HER2 ECD levels can be detected. We explored the correlation between serum HER2 ECD and tissue HER2 status and their relationship with clinicopathological parameters. METHODS: We included 125 patients with stage 0-3 breast cancer. The serum HER2 ECD level was measured by chemiluminescence immunoassay (ADVIA Centaur(R) system). The tissue HER2 status was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in all tumors. We reviewed the medical records retrospectively. The analyzed clinicopathological parameters were age, tumor size, histologic grade, vascular invasion, lymph node involvement, stage, estrogen receptor (ER) and CA 15-3. RESULTS: High serum HER2 ECD levels (> or =15 ng/ml) were reported in 15 patients (12.0%). For tissue HER 2 status, 30 patients (24.0%) had positive results in FISH and 46 patients (37.0%) had strong positive results in IHC (3+). The specificity of serum HER2 ECD was 92.6% but the sensitivity was only 26.7%. The concordance between serum HER2 ECD and FISH tests was 23.3%. High serum HER2 ECD levels were significantly associated with old age (P=0.005), large tumor size (P=0.021), vascular invasion (P=0.001), lymph node involvement (P=0.010) and advanced stage (P<0.001). ER and CA 15-3 levels were not significantly related with serum HER2 ECD. CONCLUSION: Serum HER2 ECD test could not be substituted for tissue HER2 status because of low concordance. However, high levels of serum HER2 were associated with large tumor size, lymph node involvement and advanced stage. We need to study serum HER2 ECD test as a role of prognostic marker.
Breast ; Breast Neoplasms ; Estrogens ; Fluorescence ; Humans ; Immunoassay ; Immunohistochemistry ; In Situ Hybridization ; Luminescence ; Lymph Nodes ; Medical Records ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity

PURPOSE: To demonstrate and analyze quantitatively the expression of marker genes in the Achilles tendon of rats by direct DNA injection and electroporation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP) cDNA or luciferase cDNA were injected into the mid-substance of rat Achilles tendon followed by various conditions of electroporation. Adenovirus encoding firefly luciferase was used to compare the transfection efficiency. Tendons were examined by confocal microscopy when EGEP was used and with luciferase, and the luminescence was measured quantitatively. RESULTS: Combined injection with electroporation increased the fluorescence intensity. The results of luciferase cDNA injection and electroporation with 25 volts/0.25 cm and 50 volts/0.25 cm showed a ten times and thirty-three times higher luminescence respectively than without using electroporation. After DNA injection and electroporation using 50 volts, the luciferase activity was slightly lower than with viral transduciton using 106 plaque forming units. CONCLUSION: Direct administration of therapeutic genes by electroporation accelerates the repair processes in musculoskeletal tissues.
Achilles Tendon* ; Adenoviridae ; Animals ; DNA ; DNA, Complementary ; Electroporation* ; Fireflies ; Fluorescence ; Gene Expression ; Luciferases ; Luminescence ; Microscopy, Confocal ; Rats* ; Tendons ; Transfection

No abstract available.
HL-60 Cells* ; Humans ; Luminescence* ; Tretinoin*

Biomarkers ; Hepatitis B virus ; Humans ; Luminescence

The toxin-producing bacterium Vibrio cholerae can cause severe diarrhea and has caused seven global pandemics. Traditional viable cell counts and phage plaques are commonly used to evaluate the efficacy of virulent phage clearance of V. cholerae, but these operations are time-consuming and labor-intensive, and difficult to provide real-time changes. It is desirable to develop a simple and real-time method to monitor V. cholerae during phage lysis. In this study, a luminescence-generating plasmid pBBR-pmdh-luxCDABE was transformed into three O1 serogroup drug-resistant strains of V. cholerae. The results showed that the luminescence value as a monitoring index correlates well with the traditional viable cell count method. Monitoring the number of live cells of V. cholerae by measuring the luminescence allowed real-time analysis of the number of bacteria remaining during phage lysis. This method enables repeated, interference-free, continuous multiple-time-point detection of the same sample without the time delay of re-culture or plaque formation, facilitating real-time monitoring and analysis of the interaction between the phage and the host bacteria.
Bacteriophages/genetics* ; Luminescence ; Plasmids ; Vibrio cholerae