Applied Biosystems released this week the latest version of the PANTHER system database of protein families, subfamilies, functions and pathways. Enhancements to the latest version, PANTHER 5.0, include interactive resources for associating protein families with their biological pathways, as well as new tools for analyzing gene expression data in relation to molecular functions, biological processes and pathways.
The PANTHER database is publicly available, without restriction, at http://panther.appliedbiosystems.com. Beginning in February, the database will become part of the European Bioinformatics Institute’s InterPro database, which provides an integrated view of the most commonly used protein databases through an intuitive interface for text- and sequence-based searches.
Millipore announced this week the release of a new western blotting technique using the company’s Immobilon -P and PSQ transfer membranes. The double blotting method was developed by Francoise Lasne of the National Anti-Doping Laboratory in Chatenay-Malabry, France, to overcome high non-specific binding of secondary antibodies during immunoblotting.
The procedure, described by Millipore, involves blotting proteins onto a sheet of the Immobilon membrane. The membrane is probed with the primary antibody and then assembled with a second membrane sheet. Both membrane sheets undergo a second blotting under acidic conditions. The second blot allows the primary antibody molecules to desorb from their corresponding antigen and transfer onto the second membrane, whereas the antigen and interfering proteins remain bound to the first membrane. The second membrane can then be probed by secondary antibodies without risk of non-specific binding.
More information on the protocol con be obtained at www.millipore.com/immobilon, or by calling 1-800-MILLIPORE.
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