Localization and quantification of Cd- and Cu-specific metallothionein isoform mRNA in cells and organs of the terrestrial gastropod Helix pomatia

 Published in 2003

Chabicovsky,M.; Niederstätter,H.; Thaler,R.; Hodl,E.; Parson,W.; Rossmanith,W.; Dallinger,R.; A quantitative assay based on real-time detection polymerase chain reaction (rtdPCR) was applied to analyze basal and metal-induced mRNA levels of two metallothionein (MT) isoforms (Cd-MT and Cu-MT) in organs of the terrestrial gastropod Helix pomatia. The results show that specific Cd-MT mRNA levels increase with Cd tissue burden, identifying hepatopancreas and gut as the main organs of Cd accumulation and, accordingly, the predominant organs of Cd-MT mRNA expression. [Read More]

Mitochondrial DNA heteroplasmy or artefacts--a matter of the amplification strategy?

 Published in 2003

Brandstätter,A.; Parson,W.; We compared two different PCR strategies for the amplification of mtDNA hypervariable region 1 (HV1) with regard to the detection and interpretation of point mutation heteroplasmy in human hair roots. We monitored the level of detected heteroplasmy using direct sequence analysis. PCR amplifications were performed in duplicate on each hair root, using 62 cycles of nested PCR versus 35 cycles of direct PCR. As a previous publication reported different sensitivities of heteroplasmy detection based on the number of PCR cycles used, we were interested in whether and how different PCR amplification strategies would impact sequence quality and the detection of point heteroplasmy. [Read More]

Molecular characterization and Austrian Caucasian population data of the multi-copy Y-chromosomal STR DYS464

 Published in 2003

Berger,B.; Niederstätter,H.; Brandstätter,A.; Parson,W.; DYS464 is a multi-copy STR system with four positions on the Y-chromosome (DYS464a, b, c, and d) which was recently identified and characterized [Forensic Sci. Int. 130 (2002) 97]. The aims of our study were to perform a population study, to estimate the mutation rate and an extensive sequence analysis in order to confirm the nomenclature. Fourteen different alleles were found in an Austrian population sample with an allele length varying from 9 to 19 repeats. [Read More]