Plant Biology

Murashige Fern multiplication medium, 1 pack = 10L

NLN medium

Orchid Maintence / Replate Medium Contains Banana, Charcoal, and Agar

Murashige and Skoog modified basal salts (without NH4NO3), 1 pack = 10x1L

Orchid multiplication medium without charcoal and agar

Cape Sundew/Venus Flytrap Multiplication Basal Medium

Cape Sundew/Venus Flytrap Multiplication Basal Medium

Murashige and Skoog medium with Vitamins and Sucrose, 1 pack = 50L

Knudson C orchid medium

Lloyd & McCown Woody Plant Modified Basal Salt Mixture

Tumour antigens recognised by cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) are a keen area of research to develop antigen-specific cancer therapies. However, hurdles are weak immunogenicity and high rates of degradation in vivo. In the search for a melanoma vaccine, the human tumour antigen Melan-A/MART-1 (27-35) has been used as a model to design peptides with improved characteristics for use in anti-tumour vaccines. The epitope can induce the production of melanoma-specific CD8+ T-cell responses. It has been included in melanoma antigen peptide vaccines, clinical trial data suggest that MART-1 (27-35) in human systems alongside other epitopes does affect the cellular and humoral responses, but much more work is required with this peptide to optimise it for clinical efficacy against melanoma.An alternate route that is possible but less studied is using MART-1 (27-35) to isolate CD8(+) T-cell clones with greater recognition for the epitope due to the contact with the T-cell receptor. This suggests melanomas could be targeted by optimising the T-cell receptor-peptide recognition of the T-cell repertoire by enhancing antigen targeting.

Prolactin-releasing peptide (PrRP20) was originally identified for being able to stimulate lactin release. However, that is not considered its function anymore, it is reclassified as a neuropeptide with a role in energy balance, and an inhibitor of appetite. PrRP20 is considered a central neuromodulator found within the A1 and A2 noradrenergic neurons and neurons of the dorsomedial nucleus of the hypothalamus. PrRP20 binds with high affinity to the G protein coupled receptor GPR10. Binding can lead to activation of numerous signalling pathways including activation of mitogen-activated protein kinase/extracellular-regulated kinase (MAPK/ERK1/2) and cAMP response element-binding protein (CREB).  Not much is known about the binding mechanism and activation of GPR10. Use of PrRP20 and its analogs have aimed to provide greater insight to the binding and activation of GRP10 to better understand how this effects energy balance. With new links being made between diabetes and obesity with Alzheimer's disease it raises the question of whether PrRP20 and GP10 may be a factor in the disease development due to the colocalization in the same brain regions. Further study may lead to novel therapies for obesity, diabetes, and Alzheimer's disease in the future.

Flagellin is the structural protein which forms the major portion of bacterial flagella filaments. The N- and C- terminals of flagellin are highly conserved regions, whereas the central core can vary greatly between bacterial species. Flagellin 22 (flg22) is the most conserved stretch of amino acids across bacterial species and is located towards the N-terminal of flagellin.Flg22 is a potent elicitor of plant immune responses and is recognised in plants by the membrane bound leucine-rich repeat-receptor kinase FLAGELLIN SENSITIVE 2 (FLS2). Flg22 induces defence gene expression to trigger both local and systemic immune responses and is thus widely used in plant defence studies.Truncated flagellin 22 (flg22-θ”2) represents amino acids 1-20 of flg22. It is a strong and selective agonist of tomato FLS2, with weak agonist activity towards Arabidopsis FLS2 even at high concentrations.

Translation elongation factor thermo unstable (EF-Tu), is a highly conserved protein in bacteria which is essential for the synthesis of new proteins through translation in the ribosome. EF-Tu is also a pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP) protein. PAMPs are elicitors of plant defences and are recognised by pattern recognition receptors in the plant. In Arabidopsis thaliana EF-Tu is recognised by EF-Tu Receptor (EFR), a leucine-rich repeat-receptor kinase XII family member.Elf18 represents the N-terminal of EF-Tu, the region specifically recognised by Arabidopsis. This N-acetylated peptide is a strong inducer of plant defence responses and results in the biosynthesis of ethylene in leaves which triggers resistance to subsequent infection by pathogenic bacteria.

Flagellin is a structural protein which forms the major portion of bacterial flagellar filaments. The N- and C-terminals of flagellin are highly conserved regions, whereas the central core can vary greatly between bacterial species. Flagellin 22 (flg22) is the stretch of amino acids most conserved across bacterial species and is located towards the N-terminal of the flagellin protein.Flg22 is a potent elicitor of plant immune responses and is recognised in plants by the membrane bound leucine-rich repeat-receptor kinase FLAGELLIN SENSITIVE 2 (FLS2). Flg22 induces defence gene expression to trigger both local and systemic immune responses and is thus widely used in plant defence studies.