locBLAST v2.0 - an improved PHP library for embedding standalone NCBI BLAST+ program to an interactive graphical user interface

BackgroundNCBI BLAST is a most popularly used sequence analysis platform in a broad range of applications. The final release of standalone WWW BLAST server (wwwBLAST v2.2.26) of NCBI was officially released on May 10, 2004, and discontinued its support. Due to the popularity and high demand, the BLAST algorithms were refined with rich features and released as online BLAST, standalone BLAST+, BLAST RESTful service, and cloud BLAST server. locBLAST v2.0 is a lightweight PHP library, designed in preference to WWW BLAST server. It masks command-line BLAST+ programs to a rich graphical user interface (GUI).MethodsThe locBLAST v2.0 library was designed using PHP, CSS, pure JavaScript, and standalone NCBI BLAST+ executables.ResultslocBLAST v2.0 provides an interactive web interface to input query sequences through the web form and provides a graphical report of the sequence alignment result. The graphical overview, tabular summary, and formatted sequence alignment of locBLAST v2.0 result mimic to the native format of online NCBI BLAST result. It allows users to perform both local and online database search.AvailabilityFreely available at https://github.com/AshokHub/locBLAST

Relationship between membrane sterol composition and responsiveness to 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate in HL-60 human promyelocytic leukaemia cell lines

We have examined the sterol composition and metabolism of promyelocytic leukaemia cell lines (HL-60) after treatment with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA). A variant cell line (Blast II cells) which is resistant to TPA was used as control. Analysis of the sterols of TPA-sensitive cells radiolabelled with [3H]leucine, [14C]acetate or [14C]pyruvate showed a high incorporation into cholesterol and a low incorporation in lanosterol + dihydrolanosterol. The inverse relationship was observed in TPA-resistant cells. Experiments with other cellular variants representing TPA-sensitive and TPA-resistant classes gave similar results. Analysis of the cellular sterol composition by gas chromatography confirmed that TPA-resistant cells are particularly rich in lanosterol/dihydrolanosterol. TPA treatment enhanced the incorporation of [14C]pyruvate into the sterol fraction of both cell types. This was accompanied by an alteration of incorporation into several lipids, particularly phospholipids. Pulse-chase studies with [14C]acetate revealed that TPA induced the release of radioactive lipids into the medium from HL-60 and Blast II cells. However this treatment released phospholipids from the TPA-sensitive cells and sterols and fatty acids from the TPA-resistant cells. We conclude that the sterol composition can regulate specific biochemical processes in the membrane and can be considered as a factor that plays a role in the responsiveness of HL-60 cells to TPA.