Follicle Development (Female)

Follicle Development (Female)

Each follicle consists of an immature egg called an oocyte
Cells around the oocyte are called:
Follicle cells (one cell layer thick) 
Stimulated to mature by FSH from the pituitary gland 
Granulosa cells 
Thecal cells: Cells in the ovarian stroma
Thecal & granulosa cells work together to produce estrogen
A protective layer of glycoprotein forms around the egg called the zona pellucida

1.Primordial follicle: one layer of squamous-like follicle cells surrounds the oocyte
2.Primary follicle:  two or more layers of cuboidal granulosa cells enclose the oocyte
3.Secondary follicle:  has a fluid-filled space between granulosa cells that coalesces to form a central antrum
4.Graafian follicle: secondary follicle at its most mature stage that bulges from the surface of the ovary
5.Corpus luteum : ruptured follicle after ovulation
6.Corpus albicans: scar tissue

**REMEMBER TO STAY POSITIVE LIKE A PROTON!!**

Chaperones

Chaperones 

Chaperones in cells often help proteins fold correctly which is called Native structure. 
Many proteins do not fold correctly 

Unfolded ->Molten Globule-> [XX] ->Native 

XX= A height barrier which chaperones help. 

The folding of these proteins requires the general class of proteins there is two types. 
1-Chaprones are molecular and act as monomers
2-Chaperonins are large multi-sub unit complexes 

Chaperones interact with partially folded or improperly folded polypeptides. Facilitating correctly folding pathways or providing microenvironments. 

**!!REMEMBER TO STAY POSITIVE LIKE A PROTON!!**

Gel Filtration Mathematics

Gel Filtration Mathematics  

Kav is easy to get and its more useful in practice (MW determination of unknown protein)

Kav= Ve-Vo/Vt-Vo

For very large molecules eluding at Ve=Vo

For very small molecules eluting at Ve=Vt

Isoelectric Point (pL)- The pH which the overall protein charged exists largely in neutral form and is influenced by a side-chain. 

A Positively charged protein pH<pL

A Negative charged protein pH>pL 

Always after protein purification stage, we need to check the protein purity and also estimate its expression yield. The nature of the amino acids in a proteins structure contribute to its surface charge. 

**REMEMBER TO STAY POSITIVE LIKE A PROTON!!**

Mass Spectroscopy History (brief)

Mass Spectroscopy History (brief) 

MALDI-TOF MS is a very good, fast and accurate technique at indicating a species of microbiological specimens.  MALDI is also a very good process at creating gas phase ions of proteins and peptides which can be identified in a mass spectrometer. 

Mass spectrometry is a type of scientific testing technique conducted in a laboratory. It is commonly used in detecting bacterial isolates where it can use proteins biomarkers to find differences at a species level. MALDI was founded in 1985 by Hillenkamp and Karas in which they had found Alanine which is a type of a amino acid is easily ionised if it was mixed with other types of amino acids such as Tryptophan where it had absorbed the laser energy and had helped ionise the non absorbing Alanine.

**REMEMBER TO STAY POSITIVE LIKE A PROTON!!**