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Western blot (WB) or immunoblot is a workhorse method. It is commonly used by biologists for study of different aspects of protein biomolecules. In addition, it has been widely used in disease diagnosis. Despite some limitations such as long time, different applications of WB have not been limited. In the present review, we have summarized scientific and clinical applications of WB. In addition, we described some new generation of WB techniques.

Background & Objective: Obesity is a major public health problem whose prevalence has constantly increased worldwide. Obesity is a risk factor for several diseases such as type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, cardiovascular diseases, and cancer, all of which reduce the quality of life and life expectancy. This study investigated anti-adipogenic effects of Eryngium billardierei (Ery) extract. Materials & Methods: The nontoxic concentration of Ery extract was estimated via the 3-(4, 5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2, 5-diphenyl-2H-tetrazoliu bromide (MTT) assay. The differentiation of mouse-derived 3T3-L1 preadipocytes into mature adipocytes was induced in the presence or absence of Ery extract. Then, the accumulation of lipid droplets was identified by Oil Red O staining. Triacylglycerol level and glycerol3phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity were also measured. Results: The MTT assay showed that 3 mg/mL of the Ery extract can be a nontoxic dose for other analyses. Oil Red O staining demonstrated a reduction of lipid droplets in the extract-treated adipocyte 3T3-L1 compared to the non-treated group. A significant decrease of triacylglycerol level in the treated 3T3-L1 adipocyte (0.32±0.03 mgTG/mg protein) compared with the nontreated group (0.78±0.05 mgTG/mg protein) (P<0.01), and a significant decrease of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH) activity in the 3T3-L1adipocyte treated (15.3±2.1 U/ml) compared to the non-treated group (30.2±3.9 U/ml) (P<0.05) confirmed the inhibitory action of Ery extract on adipocyte differentiation. Conclusion: Ery extract, as a safe herbal extract, has anti-adipogenic activity and merits more investigation as a candidate for developing an anti-obesity drug or supplement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chromosome-centric Human Proteome Project (C-HPP) aims to systematically map the entire human proteome with the intent to enhance our understanding of human biology at the cellular level. This project attempts simultaneously to establish a sound basis for the development of diagnostic, prognostic, therapeutic, and preventive medical applications. In Iran, current efforts focus on mapping the proteome of the human Y chromosome. The male-specific region of the Y chromosome (MSY) is unique in many aspects and comprises 95% of the chromosome's length. The MSY continually retains its haploid state and is full of repeated sequences. It is responsible for important biological roles such as sex determination and male fertility. Here, we present the most recent update of MSY protein-encoding genes and their association with various traits and diseases including sex determination and reversal, spermatogenesis and male infertility, cancers such as prostate cancers, sex-specific effects on the brain and behavior, and graft-versus-host disease. We also present information available from RNA sequencing, protein-protein interaction, post-translational modification of MSY protein-coding genes and their implications in biological systems. An overview of Human Y chromosome Proteome Project is presented and a systematic approach is suggested to ensure that at least one of each predicted protein-coding gene's major representative proteins will be characterized in the context of its major anatomical sites of expression, its abundance, and its functional relevance in a biological and/or medical context. There are many technical and biological issues that will need to be overcome in order to accomplish the full scale mapping.