• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.881-884
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• 1999

The gene encoding the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase of the hepatitis C virus was cloned and expressed with a C-terminal hexahistidine tag. The protein was purified from Escherichia coli to near homogeneity and characterized in vitro. When the 21 amino acids from the C-terminus of the protein were deleted, an inclusion body was not formed and a better purification yield was achieved. However, the activity of the purified enzyme decreased compared to that of the full length protein. The purified enzyme did exhibit ribonucleotide-incorporation activity on an in vitro transcribed RNA containing the 3' end of the HCV genome. It also possessed ribonucleotide incorporation activity, to a lesser extent, on in vitro transcribed foreign RNA templates when RNA or DNA primers were present. The activity was higher with DNA primers than with RNA primers. Accordingly, this assay system will facilitate the screening of inhibitors for hepatitis C virus replication.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.16 no.2 s.75
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• pp.240-244
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• 2006

We present a fast and simple protocol for purification of mitochondria, mitochondrial DNA, and RNA from small amounts of tomato leaves. This method uses a high ionic strength medium to isolate mitochondria and extract mitochondrial DNA and RNA from a single preparation and is easily adaptable to other plant species. Mitochondria was confirmed by MitoTracker. The mitochondrial DNA was not contaminated by plastid DNA, was successfully used for PCR. Similarly, the isolated mitochondrial RNA was not contaminated only slightly contaminated (leaves) by plastid RNA. RNA prepared according to our method was acceptable for RT-PCR analysis

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.466-471
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• 1992

To determine the site at which -1 ribosomal frameshifting occurs within the gag-pro overlap of HTL V-I. DNA fragment corresponding to a portion of the gene overlap was cloned into a SP6 vector. The resultant plasmid harbors the hybrid gene consisting of a synthetic gene encoding 5 amino acids derived from chick prelysozyme including the initiator methionine plus 141 nucleotides of gag-pro overlapping region followed by Staphylococcus aurcus protein A gene fragment. In vitro transcription by SP6 RNA polymerase with this DNA template made an abundant amount of single species mRNA. Cell-free translation programmed with the RNA transcribed in vitro yielded a polypeptide of 21 kDal in size. which could be purified into homogeneity by IgG-Sepharose affinity chromatography. In vitro system described in this study must be useful for rapid purification and sequencing of the Gag-Pro transframe protein. allowing to determine the exact frameshift site on mRNA and to identify the tRNA involved in frameshifting event for the expression of pro gene.

• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.190-194
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• 2002

Expression of Bacillus subtilis glutamyl-tRNA synthetase (GluRS) in Escherichia coli is lethal for the host, probably because this enzyme misaminoacylates ${tRNA_l}^{Gln}$ with glutamate in vivo. In order to overexpress B. subtilis GluRS, encoded by the gltX gene, in E. coli, this gene was amplified from B. subtilis 168 chromosomal DNA using PCR method and the entire coding region was cloned into a pET11a expression vector so that it was expressed under the control or the T7 Promoter. The resulting recombinant pEBER plasmid was transformed into E. coli Novablue (DE3) bearing the T7 RNA polymerase gene for expression. After IPTG treatment, the overproduced enzyme was purified using ammonium sulfate fractionation, Source Q anion exchange chromatography, Superdex-200 gel filtration, and Mono Q anion exchange chromatography. The purified enzyme yielded 18-fold increase in specific activity over the crude cell extract and its molecular weight was approximately 55 kDa on SDS-PAGE.

• ALGAE
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.123-127
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• 2004

A more rapid and efficient method to extract RNA from Ecklonia cava Kjellman (Laminariales, Phaeophyceae) was introduced in this study. Each step of the procedure was evaluated and the optimal concentration of each chemical in the lysis solution was determined. Tissue pulverization with PVPP and β-mercaptoethanol in the lysis solution were not essential for RNA extraction of this species. The highest yield and purity of E. cava RNA were obtained by the lysis solution containing 1% CTAB, 1 M NaCl, 0.7% PVP, 10mM EDTA and 100mM Tris-Cl (pH 9.0). Approximately 8μg of RNA was obtained from 200 mg of ground tissue. The ratios of the absorbance at 260 nm and 280 nm were from 1.6 to 1.8 and those of at 230 nm and 260 nm were from 1.8 to 2.0. The extracted RNAs obtained in this study turned out to have a sufficient quality for cDNA synthesis.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.1280-1285
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• 2004

Retron is a prokaryotic genetic element, producing a short single-stranded DNA covalently linked to RNA (msDNA-RNA) by a reverse transcriptase (RT). In retron EC83, msDNA is further processed at between the 4th and the $5^{th}$ nucleotides, leaving a 79 nucleotide-long single-stranded DNA as a final product. To investigate this site-specific cleavage in msDNA synthesis, we purified the RT protein of retron EC83. Initially, RT ORF was cloned under the tac promoter, but the expression was very poor largely because of poor translation. In order to facilitate translation, the nucleotide sequence for the first nine amino acids was randomized with synonymous codons. This change of downstream sequence of translational initiation codon greatly affected the efficiency of translation. We could isolate clones which greatly increased RT production, and their sequences were compared to those of the low producers. The overproduced protein was purified and was shown to have RT activity.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.229-235
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• 1996

Microgram quantities of DNA per gram soil were recovered with SDS- based and freeze-and thaw procedures. The average DNA fragment size was > 23 Kb. This method generated minimal shearing of extracted DNA. However, the DNA extracts still contained considerable amounts of humic impurities sufficient to inhibit PCR. Several approaches were used to reduce the interferences with the PCR (use of CTAF in extraction step, Elutip-d column purification, addition of BSA to PCR buffer) to accomplish PCR with DNA extract as a template. Most of the DNA extracts were not digested completely by restriction endonuclease, and CTAB-TREATED ane Elutip-d column purified DNA extracts were partially digested. Regarding as restriction enzyme digestion, all PCRs failed to amplify 16S rRNA gene fragments in the DNA extracts. In the case of DNA extracts only where BSA was added to PCR buffer, PCR was successfully conducted whether the DNA extracts were treated with CTAB or purified with columns. However, these two treatments were indispensable for humic impurity-rich DNA extracts to generate the PCR-compatible DNA samples. Direct extraction of DNA, coupled with these procedures to remove and relieve interferences by humic impurities and followed by the PCR, can be rapid and simple method for molecular microbiological study on soil microorganisms.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.621-629
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• 2000

Camptothecin (CPT) is an antitumor alkaloid that has been isolated from the Chinese tree, Camptotheca acuminata. The cytotoxicity of CPT has been correlated to its inhibition of DNA topoisomerase (Topo) I by stabilizing drug-enzyme-DNA “cleavable complex" resulting in DNA single-strand breaks and DNA-protein crosslinks. This studies were designed to elucidate whether CPT regulates Topo I mediated by CPT in DNAs containing c-myc protooncogene. We have conducted experiments on Topo I purification, pUC-MYC I cloning and Topo I assay using electrophoresis, quantitative RT-PCR and Northern blotting techniques. CPT ingibited the relaxation activity of Topo I in pUC19 DNA at various concentrations (1-1000 $\mu$M), while it enhanced the cleavage of Topo I in the pUC-MYC I by forming a cleavable complex at relatively high concentrations (100-1000 $\mu$M). In HL-60 cells treated with CPT, the expression of c-myc gene was decreased over that in the control group with no changes in the expression of Topo I mRNA. Our results suggest that Topo I is the target of CPT cytotoxicity but it does not affect Topo I extression, and the suppression of c-myc mRNA expression by CPT is due to c-myc damage resulted from formation of a cleavable complex with CPT. CPT.

• ALGAE
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.125-129
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• 2007

Conventional methods for the isolation and purification of mRNA from Zygnema were unsuccessful because of its high amount of pigments and RNA interactive molecules. In particular, pigments were difficult to remove using conventional protocols because they interacted with RNA during pulverization of the materials. This resulted in total degeneration of RNA in two to three hours. To alleviate this problem, we developed an isolation method that utilized DEAE-cellulose resin. The pigments bound to DEAE anion exchange resin and separated from the RNA. Purified total RNA showed an yield of 50 μg per 100 mg of tissue with this method. The amplified 2nd strand cDNA was distributed 300 bp and over.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.45-51
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• 1997

In our studies on the role of $\beta$-galactosidase in fruit softening, significant difficulty, was encountered in our attempts to extract RNA from persimmon(Diospyros kaki L. cv. Fuyu) fruit due to astringency and tannin content. Initial, unsuccessful RNA extractions involved methods using guanidinium isothiocyanate/CsCl with and without polyvinylpyrrolidone(PVP), phenol/sodium lauryl sulfate(SDS), guanidinium hydrochloride, as well as polysomal RNA purification method that used 0.2 M Tris-HCI (pH 9.0) containing KCI, Mg-acetate, EDTA, $\beta$-mercaptoethanol, and sucrose. A method was devised which employed treatment of fruit with CO2 gas to diminish astringency prior to RNA extraction, followed by extraction of tissue powders with Proteinase K extraction buffer containing PVP and ascorbate at an alkaline pH. This procedure resulted in the removal of tannins and other polyphenolics and extraction of relatively large amount of high-quality RNA suitable for cDNA library construction and polymerase chain reaction(PCR). Futhermore, the procedure does not use the toxic and corrosive chemical guanidinium isothiocyanate or require ultracentrifugation.