Polybrene and DMSO can be used to achieve stable transformation of several types of cells by plasmid DNA. The yield of transformants is up to 15-fold greater with Polybrene than with calcium phosphate-DNA coprecipitation. However, there is no difference between the two methods in the efficiency of transformation of cells by high-molecular-weight DNA. - [Read DNA Transfection Using Polybrene Protocol]
Isolation of postimplantation-stage embryos allows one to study normal development as well as genetic mutations which cause postimplantation defects. This protocol describes a method for isolation of early neural-fold-stage embryos. - [Read Isolating Postimplantation Embryos: Early Neural-Fold-Stage Protocol]
5 ml liquid lysates are prepared when a small amount of DNA from a large number of lambda clones is needed. The lysates can be made using 10- 20 ul of a stock lysate or a 100-fold amplified phage "macroplaque" as the inoculum. - [Read Liquid Phage Lysates Protocol]
Tubulin is polymerized into microtubules by incubating tubulin at 37°C with GTP. A nucleation seed is added when the purpose is to assay microtubule elongation. Tubulin can also be polymerized for the purposes of recycling the tubulin or labeling the microtubules with fluorescently labeled tubulin. Based on the protocol by Timothy Mitchison of Harvard University.
In Vitro Translated Xenopus Mos Kinase Assay Protocol. In response to progesterone, immature Xenopus oocytes mature to eggs that can be fertilized. The Mos protein kinase is essential for oocyte maturation, most likely due to its ability to activate the MAP kinase cascade. This MAP kinase cascade eventually leads to the activation of Cdc2/cyclin B and entry into M phase. In this protocol, tagged Mos kinase is translated in vitro, immunopurified, and used in a kinase assay.
The DNA Ligation protocol described here contains the steps required to join together using ligase enzyme both plasmid DNA and insert DNA fragments in order to create a new plasmid. This new ligated plasmid can be transformed after into competent bacteria to produce DNA for mini, midi or maxi-prep isolation.
This protocol describes the electroporation of the BMH 81-17 mut S strain that is recommended for tranformation of the site directed mutagenesis of dsDNA (See Protocol on Site-Directed Mutagenesis on Double Stranded DNA). BMH 81-17 mut S are a mismatch repair defective (mut S) Escherichia coli strain. The probability that the two mutations will cosegregate during the first round of DNA replication is increased in this strain.