Protein expression refers to the techniques in which a protein of interest is synthesized, modified or regulated in cells. The blueprints for proteins are stored in DNA which is then transcribed to produce messenger RNA (mRNA). mRNA is then translated into protein. In prokaryotes, this process of mRNA translation occurs simultaneously with mRNA transcription. In eukaryotes, these two processes occur at separate times and in separate cellular regions (transcription in nucleus and translation in the cytoplasm). Recombinant protein expression utilizes cellular machinery to generate proteins, instead of chemical synthesis of proteins as it is very complex. Proteins produced from such DNA templates are called recombinant proteins and DNA templates are simple to construct. Recombinant protein expression involves transfecting cells with a DNA vector that contains the template. The cultured cells can then transcribe and translate the desired protein. The cells can be lysed to extract the expressed protein for subsequent purification. Both prokaryotic and eukaryotic protein expression systems are widely used. The selection of the system depends on the type of protein, the requirements for functional activity and the desired yield. These expression systems include mammalian, insect, yeast, bacterial, algal and cell-free. Each of these has pros and cons. Mammalian expression systems can be used for transient or stable expression, with ultra high-yield protein expression. However, high yields are only possible in suspension cultures and more demanding culture conditions. Insect cultures are the same as mammalian, except that they can be used as both static and suspension cultures. These cultures also have demanding culture conditions and may also be time-consuming. Yeast cultures can produce eukaryotic proteins and are scalable, with minimum culture requirements. Yeast cultures may require growth culture optimization. Bacterial cultures are simple, scalable and low cost, but these may require protein-specific optimization and are not suitable for all mammalian proteins. Algal cultures are optimized for robust selection and expression, but these are less developed than other host platforms. Cell-free systems are open, free of any unnatural compounds, fast and simple. This system is, however, not optimal for scaling up.
DNA-protein interactions are studied by using ChIP. The basic steps in this technique are crosslinking, sonication, immunoprecipitation, and analysis of the immunoprecipitated DNA. During ChIP, if chromatin is under-fragmented or fragments are too large which can lead to the increased background and lower resolution. Shorter cross-linking times (5-10 min) and/or lower formaldehyde concentrations (<1%) may improve shearing efficiency. If Chromatin is over-fragmented, then optimize shearing conditions for each cell type to improve ChIP efficiency. Over-sonication of chromatin may disrupt chromatin integrity and denature antibody epitopes. If you do not see any product or very little product in the input PCR reactions, add 5–10 μg chromatin per IP.
DNA-protein interactions are studied by using ChIP. The basic steps in this technique are crosslinking, sonication, immunoprecipitation, and analysis of the immunoprecipitated DNA. During ChIP, if chromatin is under-fragmented or fragments are too large which can lead to the increased background and lower resolution. Shorter cross-linking times (5-10 min) and/or lower formaldehyde concentrations (<1%) may improve shearing efficiency. If Chromatin is over-fragmented, then optimize shearing conditions for each cell type to improve ChIP efficiency. Over-sonication of chromatin may disrupt chromatin integrity and denature antibody epitopes. If you do not see any product or very little product in the input PCR reactions, add 5–10 μg chromatin per IP.
Gene silencing through the use of small interfering RNA (siRNA) has become a primary tool for identifying disease-causing genes. There are several aspects for preparing and delivering effective siRNA to knockdown a target gene. The length of siRNA should be 21–23nt long with G/C content 30–50%. If a validated siRNA sequence for your target gene is not available, use siRNA generated against the entire target gene ORF. Always work with two or three different siRNA constructs to get reliable results. If you are not sure how much siRNA to use for a given experiment, start with a transfection concentration of 10-50 nM and use siRNA-specific transfection reagent to ensure efficient siRNA delivery in a wide range of cells.
Get tips on using TRIzol Reagent to perform RNA isolation / purification Tissue - Mouse Thyroid gland
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