Sensitive detection of low levels of ribonuclease H activity by an improved renaturation gel assay.
Renaturation gel assays are good tools to assign enzymatic activities to protein bands. First, proteins are separated by denaturating electrophoresis on substrate-containing gels. Then, following the elimination of the denaturing agent, polypeptides are allowed to renature, thus leading to the degradation of the embedded substrate at positions at which the corresponding activity has moved. Nevertheless, this in situ technique does not only reflect a certain amount of enzyme activity, it also depends upon the ability of an enzyme to renature. Here we present a renaturation gel assay procedure with an improved sensitivity and discuss the detection of E. coli and human ribonuclease H activities as an example.
Frank
P
P
Laboratoire de Biophysique Moléculaire, INSERM CJF 90-13, Université de Bordeaux II, France.
Cazenave
C
C
Albert
S
S
Toulmé
J J
JJ
D004256:DNA Polymerase I / Q000032:analysis; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000201:enzymology; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010920:Placenta / Q000201:enzymology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011489:Protein Denaturation; D017510:Protein Folding; D016914:Ribonuclease H / Q000032:analysis*
D004256:DNA Polymerase I; D005090:Exodeoxyribonucleases; C020133:exodeoxyribonuclease III; D016914:Ribonuclease H