Monitoring helicase activity with molecular beacons
A high-throughput, fluorescence-based helicase assay using molecular beacons is described. The assay is tested using the NS3 helicase encoded by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and is shown to accurately monitor helicase action on both DNA and RNA. In the assay, a ssDNA oligonucleotide molecular beacon,...
| Publié dans: | BioTechniques. - 1991. - 45(2008), 4 vom: 01. Okt., Seite 433-40, 442 |
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| Auteur principal: | |
| Autres auteurs: | |
| Format: | Article en ligne |
| Langue: | English |
| Publié: |
2008
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| Accès à la collection: | BioTechniques |
| Sujets: | Journal Article Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural Carbocyanines NS3 protein, hepatitis C virus Viral Nonstructural Proteins cyanine dye 3 cyanine dye 5 RNA 63231-63-0 DNA |
| Résumé: | A high-throughput, fluorescence-based helicase assay using molecular beacons is described. The assay is tested using the NS3 helicase encoded by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and is shown to accurately monitor helicase action on both DNA and RNA. In the assay, a ssDNA oligonucleotide molecular beacon, featuring a fluorescent moiety attached to one end and a quencher attached to the other, is annealed to a second longer DNA or RNA oligonucleotide. Upon strand separation by a helicase and ATP, the beacon strand forms an intramolecular hairpin that brings the tethered fluorescent and quencher molecules into juxtaposition, quenching fluorescence. Unlike currently available real-time helicase assays, the molecular beacon-based helicase assay is irreversible. As such, it does not require the addition of extra DNA strands to prevent products from re-annealing. Several variants of the new assay are described and experimentally verified using both Cy3 and Cy5 beacons, including one based on a sequence from the HCV genome. The HCV genome-based molecular beacon helicase assay is used to demonstrate how such an assay can be used in high-throughput screens and to analyze HCV helicase inhibitors |
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| Description: | Date Completed 14.11.2008 Date Revised 13.11.2018 published: Print Citation Status MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1940-9818 |
| DOI: | 10.2144/000112834 |