Laboratory: agarose gel & transformation Lecture: reporter genes; transformation In-Class Writing: restriction maps (page 24) Hand In: nothing Read: Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 63: , 1997 Due Next Class: report 1 draft
Reporter genes monitor promoter activity or protein expression. Promoter RFP coding sequence Red Fluorescent Protein coding sequence fused to promoter. Visually monitor.
Green Fluorescent Protein fused to GALLS Monitor expression & location Promoter GALLS coding sequence GFP Fusion protein
Transformation introduces plasmid DNA into E. coli. You will: 1) transform pKN800 DNA into E. coli, 2) select ampicillin-resistant transformants 3) score colonies for luminescence.
Natural Competence: import DNA Due to growth stages; environmental signals. gram-positive: Streptococcus, Bacillus gram-negative: Neisseria, Haemophilus, Vibrio cholera Chemical Competence: CaCl 2 ; RbCl 2 Escherichia coli, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas aeruginosa)
Chemical transformation: ice-cold CaCl 2 or RbCl 2 heat shock plasmid DNA into E. coli. Electroporation: pulses of high voltage DNA into E. coli & other species.
Agarose gel electrophoresis separates DNA by size & structure. DNA negative charge migrates from cathode (negative, black lead) to anode (positive, red lead). Agarose = molecular sieve Retards long DNA more than short DNA.
Linear DNA usually faster than circular: Circular DNA 2 forms: covalently closed circular (ccc) & open circular (oc). Closed circular DNA supercoils = twisted telephone cord.
Small supercoiled DNA faster than same length linear. Most supercoiled DNA slower than corresponding linear molecules.
Break in 1 strand of circular DNA no supercoiling "relaxed" or "open" circular DNA migrates much more slowly.
DNA stained with ethidium bromide. Ethidium bromide stacks between bases. Stained DNA + UV orange light.
Estimate size of restriction fragments. Compare mobility to size standards. Make standard curve: log [size] = Y-axis migration distance = X-axis for standard bands. Measure migration of restriction fragments; interpolate from standard curve to estimate sizes.
pKN800 ApKN800 B PstI uncut