The genome size of an unclassified Mycobacterium species, isolated from a patient with Crohn's disease, was determined by measurement of DNA renaturation kinetics as 3.1 X 10(9) Da. The percentage of DNA homology of this organism to DNA of related mycobacteria was evaluated by measurement of DNA renaturation with heterologous DNA. These studies supported the classification of this organism as M...

sequence is similar for the major and minor DNA components. Parallel experiments with ribosomal RNA revealed a relationship between the extremely halophilic rods and cocci and a more distant relationship to moderate halophiles and to a photosynthetic extreme halophile. Renaturation studies of halophile DNA exclude the possibility that the satellite DNA represents multiple copies of a small epis...

The understanding of how protein unfolds/refolds is a key to the development of any protein/enzyme based detection system. Using organophosphorus acid anhydrolase (OPAA) as the model protein, a guanidinium hydrochloride and urea denaturation/renaturation study was conducted and measured both optically and enzymatically. As expected, the highly autofluorescent tryptophan moiety (Ex. 280/Em. 340n...

Pyruvate kinase (EC 2.7.1.40) of S. carlsbergensis is a tetrameric enzyme, composed of four identical subunits each of which contains 1 mole of L-valine noncovalently bound. The enzyme readily dissociates into monomeric units. L-Valine and magnesium or manganese ions are specific primers of the renaturation process of the enzyme. The amino acid induces renaturation with a K(0.5) of 17 muM and a...

The nucleocapsid protein (NC) is the major genomic RNA binding protein that plays integral roles in the structure and replication of all animal retroviruses. In this report, select biochemical properties of recombinant Mason-Pfizer monkey virus (MPMV) and HIV-1 NCs are compared. Evidence is presented that two types of saturated Zn2 NC-polynucleotide complexes can be formed under conditions of l...

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) has become an important tool not only in cytogenetic research but also in routine clinical chromosome diagnostics. Here, results of a quantification of fluorescence signals after in situ hybridization with repetitive DNA probes are reported using a non-enzymatic hybridization technique working with a buffer system not containing any formamide or equival...