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J Van Ness

Publications and source records attributed to J Van Ness.

11 recordsLinked to original sources

The use of oligodeoxynucleotide probes in chaotrope-based hybridization solutions.

Hybridization solutions containing chaotropes may be used to modulate the thermal stability (Tm or Td) of oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) duplexes or hybrids over a 90 degrees C range. Modulation of Td allows formulation of hybridization solutions that permit ambient temperature hybridization using most combinations of probe length, probe composition, target type, and facilitates development of convenient and rapid assay formats. The conditions required to achieve ODN duplex fidelity, and optimal yields of hybridized product, are described for trichloroacetate, thiocyanate, guanidinium salts and other chaotropic salts. The effects of different solid supports on Td are described. Also, a method is presented that uses chaotropic compounds to reduce background arising from signal ODN probes in a sandwich assay hybridization format.

Base Sequence

A versatile solid support system for oligodeoxynucleotide probe-based hybridization assays.

A procedure for immobilization of well-defined quantities of oligodeoxyribonucleotides (ODNs) to a versatile nylon support is described. The solid support, a nylon-6/6 bead, is covalently coated with poly(ethyleneimine) to provide a reactive spacer-arm for attachment of ODNs. 5'-Aminohexyl-tailed ODNs are selectively activated using 2,4,6-trichloro-1,3,5-triazine (cyanuric chloride) and then covalently attached to the bead via the triazine moiety. The modified nylon support has a low level of binding of nonspecific nucleic acid and efficiently captures both RNA and DNA targets.

Alkylation

Complex population of nonpolyadenylated messenger RNA in mouse brain.

The complexity of nonadenylated mRNA [poly(A)-mRNA] has been determined by hybridization with single-copy DNA (scDNA) and cDNA. Our results show that poly(A)- and poly(A)+ mRNA are essentially nonoverlapping (nonhomologous) sequence populations of similar complexity. The sum of the complexities of poly(A)+ mRNA and poly(A)- mRNA is equal to that of total polysomal RNA or total mRNA, or the equivalent of approximately 1.7 x 10(5) different sequences 1.5 kb in length. Poly(A)- mRNA, isolated from polysomal RNA by benzoylated cellulose chromatography, hybridized with 3.6% of the scDNA, corresponding to a complexity of 7.8 x 10(4) different 1.5 kb sequences. The equivalent of only one adenosine tract of approximately 20 nucleotides per 100 poly(A)- mRNA molecules 1.5 kb in size was observed by hybridization with poly(U). cDNA was transcribed from poly(A)- mRNA using random oligonucleotides as primers. Only 1-2% of the single-copy fraction of this cDNA was hybridized using poly(A)+ mRNA as a driver. These results show that poly(A)- mRNA shares few sequences with poly(A)+ mRNA and thus constitutes a separate, complex class of messenger RNA. These measurements preclude the presence of a complex class of bimorphic mRNAs [that is, species present in both poly(A)+ and poly(A)- forms] in brain polysomes.

Animals

Complex population of mRNA sequences in large polyadenylylated nuclear RNA molecules.

Polyadenylylated heterogeneous nuclear RNA [poly(A)-hnRNA] from mouse brain was subjected to electrophoresis in agarose gels containing CH3HgOH, and molecules larger than 8 kilobases or 13 kilobases were recovered. cDNA was then transcribed from polyadenylylated RNA fragments cleaved from these large molecules. The resulting cDNA hybridized almost to completion with poly(A)-mRNA isolated from mouse brain polysomes. From the hybridization kinetics of this cDNA with its template RNA, it was estimated that the sequence complexity of the 3'-proximal sequences (of the same average size as mRNA) of the greater than 8 kilobase poly(A)-hnRNA was about 57,000 kilobases. The sequence complexity of poly(A)-mRNA, estimated from the template-driven hybridization kinetics of its respective cDNA, was about 110,000 kilobases. It is concluded that most, if not all, of the 3'-proximal sequences of large poly(A)-hnRNA molecules are homologous with mRNA in the mouse brain and that at least 40,000 different mRNA sequences (or portions of mRNA sequences) are represented in the 3'-proximal sequences of greater than 8 kilobase poly(A)-hnRNA.

Animals

Assay of DNA-RNA hybrids by S1 nuclease digestion and adsorption to DEAE-cellulose filters.

A fast and accurate assay procedure for DNA-RNA hybrids is described in which exhaustive digestion of unhybridized DNA with S1 nuclease is followed by binding of hybrids to filter discs of DEAE-cellulose. The digested DNA can be efficiently washed from the filters so that background levels of 0.1-0.2% of input tracer DNA can be achieved, in contrast to the much higher (approximately 1-5%) backgrounds obtained using TCA precipitation procedures. Short duplexes, as small as 36 nucleotides in length, which are inefficiently bound to hydroxyapatite, are quantitatively bound to the DEAE-cellulose filters.

Animals

One strand equivalent of the Escherichia coli genome is transcribed: complexity and abundance classes of mRNA.

DNA-RNA hybridization experiments show that essentially all of the genomic information is transcribed. High, intermediate, and rare abundance classes of messenger RNA (mRNA) are present, and their estimated complexities are equal to about 240, 1300, and 700 average-sized mRNA species, respectively. The high abundance mRNA species are present, an average, two to three copies per cell and constitute about 95 percent of the mRNA mass. Intermediate abundance mRNA species are present, on average, about once per 35 cells. The relative abundance and complexity of these mRNA classes correspond well with previous respective measurements on protein. Rare RNA species are thought to represent maximally repressed genes. Analysis of RNA synthesized in vitro by isolated nucleoids (chromosomes) suggests that sense and nonsense sequences are extensively interspersed on a given strand of the DNA.

Chromosome Mapping

Elimination of double strand nuclease activity from S1 nuclease prepared from crude alpha amylase.

Single strand-specific s1 nuclease prepared as previously described from crude alpha amylase by DEAE-cellulose chromatography also contains nuclease which degrades double strand nucleic acid. The double strand activity can be removed by repeating the DEAE-cellulose chromatography procedure at least two additional times. S1 nuclease prepared by this procedure does not degrade double strand sheared DNA as measured by Sephadex chromatography. Under the same conditions single strand DNA is completely degraded. Thus, S1 nuclease prepared by this procedure is suitable for use in removing single strand regions in DNA/DNA duplexes and DNA/RNA hybrids.

Amylases

Megestrol acetate in treatment of benign prostatic hypertrophy.

In this study we found no significant effect on benign prostatic hypertrophy due to megestrol using standard clinical criteria. However, there is evidence using urinary drop spectrometer data which makes one suspect that megestrol does have a positive effect. If there is an effect, it is apparently so small as to be undetectable using the clinical protocol of this investigation. Since the urodynamic evidence does indicate a possibility of a positive effect, it appears reasonable to investigate further using a different protocol - perhaps a higher dosage and/or a more controlled test population.

Clinical Trials as Topic

A novel biotinylated adenylate analogue derived from pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine for labeling DNA probes.

A novel dATP analogue, 3-[5-[(N-biotinyl-6- amiocaproyl)amino]pentyl]-1-(2-deoxy-beta-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl )-1H-pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidin-4-amine 5'-triphosphate (9, bio-13-dAPPTP), which is modified at the 3-position with a flexible linker arm bearing a terminal biotin moiety, has been synthesized. This nucleotide is readily incorporated into DNA probes by nick translation. These probes hybridize to complementary targets as well as probes labeled with bio-dUTP, as judged by slot blot. When incorporated into oligonucleotides, they do not cause the loss of hybridization efficiency that an N-6-substituted adenine nucleotide does when incorporated into the same sites in the oligonucleotide.

Adenosine Triphosphate