Light-activated RNA interference.
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Gene Expression↗
Biomedical subjects
Simon H Friedman
Publications and source records attributed to Simon H Friedman.
An interference-free fluorescent assay of telomerase for the high-throughput analysis of inhibitors.
We have developed a telomerase assay that can quickly and accurately rank the ability of molecules to inhibit telomerase activity. It is based on the method of Orlando and co-workers which utilizes PicoGreen to detect dsDNA formed during the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of telomerase products. PCR cycles were optimized to give as linear a signal as possible relative to telomerase products; 96-well streptavidin-coated PCR plates were used to isolate the preamplification telomerase products and to wash inhibitors away before the amplification step. The inhibitor removal step is critical to prevent false positives potentially caused by inhibition of Taq polymerase during amplification. Use of the streptavidin-coated PCR plate allows this step to be done much more rapidly than use of the liquid/liquid extraction adopted by others. We have demonstrated that this assay can correctly order the ability of four inhibitors to inhibit telomerase and reproduce within a factor of two the absolute IC(50) values determined by the more time-consuming direct assay. We have shown that the difference in IC(50) values determined in this assay versus the direct assay can be corrected for by using the standard curve appropriately. Using this method 96 compounds can be assessed in 3-5h.
Cell Extracts↗
A rapid direct telomerase assay method using 96-well streptavidin plates.
We have developed a high-throughput direct assay methodfor the assay of telomerase activity that improves on previous direct telomerase assays in two ways that allow larger numbers of samples to be conveniently processed: (i) 96-well streptavidin coated plates are used to bind and wash biotinylated primer extension products from the telomerase assay, as opposed to tubes containing streptavidin-coated magnetic beads; and (ii) storage phosphor-imagery is used instead of film autoradiography to detect telomerase products after being washed and released from the streptavidin-derivatized matrix. This method improves on previous direct assay methods using magnetic beads by allowing larger numbers of samples to be conveniently assayed. Also, the total activity of the radiolabeled nucleotides used in this procedure is significantly lower than that used in standard direct telomerase assays, lowering costs and exposure to radioactivity. We have validated the assay by repeating, in triplicate, the IC50 determination of rivanol, our previously identified telomerase inhibitor.
Clinical Enzyme Tests↗