Visit our Expo - Redox and Inflammation signaling 2012

New tags for transfection and protein:protein interaction analysis
T. Schmidt
IBA GmbH, Rudolf-Wissell-Str. 28, D-37079 Göttingen
Magnet Assisted Transfection (MATra) is a new, easy-to-handle, very fast and highly
efficient technology to transfect cells in culture. In a first step, nucleic acids are associated
with specific magnetic nanoparticles (MagTag). Exploiting magnetic force the full nucleic
acid dose is then drawn towards and delivered into the target cells leading to efficient
transfection without disturbing the membrane architecture, without causing chromosomal
damage or leaving a hole in the cell membrane like other transfection technologies. All types
of nucleic acids from plasmid DNA or siRNA to oligonucleotides can be used with the
MATra approach. Data from a variety of species using cell lines or primary tissue culture
have accumulated including human, monkey, mouse, rat, xenopus, pig, cat or fish.
One-STrEP-tag is an extremely fast and efficient method to isolate functional protein
complexes which have formed in the cellular environment after expression of a tagged bait
protein. After disruption of the cells the intact protein complex is separated from the crude
lysate on Strep-Tactin affinity columns. While other systems require tedious optimization
because of high background or two successive purification steps, the One-STrEP system
requires one STEP only. The fast purification under physiological conditions makes even
weakly associated protein complexes amenable to functional studies or mass spectroscopic
identification. To even improve this unsurpassed system, new monoclonal antibodies against
the One-STrEP-tag have been developed. One antibody called Strep-MAB binds nearly
irreversibly to the One-STrEP-tag while the other exhibits easy controllable reversible
binding properties. These complementary and Strep-Tactin independent One-STrEP-tag
binding tools open new assay opportunities in protein:protein interaction studies which will be
presented.
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