Article ID Journal Published Year Pages File Type
10532950 Analytical Biochemistry 2010 8 Pages PDF
Abstract
The potent toxins ricin, abrin, and other ribosome-inactivating proteins deadenylate a specific base in 28S ribosomal RNA that destroys ribosomes and leads to cell death. We have taken advantage of the fact that reverse transcriptase preferentially inserts an adenine opposite to an abasic site in RNA to create a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay to detect the damage. This assay detects as little as 30 pg of ricin. We used the assay to study enzymatic properties of ricin such as pH and temperature optima (pH 4.5-5.0 and 60 °C).
Related Topics
Physical Sciences and Engineering Chemistry Analytical Chemistry
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