We describe a modification of a polymerase chain reaction method called 'targeted gene walking' that can be used for the amplification of unknown DNA sequences adjacent to a short stretch of known sequence by using the combination of a single, targeted sequence specific PCR primer with a second, nonspecific 'walking' primer. This technique can replace conventional cloning and screening methods with a single step PCR protocol to greatly expedite the isolation of sequences either upstream or downstream from a known sequence. A number of potential applications are discussed, including its utility as an alternative to cloning and screening for new genes or cDNAs, as a method for searching for polymorphic sites, restriction endonuclease or regulatory regions, and its adaptation to rapidly sequence DNA of lengthy unknown regions that are contiguous to known genes.
Cervical samples from 270 women referred by area physicians were analyzed for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV) types 6, 11, 16, and 18 by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by Southern hybridization. Samples from 154 patients were concurrently analyzed by a commercial filter hybridization technique (Virapap and Viratype Kits, Life Technologies, Bethesda Research Labs, Gaithersburg, MD). The sensitivity of the Southern blot procedure combined with PCR was significantly higher than that of the Virapap and Viratype methods. HPV was detected in 67% of women who had positive results for dysplasia by PCR and in 47% by the Virapap method. HPV types 16/18 were found more commonly than types 6/11 in every diagnostic category. More than one HPV type was detected in 12% of HPV-positive patients. The prevalence of HPV in cytologically negative or indefinite patients as measured by PCR was 22% and 40%; in contrast, by the Virapap method, these values were 7% and 10%. These results demonstrate that PCR combined with Southern hybridization provides a higher level of sensitivity than methods that use hybridization without amplification of HPV DNA and also show that the prevalence of HPV is highest in cytologically positive smears.
We have obtained 42 active artificial mutants of HSV-1 thymidine kinase (ATP:thymidine 5'-phosphotransferase, EC 2.7.1.21) by replacing codons 166 and 167 with random nucleotide sequences. Codons 166 and 167 are within the putative nucleoside binding site in the HSV-1 tk gene. The spectrum of active mutations indicates that neither Ile166 nor Ala167 is absolutely required for thymidine kinase activity. Each of these amino acids can be replaced by some but not all of the 19 other amino acids. The active mutants can be classified as high activity or low activity on two bases: (1) growth of Escherichia coli KY895 (a strain lacking thymidine kinase activity) in the presence of thymidine and (2) uptake of thymidine by this strain, when harboring plasmids with the random insertions. E. coli KY895 harboring high-activity plasmids or wild-type plasmids can grow in the presence of low amounts of thymidine (less than 1 microgram/mL), but are unable to grow in the presence of high amounts of thymidine. On the other hand, E. coli KY895 harboring low-activity plasmids can grow at a high concentration of thymidine (greater than 50 microgram/mL) in the media. The high-activity plasmids also have an enhanced [3H]dT uptake. The amounts of thymidine kinase activity in vitro in unfractionated extracts do not correlate with either growth at low thymidine concentration or the rate of thymidine uptake. Heat inactivation studies indicate that the mutant enzymes are without exception more temperature-sensitive than the wild-type enzyme.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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