Synthesis and enzymatic incorporation of a fluorescent pyrimidine ribonucleotide

Nat Protoc. 2007;2(6):1547-55. doi: 10.1038/nprot.2007.222.

Abstract

A detailed protocol for the synthesis of a fluorescent pyrimidine ribonucleoside analogue and its enzymatic incorporation into an RNA strand by transcription reactions is described. Furan-modified ribonucleoside triphosphate is synthesized in two steps with an overall yield of 33%. Incorporation of the triphosphate into an RNA oligomer occurs with nearly 225-fold amplification over the amount of the DNA template. Bacterial rRNA decoding site (known as the A-site) derived from this fluorescently modified ssRNA positively signals a binding event upon interaction with aminoglycoside antibiotics, its cognate ligands. The total time for the synthesis of ribonucleoside triphosphate is approximately 6 days, and that for the incorporation of the nucleoside triphosphate and purification of the fluorescently labeled RNA approximately 40 h.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Fluorescence
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Pyrimidine Nucleotides / chemical synthesis*
  • Pyrimidine Nucleotides / isolation & purification
  • Pyrimidine Nucleotides / metabolism*
  • RNA, Bacterial / chemistry
  • RNA, Bacterial / genetics
  • RNA, Ribosomal / chemistry
  • RNA, Ribosomal / genetics
  • Transcription, Genetic

Substances

  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Pyrimidine Nucleotides
  • RNA, Bacterial
  • RNA, Ribosomal