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What are the applications of proteinase K?
Posted May 19, 2023

Answer

Proteinase K is used extensively in a wide range of molecular biology applications and next generation sequencing (NGS) and microarray technologies. 

In molecular biology Proteinase K is used to: 

  • Digest proteins and remove contamination from nucleic acid preparations
  • Inactivate nucleases DNases and RNases that might otherwise degrade the DNA or RNA sample during purification
  • Obtain characteristic protein fragments to be used in determining the structure and function of proteins
  • Isolate highly native and undamaged DNA or RNA by rapidly inactivating mammalian and microbial DNases and RNases 
  • Specifically modify cell surface proteins in order to analyze membrane structures for protein localization
  • Digest tissue as an alternative option for preparing samples for quantitative analysis via liquid chromatography - tandem mass spectrometry
  • Detect Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy proteins, which are uniquely resistant to proteolytic degradation.

In next generation sequencing (NGS) and microarray technologies, Proteinase K is used to:

  • Inactivate nucleases and purify nucleic acid during the extraction of DNA and RNA from bacteria, yeast, and plant cell and mammalian cell lysates
  • Improve cloning efficiency of PCR products
  • Inactivate enzyme cocktails in ribonuclease protection assays
  • Prepare samples for quantifying DNA adduct levels using accelerator mass spectrometry
  • Optimize RNA yields from primary breast tumors for microarray studies