Would people be interested in purchasing Xenopus egg extracts?
J. Aquiles Sanchez
sanchez at binah.cc.brandeis.edu
Sat Feb 17 12:18:39 EST 1996
We have developed a new protocol for large scale production of
cytoplasmic extracts from Xenopus (frog) eggs. We are considering the
idea of marketing these extracts but need to know first whether people
would be interested in buying these extracts. Any feedback either to my
e-mail address or to this newsgroup would be greatly appreciated.
Following is a brief description of the properties of these extracts.
Xenopus egg activated extracts can assemble plasmid DNA into chromatin
and nuclear like-structures (complete with nuclear envelope and nuclear
pores). These so called "pseudo-nuclei" can replicate DNA efficiently in
a sequence specific manner. The same extracts promote nuclear envelope
assembly, chromatin decondensation, nuclear swelling and DNA replication
of any eukaryotic cell nuclei (including those derived from quiescent
cells). Similar extracts prepared from metaphase arrested eggs induce
mitotic events in vitro including nuclear envelope breakdown, chromatin
condensation and formation of mitotic chromosomes. These extracts can be
activated to progress through the cell cycle in vitro causing mitotic
nuclei to form interhase nuclei. Xenopus egg extracts also have large
stockpiles of materials required for chromatin assembly (histones,
neucleoplasmin, N1/N2 proteins), nuclear envelope formation, DNA
replication, chromatin decondensation and condensation, etc.
Thank you for your help,
Dr. J.A. Sanchez
More information about the Cellbiol