Gateway™ pYES-DEST52 Vector - FAQs

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57 product FAQs found

Can I perform the single-step protocol for the BP/LR Clonase reaction using BP Clonase enzyme and LR Clonase enzyme instead of BP Clonase II enzyme and LR Clonase II enzyme?

In the single-step protocol for the BP/LR Clonase reaction, we would not recommend substituting the BP Clonase II/LR Clonase II enzymes with BP Clonase /LR Clonase enzymes as this would result in very low recombination efficiency.

Do you have a recommended single-step protocol for BP/LR recombination?

Yes, we have come up with a single-step protocol for BP/LR Clonase reaction (http://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/life-science/cloning/gateway-cloning.html#1), where DNA fragments can be cloned into Destination vectors in a single step reaction, allowing you to save time and money.

How can I move my gene of interest from a Gateway-adapted expression clone to a new Destination vector as I have lost the entry clone?

We would recommend performing a BP reaction with a Donor vector in order to obtain an entry clone. This entry clone can then be used in an LR reaction with the Destination vector to obtain the new expression clone.

Can I purchase the 5X LR Clonase buffer or 5X BP Clonase buffer separately?

We do not offer the 5X LR Clonase buffer and 5X BP Clonase buffer as standalone products. They are available as part of the enzyme kits.

Do you offer Gateway vectors for expression in plants?

We do not offer any Gateway vectors for expression in plants.

What are the different kinds of media used for culturing Pichia pastoris and S. cerevisiae?

Following are the rich and minimal media used for culturing Pichia pastoris and S. cerevisiae:

Rich Media:
S. cerevisiae and Pichia pastoris
YPD (YEPD): yeast extract, peptone, and dextrose
YPDS: yeast extract, peptone, dextrose, and sorbitol

Pichia pastoris only
BMGY: buffered glycerol-complex medium
BMMY: buffered methanol-complex medium

Minimal Media (also known as drop-out media):
S. cerevisiae
SC (SD): Synthetic complete (YNB, dextrose (or raffinose or galactose), and amino acids)

Pichia pastoris
MGY: minimal glycerol medium
MD: minimal dextrose
MM: minimal methanol
BMGH: buffered minimal glycerol
BMMH: buffered minimal methanol

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Will the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-factor secretion signal be recognized by Schizosaccharomyces pombe?

S. pombe cannot generate P factor when P factor is replaced for alpha in the alpha factor gene. It can, however, produce alpha factor when alpha is replaced for P in the P factor gene. This is negative evidence that S. pombe can process its own mating factor cleavage sites, but not all the cleavage sites of the S. cerevisiae alpha factor. It is better to use a more generic signal sequence (rather than a pre- pro- signal sequence such as alpha). If it is necessary to go the pre- pro- route, it is better to use the S. pombe P factor leader rather than the S. cerevisiae alpha leader.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Expression Support Center.

Do you offer a yeast expression vector that is Gateway-compatible?

pYES-DEST52 (Cat. No. 12286019) is the only yeast expression vector we offer that is Gateway-compatible. It is designed for high-level, galactose-inducible expression in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

For galactose induction of expression in S. cerevisiae, can I include additional carbon sources in the media to increase yeast growth without repressing expression from the GAL promoter?

Some researchers choose to grow yeast in medium containing 2% galactose as the sole carbon source during induction. However, yeast typically grow more quickly in induction medium containing 2% galactose plus 2% raffinose. Raffinose is a good carbon source for yeast, and unlike glucose, does not repress transcription from the GAL promoter. Raffinose is a trisaccharide of galactose, glucose, and fructose linked in that order. Most yeast can cleave the glucose-fructose bond, but not the galactose-glucose bond. Fructose is then used as a carbon source.

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Which S. cerevisiae yeast strain do your kits contain?

We offer the INVSc1 yeast strain. It is a diploid strain for expression purposes only. It does not sporulate well and is therefore not suited for yeast genetic studies. The genotype and phenotype of the INVSc1 strain are as follows:

Genotype: MATa his3D1 leu2 trp1-289 ura3-52/MATalpha his3D1 leu2 trp1-289 ura3-52
Phenotype: His-, Leu-, Trp-, Ura-
Note that INVSc1 is auxotrophic for histidine, leucine, tryptophan, and uracil. The strain will not grow in SC minimal medium that is deficient in histidine, leucine, tryptophan, and uracil.

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Can old premixed lithium acetate buffers be used for preparing and transforming Saccharomyces cerevisiae?

Stock buffers of TE, lithium acetate, and PEG can be stored. However, the combined solution used to prepare the cells for transformation must be made fresh every time. There is a loss in transformation efficiency if the solutions are not freshly prepared.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Expression Support Center.

How does the optical density (OD) of a culture relate to the number of cells for Saccharomyces cerevisiae?

OD600 of 0.1 = approximately 3 x 10e6 cells/mL

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What range of efficiency of transformation I should expect when preparing and electroporating Saccharomyces cerevisiae?

The efficiency is very strain-dependent, but 1000 to 100,000 transformants per µg DNA is the range.

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What are the different methods available for S. cerevisiae yeast transformation?

Here are the different methods available for S. cerevisiae transformation:

- S. cerevisiae EasyComp Transformation Kit (K505001): easy-to-use, ready-made reagents
Competent cells can be stored frozen. Transformation efficiency is >10e3 transformants per µg DNA. Higher transformation efficiencies are often obtained with frozen versus freshly prepared cells.
- Small-scale yeast transformation protocol (page 13 of the manual)
- Lithium acetate transformation: easy, do-it-yourself protocol
Competent cells must be made fresh
- Electroporation: easy and high efficiency, do-it-yourself protocol
Competent cells must be made fresh
- Spheroplast Kit for Yeast (K172001): high efficiency, a lot of work, not suitable for antibiotic selection
Note: Plate an appropriate density. Colonies will appear over several days. Don't pick the largest colonies, as these are often suppressors.

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How do I store yeast long term? Can I freeze them at -80 degrees C like bacteria? What is the shelf life of frozen stocks?

We recommend storing yeast frozen at -80 degrees C in 15% glycerol. Glycerol stocks are good indefinitely (unless there are numerous freeze-thaws). When making a glycerol stock, we recommend using an overnight culture and concentrating it 2-4 fold. Spin down cells and suspend in 25-50% of the original volume with glycerol/medium. It is better to store frozen cells in fresh medium plus glycerol, rather than simply adding glycerol into the overnight culture.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Expression Support Center.

What choices do you offer for protein expression in a yeast host system, and what are their features?

We offer the original Pichia pastoris expression systems, PichiaPink expression system, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast expression system for expression of recombinant proteins. Both P. pastoris and S. cerevisiae have been genetically well-characterized and are known to perform many posttranslational modifications.

The P. pastoris expression system combines the benefits of expression in E. coli (high-level expression, easy scale-up, and inexpensive growth) and the advantages of expression in a eukaryotic system (protein processing, folding, and posttranslational modifications), thus allowing high-level production of functionally active recombinant protein. As a yeast, Pichia pastoris shares the advantages of molecular and genetic manipulations with Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and it has the added advantage of 10- to 100-fold higher heterologous protein expression levels. These features make Pichia pastoris very useful as a protein expression system. The Pichia expression vectors contain either the powerful alcohol oxidase (AOX1) promoter for high-level, tightly controlled expression, or the glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAP) promoter for high-level, constitutive expression. Both inducible and constitutive expression constructs integrate into the P. pastoris genome, creating a stable host that generates extremely high protein expression levels, particularly when used in a fermentor. The Pichia pastoris expression systems we offer include:

- PichiaPink Yeast Expression System: Newer Pichia pastoris expression system that contains both low- and high-copy plasmid backbones, 8 secretion signal sequences, and 4 yeast strains to help optimize for the highest yield possible of the recombinant protein. All PichiaPink vectors contain the AOX1 promoter for high-level, inducible expression and the ADE2 marker for selecting transformants using ADE2 complementation (i.e., by complementation of adenine auxotrophy) rather than antibiotic selection. However, they express the ADE2 gene product from promoters of different lengths, which dictate the copy number of the integrated plasmids. The pPink-LC vector has an 82 bp promoter for the ADE2marker and offers low-copy expression, and the pPink-HC vector has a 13 bp promoter for the ADE2marker and offers high-copy expression. The system also includes the pPinkalpha-HC vector (containing S. cerevisiae alpha-mating factor pre-sequence) for high copy number secreted expression, and provides eight secretion signal sequences for optimization of secreted expression.
- EasySelect Pichia Expression Kit: One of the original Pichia expression kits that contains the pPICZ and pPICZalpha vectors, for intracellular and secreted expression, respectively, of the gene of interest. These vectors contain the AOX1 promoter for high-level, inducible expression and the Zeocin antibiotic resistance marker for direct selection of multi-copy integrants. They facilitate simple subcloning, simple purification, and rapid detection of expressed proteins.
- Original Pichia Expression Kit: The kit includes the pPIC9, pPIC3.5, pHIL-D2, and pHIL-S1 vectors, each of which carries the AOX1 promoter for high-level, inducible expression and the HIS4 gene for selection in his4 strains, on histidine-deficient medium. pPIC9 carries the S. cerevisiae alpha-factor secretion signal while pHIL-S1 carries the Pichia pastoris alkaline phosphatase signal sequence (PHO) to direct transport of the protein to the medium. pHIL-D2 and pPIC3.5 are designed for intracellular expression.
- Multi-Copy Pichia Expression Kit: This kit is designed to maximize expression and contains the pPIC3.5K, pPIC9K, and pAO815 vectors, which allow production and selection of Pichia strains that contain more than one copy of the gene of interest. They allow isolation and generation of multicopy inserts by in vivo methods (pPIC3.5K and pPIC9K) or in vitro methods (pAO815). All of these vectors contain the AOX1 promoter for high-level, inducible expression and the HIS4 gene for selection in his4 strains, on histidine-deficient medium. The pPIC9K vector directs secretion of expressed proteins while proteins expressed from pPIC3.5K and pAO815 remain intracellular. The pPIC9K and pPIC3.5K vectors carry the kanamycin resistance marker that confers resistance to Geneticin Reagent in Pichia. Spontaneous generation of multiple insertion events can be identified by resistance to increased levels of Geneticin Reagent. Pichia transformants are selected on histidine-deficient medium and screened for their level of resistance to Geneticin Reagent. The ability to grow in high concentrations of Geneticin indicates that multiple copies of the kanamycin resistance gene and the gene of interest are integrated into the genome.
- For expression in S. cerevisiae, we offer the pYES Vector Collection. Each pYES vector carries the promoter and enhancer sequences from the GAL1 gene for inducible expression. The GAL1 promoter is one of the most widely used yeast promoters because of its strong transcriptional activity upon induction with galactose. pYES vectors also carry the 2m origin and are episomally maintained in high copy numbers (10-40 copies per cell).

Why would I pick a yeast expression system for expression of my protein, as opposed to expression systems in other hosts?

Yeast is a single-celled, eukaryotic organism that can grow quickly in defined media (doubling times are typically 2.5 hr in glucose-containing media) and is easier and less expensive to use for recombinant protein production than insect or mammalian cells (see table below). These positive attributes make yeast suitable for use in formats ranging from multi-well plates, shake flasks, and continuously stirred tank bioreactors to pilot plant and industrial-scale reactors.

The most commonly employed species in the laboratory are Saccharomyces cerevisiae (also known as Baker's or Brewer's yeast) and some methylotrophic yeasts of the Pichia genus. Both S. cerevisiae and P. pastoris have been genetically characterized and shown to perform the posttranslational disulphide bond formation and glycosylation that is crucial for the proper functioning of some recombinant proteins. However, it is important to note that yeast glycosylation does differ from that in mammalian cells: in S. cerevisiae, O-linked oligosaccharides contain only mannose moieties, whereas higher eukaryotic proteins have sialylated O-linked chains. Furthermore S. cerevisiae is known to hyperglycosylate N-linked sites, which can result in altered protein binding, activity, and potentially yield an altered immunogenic response in therapeutic applications. In P. pastoris, oligosaccharides are of much shorter chain length and a strain has been reported that can produce complex, terminally sialylated or “humanized” glycoproteins.

Do I need to include a ribosomal binding site (RBS/Shine Dalgarno sequence) or Kozak sequence when I clone my gene of interest?

ATG is often sufficient for efficient translation initiation although it depends upon the gene of interest. The best advice is to keep the native start site found in the cDNA unless one knows that it is not functionally ideal. If concerned about expression, it is advisable to test two constructs, one with the native start site and the other with a Shine Dalgarno sequence/RBS or consensus Kozak sequence (ACCAUGG), as the case may be. In general, all expression vectors that have an N-terminal fusion will already have a RBS or initiation site for translation.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Expression Support Center.

How large of a PCR product can I recombine with a pDONR vector via BP cloning? Does the same apply for TOPO-adapted Entry vectors?

There is no theoretical limit to insert size for a BP reaction with a pDONR vector. Maximum size tested in-house is 12 kb. TOPO vectors are more sensitive to insert size and 3-5 kb is the upper limit for decent cloning efficiency.

How should I clean up my attB-PCR product?

After generating your attB-PCR product, we recommend purifying it to remove PCR buffer, unincorporated dNTPs, attB primers, and any attB primer-dimers. Primers and primer-dimers can recombine efficiently with the Donor vector in the BP reaction and may increase background after transformation into E. coli, whereas leftover PCR buffer may inhibit the BP reaction. Standard PCR product purification protocols using phenol/chloroform extraction followed by ammonium acetate and ethanol or isopropanol precipitation are not recommended for purification of the attB-PCR product as these protocols generally have exclusion limits of less than 100 bp and do not efficiently remove large primer-dimer products. We recommend a PEG purification protocol (see page 17 of the Gateway Technology with Clonase II manual). If you use the above protocol and your attB-PCR product is still not suitably purified, you may further gel-purify the product. We recommend using the PureLink Quick Gel Extraction kit.

I'm trying to propagate my Gateway destination vector and am not seeing any colonies. What should I do?

Check the genotype of the cell strain you are using. Our Gateway destination vectors typically contain a ccdB cassette, which, if uninterrupted, will inhibit E. coli growth. Therefore, un-cloned vectors should be propagated in a ccdB survival cell strain, such as our ccdB Survival 2 T1R competent cells.

What is the difference between LR Clonase II and LR Clonase II Plus?

LR Clonase II Plus contains an optimized formulation of recombination enzymes for use in MultiSite Gateway LR reactions. LR Clonase and LR Clonase II enzyme mixes are not recommended for MultiSite Gateway LR recombination reactions, but LR Clonase II Plus is compatible with both multi-site and single-site LR recombination reactions.

What is the purpose of the Proteinase K step following a Gateway LR Recombination reaction, and is it critical to the results?

When the LR reaction is complete, the reaction is stopped with Proteinase K and transformed into E. coli resulting in an expression clone containing a gene of interest. A typical LR reaction followed by Proteinase K treatment yields about 35,000 to 150,000 colonies per 20ul reaction. Without the Proteinase K treatment, up to a 10 fold reduction in the number of colonies can be observed. Despite this reduction, there are often still enough colonies containing the gene of interest to proceed with your experiment, so the Proteinase K step can be left out after the LR reaction is complete if necessary.

Can I go directly from a pENTR/D-TOPO reaction into an LR Clonase Reaction without first purifying the DNA?

In most cases, there will not be enough pENTR vector DNA present to go directly from TOPO cloning into an LR reaction. You need between 100-300 ng of pENTR vector for an efficient LR reaction, and miniprep of a colony from the TOPO transformation is necessary to obtain that much DNA. However, if you want to try it, here are some recommendations for attempting to go straight into LR reactions from the TOPO reaction using pENTR/D, or SD TOPO, or pCR8/GW/TOPO vectors:

1. Heat inactivate the topoisomerase after the TOPO cloning reaction by incubating the reaction at 85 degrees C for 15 minutes.
2. Use the entire reaction (6 µL) in the LR clonase reaction. No purification steps are necessary.
3. Divide the completed LR reaction into 4 tubes and carry out transformations with each tube. You cannot transform entire 20 µL reaction in one transformation, and we have not tried ethanol precipitation and then a single transformation.

When attempting this protocol, we observed very low efficiencies (~10 colonies/plate). So just be aware that while technically possible, going directly into an LR reaction from a TOPO reaction is very inefficient and will result in a very low colony number, if any at all.

Can N-terminal or C-terminal tags be attached to a Gateway Entry clone?

To have an N-terminal tag, the gene of interest must be in the correct reading frame when using non-TOPO adapted Gateway entry vectors. All TOPO adapted Gateway Entry vectors will automatically put the insert into the correct reading frame, and to add the N-terminal tag you simply recombine with a destination vector that has N-terminal tag.

To attach a C-terminal tag to your gene of interest, the insert must lack its stop codon, and be in the correct reading frame for compatibility with our C-terminal tagged destination vectors. Again, TOPO adapted Gateway Entry vectors will automatically put the insert into the correct reading frame. If you do not want the C-terminal tag to be expressed, simply include a stop codon at the end of the insert that is in frame with the initial ATG.

Generally, you need to choose a destination vector before you design and clone your insert into the Entry vector. This will determine whether you need to include an initiating ATG or stop codon with your insert.

What are some of the common types of auxotrophic markers in yeast?

The following are commonly employed auxotrophic markers:

1) his3Δ1: Histidine requiring strain (from gene disruption) with a deletion in locus 1. The his3 denotes the disruption of the HIS3 gene. The Δ1 is a deletion that has been engineered to decrease the recombination between the incoming plasmid DNA and the chromosomal site.
2) leu2: Leucine requiring strain due to the disruption of the LEU2 gene.
3) trp1-289: Tryptophan requiring strain, developed from gene disruption and a further point mutation to decrease the recombination between the incoming plasmid DNA and the chromosomal site.
4) ura3-52: Uracil requiring.

For more detail on types and methods of gene disruption in yeast refer to METHODS IN ENZYMOLOGY Vol. 194.

Can you tell me the difference between a Shine-Dalgarno sequence and a Kozak sequence?

Prokaryotic mRNAs contain a Shine-Dalgarno sequence, also known as a ribosome binding site (RBS), which is composed of the polypurine sequence AGGAGG located just 5’ of the AUG initiation codon. This sequence allows the message to bind efficiently to the ribosome due to its complementarity with the 3’-end of the 16S rRNA. Similarly, eukaryotic (and specifically mammalian) mRNA also contains sequence information important for efficient translation. However, this sequence, termed a Kozak sequence, is not a true ribosome binding site, but rather a translation initiation enhancer. The Kozak consensus sequence is ACCAUGG, where AUG is the initiation codon. A purine (A/G) in position -3 has a dominant effect; with a pyrimidine (C/T) in position -3, translation becomes more sensitive to changes in positions -1, -2, and +4. Expression levels can be reduced up to 95% when the -3 position is changed from a purine to pyrimidine. The +4 position has less influence on expression levels where approximately 50% reduction is seen. See the following references:

- Kozak, M. (1986) Point mutations define a sequence flanking the AUG initiator codon that modulates translation by eukaryotic ribosomes. Cell 44, 283-292.
- Kozak, M. (1987) At least six nucleotides preceding the AUG initiator codon enhance translation in mammalian cells. J. Mol. Biol. 196, 947-950.
- Kozak, M. (1987) An analysis of 5´-noncoding sequences from 699 vertebrate messenger RNAs. Nucleic Acids Res. 15, 8125-8148.
- Kozak, M. (1989) The scanning model for translation: An update. J. Cell Biol. 108, 229-241.
- Kozak, M. (1990) Evaluation of the fidelity of initiation of translation in reticulocyte lysates from commercial sources. Nucleic Acids Res. 18, 2828.

Note: The optimal Kozak sequence for Drosophila differs slightly, and yeast do not follow this rule at all. See the following references:

- Romanos, M.A., Scorer, C.A., Clare, J.J. (1992) Foreign gene expression in yeast: a review. Yeast 8, 423-488.
- Cavaneer, D.R. (1987) Comparison of the consensus sequence flanking translational start sites in Drosophila and vertebrates. Nucleic Acids Res. 15, 1353-1361.

Find additional tips, troubleshooting help, and resources within our Protein Expression Support Center.

Can an attB-PCR product be cloned directly into an expression (Gateway Destination) vector?

No, not directly. The attB-PCR product must first be cloned, via a BP Clonase reaction, into a pDONR vector which creates an "Entry Clone" with attL sites. This clone can then be recombined, via an LR Clonase reaction, with a Destination vector containing attR sites. However, It is possible to perform both of these reactions in one step using the "One-Tube Protocol" described in the manual entitled "Gateway Technology with Clonase II".

Can Gateway technology be used to express two proteins from the same vector?

Yes, this can be done using the Multisite Gateway Technology. MultiSite Gateway Pro Technology enables you to efficiently and conveniently assemble multiple DNA fragments - including genes of interest, promoters, and IRES sequences - in the desired order and orientation into a Gateway Expression vector. Using specifically designed att sites for recombinational cloning, you can clone two, three, or four DNA fragments into any Gateway Destination vector containing attR1 and attR2 sites. The resulting expression clone is ready for downstream expression and analysis applications.

What is the efficiency of recombination in the Gateway system?

For the BP reaction, approximately 5-10% of the starting material is converted into product. For the LR reaction, approximately 30% of the starting material is converted into product.

Are there common restriction sites that can be used to excise a gene out of a Gateway plasmid?

The core region of the att sites contains the recognition sequence for the restriction enzyme BsrGI. Provided there are no BsrGI sites in the insert, this enzyme can be used to excise the full gene from most Gateway plasmids. The BsrGI recognition site is 5'-TGTACA and is found in both att sites flanking the insertion site.

If a different restriction site is desired, the appropriate sequence should be incorporated into your insert by PCR.

Do I have to synthesize new attB primers (29 base attB primer + my specific sequence primer) each time I want to make an attB PCR product, or do you have truncated attB primers that work together with adapter attB primers to get a complete attB sequence?

We do have an alternative method called the "attB Adapter PCR" Protocol in which you make your gene specific primer with only 12 additional attB bases and use attB universal adapter primers. This protocol allows for shorter primers to amplify attB-PCR products by utilizing four primers instead of the usual two in a PCR reaction. You can find the sequence of these primers in the protocol on page 45 of the "Gateway Technology with Clonase II" manual.

There is a protocol in which all 4 primers mentioned above are in a single PCR reaction. You can find this protocol at in the following article: Quest vol. 1, Issue 2, 2004. https://www.thermofisher.com/us/en/home/references/newsletters-and-journals/quest-archive.reg.in.html. The best ratio of the first gene-specific and the second attB primers was 1:10.

Do you have recommended sequencing primers for pDONR201?

We do not offer pre-made primers, but we can recommend the following sequences that can be ordered as custom primers for sequencing of pDONR201:
Forward primer, proximal to attL1: 5'- TCGCGTTAACGCTAGCATGGATCTC
Reverse primer, proximal to attL2: 5'-GTAACATCAGAGATTTTGAGACAC

Can you please list some references for Gateway Cloning Technology?

1. Yeast two-hybrid protein-protein interaction studies Walhout AJ, Sordella R, Lu X, Hartley JL, Temple GF, Brasch MA, Thierry-Mieg N, Vidal M.

2. Protein Interaction Mapping in C. elegans Using Proteins Involved in Vulval Development. Science Jan 7th 2000; 287(5450), 116-122 Davy, A. et al.

3. A protein-protein interaction map of the Caenorhabditis elegans 26S proteosome. EMBO Reports (2001) 2 (9), p. 821-828. Walhout, A.J.M. and Vidal, M. (2001).

4. High-throughput Yeast Two-Hybrid Assays for Large-Scale Protein Interaction mapping. Methods: A Companion to Methods in Enzymology 24(3), pp.297-306

5. Large Scale Analysis of Protein Complexes Gavin, AC et al. Functional Organization of the Yeast Proteome by Systematic Analysis of Protein Complexes. Nature Jan 10th 2002, 415, p. 141-147.

6. Systematic subcellular localisation of proteins Simpson, J.C., Wellenreuther, R., Poustka, A., Pepperkok, R. and Wiemann, S.

7. Systematic subcellular localization of novel proteins identified by large-scale cDNA sequencing. EMBO Reports (2000) 1(3), pp. 287-292.

8. Protein-over expression and crystallography Evdokimov, A.G., Anderson, D.E., Routzahn, K.M. & Waugh, D.S.

9. Overproduction, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of YopM, an essential virulence factor extruded by the plague bacterium Yersinia pestis. Acta Crystallography (2000) D56, 1676-1679.

10. Evdokimov, et al. Structure of the N-terminal domain of Yersinia pestis YopH at 2.0 A resolution. Acta Crystallographica D57, 793-799 (2001).

11. Lao, G. et al. Overexpression of Trehalose Synthase and Accumulation of Intracellular Trehalose in 293H and 293FTetR:Hyg Cells. Cryobiology 43(2):106-113 (2001).

12. High-throughput cloning and expression Albertha J. M. Walhout, Gary F. Temple, Michael A. Brasch, James L. Hartley, Monique A. Lorson, Sander Van Den Huevel, and Marc Vidal.

13. Gateway Recombinational Cloning: Application to the Cloning of Large Numbers of Open Reading Frames or ORFeomes. Methods in Enzymology, Vol. 328, 575-592.

14. Wiemann, S. et.al., Toward a Catalog of Human Genes and Proteins: Sequencing and Analysis of 500 Novel Complete Protein Coding Human cDNAs, Genome Research (March 2001) Vol. 11, Issue 3, pp.422-435

15. Reviewed in NATURE: Free Access to cDNA provides impetus to gene function work. 15 march 2001, p. 289. Generating directional cDNA libraries using recombination

16. Osamu Ohara and Gary F. Temple. Directional cDNA library construction assisted by the in vitro recombination reaction. Nucleic Acids Research 2001, Vol. 29, no. 4. RNA interference (RNAi)

17. Varsha Wesley, S. et al. Construct design for efficient, effective and highthroughput gene silencing in plants. The Plant Journal 27(6), 581-590 (2001). Generation of retroviral constructs

18. Loftus S K et al. Generation of RCAS vectors useful for functional genomic analyses. DNA Res 31;8(5):221 (2001).

19. James L. Hartley, Gary F. Temple and Michael A. Brasch. DNA Cloning Using In Vitro Site-Specific Recombination. Genome Research (2000) 10(11), pp. 1788-1795.

20. Reboul et al. Open-reading frame sequence tags (OSTs) support the existence of at least 17,300 genes in C. elegans. Nature Genetics 27(3):332-226 (2001).

21. Kneidinger, B. et al. Identification of two GDP-6-deoxy-D-lyxo-4-hexulose reductase synthesizing GDP-D-rhamnose in Aneurinibacillus thermoaerophilus L420-91T*. JBC 276(8) (2001).

What do attL1 and attL2 sites look like after recombination between attB and attP sites?

The attP1 sequence (pDONR) is:
AATAATGATT TTATTTTGAC TGATAGTGAC CTGTTCGTTG CAACAAATTG ATGAGCAATGCTTTTTTAT AATGCCAACT TTGTACAAAA AAGC[TGAACG AGAAACGTAA AATGATATAA ATATCAATAT ATTAAATTAG ATTTTGCATA AAAAACAGACTA CATAATACTG TAAAACACAA CATATCCAGT CACTATGAAT CAACTACTTA GATGGTATTA GTGACCTGTA]

The region within brackets is where the site is "cut" and replaced by the attB1-fragment sequence to make an attL1 site. The sequence GTACAAA is the overlap sequence present in all att1 sites and is always "cut" right before the first G.

The overlap sequence in attP2 sites is CTTGTAC and cut before C. This is attP2:
ACAGGTCACT AATACCATCT AAGTAGTTGA TTCATAGTGA CTGGATATGT TGTGTTTTAC AGTATTATGT AGTCTGTTTT TTATGCAAAA TCTAATTTAA TATATTGATA TTTATATCAT TTTACGTTTC TCGTTCAGCT TTCTTGTACA AAGTTGGCAT TATAAGAAAG CATTGCTTAT AATTTGTTG CAACGAACAG GTCACTATCA GTCAAAATAA AATCATTATT

So, attL1 (Entry Clone) should be:
A ATAATGATTT TATTTTGACT GATAGTGACC TGTTCGTTGC AACAAATTGA TGAGCAATGC TTTTTTATAA TGCCAACT TT G TAC AAA AAA GC[A GGC T]NN NNN

attL2 (Entry Clone) should be:
NNN N[AC C]CA GCT TT CTTGTACA AAGTTGGCAT TATAAGAAAG CATTGCTTAT CAATTTGTTG CAACGAACAG GTCACTATCA GTCAAAATAA AATCATTATT

The sequence in brackets comes from attB, and N is your gene-specific sequence.

Note: When creating an Entry Clone through the BP reaction and a PCR product, the vector backbone is not the same as Gateway Entry vectors. The backbone in the case of PCR BP cloning is pDONR201.

How large can PCR fragments be and still be cloned into a Gateway Entry vector?

There is no size restriction on the PCR fragments if they are cloned into a pDONR vector. The upper limit for efficient cloning into a TOPO adapted Gateway Entry vector is approximately 5 kb. A Gateway recombination reaction can occur between DNA fragments that are as large as 150 kb.

What is the influence of the attB sequence on protein function, solubility, folding, and expression?

Destination vectors that contain N-terminal fusion partners will express proteins that contain amino acids contributed from the attB1 site, which is 25 bases long. This means that in addition to any tag (6x His and/or antibody epitope tag), the N-terminus of an expressed protein will contain an additional 9 amino acids from the attB1 sequence - the typical amino acid sequence is Thr-Ser-Leu-Tyr-Lys-Lys-Ala-Gly-nnn, where nnn will depend on the codon sequence of the insert.

Effects on protein function: A researcher (Simpson et al. EMBO Reports 11(31):287-292, 2000) demonstrated that GFP fusions (N- terminal and C-terminal) localized to the proper intracellular compartment. The expression constructs were generated using Gateway cloning, so the recombinant protein contained the attB1 or attB2 amino acid sequence. The localization function of the cloned recombinant proteins was preserved.

Effects on expression: We have seen no effect of the attB sites on expression levels in E. coli, insect and mammalian cells. The gus gene was cloned into bacterial expression vectors (for native and N-terminal fusion protein expression) using standard cloning techniques and expressed in bacteria. Gus was also cloned into Gateway Destination vectors (for native and N-terminal fusion expression) and expressed. When protein expression is compared, there was no difference in the amount of protein produced. This demonstrates that for this particular case, the attB sites do not interfere with transcription or translation.

Effects on solubility: A researcher at the NCI has shown that Maltose Binding Protein fusions constructed with Gateway Cloning were soluble. The fusion proteins expressed had the attB amino acid sequence between the Maltose Binding Protein and the cloned protein. It is possible that some proteins containing the attB sequence could remain insoluble when expressed in E.coli.

Effects on folding: Two Hybrids screens show the same interacters identified with and without the attB sequence. Presumably correct protein folding would be required for protein-protein interactions to take place. It is possible that some proteins containing the attB sequence may not fold correctly.

Must PCR conditions be changed once the original PCR primers have attB sequence added to them?

Since the attB sequences are on the 5' end of oligos, they will not anneal to the target template in the first round of PCR. Sometimes the PCR product is more specific with the attB primers, probably due to the longer annealing sequence (all of attB plus gene specific sequence) after the first round of amplification. Generally there is no need to change PCR reaction conditions when primers have the additional attB sequence

Can PCR primers be tailed directly with attL sites for direct recombination into the destination vector?

No, this is not really feasible due to the fact that the attL sequence is approximately 100 bp, which is too long for efficient oligo synthesis. Our own maximum sequence length for ordering custom primers is 100 nucleotides. In contrast, the attB sequences are only 25 bp long, which is a very reasonable length for adding onto the 5' end of gene-specific PCR primers.

Where can I get Gateway vector sequences and maps?

Vector information can be found in the product manuals or directly on our web site by entering the catalog number of the product in the search box. The vector map, cloning site diagram, and sequence information will be linked to the product page.

From where does Gateway get its lambda nomenclature, and is it consistent with textbook nomenclature for lambda recombination?

The Gateway nomenclature is consistent with lambda nomenclature, but we use numbers to differentiate between modified versions of the att sites (attB1, attB2, attP1, attP2, and so on). We have introduced mutations in the att sites to provide specificity and directionality to the recombination reaction. For example, attB1 will only recombine with attP1 and not with attP2.

What is the first step in an experiment with the Gateway system?

The first step is to create an Entry clone for your gene of interest. We have 3 options to do this: The first is by BP recombination reaction using the PCR Cloning System with Gateway Technology. This is recommended for cloning large (>5 kb) PCR products. We also have Gateway compatible TOPO Cloning vectors such as pCR8/GW/TOPO and pENTR/D-TOPO. The final option is to use restriction enzymes to clone into a pENTR Dual Selection vector.

What are the prerequisites for Gateway cloning and expression?

The gene of interest must be flanked by the appropriate att sites, either attL (100 bp) in an Entry clone or attB (25 bp) in a PCR product. For Entry clones, everything between the attL sites will be shuttled into the Gateway destination vector containing attR sites, and a PCR product flanked by attB sites must be shuttled into an attP-containing donor vector such as pDONR221.

The location of translation initiation sites, stop codons, or fusion tags for expression must be considered in your initial cloning design. For example, if your destination vector contains an N-terminal tag but does not have a C-terminal tag, the vector should already contain the appropriate translation start site but the stop codon should be included in your insert.

Will increasing the Gateway cloning reaction time improve recombination efficiency?

Yes, increasing the incubation time from 1 hour to 4 hours will generally increase colony numbers 2-3 fold. An overnight incubation at room temperature will typically increase colony yield by 5-10 fold.

How many times can I thaw BP Clonase II and LR Clonase II?

BP Clonase II and LR Clonase II can be freeze/thawed at least 10 times without significant loss of activity. However, you may still want to aliquot the enzymes to keep freeze/thaw variability to a minimum.

These enzymes are more stable than the original BP and LR Clonase and can be stored at -20 degrees C for 6 months.

How clean must my DNA be to use in a Gateway cloning reaction?

Mini-prep (alkaline lysis) DNA preparations work well in Gateway cloning reactions. It is important that the procedure remove contaminating RNA for accurate quantification. Plasmid DNA purified with our S.N.A.P. nucleic acid purification kits, ChargeSwitch kits, or PureLink kits are recommended.

How would you incorporate a leader sequence for secretion into an entry vector?

A simple way to express a protein with a leader sequence is to have the leader sequence encoded in the destination vector. The other option is to have the leader sequence subcloned into the entry vector using restriction enzymes, or incorporate the leader sequence into the forward PCR primer when cloning a PCR product into the entry vector. Please see Esposito et al. (2005), Prot. Exp. & Purif. 40, 424-428 for an example of how a partial leader sequence for secretion was incorporated into an entry vector.

Where is the ATG relative to the 5' attB site in a Gateway expression clone?

This depends on whether you are expressing a fusion or a native protein in the Gateway destination vector. For an N-terminal fusion protein the ATG will be given by the destination vector and it will be upstream of the attB1 site. For a C-terminal fusion protein or a native protein, the ATG should be provided by your gene of interest, and it will be downstream of the attB1 site.

Are the Gateway attB1 and attB2 sites the same as the attB site used for recombination into E. coli by bacteriophage lambda?

The Gateway attB sites are derived from the bacteriophage lambda site-specific recombination, but are modified to remove stop codons and reduce secondary structure. The core regions have also been modified for specificity (i.e., attB1 will recombine with attP1 but not with attP2).

Will Gateway att sites affect the expression of my protein?

Expression experiments have shown that the extra amino acids contributed by the attB site to a fusion protein will most likely have no effect on protein expression levels or stability. In addition, they do not appear to have any effect on two-hybrid interactions in yeast. However, as is true with the addition of any extra sequences that result from tags, the possible effects will be protein-dependent.

Can the attB primers anneal in a non-specific manner?

No, attB primers are highly specific under standard PCR conditions. We have amplified from RNA (RT-PCR), cDNA libraries, genomic DNA, and plasmid templates without any specificity problems.

What is the smallest fragment that can be used in a Gateway reaction?

The smallest size we have recombined is a 70 bp piece of DNA located between the att sites. Very small pieces are difficult to clone since they negatively influence the topology of the recombination reaction.

Are there any limitations on the insert length in Gateway cloning?

There is no theoretical size limitation. PCR products between 100 bp and 11 Kb have been readily cloned into a pDONR Gateway vector. Other DNA pieces as large as 150 kb with att sites will successfully recombine with a Gateway-compatible vector. Overnight incubation is recommended for large inserts.

What primer purity should be used for adding attB sites to my PCR product?

Standard desalted purity is generally sufficient for creating attB primers. We examined HPLC-purified oligos for Gateway cloning (about 50 bp long) and found only about a 2-fold increase in colony number over standard desalted primers. If too few colonies are obtained, you may try to increase the amount of PCR product used and/or incubate the BP reaction overnight.

I sequenced one of your vectors after PCR amplification and observed a difference from what is provided online (or in the manual). Should I be concerned?

Our vectors have not been completely sequenced. Your sequence data may differ when compared to what is provided. Known mutations that do not affect the function of the vector are annotated in public databases.

Are your vectors routinely sequenced?

No, our vectors are not routinely sequenced. Quality control and release criteria utilize other methods.

How was the reference sequence for your vectors created?

Sequences provided for our vectors have been compiled from information in sequence databases, published sequences, and other sources.