pIB/V5-His TOPO™ TA Expression Kit

We do not recommend storing competent E. coli strains in liquid nitrogen as the extreme temperature can be harmful to the cells. Also, the plastic storage vials are not intended to withstand the extreme temperature and may crack or break.

We recommend storing our competent E. coli strains at -80°C. Storage at warmer temperatures, even for a brief period of time, will significantly decrease transformation efficiency.

While the importance of a Kozak consensus sequence in translation initiation has been demonstrated in mammalian cells, there seems to be some debate as to whether the Kozak rules are as stringent in insect cells. The only way to determine its importance would be a direct comparison of expression of the same protein from different initiation sequences. Even then, the rules for optimal expression of one protein may not hold for another. Here are two references which indicate that a Kozak consensus sequence does not have any effect on efficiency of expression in insect cells:

- Hills D, Crane-Robinson C (1995) Baculovirus expression of human basic fibroblast growth factor from a synthetic gene: role of the Kozak consensus and comparison with bacterial expression.
- Biochim Biophys Acta 1260(1):14-20.
- Ranjan A, Hasnain SE (1995) Influence of codon usage and translational initiation codon context in the AcNPV-based expression system: computer analysis using homologous and heterologous genes. Virus Genes 9(2):149-153.

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.

We suggest starting with a molar ratio of 1:1 (insert:vector), with a range of 0.5:1 to 2:1. The quantity used in a TOPO cloning reaction is typically 5-10 ng of a 2 kb PCR product.

Equation:

length of insert (bp)/length of vector (bp) x ng of vector = ng of insert needed for 1:1 (insert:vector ratio)