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Updated: Aug 6, 2026

Small-scale Nuclear Extracts for Functional Assays of Gene-expression Machineries
Published on: June 27, 2012
An improved nuclear extract preparation method
1Department of Microbial Genetics, Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.
Abstract:
A rapid, efficient, and highly reproducible procedure for nuclear extract preparation is described. The method uses lysolecithin (lysophosphatidylcholine) to disrupt plasma membranes and requires no detergents or douncing. Soluble extracts prepared by this method are comparable to conventional nuclear extracts in all assays tested. Lysolecithin nuclear extracts are competent for RNA polymerase II and III transcription, DNA replication, pre-mRNA splicing, and sequence specific DNA-protein binding. Nuclear extracts can be prepared on a small scale (10(7) cells) as well as for preparative purposes by this method.

