Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Labeling DNA Probes

Labeling DNA Probes

DNA probes are fragments of DNA labeled with a reporter tag to enable their detection or purification. The resulting labeled DNA probes can then hybridize to target nucleic acid sequences through complementary base-pairing, and may be used to recover or identify these regions.
Radioisotopes, fluorophores, or small molecule binding partners like biotin or digoxigenin, are the most widely used reporter tags for labeling DNA probes. These labels can be attached to the probe DNA molecule via...

Tagging and Fusion Proteins

Tagging and Fusion Proteins

Proteins are involved in several cellular processes and biochemical reactions. Analyzing a specific protein of interest requires it to be isolated from the other proteins in the cell. This is achieved by overexpressing the specific gene in a suitable host to produce large quantities of the target protein. A tag or label is recombined with the gene to produce a fusion protein containing the target protein and the tag. The tags on these fusion proteins can then be used for easy detection and...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

CAGE-TRX expands the scope of time-resolved crystallography through genetically encoded active-site photocaging.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

Wnt dynamics at the blastopore and stomodeum during sea urchin gastrulation.

Development (Cambridge, England)·2026

Same author

Covalent aptamers: agents with promising therapeutic and diagnostic potential.

RSC chemical biology·2025

Same author

Small-molecule control of CAR T cells.

Nature reviews. Chemistry·2025

Same author

Time-Resolved Crystallography Reveals the Mechanisms of GTP hydrolysis for N-RAS and the Oncogenic Mutants G12C, G12V and Q61L.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025

Same author

Genetically Encoded Lysine Analogues with Differential Light Sensitivity for Activation of Protein Function.

ChemPhotoChem·2025

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Primer-Free Aptamer Selection Using A Random DNA Library

Primer-Free Aptamer Selection Using A Random DNA Library

Published on: July 26, 2010

Protein labeling and crosslinking by covalent aptamers.

Mary Cacace¹, Yaniv Tivon¹, Alexander Deiters¹

¹Department of Chemistry, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States.

Methods in Enzymology

|March 22, 2023

Summary

Researchers developed covalent aptamers for selective protein modification. These DNA tools enable precise labeling or crosslinking of proteins like thrombin, offering sensitive detection methods.

Keywords:

Aptamer Electrophile Nucleic acid Protein bioconjugation Protein labeling

More Related Videos

Optimizing the Genetic Incorporation of Chemical Probes into GPCRs for Photo-crosslinking Mapping and Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Live Mammalian Cells

Optimizing the Genetic Incorporation of Chemical Probes into GPCRs for Photo-crosslinking Mapping and Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Live Mammalian Cells

Published on: April 9, 2018

Sequence-specific Labeling of Nucleic Acids and Proteins with Methyltransferases and Cofactor Analogues

Sequence-specific Labeling of Nucleic Acids and Proteins with Methyltransferases and Cofactor Analogues

Published on: November 22, 2014

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Aug 6, 2025

Primer-Free Aptamer Selection Using A Random DNA Library

Primer-Free Aptamer Selection Using A Random DNA Library

Published on: July 26, 2010

Optimizing the Genetic Incorporation of Chemical Probes into GPCRs for Photo-crosslinking Mapping and Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Live Mammalian Cells

Optimizing the Genetic Incorporation of Chemical Probes into GPCRs for Photo-crosslinking Mapping and Bioorthogonal Chemistry in Live Mammalian Cells

Published on: April 9, 2018

Sequence-specific Labeling of Nucleic Acids and Proteins with Methyltransferases and Cofactor Analogues

Sequence-specific Labeling of Nucleic Acids and Proteins with Methyltransferases and Cofactor Analogues

Published on: November 22, 2014

Area of Science:

Biochemistry
Molecular Biology
Chemical Biology

Background:

Selective protein modification is crucial for biological research and diagnostics.
Existing methods often lack specificity or efficiency.
DNA aptamers offer unique binding properties for targeting specific proteins.

Purpose of the Study:

To introduce a novel method for selective protein modification using electrophilic covalent aptamers.
To demonstrate the utility of covalent aptamers for labeling and crosslinking target proteins.
To evaluate the efficiency and selectivity of this approach in complex biological samples.

Main Methods:

Generation of DNA aptamers with site-specific incorporation of electrophilic moieties.
Application of covalent aptamers for labeling and crosslinking the protein thrombin.
Assessment of labeling efficiency and selectivity in buffer and human plasma.
Detection of labeled proteins using techniques such as western blot, SDS-PAGE, and mass spectrometry.

Main Results:

Covalent aptamers successfully enabled site-specific modification of native proteins.
Thrombin labeling was achieved rapidly and with high selectivity.
The aptamer-mediated modification outcompeted nuclease degradation in biological samples.
Sensitive detection of labeled thrombin was demonstrated using standard biochemical assays.

Conclusions:

Electrophilic covalent aptamers represent a powerful new tool for selective protein modification.
This method offers a robust and sensitive approach for protein labeling and crosslinking.
The technique has significant potential for applications in proteomics, diagnostics, and drug discovery.