US 7,566,529 B2
Method for the recovery of retroviral reverse transcriptase (RT) activity from a sample containing unprotected cellular polymerases
Clas Källander, Uppsala (Sweden); Simon Gronowitz, Uppsala (Sweden); and Tommy Gatu, Uppsala (Sweden)
Assigned to Cavidi Tech AB, Uppsala (Sweden)
Appl. No. 10/472,756
PCT Filed Mar. 27, 2002, PCT No. PCT/SE02/00612
§ 371(c)(1), (2), (4) Date Oct. 03, 2003,
PCT Pub. No. WO02/082088, PCT Pub. Date Oct. 17, 2002.
Claims priority of application No. 0101219 (SE), filed on Apr. 05, 2001.
Prior Publication US 2004/0110265 A1, Jun. 10, 2004
Int. Cl. C12Q 1/70 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 435—5 9 Claims
 
1. Method of recovering a retroviral reverse transcriptase (RT) activity from enveloped retroviruses in a biological sample containing non-protected cellular polymerases, comprising the steps of
a) incubating the biological sample with a cysteine-modifying agent selected from the group consisting of N-ethylmalemide, Thimerosal, p-hydroxymercuribenzoate, 5,5′-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid), 2-aminoethyl 2′-aminoethanethiolsulfonate, 2-nitro-5-thiocyanobenzoic acid, methyl methane-thiosulfonate, phenylmercuric acetate and 2,2′-dithiodipyridine, to destroy the activity of contaminating cellular polymerases while preserving retroviral RT activity within the virus envelope,
b1) removing the enveloped virus particles from the incubation mixture using a virus binding matrix and a washing step, or
b2) inactivating the cysteine-modifying agent with an inactivating substance while preserving the virus envelope from lysis,
c) lysing the virus envelope with a lysing buffer to release the virus enzymes, and
d) recovering the released retroviral RT enzyme from the lysing buffer.