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Nick Translation

Nick translation involves the use of restriction enzymes to remove certain nucleotides in a DNA sequence. After the removal, polymerase and ligase enzymes are used to repair the sequence with tagged nucleotides. This results in a hybrid DNA with a tagged sequence which can be used in various ways.

This process is called nick translation because the DNA to be so processed is treated with DNase to produce single-stranded "nicks." This is followed by replacement in nicked sites by DNA polymerase I. Nucleotides that are removed and replaced in this way are the ones referred to as "junk DNA," that is, DNA that does not code for any proteins or have any other function we can discern.

Two of the most common uses for a nick translated DNA strand are fluorescence and blotting. One sequence that can be inserted causes the cell to fluoresce under black light, allowing tracing.

Web Resources On Nick Translation

Protocol for DNA Labeling by Nick-translation
DNA Labeling by Nick Translation

Book Resources On Nick Translation

DNA Microarrays and Gene Expression : From Experiments to Data Analysis and Modeling by Baldi et. al.
An Introduction to Recombinant DNA Techniques: Basic Experiments in Gene Manipulation by Perry B. Hackett

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