Efficient removal of proteins from nucleic acid solutions
Proteinase K is a highly active 28,904-Da serine protease isolated from the fungus Tritirachium album. The enzyme exhibits broad cleavage specificity on native and denatured proteins and is widely used in the purification of DNA and RNA. Its activity is increased in the presence of denaturants such as SDS (1%) and elevated temperature (50-60°C). The recommended working concentration is 50-100 µg/ml for protein removal and enzyme inactivation, and up to 2 mg/ml for tissue treatment. The Proteinase K, Lyophilized powder can be prepared as a 20 mg/ml stock solution in water and stored in aliquots at -20°C. The enzyme is also available as a ready-to-use concentrated stock solution (600 mAU/ml) that is convenient for routine use in most applications. 1 mg of Proteinase K is the equivalent of 30 mAU (AU = Anson unit). The Novagen Proteinase K products are free of detectable DNase and RNase.
One AU (AU = Anson unit) is defined as the amount of enzyme that liberates 1.0 µmol (181 µg) of tyrosine from casein per minute at pH 7.5 at 37°C.