108 _

The wheat germ extract in vitro translation system has been used widely for faithful
and efficient translation of viral and eukaryotic messenger RNAs in a heterologous
cell-free system (1-9). With respect to the yield oftranslation products, the wheat germ
extract is less efficient than most reticulocyte lysate cell-free systems (see Chapters
106, 107, and 109). There are advantages, however, of using wheat germ extracts:
1. The in vivo competition of mRNAs for translation is more accurately represented, making
the wheat germ system preferable for studying regulation of translation (1).
2. Particularly low levels of endogenous mRNA and the endogenous nuclease activity
obviate the requirement for treatment with a calcium-activated nuclease. There is, there-
fore, less disruption of the in vivo situation and contamination with calcium ions is less
harmful. The identification of all sizes of exogenous mRNA-directed translation products
is facilitated because of the low levels of endogenous mRNA present.
3. There is no posttranslational modification of translation products; primary products are
therefore investigated, although processing may be achieved by the addition of micro-
somal membranes to the translation reaction.
4. The ionic conditions of the reaction may be altered to optimize the translation of large or
small RNAs (2) Note
Translational activity is optimized by the incorporation of an energy-generating sys-
tem of ATP, GTP, creatine phosphate, and creatine kinase (3). Wheat germ is inexpen-
sive and commercially available Note 2); preparation of the extract is rapid and
simple, resulting in high yields. Wheat germ extract cell-free system kits are also com-
mercially available.
.Components of the wheat germ in vitro translation system are heat-labile and must
be stored in aliquots of convenient volumes at -70C. Freeze-thaw cycles must be
minimized. Sterile techniques are used throughout. RNase contamination is prevented
by heat-sterilization (250C, 8 h) of glassware and tips, and so on, or by diethyl
pyrocarbonate treatment of glassware, followed by thorough rinsing of equipment in
sterile distilled water.

892
1. Wheat germ extract: This is prepared essentially as described by Roberts and Paterson (4).
The procedure must be carried out at 4C, preferably in plastic containers since initiation
factors stick to glass. Fresh wheat germ (approx 5 g) Note 2) is ground with an equal
weight of sand and 28 mL of 20 HEPES, pH 7.6, 100 KCl, 1 magnesium
acetate, 2 CaCI and 6 2-mercaptoethanol, added gradually. This mixture is then
centrifuged at for 10 min at 2C, pH 6.5. This pH prevents the release of endog-
enous mRNA from polysomes and therefore removes the requirement for a preincubation
to allow polysome formation (4,5). The supernatant (S-28) is then separated from endog-
enous amino acids and plant pigments that are inhibitory to translation, by chromatography
through Sephadex G-25 (coarse) in 20 HEPES, pH 7.6, 120 KCl, 5 magnesium
acetate, and 6 2-mercaptoethanol. Reverse chromatography will prevent the loss of
amino acids. Fractions of more than 20 A
260
nm/mL are pooled before being stored
in aliquots at a concentration of approx 100 A
260
nrn/mL, at -70C. The extract remains
translationally active for a year or more.
2. L-[3H]- or L-[35S]-amino acids: 10-50 flCi of an appropriate amino acid (abundant in the
protein[s] of interest) is added to the reaction to allow detection of translation products.
Convenient specific activities are 140 Ci/mmol tritiated, or 1 Ci/mmol [35S]-amino acids,
respectively Note 3). Aqueous solutions should be used since ethanol, salts, deter-
gents, and various solvents interfere with translation. Ethanol should be removed by lyo-
philization and the effects on translation of other solutions should be determined prior to
their use. [35S]-labeled amino acids must be stored in small aliquots at -70C where they
remain stable for up to 6 mo, after which time sulfoxide products of degradation inhibit
translation.
3. Messenger RNA: The extraction of both total and polyadenylated RNA has been described
by a number of authors Total RNA (1.5 or 150 polyadenylated
RNA (in sterile distilled water) are convenient stock concentrations. RNA is stable for
more than a year at -70C. Contamination with potassium Note phenol, and etha-
nol must be prevented by 70% (v/v) ethanol washes, chloroform:butanol (4: 1) extractions,
and lyophilization respectively.
4. lOX energy mix: 10 ATP, 200 GTP, 80 creatine phosphate. Potassium salts
of the nucleotide triphosphates should be used and the final pH adjusted (if necessary) to
7.4-7.6 with sodium hydroxide.
5. 0.5-1.0 M potassium acetate Note 25 magnesium acetate.
6. 20 dithiothreitol.
7. 0.6-1.2 spermine or 4.0-8.0 spermidine Note 4).
8. 0.2 M HEPES, pH 7.4-7.6 Note 5).
9. 200-500 creatine kinase Note 6).
All preparations are carried out on ice. After use, components are quick-frozen on dry
ice. Reactions are carried out in sterile plastic microfuge tubes.
1. Mix the following solutions (all components are 5 of energy mix, 5 of
potassium and magnesium acetate, 5 of dithiothreitol, 5 of HEPES, 5 of sper-
mine, 10 of 0.3-8.0 mRNA in dH Note 7), 10 of wheat germ extract,
10 of creatine kinase (0.8-1.0 A
260
U), and 5 of creatine kinase. If a number of
incubations are to be made, a master mix of the first five solutions may be prepared and
25 aliquoted into each reaction tube. Creatine kinase is added last to ensure that no
energy is wasted. The solutions are mixed by tapping the tube or by gentle vortexing.
Microsomal membranes (0.5 A
260
U) may be added before the creatine kinase to detect
cotranslational modification of translation products Note 8).
893
2. Incubate at 28C for 1h Note 9). The reaction is terminated by placing the tubes at 4C.
3. Incorporation of radioactive amino acids into mRNA-derived translation products is
detected by TCA precipitation of an aliquot ofthe reaction Chapter 107 and Note
Incorporation of radioactivity into translation products is generally not as well-stimulated
by mRNA added to wheat germ extracts as it is in described reticulocyte lysates.
4. The remaining in vitro translation products may be analyzed further by standard tech-
niques, including tryptic mapping and ion-exchange chromatography, but specific prod-
ucts may be analyzed by immunoprecipitation followed by SDS-polyacrylamide gel
electrophoresis.
1. Wheat germ extract translational activity is particularly sensitive to variation in the con-
centration of potassium ions. At concentrations lower than 70 small mRNAs are
preferentially translated, whereas larger mRNAs are translated at potassium acetate con-
centrations of 70 or greater (2,5). Polypeptides of up to 200 kDa are synthesized
under correct ionic conditions (9). Furthermore, chloride ions appear to inhibit translation
such that potassium acetate should preferably be used (5). In this context, residual potas-
sium should be removed from RNA preparations, by 70% (v/v) ethanol washes.
2. Inherent translational activity varies with the batch of wheat germ. Israeli mills (for example,
"Bar-Rav" Mill, Tel Aviv) supply wheat germ, the extracts of which are usually active.
3. Most of the endogenous amino acids are removed by chromatography through Sephadex
G-25 (coarse) Chapter 31). Depending on the batch of wheat germ extract, addition of
amino acids (to 25 and/or tRNA (to 58 /lg/mL) may be necessary to optimize transla-
tional activity. Wheat germ extract is particularly sensitive to amino acid starvation; use
of radioactive amino acids at specific activities greater than those suggested may result in
inhibition of translation because of amino acid starvation.
4. The use of either spermine or spermidine generally stimulates translation, and is essential
for the synthesis of larger polypeptides (5), probably by stabilizing longer mRNAs. Omis-
sion of either compound will increase the optimum magnesium acetate concentration to
4.0-4.3
5. HEPES has been shown to buffer the wheat germ extract in vitro translation system more
effectively than Tris-acetate (4). Use of the latter will alter the optimum potassium and
magnesium concentration.
6. Commercial preparations of creatine kinase differ with respect to the levels of nuclease
contamination. This must be considered when larger amounts of the enzyme are to be used.
7. Heating of large mRNAs at 70C for I min followed by rapid cooling on ice increases the
efficiency of their translation in wheat germ extract in vitro translation systems.
8. Cotranslational processing of translation products may be detected by the addition of dog
pancreas microsomal membranes to the translation incubation. They may be prepared as
described by Jackson and Blobel (12) or may be ordered with a commercial translation kit.
Microsomal membranes should be stored in aliquots of approx 5 A
260
nm Uin 20 HEPES,
pH 7.5, at -70C. Repeated freezing and thawing must be avoided.
9. mRNA-stimulated incorporation of radioactive amino acids into translation products is
linear, after a 5 min lag, for 50 min and is complete after 90 min. The system is labile at
temperatures >30C; optimum activity is achieved at 25-30C depending on the batch of
wheat germ extract. An incubation temperature of 28C is generally used.
10. In order to obtain maximum translational activity, it is necessary to determine the optima
for each preparation of wheat germ extract; mRNA concentration, potassium and magne-
sium concentrations, and incubation temperature. Take into account the concentration of
salts in the wheat germ extract column eluate.
894
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ex and globin synthesis in rabbit reticulocytes. Eur. Biochem. 80,453-459.
2. Benveniste, K., Wilczek, J., Ruggieri, and Stern, R. (1976) Translation of collagen
messenger RNA in a system derived from wheat germ. Biochemistry 15, 830-835.
3. Huntner, A. R., Farrell, P. J., Jackson, R. J., and Hunt, T. (1977) The role of polyamines
in cell-free protein in the wheat germ system. Eur. Biochem. 75, 149-157.
4. Roberts, B. E. and Paterson, B. M. (1973) Efficient translation of tobacco mosaic virus
RNA and rabbit globin 9S RNA in a cell-free system from commercial wheat germ.
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 70, 2330-2334.
5. Davies, J. W., Aalbers, M. J., Stuik, E. J., and van Kammen, (1977) Translation of
cowpea mosaic RNA in cell-free extract from wheat germ. FEBS Lett. 77,265-269.
6. Boedtker, H., Frischauf, M., and Lehrach, H. (1976) Isolation and translation of calva-
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7. Patrinou-Georgoulas, M. and John, H. A. (1977) The genes and mRNA coding for the
theory chains of chick embryonic skeletal myosin. Cell 12, 491-499.
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9. Schroder, J., Betz, B., and Hahlbrock, (1976) Light-induced enzyme synthesis in cell
suspension cultures of petroselinum. Eur. Biochem. 67,527-541.
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system from reticulocyte lysates. Eur. Biochem. 67,247-256.
11. Darnbrough, C. H., Legon, S., Hunt, T., and Jackson, R. J. (1973) Initiation of protein
synthesis: evidence for messenger RNA-independent binding of methionyl-transfer RNA
to the 40S ribosomal subunit. Mol. Bioi. 76,379-403.
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with an extract of rough microsomes, from dog pancreas, with signal peptidase activity.
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