The ligated FAAH

cDNA in pCR2.1 was transferred by electroporation into E.coli TOP10F’ (Invitrogen). The clones obtained were examined by sequencing using M13 forward and reverse primers for having the correct cDNA insert and the right clone was called as pCR2.1-FAAH. Cloning of FAAH into Small molecule library screening HIS tag fusion protein expression system in Dictyostelium FAAH was expressed as a tagged protein, fused with 6 Histidine (HIS) residues at the N-terminal end of FAAH using the pDEXRH expression vector [34]. Two oligonucleotides were synthesized for use in the PCR amplification of FAAH cDNA from the vector pCR2.1-FAAH containing full length FAAH cDNA. Oligonucleotides NRC214 with sequence 5’AAGCTTAAAAAATGCACCACCATCATCACCACACATCTTCTTCATTAAGTAAAAGTAGTAG3’and NRC215 with sequence 5’AAGCTTTTAGTTATTTGGGTTTGTGCAATTTG3’ were used as 5’ and 3’ primers respectively. Primer NRC214 contained a HindIII LY2606368 molecular weight restriction enzyme site and nucleotides coding for 6 histidine (HIS) residues and primer NRC215 contained a HindIII restriction enzyme site that allowed insertion of the PCR fragment into pDEXRH vector. PCR cycle conditions were 94°C melting (1 min), 54°C annealing (1 min), and 68°C extension CYT387 (2.0 min), and after 20 cycles yielded sufficient DNA to proceed with the cloning steps. The PCR product

obtained was digested with restriction enzyme HindIII and ligated into HindIII digested pDEXRH vector. The ligated FAAH cDNA was transferred into E.coli DH10B by electroporation. The clones obtained were examined for having the full length FAAH cDNA insert by restriction digestion mapping and DNA sequencing using gene specific primers. The right clones obtained in E.coli DH10B were

designated pDEXRH-FAAH. The protein expression plasmid pDEXRH-FAAH was transformed into Dictyostelium strain AX3 by electroporation [35] with the Gene pulser XCell (Bio-Rad). The Dictyostelium target Branched chain aminotransferase strain was screened by selecting on G418 antibiotic for cells that produced a 70 kDa fusion protein. The Dictyostelium cell line which expressed HIS-FAAH fusion protein was designated AX3FAAH. Expression of HIS-FAAH protein and purification using nickel–nitrilotriacetic acid resin (Ni-NTA) from Dictyostelium A 20 ml culture of Dictyostelium expression strain AX3FAAH at a density of 3×106 cells ml-1 was inoculated into 1 L of liquid nutrient medium in a 4 L Erlenmeyer flask and shaken at 150 rpm at 22-24°C. Cell density was determined by taking an aliquot of the culture and counting it in a standard hemocytometer. For all the AX3FAAH expression cultures, G418 antibiotic at a concentration 10 μg ml-1 was added to maintain the selection pressure on the integrated recombinant plasmid. When the culture reached a cell density of 3x106cells ml-1, the cells were harvested and pelleted at 1000xg for 10 min at 4°C.