INHIBITION OF TAQ DNA-POLYMERASE BY SEAWEED EXTRACTS FROM BRITISH-COLUMBIA, CANADA AND KOREA

Fifty-nine species of marine macrophytes from the coasts of British Co lumbia, Canada and Korea have been screened for the presence of PCR in hibitors, namely inhibitors of Tag DNA polymerase. Eleven of the speci es displayed some inhibitory activity. At the concentration of 5 mu g of methanol extract in 25 mu L reaction mixture of PCR containing 1.5 unit of Tag DNA polymerase, one (Ulva sp.) of 8 Chlorophyta, eight (Co lpomenia bullosa, Ecklonia cava, Endarachne binghamiae, Fucus distichu s, Hizikia fusiformis, Sargassum confusum, Sargassum sagamianum, and S argassum thunbergii) of 28 Phaeophyta, and one (Symphyocladia latiuscu la) of 34 Rhodophyta showed inhibition in PCR amplification. In the ca se of the water extract, two (Cladophora columbiana, Ulva sp.) Chlorop hyta, seven (Endarachne binghamiae, Fucus distichus, Hizikia fusiformi s, Sargassum confusum, Sargassum sagamianum, Sargassum horneri, Scytos iphon dotyi) Phaeophyta, no Rhodophyta and one (Phyllospadix scouleri) seagrass showed inhibition in PCR amplification. The methanol fractio n of Sargassum confusum and the water fraction of Fucus gardneri (mid- intertidal) have been found to inhibit PCR al a level as low as 0.5 mu g in 25 mu L of PCR reaction mixture.