The Cutting Edge

In a protein lab, it is common for people to set up their proteins as a
fusion with other domains which are easily purified through their affinity
to ligands attached to resin beads. One of the most common of these
domains is the glutathione S-transferase protein or GST. Typically, there
is a small linker region between the protein of interest and the fusion
parner and this amino acid sequence contains recognition sequences for
proteases. After months in the lab, having limited success with her
proteolysis reactions, a young female grad student finally had her patience
and perseverence pay off when she destained yet another gel and saw that
her protein had indeed been cut by the protease. In her joy, the young
woman ran out into the hallway, proclaiming proudly to all:
"I've got cleavage. I've got cleavage. Come over here. Look at my
cleavage."

From Aliquotes Volume V Number xiii August/97 (rogerb@microsoft.com)