分子信标芯片计算在0-1整数规划问题中的应用

生物芯片技术和DNA计算分别是近年来生命科学与信息科学的新兴研究领域,对信息高度并行的获取与处理是二者的本质特性．而0-1整数规划问题作为运筹学中一个重要的问题,到目前为止还没有好的算法．在DNA计算和DNA芯片基础上,提出了基于分子信标芯片解决0-1整数规划问题的DNA计算新模型．与以往DNA计算模型相比,该模型具有高信息量和操作易自动化的优点,同时指出分子信标芯片技术有望作为新型生物计算的芯片．     

用于HBV病毒快速诊断的分子信标探针设计

分子信标是一种高灵敏度、高特异性的新型荧光核酸探针.它在与互补DNA或RNA靶序列杂交时放出荧光.利用Genebank中调出已知HBV病毒ayr亚型基因组信息,通过BeaconDesigner4.0软件进行分子信标探针设计,共设计出6条分子信标探针,以便于为目前HBV病毒快速诊断提供参考.     

与非门(NAND)的DNA计算模型

近年来,随着DNA计算研究的深入,基于DNA的布尔电路的模拟成为其中一个热门的研究方向.分子信标是一种特殊的探针分子,广泛应用于各种生物技术的检测方面,具有结果稳定,特异性强的优点,本文提出了一种基于诱导"发夹"形式的DNA与非门模型,和已有的模型相比,该模型具有简单,可靠性更高且可以重复使用等优点.     

DNA双链区的切割导致碱变性超螺旋质粒pBR322的分子内结节

为进一步研究碱变性超螺旋DNA(Ⅳ型DNA;DNA Ⅳ)的结构,对碱变性质粒pBR322进行了酶学分析并利用原子力显微镜(AFM)对新形成的DNA结构进行了观察和比较．在所有已检测的限制酶中只有PstⅠ可以切割质粒pBR322的Ⅳ型DNA分子,说明在这种变性的DNA分子中仍存在少数完整的限制酶识别位点．与碱变性DNA分子的闭合环状结构相反,AFM成像的结果显示PstⅠ处理后的DNA Ⅳ分子均为开放结构,同时这种分子包含明显的DNA结节．与DNA Ⅳ分子相比,这种DNA分子的表观长度缩短了大约11%．有意思的是,大肠杆菌拓扑异构酶Ⅳ(一种Ⅱ型拓扑异构酶)也可以在pBR322 DNA Ⅳ分子中引入分子内结节,而这种结节DNA分子仍然保持闭合状态．AFM的结果表明上述两种结节的DNA分子在表观长度及结节结构的尺寸上均比较相似．这些发现证实,在碱变性的超螺旋DNA分子中仍然保留着一些长度较短的、含有特异性碱基配对的DNA双链区,而在这些区域内的DNA双链断裂可以导致DNA结节．     

基于三链核酸的DNA计算

一种研究DNA计算的新模型——三链DNA计算模型在本文中提出。此模型是在近年三链核酸的研究成果的基础上建立的。并应用于求解可满足性问题（SAT）,这是一个困难的NP-完全问题。不同于以住的DNA计算方法,基于三链核酸的分子算法通过寡聚脱氧核苷酸（ODN）在RecA蛋白的介导下与同源的双链DNA匹配成三链DNA进行基本的运算,这样可以有效减少计算中的错误。依据分子生物学的实验方法,该算法切实可行并且有效。     

分子信标探针用于PCR检测对虾白斑杆状病毒

将对虾白斑杆状病毒的一段特异性DNA设计成分子信标探针,用于该病毒的PCR检测.温度与荧光强度之间的关系表明,所设计探针的发夹既可以形成也可以打开,符合PCR对分子信标探针的要求.结果表明,在PCR同时加入分子信标探针不影响PCR扩增,分子信标探针只能与目的DNA杂交,具有较高的特异性.随着PCR循环数的增加以及含目的DNA的质粒拷贝数的增加,荧光强度都随之增强.     

适体酶Aptazymes的研究进展

适体酶是从寡核苷酸随机序列库中筛选获得的针对各种效应分子的一种新的人工合成酶.它具有适体的特异性和核酶的催化活性.适体酶作为催化分子信标,为效应分子的定量分析提供了新的思路.适体酶不仅在基因组学和蛋白质组学中应用,而且在生物传感器和DNA分子逻辑研究中具有潜在的应用前景.     

多位点DNA指纹技术在保加利亚普通田鼠中的应用探讨

DNA指纹是一种重要的现代分子遗传学标记技术（Jeffreys et al．,1985）,它所揭示的是生物体大量的、无遗传编码信息的、具有高度多态性的卫星DNA（Chen,1996）。这些DNA序列往往占据了生物体基因组总量的80％以上,由于它不编码蛋白基因,在系统发育过程中,通常不被自然选择和人工选择,使得生物变异积累形成个体基因组间的巨大差异。因此,DNA指纹受到生物学家的青睐,以用于生物个体和群体的基因组分析（Burke and Bruford,1987;Buitmap et al．,1991;Weising et al．,1995）。     

在DNA序列上寻找蛋白质基因的计算机程序

测定DNA分子的核苷酸排列顺序的快速方法已经出现,在一个DNA分子的序列被阐明后,如何尽快地搞清分子上哪些区域是蛋白质的编码区将是一个重要的问题。近年内,Staden在这方面做了一些工作。程序介绍我们在TRS-80Ⅰ型微计算机上实现了一组从DNA分子的核苷酸顺序出发来预测蛋白质基因区的计算机程序。程序是用Basic语言写的,它能够把计算结果在WX4671型绘图仪     

基于统计CPG岛的基因预测方法

随着以功能基因组学和蛋白质组学为主要研究内容的后基因组时代的来临,人们面对着生物信息的数据呈指数增长,如何通过有效的计算方法由核酸和蛋白质的序列推导出它们的结构和功能,特别是识别DNA序列中编码蛋白质的基因预测问题是迫切需要解决的研究课题之一.本文在CpG岛对研究基因编码的特殊生物意义下,通过三种方法确定CpG岛的位置,并在此基础上,结合一种新的DNA序列字母向量,利用信息熵离散量预测基因序列,提高了识别基因编码的效率,而且计算的时间有显著的减少.     

Biomolecular computation with molecular beacons for quantitative analysis of target nucleic acids

Molecular beacons are efficient and useful tools for quantitative detection of specific target nucleic acids. Thanks to their simple protocol, molecular beacons have great potential as substrates for biomolecular computing. Here we present a molecular beacon-based biomolecular computing method for quantitative detection and analysis of target nucleic acids. Whereas the conventional quantitative assays using fluorescent dyes have been designed for single target detection or multiplexed detection, the proposed method enables us not only to detect multiple targets but also to compute their quantitative information by weighted-sum of the targets. The detection and computation are performed on a molecular level simultaneously, and the outputs are detected as fluorescence signals. Experimental results show the feasibility and effectiveness of our weighted detection and linear combination method using molecular beacons. Our method can serve as a primitive operation of molecular pattern analysis, and we demonstrate successful binary classifications of molecular patterns made of synthetic oligonucleotide DNA molecules.     

A novel generalized design methodology and realization of Boolean operations using DNA

The biological deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) strand has been increasingly seen as a promising computing unit. A new algorithm is formulated in this paper to design any DNA Boolean operator with molecular beacons (MBs) as its input. Boolean operators realized using the proposed design methodology is presented. The developed operators adopt a uniform representation for logical 0 and 1 for any Boolean operator. The Boolean operators designed in this work employ only a hybridization operation at each stage. Further, this paper for the first time brings out the realization of a binary adder and subtractor using molecular beacons. Simulation results of the DNA-based binary adder and subtractor are given to validate the design.     

Using molecular beacons as a sensitive fluorescence assay for enzymatic cleavage of single-stranded DNA

Traditional methods to assay enzymatic cleavage of DNA are discontinuous and time consuming. In contrast, recently developed fluorescence methods are continuous and convenient. However, no fluorescence method has been developed for single-stranded DNA digestion. Here we introduce a novel method, based on molecular beacons, to assay single-stranded DNA cleavage by single strand-specific nucleases. A molecular beacon, a hairpin-shaped DNA probe labeled with a fluorophore and a quencher, is used as the substrate and enzymatic cleavage leads to fluorescence enhancement in the molecular beacon. This method permits real time detection of DNA cleavage and makes it easy to characterize the activity of DNA nucleases and to study the steady-state cleavage reaction kinetics. The excellent sensitivity, reproducibility and convenience will enable molecular beacons to be widely useful for the study of single-stranded DNA cleaving reactions.     

Multiplex detection of single-nucleotide variations using molecular beacons

We demonstrate that single-nucleotide differences in a DNA sequence can be detected in homogeneous assays using molecular beacons. In this method, the region surrounding the site of a sequence variation is amplified in a polymerase chain reaction and the identity of the variant nucleotide is determined by observing which of four differently colored molecular beacons binds to the amplification product. Each of the molecular beacons is perfectly complementary to one variant of the target sequence and each is labeled with a different fluorophore. To demonstrate the specificity of these assays, we prepared four template DNAs that only differed from one another by the identity of the nucleotide at one position. Four amplification reactions were prepared, each containing all four molecular beacons, but each initiated with only one of the four template DNAs. The results show that in each reaction a fluorogenic response was elicited from the molecular beacon that was perfectly complementary to the amplified DNA, but not from the three molecular beacons whose probe sequence mismatched the target sequence. The color of the fluorescence that appeared in each tube during the course of the amplification indicated which nucleotide was present at the site of variation. These results demonstrate the extraordinary specificity of molecular beacons. Furthermore, the results illustrate how the ability to label molecular beacons with differently colored fluorophores enables simple multiplex assays to be carried out for genetic analysis.     

Hybridization of 2'-O-methyl and 2'-deoxy molecular beacons to RNA and DNA targets

Molecular beacons are stem-loop hairpin oligonucleotide probes labeled with a fluorescent dye at one end and a fluorescence quencher at the other end; they can differentiate between bound and unbound probes in homogeneous hybridization assays with a high signal-to-background ratio and enhanced specificity compared with linear oligonucleotide probes. However, in performing cellular imaging and quantification of gene expression, degradation of unmodified molecular beacons by endogenous nucleases can significantly limit the detection sensitivity, and results in fluorescence signals unrelated to probe/target hybridization. To substantially reduce nuclease degradation of molecular beacons, it is possible to protect the probe by substituting 2'-O-methyl RNA for DNA. Here we report the analysis of the thermodynamic and kinetic properties of 2'-O-methyl and 2'-deoxy molecular beacons in the presence of RNA and DNA targets. We found that in terms of molecular beacon/target duplex stability, 2'-O-methyl/RNA > 2'-deoxy/RNA > 2'-deoxy/DNA > 2'-O-methyl/DNA. The improved stability of the 2'-O-methyl/RNA duplex was accompanied by a slightly reduced specificity compared with the duplex of 2'-deoxy molecular beacons and RNA targets. However, the 2'-O-methyl molecular beacons hybridized to RNA more quickly than 2'-deoxy molecular beacons. For the pairs tested, the 2'-deoxy-beacon/DNA-target duplex showed the fastest hybridization kinetics. These findings have significant implications for the design and application of molecular beacons.     

Use of DNA and Peptide Nucleic Acid Molecular Beacons for Detection and Quantification of rRNA in Solution and in Whole Cells

DNA and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) molecular beacons were successfully used to detect rRNA in solution. In addition, PNA molecular beacon hybridizations were found to be useful for the quantification of rRNA: hybridization signals increased in a linear fashion with the 16S rRNA concentrations used in this experiment (between 0.39 and 25 nM) in the presence of 50 nM PNA MB. DNA and PNA molecular beacons were successfully used to detect whole cells in fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments without a wash step. The FISH results with the PNA molecular beacons were superior to those with the DNA molecular beacons: the hybridization kinetics were much faster, the signal-to-noise ratio was much higher, and the specificity was much better for the PNA molecular beacons. Finally, it was demonstrated that the combination of the use of PNA molecular beacons in FISH and flow cytometry makes it possible to rapidly collect quantitative FISH data. Thus, PNA molecular beacons might provide a solution for limitations of traditional FISH methods, such as variable target site accessibility, poor sensitivity for target cells with low rRNA content, background fluorescence, and applications of FISH in microfluidic devices.     

Enzymatic signal amplification of molecular beacons for sensitive DNA detection

Molecular beacons represent a new family of fluorescent probes for nucleic acids, and have found broad applications in recent years due to their unique advantages over traditional probes. Detection of nucleic acids using molecular beacons has been based on hybridization between target molecules and molecular beacons in a 1:1 stoichiometric ratio. The stoichiometric hybridization, however, puts an intrinsic limitation on detection sensitivity, because one target molecule converts only one beacon molecule to its fluorescent form. To increase the detection sensitivity, a conventional strategy has been target amplification through polymerase chain reaction. Instead of target amplification, here we introduce a scheme of signal amplification, nicking enzyme signal amplification, to increase the detection sensitivity of molecular beacons. The mechanism of the signal amplification lies in target-dependent cleavage of molecular beacons by a DNA nicking enzyme, through which one target DNA can open many beacon molecules, giving rise to amplification of fluorescent signal. Our results indicate that one target DNA leads to cleavage of hundreds of beacon molecules, increasing detection sensitivity by nearly three orders of magnitude. We designed two versions of signal amplification. The basic version, though simple, requires that nicking enzyme recognition sequence be present in the target DNA. The extended version allows detection of target of any sequence by incorporating rolling circle amplification. Moreover, the extended version provides one additional level of signal amplification, bringing the detection limit down to tens of femtomolar, nearly five orders of magnitude lower than that of conventional hybridization assay.     

Use of DNA and peptide nucleic acid molecular beacons for detection and quantification of rRNA in solution and in whole cells

DNA and peptide nucleic acid (PNA) molecular beacons were successfully used to detect rRNA in solution. In addition, PNA molecular beacon hybridizations were found to be useful for the quantification of rRNA: hybridization signals increased in a linear fashion with the 16S rRNA concentrations used in this experiment (between 0.39 and 25 nM) in the presence of 50 nM PNA MB. DNA and PNA molecular beacons were successfully used to detect whole cells in fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) experiments without a wash step. The FISH results with the PNA molecular beacons were superior to those with the DNA molecular beacons: the hybridization kinetics were much faster, the signal-to-noise ratio was much higher, and the specificity was much better for the PNA molecular beacons. Finally, it was demonstrated that the combination of the use of PNA molecular beacons in FISH and flow cytometry makes it possible to rapidly collect quantitative FISH data. Thus, PNA molecular beacons might provide a solution for limitations of traditional FISH methods, such as variable target site accessibility, poor sensitivity for target cells with low rRNA content, background fluorescence, and applications of FISH in microfluidic devices.     

In vitro selection of molecular beacons

While molecular beacons are primarily known as biosensors for the detection of nucleic acids, it has proven possible to adapt other nucleic acid binding species (aptamers) to function in a manner similar to molecular beacons, yielding fluorescent signals only in the presence of a cognate ligand. Unfortunately, engineering aptamer beacons requires a detailed knowledge of aptamer sequence and structure. In order to develop a general method for the direct selection of aptamer beacons we have first developed a selection method for molecular beacons. A pool of random sequence DNA molecules were immobilized via a capture oligonucleotide on an affinity column, and those variants that could be released from the column by a target oligonucleotide were amplified. After nine rounds of selection and amplification the elution characteristics of the population were greatly improved. A fluorescent reporter in the selected beacons was located adjacent to a DABCYL moiety in the capture oligonucleotide; addition of the target oligonucleotide led to release of the capture oligonucleotide and up to a 17-fold increase in fluorescence. Signaling was specific for the target oligonucleotide, and occurred via a novel mechanism, relative to designed molecular beacons. When the target oligonucleotide is bound it can form a stacked helical junction with an intramolecular hairpin in the selected beacon; formation of the intramolecular hairpin in turn leads to release of the capture oligonucleotide. The ability to select molecular beacons may prove useful for identifying available sites on complex targets, such as mRNAs, while the method for selection can be easily generalized to other, non-nucleic acid target classes.     

Real-time monitoring of rolling-circle amplification using a modified molecular beacon design

We describe a method to monitor rolling-circle replication of circular oligonucleotides in dual-color and in real-time using molecular beacons. The method can be used to study the kinetics of the polymerization reaction and to amplify and quantify circularized oligonucleotide probes in a rolling-circle amplification (RCA) reaction. Modified molecular beacons were made of 2′-O-Me-RNA to prevent 3′ exonucleolytic degradation by the polymerase used. Moreover, the complement of one of the stem sequences of the molecular beacon was included in the RCA products to avoid fluorescence quenching due to inter-molecular hybridization of neighboring molecular beacons hybridizing to the concatemeric polymerization product. The method allows highly accurate quantification of circularized DNA over a broad concentration range by relating the signal from the test DNA circle to an internal reference DNA circle reporting in a distinct fluorescence color.