Adsorptive purification of pDNA on superporous rigid cross-linked cellulose matrix

Use of plasmid DNA (pDNA) in the emerging gene therapy requires pure DNA in large quantities requiring production of safe DNA on large scale. While a number of kit-based DNA purification techniques have become popular, large scale cost effective purification of DNA remains a technological challenge. Most traditional, as well as newly developed methods for DNA purification are expensive, tedious, use toxic reagents, and/or generally not amenable for scaled up production. Our attempts to develop a scalable adsorptive separation technology resulted in successful use of indigenously developed rigid cross-linked cellulose beads for single step purification of pDNA from alkaline cell lysates. This mode of purification employs a combination of intra-particle interactions that could give a product plasmid DNA free from chromosomal DNA, RNA and host proteins in a single scalable chromatographic step. The technology can be employed as a batch adsorption step on small scale, or on a large scale column chromatography. A high copy number 9.8 kb plasmid (from an Escherichia coli strain) was purified in yields of 77 and 52%, respectively in batch and column modes. The product obtained was homogeneous supercoiled plasmid with no RNA and protein contamination confirmed by quantitative analysis, agarose gel electrophoresis and SDS-PAGE.     

松突圆蚧基因组DNA提取方法的比较

分别采用醋酸钾(KAc)法、十二烷基硫酸钠-蛋白酶K(SDS-PK)消化法、十六烷基三乙基溴化铵(CTAB)法及DNA提取试剂盒(吸附柱型)对单只松突圆蚧的基因组DNA进行提取。同时针对盾蚧科昆虫的特点,在提取前利用氯仿和解剖针去除样品表面的介壳。结果表明,用同种提取方法提取的经氯仿处理与未经处理样本的提取效果无明显差异,而采用解剖针去除介壳的样本提取效果较好。所采用的4种提取方法均能从新鲜标本中提取出DNA,其中CTAB法提取的DNA量较多,而SDS-PK法提取的DNA质量较好。     

蚧虫基因组DNA不同提取方法的比较

实验以日本龟蜡蚧CeroplastesjaponicusGreen,白蜡绵粉蚧PhenacoccusfraxinusTang ,朝鲜球蚧DidesmococcuskoreanusBorchseniush和瘤大球坚蚧EulecaniumgiganteaShinji等 4种蚧虫为材料 ,分别用十二烷基硫酸钠 (SDS)法、十六烷基三乙基溴化铵 (CTAB)法、醋酸钾 (KAc)法和氯化钠 (NaCl)法等 4种方法 ,对单只蚧虫进行基因组DNA提取 ,用 0 8%琼脂糖凝胶电泳检测所提DNA。结果表明 ,4种方法都可以提取到基因组DNA ,但是比较而言 ,CTAB法和NaCl法所提取的DNA质量明显优于SDS法和KAc法 ,并适用于PCR。因此认为 ,CTAB法和NaCl法是实验室提取单只蚧虫基因组DNA更有效而实用的方法。     

Optimization of a high-throughput CTAB-based protocol for the extraction of qPCR-grade DNA from rumen fluid, plant and bacterial pure cultures

The quality and yield of extracted DNA are critical for the majority of downstream applications in molecular biology. Moreover, molecular techniques such as quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) are becoming increasingly widespread; thus, validation and cross-laboratory comparison of data require standardization of upstream experimental procedures. DNA extraction methods depend on the type and size of starting material(s) used. As such, the extraction of template DNA is arguably the most significant variable when cross-comparing data from different laboratories. Here, we describe a reliable, inexpensive and rapid method of DNA purification that is equally applicable to small or large scale or high-throughput purification of DNA. The protocol relies on a CTAB-based buffer for cell lysis and further purification of DNA with phenol : chloroform : isoamyl alcohol. The protocol has been used successfully for DNA purification from rumen fluid and plant cells. Moreover, after slight alterations, the same protocol was used for large-scale extraction of DNA from pure cultures of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The yield of the DNA obtained with this method exceeded that from the same samples using commercial kits, and the quality was confirmed by successful qPCR applications.     

一种用于PCR模板制备的电泳产物简易回收方法

为了探索一种简便、有效而且能从琼脂糖凝胶中大量回收用于第2次PCR扩增的DNA电泳条带的方法,采用刀片切胶法和牙签插胶法从琼脂糖中回收DNA,并进行了两种方法的比较．结果显示牙签插胶法回收的DNA用作第2次PCR的模板,获得了清晰、稳定的PCR产物电泳条带,用该法成功地制备了一批DNA微阵列探针．由此可见牙签插胶法是一种简便、快速、有效的用于PCR模板的DNA琼脂糖凝胶回收法．     

A PCR based assay for detection and differentiation of African trypanosome species in blood

Direct PCR analysis of trypanosome infected blood samples in the quantities required for large scale epidemiological study has always been problematic. Current methods for identifying and differentiating trypanosomes typically require several species-specific reactions, many of which rely on mouse passaged samples to obtain quality concentrated genomic DNA. As a consequence important epidemiological information may be lost during the sample preparation stage. Here, we report a PCR methodology that reduces processing and improves on the sensitivity of present screening methods. The PCR technique targets the gene encoding the small ribosomal subunit in order to identify and differentiate all clinically important African trypanosome species and some subspecies. The method is more economical, simple, and sensitive than current screening methods, and yields more detailed information, thereby making it a viable tool for large-scale epidemiological studies.     

一种高效可直接用于PCR分析的土壤总微生物DNA抽提方法

以CTAB-溶菌酶-蛋白酶K-冻融裂解法直接抽提土壤总微生物的基因组DNA,利用G8000沉淀和纯化DNA.结果表明,该方法是一种简便、有效可直接应用于PCR分析的土壤总微生物基因组DNA的抽提方法.采用含聚乙烯吡咯烷酮(PVP)的缓冲液预洗,添加CaCl₂和BSA,可以去除腐殖酸;用PEG8000沉淀DNA,可以提高DNA质量;采用冻融法破碎细胞,CTAB、溶菌酶和蛋白质酶K共同作用以裂解细胞,可以保证获得大片段的DNA,提高DNA产率.用该方法抽提的七子花林下土壤总微生物DNA产率为9.22 μg·g^-1,A260/A280为1.65,可适用于 PCR扩增及扩增rDNA限制酶切分析(ARDRA)技术,适宜的模板DNA浓度为0.67 ng·μl^-1.快速、有效、可直接用于PCR分析的土壤总微生物DNA提取方法的建立,为大规模的土壤微生物分子生态学研究提供了可能.     

Wavelet Analysis of DNA Bending Profiles reveals Structural Constraints on the Evolution of Genomic Sequences

Analyses of genomic DNA sequences have shown in previous works that base pairs are correlated at large distances with scale-invariant statistical properties. We show in the present study that these correlations between nucleotides (letters) result in fact from long-range correlations (LRC) between sequence-dependent DNA structural elements (words) involved in the packaging of DNA in chromatin. Using the wavelet transform technique, we perform a comparative analysis of the DNA text and of the corresponding bending profiles generated with curvature tables based on nucleosome positioning data. This exploration through the optics of the so-called `wavelet transform microscope' reveals a characteristic scale of 100-200 bp that separates two regimes of different LRC. We focus here on the existence of LRC in the small-scale regime ( 200 bp). Analysis of genomes in the three kingdoms reveals that this regime is specifically associated to the presence of nucleosomes. Indeed, small scale LRC are observed in eukaryotic genomes and to a less extent in archaeal genomes, in contrast with their absence in eubacterial genomes. Similarly, this regime is observed in eukaryotic but not in bacterial viral DNA genomes. There is one exception for genomes of Poxviruses, the only animal DNA viruses that do not replicate in the cell nucleus and do not present small scale LRC. Furthermore, no small scale LRC are detected in the genomes of all examined RNA viruses, with one exception in the case of retroviruses. Altogether, these results strongly suggest that small-scale LRC are a signature of the nucleosomal structure. Finally, we discuss possible interpretations of these small-scale LRC in terms of the mechanisms that govern the positioning, the stability and the dynamics of the nucleosomes along the DNA chain. This paper is maily devoted to a pedagogical presentation of the theoretical concepts and physical methods which are well suited to perform a statistical analysis of genomic sequences. We review the results obtained with the so-called wavelet-based multifractal analysis when investigating the DNA sequences of various organisms in the three kingdoms. Some of these results have been announced in B. Audit et al. [1, 2].     

Interval mapping of quantitative trait loci with selective DNA pooling data

Selective DNA pooling is an efficient method to identify chromosomal regions that harbor quantitative trait loci (QTL) by comparing marker allele frequencies in pooled DNA from phenotypically extreme individuals. Currently used single marker analysis methods can detect linkage of markers to a QTL but do not provide separate estimates of QTL position and effect, nor do they utilize the joint information from multiple markers. In this study, two interval mapping methods for analysis of selective DNA pooling data were developed and evaluated. One was based on least squares regression (LS-pool) and the other on approximate maximum likelihood (ML-pool). Both methods simultaneously utilize information from multiple markers and multiple families and can be applied to different family structures (half-sib, F2 cross and backcross). The results from these two interval mapping methods were compared with results from single marker analysis by simulation. The results indicate that both LS-pool and ML-pool provided greater power to detect the QTL than single marker analysis. They also provide separate estimates of QTL location and effect. With large family sizes, both LS-pool and ML-pool provided similar power and estimates of QTL location and effect as selective genotyping. With small family sizes, however, the LS-pool method resulted in severely biased estimates of QTL location for distal QTL but this bias was reduced with the ML-pool.     

基于酿酒酵母的大片段DNA组装与转移技术进展*

DNA组装与转移技术是合成生物学的核心使能技术之一,生命体设计改造的复杂度不断提升,使得对大片段DNA组装与转移技术的需求也日益旺盛。小片段DNA的组装与转移技术目前已经比较成熟,大片段DNA由于其分子量大、易断裂,使得体外操作繁琐且效率低下。聚焦酿酒酵母体内组装和转移的技术进展,详细介绍了基于酿酒酵母一次组装和迭代组装的不同方法,并从导入与导出的角度介绍了大片段DNA的转移技术,便于研究者更好地理解和选择酿酒酵母体内组装与转移技术。此外,还展望了将酿酒酵母开发为大片段DNA组装与转移通用平台实现更多物种基因组大尺度设计改造的愿景。     

Comparison of three DNA extraction methods for Mycobacterium bovis, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium

Aims:  To compare three methods for DNA extraction from Mycobacterium bovis , Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Mycobacterium avium subsp. avium .
Methods and Results:  The DNA was extracted from mycobacterial cultures using enzymatic extraction, combined bead beating and enzymatic extraction and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) extraction. The yield and quality of DNA were compared by spectrophotometry, agarose gel electrophoresis, restriction endonuclease analysis and PCR. The combined bead beating and enzymatic extraction method yielded more DNA. However, that method produced some sheared DNA, visible either by agarose gel electrophoresis or by restriction endonuclease analysis. All methods were appropriate for PCR amplification of a 123 bp fragment of IS 6110 in M. bovis and M. tuberculosis , and of a 1700 bp fragment of FR300 region in M. avium avium .
Conclusions:  Combined bead beating and enzymatic extraction method was the most efficient and easy method for extracting DNA from bacteria of the M. tuberculosis complex.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  The results reveal important differences among the DNA extraction methods for mycobacteria, which are relevant for the success of further downstream molecular analysis.     

Rapid plasmid DNA isolation from Lactococcus lactis using overnight cultures

A simple and quick method has been developed to isolate plasmid DNA from Lactococcus lactis using overnight or stationary-phase cultures which therefore eliminates the need for subculturing for generating log-phase cultures that are necessary with existing methods. The new method was effective in isolating plasmids, from 1.4 to 64 kb, from the three subspecies of Lactococcus lactis. The resultant DNA was of high yield and purity and therefore no additional purification steps were required for down-stream molecular procedures.     

Isolation of high-molecular-weight plant DNA for DNA damage quantitation: relative effects of solar 297 nm UVB and 365 nm radiation

Quantitation of UV-induced DNA damages in nanogram quantities of non-radiactive DNA from irradiated plants by gel electrophoresis requires a prompt, efficient, high-yield method of isolating DNA yielding high-molecular-weight, enzymatically digestible DNA. To meet these criteria we devised a high-yield method for isolating from plant tissue, DNA whose single-strand molecular length is greater than about 170 kb. Leaf tissue is embedded in agarose plugs, digested with Proteinase K in the presence of detergent, and treated with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF). The agarose plugs are then soaked with buffer appropriate to the desired enzyme treatment. Evaluation of the DNA on neutral and alkaline gels indicates its high molecular length and low frequency of single-strand breaks. The DNA can be digested with damage-specific and other endonucleases. The method is especially suitable for DNA damage quantitation, as tissue processing is carried out immediately after harvesting (allowing DNA lesion measurement at precisely known times after irradiation), and many samples can be easily handled at once. It should also be useful for molecular analysis of large numbers of plant samples available only in small quantities. We here use this method to quantitate DNA damage induced by 297 and 365 nm radiation, and calculate the relative damaging effects of these wavebands in today's solar spectrum.     

临床标本细菌基因组DNA提取方法探讨

目的优化细菌基因组DNA提取方法,使其适合临床细菌分子生物学检测需要。方法分别采用专用DNA提取液法、热裂解法、溶菌酶法、热裂解法与碱性裂解法组合改良法,对纯培养细菌和临床标本中细菌基因组DNA进行提取。结果专用DNA提取液法、溶菌酶法提取成功率为100%,热裂解法革兰阳性菌提取成功率为0%,革兰阴性菌成功率为100%,碱性裂解液法在NaOH浓度大于4 mmol时提取成功,临床标本在NaOH溶液超过20 mmol/L并含2%SDS时细菌基因组DNA的提取成功率为100%。结论热裂解法与碱性裂解法组合改良法提取细菌基因组DNA方便快速、简单实用,适用临床标本检测。     

Improved PCR-BSP Assay for Multiplex Methylation Pattern Analysis in Minimal Amount of DNA

Cell-specific DNA methylation pattern detection is of great importance for the tumorigenesis and differentiation studies. Comparatively, large amounts of DNA were needed for traditional methods of DNA methylation pattern detection, and therefore, more sensitive method for high throughput analysis with a limited amount of DNA is needed. With Mouse 3T3 cells, we developed new multiplex-nested PCR technologies for bisulfite-assisted genomic sequencing PCR (BSP) methylation pattern detection method. Primers step add-in method and templates precipitation methods efficiently increase the throughput of the assay, and the nested PCR method also increased the sensitivity. The optimized assay could successfully detect 15 sequences of methylation pattern with a minimal amount of DNA (500–1,000 cells of genome DNA).     

VIP Barcoding: composition vector‐based software for rapid species identification based on DNA barcoding

Species identification based on short sequences of DNA markers, that is, DNA barcoding, has emerged as an integral part of modern taxonomy. However, software for the analysis of large and multilocus barcoding data sets is scarce. The Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST) is currently the fastest tool capable of handling large databases (e.g. >5000 sequences), but its accuracy is a concern and has been criticized for its local optimization. However, current more accurate software requires sequence alignment or complex calculations, which are time‐consuming when dealing with large data sets during data preprocessing or during the search stage. Therefore, it is imperative to develop a practical program for both accurate and scalable species identification for DNA barcoding. In this context, we present VIP Barcoding: a user‐friendly software in graphical user interface for rapid DNA barcoding. It adopts a hybrid, two‐stage algorithm. First, an alignment‐free composition vector (CV) method is utilized to reduce searching space by screening a reference database. The alignment‐based K2P distance nearest‐neighbour method is then employed to analyse the smaller data set generated in the first stage. In comparison with other software, we demonstrate that VIP Barcoding has (i) higher accuracy than Blastn and several alignment‐free methods and (ii) higher scalability than alignment‐based distance methods and character‐based methods. These results suggest that this platform is able to deal with both large‐scale and multilocus barcoding data with accuracy and can contribute to DNA barcoding for modern taxonomy. VIP Barcoding is free and available at http://msl.sls.cuhk.edu.hk/vipbarcoding/ .     

More than skin and bones: Comparing extraction methods and alternative sources of DNA from avian museum specimens

Next‐generation sequencing has greatly expanded the utility and value of museum collections by revealing specimens as genomic resources. As the field of museum genomics grows, so does the need for extraction methods that maximize DNA yields. For avian museum specimens, the established method of extracting DNA from toe pads works well for most specimens. However, for some specimens, especially those of birds that are very small or very large, toe pads can be a poor source of DNA. In this study, we apply two DNA extraction methods (phenol–chloroform and silica column) to three different sources of DNA (toe pad, skin punch and bone) from 10 historical avian museum specimens. We show that a modified phenol–chloroform protocol yielded significantly more DNA than a silica column protocol (e.g., Qiagen DNeasy Blood & Tissue Kit) across all tissue types. However, extractions using the silica column protocol contained longer fragments on average than those using the phenol–chloroform protocol, probably as a result of loss of small fragments through the silica column. While toe pads yielded more DNA than skin punches and bone fragments, skin punches proved to be a reliable alternative source of DNA and might be especially appealing when toe pad extractions are impractical. Overall, we found that historical bird museum specimens contain substantial amounts of DNA for genomic studies under most extraction scenarios, but that a phenol–chloroform protocol consistently provides the high quantities of DNA required for most current genomic protocols.     

Extracting DNA from ‘jaws’: high yield and quality from archived tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvier) skeletal material

Archived specimens are highly valuable sources of DNA for retrospective genetic/genomic analysis. However, often limited effort has been made to evaluate and optimize extraction methods, which may be crucial for downstream applications. Here, we assessed and optimized the usefulness of abundant archived skeletal material from sharks as a source of DNA for temporal genomic studies. Six different methods for DNA extraction, encompassing two different commercial kits and three different protocols, were applied to material, so‐called bio‐swarf, from contemporary and archived jaws and vertebrae of tiger sharks (Galeocerdo cuvier). Protocols were compared for DNA yield and quality using a qPCR approach. For jaw swarf, all methods provided relatively high DNA yield and quality, while large differences in yield between protocols were observed for vertebrae. Similar results were obtained from samples of white shark (Carcharodon carcharias). Application of the optimized methods to 38 museum and private angler trophy specimens dating back to 1912 yielded sufficient DNA for downstream genomic analysis for 68% of the samples. No clear relationships between age of samples, DNA quality and quantity were observed, likely reflecting different preparation and storage methods for the trophies. Trial sequencing of DNA capture genomic libraries using 20 000 baits revealed that a significant proportion of captured sequences were derived from tiger sharks. This study demonstrates that archived shark jaws and vertebrae are potential high‐yield sources of DNA for genomic‐scale analysis. It also highlights that even for similar tissue types, a careful evaluation of extraction protocols can vastly improve DNA yield.     

Fluorescent and radioactive solid phase dideoxy sequencing of pcr products in microtitre plates.

In this paper we describe a rapid method for the direct generation of DNA sequencing templates from phage or bacteria. Sequencing of these PCR products can be performed by radioactive and fluorescent methods. The non-radioactive method has been used to sequence a total of approximately 100 kb of human DNA fragments generated by digestion with HpaII and subsequent cloning. The method depends on direct small scale amplification using a biotinylated primer, and the binding of the product to streptavidin coated magnetic beads. All the procedures are carried out in a microtitre plate thus facilitating the handling of large numbers of clones and has potential for automation.     

A new and fast method for preparing high quality lambda DNA suitable for sequencing.

A method is described for the rapid purification of high quality lambda DNA. The method can be used from either liquid or plate lysates and on a small scale or a large scale. It relies on the preadsobtion of all polyanions present in the lysate to an "insoluble" anion-exchange matrix (DEAE or TEAE). Phage particles are then disrupted by combined treatment with EDTA/proteinase K and the resulting DNA is precipitated by the addition of the cationic detergent cetyl (or hexadecyl)-trimethyl ammonium bromide-CTAB ("soluble" anion-exchange matrix). The precipitated CTAB-DNA complex is then exchanged to Na-DNA and ethanol precipitated. The resultant purified DNA is suitable for enzymatic reactions and provides a high quality template for dideoxy-sequence analysis.