Stability of ultramer as copy number standards in real-time PCR

Since commercial copy number standards are not always available for real-time PCR, alternative sources of DNA are used. Unfortunately, stored genomic DNA or PCR amplicon has been shown to be unstable, resulting in variable copy number. More recently, the use of ultramer as copy number standard has been reported. However, there is little information on the stability of ultramer under different storage conditions. Thus the aim of this study was to determine the stability of ultramer as copy number standard under different storage conditions using different mixing methods. We found that ultramer copy number was not affected by storage at either 4 °C or − 20 °C over a period of 30 days. Furthermore, the method of mixing the ultramer did not appear to contribute to variability in results. Irrespective of storage temperature or mixing method, there was less than 5% variance in Ct value over a period of 30 days. A duplicate set of standards costs approximately $0.01. Therefore, the use of ultramer as copy number standards in real-time PCR, is cost effective and convenient.     

Quantification bias caused by plasmid DNA conformation in quantitative real-time PCR assay

Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) is the gold standard for the quantification of specific nucleic acid sequences. However, a serious concern has been revealed in a recent report: supercoiled plasmid standards cause significant over-estimation in qPCR quantification. In this study, we investigated the effect of plasmid DNA conformation on the quantification of DNA and the efficiency of qPCR. Our results suggest that plasmid DNA conformation has significant impact on the accuracy of absolute quantification by qPCR. DNA standard curves shifted significantly among plasmid standards with different DNA conformations. Moreover, the choice of DNA measurement method and plasmid DNA conformation may also contribute to the measurement error of DNA standard curves. Due to the multiple effects of plasmid DNA conformation on the accuracy of qPCR, efforts should be made to assure the highest consistency of plasmid standards for qPCR. Thus, we suggest that the conformation, preparation, quantification, purification, handling, and storage of standard plasmid DNA should be described and defined in the Minimum Information for Publication of Quantitative Real-Time PCR Experiments (MIQE) to assure the reproducibility and accuracy of qPCR absolute quantification.     

Rapid competitive PCR using melting curve analysis for DNA quantification.

A rapid competitive PCR method was developed to quantify DNA on the LightCycler. It rests on the quantitative information contained in the melting curves obtained after amplification in the presence of SYBR Green I. Specific hybridization probes are not required. Heterologous internal standards sharing the same primer binding sites and having different melting temperatures to the natural PCR products were used as competitors. After a co-amplification of known amounts of the competitor with a DNA-containing sample, the target DNA can be quantified from the ratio of the melting peak areas of competitor and target products. The method was developed using 16S rDNA fragments from Streptococcus mutans and E. coli and tested against existing PCR-based DNA quantification procedures. While kinetic analysis of real-time PCR is well established for the quantification of pure nucleic acids, competitive PCR on the LightCycler based on an internal standardization was found to represent a rapid and sensitive alternative DNA quantification method for analysis of complex biological samples that may contain PCR inhibitors.     

Development of Defined Microbial Population Standards Using Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting for the Absolute Quantification of <Emphasis Type="Italic">S. aureus</Emphasis> Using Real-Time PCR

In this article, four types of standards were assessed in a SYBR Green-based real-time PCR procedure for the quantification of Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) in DNA samples. The standards were purified S. aureus genomic DNA (type A), circular plasmid DNA containing a thermonuclease (nuc) gene fragment (type B), DNA extracted from defined populations of S. aureus cells generated by Fluorescence Activated Cell Sorting (FACS) technology with (type C) or without purification of DNA by boiling (type D). The optimal efficiency of 2.016 was obtained on Roche LightCycler^® 4.1. software for type C standards, whereas the lowest efficiency (1.682) corresponded to type D standards. Type C standards appeared to be more suitable for quantitative real-time PCR because of the use of defined populations for construction of standard curves. Overall, Fieller Confidence Interval algorithm may be improved for replicates having a low standard deviation in Cycle Threshold values such as found for type B and C standards. Stabilities of diluted PCR standards stored at ?20°C were compared after 0, 7, 14 and 30 days and were lower for type A or C standards compared with type B standards. However, FACS generated standards may be useful for bacterial quantification in real-time PCR assays once optimal storage and temperature conditions are defined.     

TaqMan荧光定量RT-PCR检测水稻RAcl基因mRNA方法的建立

构建包含RAcl基因cDNA片段的质粒,作为水稻肌动蛋白基因RAcl之mRNA定量检测的标准品,建立检测方法,为水稻其他基因的定量建立内参。从水稻叶总RNA中逆转录扩增总cDNA,PCR扩增RAcl基因中设计的目的片段,将纯化的目的片段与pMD19-T Simple载体进行连接,转化宿主菌JM-109,提取重组质粒DNA,PCR鉴定并测序分析。纯化质粒并检测260nm吸光值,确定重组质粒原液的拷贝浓度并以此制备荧光定量PCR梯度浓度标准品,进行实时荧光定量PCR实验。建立了RAcl基因mRNA表达实时荧光定量PCR检测方法,特异性好,检测灵敏度达102拷贝,线性范围为102—1护拷贝,阈值循环数（Ct）与PCR体系中起始模板量的对数值之间有着良好的线性关系（r=1．000）,扩增效率高（E=98．2％）。建立了基因RAcl实时定量PCR的质粒标准品。     

Serious Overestimation in Quantitative PCR by Circular (Supercoiled) Plasmid Standard: Microalgal pcna as the Model Gene

Quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) has become a gold standard for the quantification of nucleic acids and microorganism abundances, in which plasmid DNA carrying the target genes are most commonly used as the standard. A recent study showed that supercoiled circular confirmation of DNA appeared to suppress PCR amplification. However, to what extent to which different structural types of DNA (circular versus linear) used as the standard may affect the quantification accuracy has not been evaluated. In this study, we quantitatively compared qPCR accuracies based on circular plasmid (mostly in supercoiled form) and linear DNA standards (linearized plasmid DNA or PCR amplicons), using proliferating cell nuclear gene (pcna), the ubiquitous eukaryotic gene, in five marine microalgae as a model gene. We observed that PCR using circular plasmids as template gave 2.65-4.38 more of the threshold cycle number than did equimolar linear standards. While the documented genome sequence of the diatom Thalassiosira pseudonana shows a single copy of pcna, qPCR using the circular plasmid as standard yielded an estimate of 7.77 copies of pcna per genome whereas that using the linear standard gave 1.02 copies per genome. We conclude that circular plasmid DNA is unsuitable as a standard, and linear DNA should be used instead, in absolute qPCR. The serious overestimation by the circular plasmid standard is likely due to the undetected lower efficiency of its amplification in the early stage of PCR when the supercoiled plasmid is the dominant template.     

Chlamydomonas (Chlorophyceae) colony PCR

The ease and effectiveness of colony polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has allowed rapid amplification of DNA fragments and screening of large number of colonies of interest including transformants and mutants with genetic manipulations. Here, we evaluated colony PCR in Chlamydomonas. Individual colonies were treated with 10 mM ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) or Chelex-100 and the resulting clear cell lysate was used for PCR reaction. Either genomic DNA or plasmid DNA incorporated into the genome was equally amplified. We found that the Chelex method is superior to EDTA method in certain cases. This colony PCR technique will bypass the tedious process of isolating genomic DNA for PCR reaction and will make it possible for rapid amplification of genomic DNA fragments as well as rapid large-scale screening of transformants.     

猴免疫缺陷病毒（SIV）实时荧光定量PCR检测方法的建立

目的建立快速、敏感、特异的猴免疫缺陷病毒（SIV）TaqMan探针实时荧光定量PCR检测方法,对SIV病毒核酸进行定量检测。方法RT—PCR扩增SIVmac251保守gag基因序列796bp片段,进行TA克隆,构建标准品质粒pMD—SIVgag。通过对SIV定量外标准品的定量分析,优化反应体系,检测TaqMan探针实时荧光定量PCR方法的灵敏度、特异性和重复性。结果所建立的SIVQPCR检测方法,质粒DNA模板在10’～10。拷贝之间表现较好线性和相关性,标准曲线所得斜率为-3．26,相关系数为0．999。检测灵敏度达到200拷贝,方法重复性测试,检测25份临床样品CV％均小于1％。结论建立的SIVQPCR检测方法特异性、敏感性高,稳定性好,可用于定量测定猴免疫缺陷病毒（SIV）核酸拷贝量。     

Sustained expression of MCP-1 induced low wall shear stress loading in conjunction with turbulent flow on endothelial cells of intracranial aneurysm

Shear stress was reported to regulate the expression of AC007362, but its underlying mechanisms remain to be explored. In this study, to isolate endothelial cells of blood vessels, unruptured and ruptured intracranial aneurysm (IA) tissues were collected from IA patients. Subsequently, quantitative real-time PCR (qRT-PCR), Western blot and luciferase assay were performed to investigate the relationships between AC007362, miRNAs-493 and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) exposed to shear stress. Reduced representation bisulphite sequencing (RRBS) was performed to assess the level of DNA methylation in AC007362 promoter. Accordingly, AC007362 and MCP-1 were significantly up-regulated while miR-493 was significantly down-regulated in HUVECs exposed to shear stress. AC007362 could suppress the miR-493 expression and elevate the MCP-1 expression, and miR-493 was shown to respectively target AC007362 and MCP-1. Moreover, shear stress in HUVECs led to the down-regulated DNA methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1), as well as the decreased DNA methylation level of AC007362 promoter. Similar results were also observed in ruptured IA tissues when compared with unruptured IA tissues. In conclusion, this study presented a deep insight into the operation of the regulatory network of AC007362, miR-493 and MCP-1 upon shear stress. Under shear stress, the expression of AC007362 was enhanced by the inhibited promoter DNA methylation, while the expression of MCP-1 was enhanced by sponging the expression of miR-493.     

Ageing and environmental factors affect PCR success in wolf (Canis lupus) excremental DNA samples

Individual genotypes determined from noninvasive DNA samples (typically extracted from shed hairs or scats) are used to estimate population size in monitoring projects of elusive species. However, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) success rates usually are lower, and genotyping errors higher than in standard population genetic surveys, due to DNA degradation or contamination in aged field samples. In this study, we evaluate the results of common garden experiments showing that DNA degradation is significant in wolf (Canis lupus) scats older than 3 days, and it is enhanced in scats in direct contact with soil. A storage test showed that samples kept frozen in 95% ethanol performed better compared to other methods. However, variance of PCR success among samples was high, independent on sample age or storage condition. The detrimental consequences of DNA degradation can be avoided by collecting scat samples as fresh as possible, and implementing efficient multitube procedures and stringent quality control of the laboratory results. Efficient multitube procedures can produce reliable data, like in this study, which showed that the consensus genotypes obtained from excremental DNA exactly matched distinct reference genotypes obtained from wolf blood samples.     

Application of sonication to release DNA from Bacillus cereus for quantitative detection by real-time PCR

A rapid sonication method for lysis of Gram-positive bacteria was evaluated for use in combination with quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses for detection. Other criteria used for evaluation of lysis were microscopic cell count, colony forming units (cfu), optical density at 600 nm and total yield of DNA measured by PicoGreen fluorescence. The aim of this study was complete disruption of cellular structures and release of DNA without the need for lysing reagents and time-consuming sample preparation. The Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus cereus was used as a model organism for Gram-positive bacteria. It was demonstrated by real-time PCR that maximum yield of DNA was obtained after 3 to 5 min of sonication. The yield of DNA was affected by culture age and the cells from a 4-h-old culture in the exponential phase of growth gave a higher yield of DNA after 5 min of sonication than a 24-h-old culture in the stationary phase of growth. The 4-h-old culture was also more sensitive for lysis caused by heating. The maximum yield of DNA, evaluated by real-time PCR, from a culture of the Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, was obtained after 20 s of sonication. However, the yield of target DNA from E. coli rapidly decreased after 50 s of sonication due to degradation of DNA. Plate counting (cfu), microscopic counting and absorbance at 600 nm showed that the number of viable and structurally intact B. cereus cells decreased rapidly with sonication time, whereas the yield of DNA increased as shown by PicoGreen fluorescence and real-time PCR. The present results indicate that 3-5 min of sonication is sufficient for lysis and release of DNA from samples of Gram-positive bacteria.     

A simple and rapid gene amplification from Arabidopsis leaves using AnyDirect system

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a powerful technique in molecular biology and is widely used in various fields. By amplifying DNA fragments, PCR has facilitated gene cloning procedures, as well as molecular genotyping. However, the extraction of DNA from samples often acts as a limiting step of these reactions. In particular, the extraction of PCR-compatible genomic DNA from higher plants requires complicated processes and tedious work because plant cells have rigid cell walls and contain various endogenous PCR inhibitors, including polyphenolic compounds. We recently developed a novel solution, referred to as AnyDirect, which can amplify target DNA fragments directly from whole blood without the need for DNA extraction. Here, we developed a simple lysis system that could produce an appropriate template for direct PCR with AnyDirect PCR buffer, making possible the direct amplification of DNA fragments from plant leaves. Thus, our experimental procedure provides a simple, convenient, non-hazardous, inexpensive, and rapid process for the amplification of DNA from plant tissue.     

Field scale evaluation of bovine-specific DNA as an indicator of tissue degradation during cattle mortality composting

Currently, mortality compost is managed by temperature as extent of tissue degradation is difficult to assess. In the present study, field-scale mortality compost was constructed with composted brain tissue (Brain) and compost adjacent to brain tissue (CAB) sampled over 230 d. Following genomic DNA extraction, bovine-specific mitochondrial DNA (Mt-DNA) and bacterial 16S rDNA fragments were quantified using real-time PCR. Genomic DNA yield of Brain and CAB decreased rapidly (89-98%) and stabilized after 7 d. Compared to d 0, Brain Mt-DNA rapidly decreased (84-91% reduction on d 7). In CAB, Mt-DNA dramatically increased until d 28 (up to 34,500 times) thereafter decreasing by 77-93% on d 112. Quantification of bovine Mt-DNA indicates tissue degradation was initially characterized by rapid decomposition and release of cell contents into surrounding compost matrix followed by further degradation of Mt-DNA by flourishing microorganisms. Consequently, bovine Mt-DNA copies in compost matrix were reliable indicators of tissue degradation.     

Real-time PCR for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in dairy and cattle wastewater

AIMS: Developing and evaluating a rapid real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method for the identification of Escherichia coli O157:H7 in cattle and dairy wastewater samples produced from mozzarella cheese factories, without pre-enrichment step before DNA extraction. METHODS AND RESULTS: Wastewater samples were collected from a dairy farm producing mozzarella cheese and located in Puglia (south of Italy). Plate count and other microbial assays were performed 1 h after sampling. Wastewater samples were artificially inoculated with 10(4), 10(7) and 10(8) cells ml(-1) of E. coli O157:H7, strain EDL933. PCR protocols for stx1, stx2 and eae genes were first tested on pure DNA extracted from type strains, in order to optimize the amplification conditions and reagent concentration before real-time PCR experiments. Three specific fragments of ca 106, 150 and 200 bp corresponding to genes eae, stx1 and stx2, respectively, were obtained. Real-time PCR experiments were performed with DNA extracted from dairy and manure wastewater samples inoculated with 10(4), 10(7) and 10(8) colony-forming units (CFU) ml(-1) of E. coli O157:H7 strain EDL 933. The sensitivity limit of the assay was 10(-1) pg microl(-1) for eae, stx2 and 16SrRNA, and 1 pg microl(-1) for stx1 gene respectively. CONCLUSIONS: A real-time PCR protocol has been developed and used in order to identify potential pathogens in dairy wastewater, in which previous methods (including standard PCR) failed to work. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: Cattle and dairy wastewater samples produced from mozzarella cheese factories may harbour verocytotoxin-producing E. coli. The availability of rapid and sensitive molecular methods may be useful to monitor the persistence of verocytotoxin-producing E. coli in general and to assess the effectiveness of wastewater treatments.     

Mechanisms of microRNA-mediated gene regulation

microRNAs (miRNAs) are identified as a class of non-protein regulators and a new source for broad control of gene expression in eukaryotes. The past years have witnessed substantial progress in understanding miRNA functions and mechanisms, although a few controversies remain. Various hypotheses and models have been suggested for the mechanisms of miRNA repression, including translational inhibition at the level of initiation or elongation, rapid degradation of the nascent peptide, mRNA degradation, and mRNA sequestration into P bodies (processing bodies) and SGs (stress granules) for degradation or/and storage. Recently, some noncanonical miRNA regulation, such as miRNA activation and de-repression of miRNA inhibition, have been uncovered. This review discusses some recent advances about how miRNAs regulate their targets and various modes of miRNA function.     

不同DNA抽提方法对普通PCR和实时荧光定量PCR方法检测家蚕微孢子虫的影响

为了优选快速、 灵敏、 特异的家蚕微孢子虫Nosema bombycis分子检测方法和DNA抽提方法, 本文通过对家蚕微孢子虫TaqMan探针荧光定量PCR检测方法和SYBR Green荧光定量PCR检测方法的建立以及反应体系优化, 并与普通PCR方法进行比较; 再采用4种不同DNA抽提方法分别对PCR和实时荧光定量PCR方法检测家蚕微孢子虫悬浮液的效果评价。结果显示: 不经过DNA抽提, 直接将家蚕微孢子虫发芽液进行PCR反应的效果优于其他方法, 检测灵敏度由高到低依次为直接法、 酚/氯仿抽提法、 动物组织DNA试剂盒抽提法和植物组织DNA试剂盒抽提法; TaqMan探针法检测家蚕微孢子虫发芽液的灵敏度和SYBR Green法相近, 达到微孢子10²个/mL, 两者均优于普通PCR方法。实验表明, 直接采用发芽液结合荧光定量PCR方法检测家蚕微孢子虫最为简便、 快速、 灵敏。该研究结果将有助于提高家蚕微粒子病监控技术和检疫能力, 对家蚕微粒子病的检疫和防治具有积极意义。     

Technical note: PCR analysis of minimum target amount of ancient DNA

The study of ancient DNA plays an important role in archaeological and palaeontological research as well as in pathology and forensics. Here, we present a new tool for ancient DNA analysis, which overcomes contamination problems, DNA degradation, and the negative effects of PCR inhibitors while reducing the amount of starting target material in the picogram range. Ancient bone samples from four Egyptian mummies were examined by combining laser microdissection, conventional DNA extraction, and low‐volume PCR. Initially, several bone particles (osteons) in the micrometer range were extracted by laser microdissection. Subsequently, ancient DNA amplification was performed to verify our extraction method. Amelogenin and β‐actin gene specific fragments were amplified via low‐volume PCR in a total reaction volume of 1 μl. Results of microdissected mummy DNA samples were compared to mummy DNA, which was extracted using a standard DNA extraction method based on pulverization of bone material. Our results highlight the combination of laser microdissection and low‐volume PCR as a promising new technique in ancient DNA analysis. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2010. © 2010 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Quantitative PCR in the diagnosis of Leishmania

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a sensitive and rapid method for the diagnosis of canine Leishmania infection and can be performed on a variety of biological samples, including peripheral blood, lymph node, bone marrow and skin. Standard PCR requires electrophoretic analysis of the amplification products and is usually not suitable for quantification of the template DNA (unless competitor-based or other methods are developed), being of reduced usefulness when accurate monitoring of target DNA is required. Quantitative real-time PCR allows the continuous monitoring of the accumulation of PCR products during the amplification reaction. This allows the identification of the cycle of near-logarithmic PCR product generation (threshold cycle) and, by inference, the relative quantification of the template DNA present at the start of the reaction. Since the amplification product are monitored in "real-time" as they form cycle-by-cycle, no post-amplification handling is required. The absolute quantification is performed according either to an internal standard co-amplified with the sample DNA, or to an external standard curve obtained by parallel amplification of serial known concentrations of a reference DNA sequence. From the quantification of the template DNA, an estimation of the relative load of parasites in the different samples can be obtained. The advantages compared to standard and semi-quantitative PCR techniques are reduction of the assay's time and contamination risks, and improved sensitivity. As for standard PCR, the minimal components of the quantitative PCR reaction mixture are the DNA target of the amplification, an oligonucleotide primer pair flanking the target sequence, a suitable DNA polymerase, deoxynucleotides, buffer and salts. Different technologies have been set up for the monitoring of amplification products, generally based on the use of fluorescent probes. For instance, SYBR Green technology is a non-specific detection system based on a fluorescent dsDNA intercalator and it is applicable to all potential targets. TaqMan technology is more specific since performs the direct assessment of the amount of amplified DNA using a fluorescent probe specific for the target sequence flanked by the primer pair. This probe is an oligonucleotide labelled with a reporter dye (fluorescent) and a quencher (which absorbs the fluorescent signal generated by the reporter). The thermic protocol of amplification allows the binding of the fluorescent probe to the target sequence before the binding of the primers and the starting of the polymerization by Taq polymerase. During polymerization, 5'-3' exonuclease activity of Taq polymerase digests the probe and in this way the reporter dye is released from the probe and a fluorescent signal is detected. The intensity of the signal accumulates at the end of each cycle and is related to the amount of the amplification product. In recent years, quantitative PCR methods based either on SYBR Green or TaqMan technology have been set up for the quantification of Leishmania in mouse liver, mouse skin and human peripheral blood, targeting either single-copy chromosomal or multi-copy minicircle sequences with high sensitivity and reproducibility. In particular, real-time PCR seems to be a reliable, rapid and noninvasive method for the diagnosis and follow up of visceral leishmaniasis in humans. At present, the application of real-time PCR for research and clinical diagnosis of Leishmania infection in dogs is still foreseable. As for standard PCR, the high sensitivity of real-time PCR could allow the use of blood sampling that is less invasive and easily performed for monitoring the status of the dogs. The development of a real-time PCR assay for Leishmania infantum infection in dogs could support the standard and optimized serological and PCR methods currenly in use for the diagnosis and follow-up of canine leishmaniasis, and perhaps prediction of recurrences associated with tissue loads of residual pathogens after treatment. At this regard, a TaqMan Real Time PCR method developed for the quantification of Leishmania infantum minicircle DNA in peripheral blood of naturally infected dogs sampled before and at different time points after the beginning of a standard antileishmanial therapy will be illustrated.     

Use of quantitative real-time and conventional PCR to assess the stability of the cp4 epsps transgene from Roundup Ready canola in the intestinal, ruminal, and fecal contents of sheep

The stability of transgenic DNA encoding the synthetic cp4 epsps protein in a diet containing Roundup Ready (RR) canola meal was determined in duodenal fluid (DF) batch cultures from sheep. A real-time TaqMan PCR assay was designed to quantify the degradation of cp4 epsps DNA during incubation in DF at pH 5 or 7. The copy number of cp4 epsps DNA in the diet declined more rapidly (P < 0.05) in DF at pH 5 as compared to pH 7. The decrease was attributed mainly to microbial activity at pH 7 and perhaps to plant endogenous enzymes at pH 5. The 62-bp fragment of cp4 epsps DNA detected by real-time PCR reached a maximum of approximately 1600 copies in the aqueous phase of DF at pH 7, whereas less than 20 copies were detected during incubations in DF at pH 5. A 1363-bp sequence of cp4 epsps DNA was never detected in the aqueous fraction of DF. Additionally, genomic DNA isolated from RR canola seed was used to test the persistence of fragments of free DNA in DF at pH 3.2, 5, and 7, as well as in ruminal fluid and feces. Primers spanning the cp4 epsps DNA coding region amplified sequences ranging in size from 300 to 1363 bp. Free transgenic DNA was least stable in DF at pH 7 where fragments less than 527 bp were detected for up to 2 min and fragments as large as 1363 bp were detected for 0.5 min. This study shows that digestion of plant material and release of transgenic DNA can occur in the ovine small intestine. However, free DNA is rapidly degraded at neutral pH in DF, thus reducing the likelihood that intact transgenic DNA would be available for absorption through the Peyer's Patches in the distal ileum.