Amplification of bacterial DNA bound on clay minerals by the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique

Abstract: Chromosomal DNA from Bacillus subtilis , bound on the clay minerals, montmorillonite (Wyoming (W) and Apache County (Ap)) and kaolinite (K), was subjected to the random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) technique. DNA bound on the clays was not amplified with 0.625, 1.875, 6.25, and 12.5 U of Taq DNA polymerase, but amplification occurred when the clay-DNA complexes were diluted 10- and 20-fold or when 21 U of Taq DNA polymerase was added. DNA desorbed from the Ap-DNA and K-DNA equilibrium complexes was amplified with 0.625 U of Taq DNA polymerase, whereas amplification of DNA desorbed from the W-DNA complex occurred only after a 10-fold dilution or when 1.875 U of Taq DNA polymerase was used. These observations indicate that clay minerals differentially affect the amplification process, probably by inhibiting the activity of Taq DNA polymerase.     

DNA from formalin-fixed tissue: extraction or repair? That is the question

Establishing effective DNA-based protocols for use on archival material fixed in formaldehyde (formalin) is a particularly challenging task. Formalin fixation induces cross-linking with nucleic acids and proteins, thereby reducing the amount and quality of the extracted DNA. Previous attempts have primarily focused on optimizing DNA extraction protocols. Here we focus on the use of enzymes capable of in vitro repair of DNA extracts prior to amplification of the nucleic acids by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The amplification success of mitochondrial DNA was greater using the repair enzyme assay (56%) than with the regular PCR assay (20%), and even more convincing results were obtained with the amplified nuclear ribosomal region (91% versus 21%). These results indicate that in vitro repair of DNA damage (depurinated sites, strand nicks and base modifications) increases the number of samples that amplify, amplify to a greater extent and amplify fewer ancillary bands and that DNA repair has been overlooked as a way of improving the efficiency of molecular methods used on formalin-fixed samples. Fidelity has not been specifically investigated, but preliminary results indicate that misincorporation is not a major problem.     

高GC含量DNA模板的PCR扩增

目的：探索高GC含量DNA的PCR扩增条件,为扩增达托霉素生物合成基因簇及拼接奠定基础。方法：在PCR扩增体系中,使用高保真的聚合酶及添加不同浓度的DMSO、7-deaza-dGTP等增强剂,并选择合适的PCR循环程序,优化富含GC的DNA的PCR扩增条件。结果：向反应体系中额外添加1%~4%的DMSO可以显著提高富含GC的DNA的PCR扩增产物量,但会降低其特异性;7-deaza-dGTP可以提高扩增产物的特异性及保真度,但产量会有所下降。应用touch down PCR并在体系中添加7-deaza-dGTP能够提高扩增产物的特异性和产率,增加扩增的保真度。结论：应用优化的PCR扩增条件将所有达托霉素生物合成基因簇分段扩增出来,并可扩增出长达6 kb的片段,且序列完全正确,可以进行后续拼接。     

Transformation of Bacillus subtilis by DNA bound on montmorillonite and effect of DNase on the transforming ability of bound DNA.

The equilibrium adsorption and binding of DNA from Bacillus subtilis on the clay mineral montmorillonite, the ability of bound DNA to transform competent cells, and the resistance of bound DNA to degradation by DNase I are reported. Maximum adsorption of DNA on the clay occurred after 90 min of contact and was followed by a plateau. Adsorption was pH dependent and was greatest at pH 1.0 (19.9 micrograms of DNA mg of clay-1) and least at pH 9.0 (10.7 micrograms of DNA mg of clay-1). The transformation frequency increased as the pH at which the clay-DNA complexes were prepared increased, and there was no transformation by clay-DNA complexes prepared at pH 1. After extensive washing with deionized distilled water (pH 5.5) or DNA buffer (pH 7.5), 21 and 28%, respectively, of the DNA remained bound. Bound DNA was capable of transforming competent cells (as was the desorbed DNA), indicating that adsorption, desorption, and binding did not alter the transforming ability of the DNA. Maximum transformation by bound DNA occurred at 37 degrees C (the other temperatures evaluated were 0, 25, and 45 degrees C). DNA bound on montmorillonite was protected against degradation by DNase, supporting the concept that "cryptic genes" may persist in the environment when bound on particulates. The concentration of DNase required to inhibit transformation by bound DNA was higher than that required to inhibit transformation by comparable amounts of free DNA, and considerably more bound than free DNase was required to inhibit transformation by the same amount of free DNA. Similarly, when DNA and DNase were bound on the same or separate samples of montmorillonite, the bound DNA was protected from the activity of DNase.     

Transformation of Bacillus subtilis by DNA bound on montmorillonite and effect of DNase on the transforming ability of bound DNA.

The equilibrium adsorption and binding of DNA from Bacillus subtilis on the clay mineral montmorillonite, the ability of bound DNA to transform competent cells, and the resistance of bound DNA to degradation by DNase I are reported. Maximum adsorption of DNA on the clay occurred after 90 min of contact and was followed by a plateau. Adsorption was pH dependent and was greatest at pH 1.0 (19.9 micrograms of DNA mg of clay-1) and least at pH 9.0 (10.7 micrograms of DNA mg of clay-1). The transformation frequency increased as the pH at which the clay-DNA complexes were prepared increased, and there was no transformation by clay-DNA complexes prepared at pH 1. After extensive washing with deionized distilled water (pH 5.5) or DNA buffer (pH 7.5), 21 and 28%, respectively, of the DNA remained bound. Bound DNA was capable of transforming competent cells (as was the desorbed DNA), indicating that adsorption, desorption, and binding did not alter the transforming ability of the DNA. Maximum transformation by bound DNA occurred at 37 degrees C (the other temperatures evaluated were 0, 25, and 45 degrees C). DNA bound on montmorillonite was protected against degradation by DNase, supporting the concept that "cryptic genes" may persist in the environment when bound on particulates. The concentration of DNase required to inhibit transformation by bound DNA was higher than that required to inhibit transformation by comparable amounts of free DNA, and considerably more bound than free DNase was required to inhibit transformation by the same amount of free DNA. Similarly, when DNA and DNase were bound on the same or separate samples of montmorillonite, the bound DNA was protected from the activity of DNase.     

Factors affecting mitochondrial DNA quality from museum preserved Drosophila simulans

In this study we investigate how traditional killing methods and storage regimes affected mitochondrial DNA quality in Drosophila simulans. Here we define quality with three criteria: (1) size of extracted DNA, (2) extraction yield, and (3) ability to amplify from four target regions. Killing methods had a significant effect on extraction yield, but not on PCR success. Highest DNA yields were extracted from specimens exposed to cyanide, while the lowest were from specimens killed in 70% ethanol. Specimens stored for two years contained badly sheared DNA, which translated into a significant decrease in PCR success compared to freshly assayed specimens. The most dramatic decrease in PCR success occurred in the 1822 bp and 1332 bp amplicons, compared to the 959 bp and 291 bp fragments. Naphthalene did not affect any aspect of DNA quality; time of storage affected PCR success regardless of naphthalene environment. This study serves to further refine our understanding of DNA degradation.     

DNA amplification in the field: move over PCR,here comes LAMP

It would not be an exaggeration to say that among molecular technologies, it is PCR (polymerase chain reaction) that underpins the discipline of molecular ecology as we know it today. With PCR, it has been possible to target the amplification of particular fragments of DNA, which can then be analysed in a multitude of ways. The capability of PCR to amplify DNA from a mere handful of copies further means that conservationists and ecologists are able to sample DNA unobtrusively and with minimal disturbance to the environment and the organisms of interest. However, a key disadvantage of PCR‐based methods has been the necessity for a generally non‐portable, laboratory setting to undertake the time‐consuming thermocycling protocols. LAMP (loop‐mediated isothermal amplification) offers a logistically simpler protocol: a relatively rapid DNA amplification reaction occurs at one temperature, and the products are visualized with a colour change within the reaction tubes. In the first field application of LAMP for an ecological study, Centeno‐Cuadros et al. ( 2016 ) demonstrates how LAMP can be used to determine the sex of three raptor species. By enabling DNA amplification in situ and in ‘real‐time’, LAMP promises to revolutionize how molecular ecology is practised in the field.     

福尔马林固定白暨豚标本DNA提取及其遗传多样性的初步研究

福尔马林固定标本是宝贵的遗传资源,但是如何有效利用其中的遗传信息一直存在问题。本文尝试从标本预处理、消化、PCR扩增各方面综合考虑和优化改进,成功提取并扩增21头福尔马林固定白暨豚标本线粒体DNA控制区410bp片段。采用了3种预处理方法尽量去除固定标本中残存的甲醛,从试验结果来看,从酒精梯度 临界点干燥处理的标本中提取的DNA在扩增时具有明显优势。通过蛋白酶K消化过程中对于酶的浓度、温浴时间的比较试验,发现随着采用大幅提高酶浓度、延长消化时间等高强度的蛋白酶消化操作后,DNA的质量和产量均得到显著提高。针对标本DNA降解严重的特点,设计特异性好且长度合适的引物以及使用巢式引物扩增,均提高了标本DNA扩增的特异性和灵敏度。通过对所测得的2l头白暨豚线粒体DNA控制区部分序列的对比,发现全部个体在该片段上的序列完全一致,说明白暨豚遗传多样性极低。     

福尔马林固定白鱀豚标本DNA提取及其遗传多样性的初步研究

福尔马林固定标本是宝贵的遗传资源,但是如何有效利用其中的遗传信息一直存在问题。本文尝试从标本预处理、消化、PCR扩增各方面综合考虑和优化改进,成功提取并扩增21头福尔马林固定白豚标本线粒体DNA控制区410bp片段。采用了3种预处理方法尽量去除固定标本中残存的甲醛,从试验结果来看,从酒精梯度 临界点干燥处理的标本中提取的DNA在扩增时具有明显优势。通过蛋白酶K消化过程中对于酶的浓度、温浴时间的比较试验,发现随着采用大幅提高酶浓度、延长消化时间等高强度的蛋白酶消化操作后,DNA的质量和产量均得到显著提高。针对标本DNA降解严重的特点,设计特异性好且长度合适的引物以及使用巢式引物扩增,均提高了标本DNA扩增的特异性和灵敏度。通过对所测得的21头白鱀豚线粒体DNA控制区部分序列的对比,发现全部个体在该片段上的序列完全一致,说明白豚遗传多样性极低。     

Extracting DNA from museum bird eggs, and whole genome amplification of archive DNA

We present a comprehensive protocol for extracting DNA from egg membranes and other internal debris recovered from the interior of blown museum bird eggs. A variety of commercially available DNA extraction methods were found to be applicable. DNA sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products for a 176‐bp fragment of mitochondrial DNA was successful for most egg samples (> 78%) even though the amount of DNA extracted (mean = 14.71 ± 4.55 ng/µL) was significantly less than that obtained for bird skin samples (mean = 67.88 ± 4.77 ng/µL). For PCR and sequencing of snipe (Gallinago) DNA, we provide eight new primers for the ‘DNA barcode’ region of COI mtDNA. In various combinations, the primers target a range of PCR products sized from 72 bp to the full ‘barcode’ of 751 bp. Not all possible combinations were tested with archive snipe DNA, but we found a significantly better success rate of PCR amplification for a shorter 176‐bp target compared with a larger 288‐bp fragment (67% vs. 39%). Finally, we explored the feasibility of whole genome amplification (WGA) for extending the use of archive DNA in PCR and sequencing applications. Of two WGA approaches, a PCR‐based method was found to be able to amplify whole genomic DNA from archive skins and eggs from museum bird collections. After WGA, significantly more archive egg samples produced visible PCR products on agarose (56.9% before WGA vs. 79.0% after WGA). However, overall sequencing success did not improve significantly (78.8% compared with 83.0%).     

Preferential amplification is minimised in long-PCR systems

The advent of long PCR (XL-PCR) has proven to be a major advance in PCR technology and is currently being utilised to investigate numerous biological systems. The analysis of mixed DNA populations is a particularly useful application for XL-PCR. For example, XL-PCR has been used to investigate the occurrence of heterogeneous mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) rearrangement mutations. With XL-PCR it became possible to amplify the entire length of the mtDNA chromosome and detect any mtDNA deletion or insertion mutations based on a measurable change in overall sequence length. In the present communication, XL-PCR and conventional short-length PCR were used to amplify mitochondrial DNA sequences from several human vastus lateralis skeletal muscle samples. The experiments demonstrated that there was minimal preferential amplification of shorter DNA sequences with XL-PCR and was significantly less than the preferential amplification of shorter sequences observed with conventional PCR. Also, XL-PCR amplification of the complete mtDNA sequence from control DNA containing a single mtDNA template (leucocyte extracts) showed that the generation of PCR artefacts was not a predisposed failing of the system but was dependant on the standard rules that govern the set up and optimisation of any PCR reaction. In optimised systems, XL-PCR artefacts were not generated and a single PCR product was always recovered.     

有效抽提乙醇中螨标本的核DNA

对如何有效地从乙醇保存的叶螨中抽提核基因组DNA作了探讨。70％乙醇保存的叶螨标本,经过干燥,TEN洗涤,蛋白酶K消化,酚—氯仿抽提,2倍体积无水乙醇沉淀等步骤,得到叶螨核基因组DNA沉淀,再用TE或无菌水溶解后,以其为模板,进行随机引物PCR扩增。结果显示.该方法抽提的DNA无Taq酶抑制物,且其纯度达到进行PCR反应对模板要求的程度。这为采用AP-PCR技术研究螨的系统分类提供了便利。     

抗凝剂EDTA-Na2对家禽血液指标及基因组DNA的影响

[摘要]目的：分析不同浓度的抗凝剂EDTA-Na2对家禽血液指标及基因组DNA抽提的影响。方法：采集鸡血,分别加入0．6（A组）、0．9（B组）、1．2（C组）、1．5（D组）、1．8（E组）和2．1（F组）mg／mL的EDTA-Na2,立即检测白细胞总数（WBC）、淋巴细胞（LYM）、中间细胞（MID）、粒细胞（GRAN）、红细胞总数（RBC）、血红蛋白（HGB）、血红蛋白含量（MCH）和血小板总数（PLT）,用SPSS软件分析检测数据;用酚-氯仿法提取添加不同量抗凝剂的血液基因组DNA,并进行PCR扩增,基因组DNA和PCR产物用琼脂糖凝胶电泳检测。结果：A组样品出现肉眼可见的凝块,B组有2／7样品有凝集现象,C、D、E和F组均无凝集现象。A组凝集现象严重无法进行血液指标测定,其余5组样品中,对于RBC和HGB指标,C组与B组相比无显著性差异,与D、E、F组差异极显著（P〈0．01）;对于PLT,C组与B组相比无显著性差异,与D、E、F组差异显著（P〈0．05）;WBC无显著变化。除A组外,各组均能获得质量较好的基因组DNA,并能扩增出目的条带。结论：除A组外,不同浓度的EDTA-Na2对基因组DNA提取和PCR扩增无影响。以EDTA-Na2作为禽血抗凝剂时,建议用量应不低于1．2mg／mL。     

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification of single pollen grains

The polymerase chain reaction(PCR) has been a reliable and fruitful method for many applications in ecology.Nevertheless, unavoidable technical and instrumental requirements of PCR have limited its widespread application in field situations. The recent development of isothermal DNA amplification methods provides an alternative to PCR, which circumvents key limitations of PCR for direct amplification in the field. Being able to analyze DNA in the pollen cloud of an ecosystem would provide very useful ecological information, yet would require a field-enabled, high-throughput method for this potential to be realized. Here, we demonstrate the applicability of the loop-mediated DNA amplification method(LAMP), an isothermal DNA amplification technique, to be used in pollen analysis. We demonstrate that LAMP can provide a reliable method to identify species from the pollen cloud, and that it can amplify successfully with sensitivity down to single pollen grains, thus opening the possibility of field-based, high-throughput analysis.     

Truncated amplification: a method for high-fidelity template-driven nucleic acid amplification

The error rate of conventional PCR is problematic when amplifying from single cells or amplifying segments for protein functional analysis by in vitro translation. We describe truncated amplification, a method for high-fidelity amplification in which DNA polymerase errors are not propagated efficiently and original DNA templates exert greater influence on the amplification process. Truncated amplification utilizes pairs of oligonucleotides and thermal cycling, but it differs from PCR. Truncated amplification amplifies non-exponentially with one or two chimeric oligonucleotides and produces truncated terminal products that are no more than three rounds of replication from the original template. Exon 6 of the p53 gene was utilized as a model system to demonstrate proof of principle. Chimeric oligonucleotides containing three 3'-->5' reversed-deoxynucleotides or 2'-OMe-ribonucleotides at 6-8 nucleotides from the 3 'terminus retained sequence specificity and primer extension activity. With PfuTurbo but not with Taq or Vent (exo-) DNA polymerases, the modified nucleotides completely truncated the DNA polymerase elongation. The resulting truncated terminal products are not templates for further amplification because of the short length of the 3' complementary region. Truncated amplific ation can amplify quadratically or geometrically depending on whether two or one chimeric oligonucleotides are used. Truncated amplification is a promising approach when template-driven amplification is desired to increase thefrequency of error-free products.     

Plasmid DNA in a groundwater aquifer microcosm -adsorption, DNAase resistance and natural genetic transformation of Bacillus subtilis

Prokaryotes can exchange chromosomal and plasmid genes via extracellular DNA in a process termed genetic transformation. This process has been observed in the test tube for several bacterial species living in the environment but it is not clear whether transformation occurs in natural bacterial habitats. A major constituent of terrestrial environments are solid particles such as quartz, silt and clay, which have considerable surface areas and which make up the solid-liquid interfaces of the habitat. In previous experiments the adsorption of DNA to chemically purified quartz and clay minerals was shown and the partial protection of adsorbed DNA against DNAase I. In a microcosm consisting of natural groundwater aquifer material (GWA) sampled directly from the environment and groundwater (GW) both linear duplex and supercoiled plasmid DNA molecules bound rapidly and quantitatively to the minerals. The divalent cations required to form the association were those present in the GWA/GW microcosm. The association was stable to extended elution over one week at 23°C. Upon adsorption, the DNA became highly resistant against enzymatic degradation. About 1000 times higher DNAase I concentrations were needed to degrade bound DNA to the same extent as DNA dissolved in GW. Furthermore, chromosomal and plasmid DNA bound on GWA transformed competent cells of Bacillus subtilis. However, in contrast to DNA in solution, on GWA the chromosomal DNA was more active in transformation than the plasmid DNA. The studies also revealed that in the transformation of B. subtilis Mg²⁺ can be replaced by Na⁺, K⁺ or NH₄ The observations suggest that in soil and sediment environments, mineral material with inorganic precipitates and organic matter can harbour extracellular DNA leaving it available for genetic transformation.     

Genome size and microsatellites: the effect of nuclear size on amplification potential.

Although the frequency of microsatellite DNA regions generally increases with increasing genome size, genome size has a negative effect on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification. Thus, researchers developing sets of PCR primers, as is commonly done for microsatellite DNA regions, may encounter greater difficulty when working with species that have larger genomes. I investigated the effect of genome size on overall amplification success using data from nine different metazoan taxa. The proportion of primer sets that did not amplify PCR products was strongly and positively correlated with the haploid C value of the target species. Increasing genome size may affect amplification success negatively because of a decrease in target:nontarget DNA or by dilution of the available primer pool by nonspecific binding.     

Single-molecule polymerase chain reaction reduces bias: application to DNA methylation analysis by bisulfite sequencing

The treatment of DNA with bisulfite, which converts C to U but leaves 5-methyl-C unchanged, forms the basis of many analytical techniques for DNA methylation analysis. Many techniques exist for measuring the methylation state of a single CpG but, for analysis of an entire region, cloning and sequencing remains the gold standard. However, biases in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and in cloning can skew the results. We hypothesized that single-molecule PCR (smPCR) amplification would eliminate the PCR amplification bias because competition between templates that amplify at different efficiencies no longer exists. The amplified products can be sequenced directly, thus eliminating cloning bias. We demonstrated this accurate and unbiased approach by analyzing a sample that was expected to contain a 50:50 ratio of methylated to unmethylated molecules: a region of the X-linked FMR1 gene from a human female cell line. We compared traditional cloning and sequencing to smPCR and sequencing. Sequencing smPCR products gave an expected methylated to unmethylated ratio of 48:52, whereas conventional cloning and sequencing gave a biased ratio of 72:28. Our results show that smPCR sequencing can eliminate both PCR and cloning bias and represents an attractive approach to bisulfite sequencing.     

一种从大熊猫粪便中提取DNA的改进方法

本研究描述一个改进的方法，使从大熊猫粪便中提取DNA用于PCR扩增变得更加容易。在粪便DNA的提取过程中采用一个新的预处理方法，将粪便用预冷的丙酮洗2～3次，除去粪便中含有的大量PCR抑制物，然后用蛋白酶K裂解、酚氯仿抽提，能提取到纯度很高的DNA供PCR扩增。本实验PCR扩增了大熊猫脑源性神经营养因子(BDNF)基因和线粒体细胞色素6基因片段，并进行测序分析，证实了提取的可靠性。对比本方法和未经丙酮预处理的方法提取的DNA进行PCR扩增，前者的扩增结果明显优于后者。     

Loop‐mediated isothermal amplification of single pollen grains

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has been a reliable and fruitful method for many applications in ecology. Nevertheless, unavoidable technical and instrumental requirements of PCR have limited its widespread application in field situations. The recent development of isothermal DNA amplification methods provides an alternative to PCR, which circumvents key limitations of PCR for direct amplification in the field. Being able to analyze DNA in the pollen cloud of an ecosystem would provide very useful ecological information, yet would require a field‐enabled, high‐throughput method for this potential to be realized. Here, we demonstrate the applicability of the loop‐mediated DNA amplification method (LAMP), an isothermal DNA amplification technique, to be used in pollen analysis. We demonstrate that LAMP can provide a reliable method to identify species from the pollen cloud, and that it can amplify successfully with sensitivity down to single pollen grains, thus opening the possibility of field‐based, high‐throughput analysis.