PCR-SSCP--rapid and easy detection of DNA-sequence changes]

PCR-SSCP analysis is a rapid, simple and sensitive technique for detection of various mutations, including single nucleotide substitutions, insertions and deletions, in PCR-amplified DNA fragments. Here I review, the principle and sensitivity of the technique, and also show how this technique has been used in clinical and basic medical sciences.     

AFLP分子标记技术及其在动物学研究中的应用

扩增片段长度多态性技术(AFLP)基于选择性扩增完全酶切消化后的基因组DNA片段,包括酶切与连接、选择性扩增、检测分析等3个步骤。该技术的运用不需要预知基因组的序列特征,具有较高的多态分辨力,产生的标记是显性标记,可适用于任何来源和各种复杂度的DNA。自AFLP技术问世以来,在酶切、扩增体系、检测和分析方法等方面不断得到改进。本文将以线虫、昆虫、鱼类、鸟类、家畜、鼠、人等为例,介绍近年来AHLP技术在动物或人的遗传图谱构建和QTL(quantitative trait loci)定位、生物多样性、性别决定和繁殖行为研究、疾病及疾病诊断研究等上的应用。     

Detection and amplification systems for sensitive, multiple-target DNA and RNA in situ hybridization: looking inside cells with a spectrum of colors

In situ hybridization (ISH) is a powerful technique for localizing specific nucleic acid sequences (DNA, RNA) in microscopic preparations of tissues, cells, chromosomes, and linear DNA fibers. To date, a wide variety of research and diagnostic applications of ISH have been described, making the technique an integral part of studies concerning gene mapping, gene expression, RNA processing and transport, the three-dimensional organization of the nucleus, tumor genetics, microbial infections, and prenatal diagnosis. In this review, I first describe the ISH procedure in short and then focus on the currently available non-radioactive probe-labeling and cytochemical detection methodologies that are utilized to visualize one or multiple different nucleic acid targets in situ with different colors. Special emphasis is placed on the procedures applying fluorescence and brightfield microscopy, the simultaneous detection of nucleic acids and proteins by combined ISH and immunocytochemistry, and, in addition, on the recent progress that has been made with the introduction of signal amplification procedures to increase the detection sensitivity of ISH. Finally, a comparison of fluorescence, enzyme cytochemical, and colloidal gold silver probe detection systems will be presented, and possible future directions of in situ nucleic acid detection will be discussed. Accepted: 9 June 1999     

Beyond ancient microbial DNA: nonnucleotidic biomolecules for paleomicrobiology

Identifying the causes of past epidemics depends on the specific detection of pathogens in buried individuals; this field of research is known as paleomicrobiology, an emerging field that has benefited from technological advances in microbiology. For almost 15 years, the detection, identification, and characterization of microbes in ancient environmental and human specimens emerged on the basis of ancient DNA (aDNA) analyses. aDNA limitations due to potential contamination by modern DNA and altered aDNA led to the development of alternative methods for the detection and characterization of nonnucleotidic biomolecules, including mycolic acids (of ancient mycobacteria) and proteins. Accordingly, immunohistochemistry, immunochromatography, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques have been developed for the specific detection of microbes from ancient human and environmental specimens. Protein analysis by mass spectrometry, a standard for ancient animal identification, has also recently emerged as a technique for ancient mycobacteria detection, while immuno-PCR is yet another promising technique. As with aDNA, strict protocols must be enforced to ensure authenticity of the data. Here we review the analysis of nonnucleotidic biomolecules from ancient microbes and the ability of these analyses to complement aDNA analyses, which opens new opportunities for identification of ancient microbes as well as new avenues to potentially resolve controversies regarding the cause of some historical pandemics and study the coevolution of microbes and hosts.     

DNA hybridization detection in a microfluidic channel using two fluorescently labelled nucleic acid probes

A conceptually new technique for fast DNA detection has been developed. Here, we report a fast and sensitive online fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) detection technique for label-free target DNA. This method is based on changes in the FRET signal resulting from the sequence-specific hybridization between two fluorescently labelled nucleic acid probes and target DNA in a PDMS microfluidic channel. Confocal laser-induced microscopy has been used for the detection of fluorescence signal changes. In the present study, DNA hybridizations could be detected without PCR amplification because the sensitivity of confocal laser-induced fluorescence detection is very high. Two probe DNA oligomers (5'-CTGAT TAGAG AGAGAA-TAMRA-3' and 5'-TET-ATGTC TGAGC TGCAGG-3') and target DNA (3'-GACTA ATCTC TCTCT TACAG GCACT ACAGA CTCGA CGTCC-5') were introduced into the channel by a microsyringe pump, and they were efficiently mixed by passing through the alligator teeth-shaped PDMS microfluidic channel. Here, the nucleic acid probes were terminally labelled with the fluorescent dyes, tetrafluororescein (TET) and tetramethyl-6-carboxyrhodamine (TAMRA), respectively. According to our confocal fluorescence measurements, the limit of detection of the target DNA is estimated to be 1.0 x 10(-6) to 1.0 x 10(-7)M. Our result demonstrates that this analytical technique is a promising diagnostic tool that can be applied to the real-time analysis of DNA targets in the solution phase.     

Recent advances in fluorescence sensors based on DNA–MOF hybrids

In this review, the recent advances in the development of fluorescence sensors based on DNA and metal–organic framework hybrids have been reported for nucleic acid, metal ion and amino acid detection. The main detection mechanism depends on different adsorption capacities of MOFs towards different DNA structures (single‐stranded DNA, double‐stranded DNA), and consequently the fluorescence intensity of probe DNA is changed. These results might open up a way to study their potential application in material science and clinical diagnosis of some related diseases.     

癌症液体活检新思路：数字PCR检测DNA甲基化

癌症的早期诊断可提高患者生存率.微创采集人体体液的液体活检方法可避免传统肿瘤组织活检方法侵入性和异质性的问题,逐渐成为癌症诊断的新方式.另外,DNA甲基化作为预测癌症发生发展的标志物,引起了越来越多研究者的关注.但传统DNA甲基化的检测方法灵敏度不高,且容易出现假阳性.近年来,数字PCR技术因其超高的检测灵敏度和精确度、无需标准曲线即可进行核酸绝对定量检测的优势,被用于DNA甲基化的定量检测中.本文首先介绍了DNA甲基化与癌症发生发展的关系,总结了传统DNA甲基化检测方法及其在癌症临床诊断中的应用,阐述了基于不同核酸样本分散方法的数字PCR技术及其在微量DNA甲基化检测中的优势,总结了采用数字PCR技术检测癌症患者体液中DNA甲基化的具体步骤,列举了数字PCR技术在癌症DNA甲基化检测中的研究成果及应用进展,最后提出了数字PCR技术检测癌症DNA甲基化未来可能面临的挑战,并对数字PCR技术在癌症液体活检方面的应用前景进行了展望.     

蛋白质体外进化建库技术研究

蛋白质体外进化技术是蛋白质工程发展的一个里程碑,也是改造蛋白质的一种有效工具。它不仅具有重要的应用价值,而且有助于蛋白质结构与功能的研究。通过蛋白质体外进化技术已成功地改造了许多蛋白质,有些已应用于工农业生产。体外进化技术分为两步:建库和筛选。本文主要对蛋白质体外进化策略及对体外随机突变技术、DNA重组技术、利用活细胞自身修复系统构建突变文库等几种定向进化突变文库建立技术进行了介绍与论述,同时还对蛋白质体外进化技术的应用及与其它学科结合的研究前景进行了分析,为获得具有改进功能或全新功能的蛋白质提供理论基础。     

Use of Random Amplified Polymorphic DNA Analysis for Economically Important Food Crops

The objective of this review is to summarize numerous studies on the use of the random amplified polymorphic DNA （RAPD） technique on rice, corn, wheat, sorghum, barley, rye, and oats to examine its feasibility and validity for assessment of genetic variation, population genetics, mapping, linkage and marker assisted selection, phylogenetic analysis, and the detection of somaclonal variation. Also we discuss the advantages and limitations of RAPD. Molecular markers have entered the scene of genetic improvement in different fields of agricultural research. The simplicity of the RAPD technique made it ideal for genetic mapping, plant and animal breeding programs, and DNA fingerprinting, with particular utility in the field of population genetics.     

The comet assay: a comprehensive review

The comet assay is a sensitive and rapid method for DNA strand break detection in individual cells. Its use has increased significantly in the past few years. This paper is a review of the studies published to date that have made use of the comet assay. The principles of strand break detection using both the alkaline and neutral versions of the technique are discussed, and a basic methodology with currently used variations is presented. Applications in different fields are reviewed and possible future directions of the technique are briefly explored.     

Nanopores formed by DNA origami: A review

Nanopores have emerged over the past two decades to become an important technique in single molecule experimental physics and biomolecule sensing. Recently DNA nanotechnology, in particular DNA origami, has been used for the formation of nanopores in insulating materials. DNA origami is a very attractive technique for the formation of nanopores since it enables the construction of 3D shapes with precise control over geometry and surface functionality. DNA origami has been applied to nanopore research by forming hybrid architectures with solid state nanopores and by direct insertion into lipid bilayers. This review discusses recent experimental work in this area and provides an outlook for future avenues and challenges.     

Detection and enumeration of coliforms in drinking water: current methods and emerging approaches.

The coliform group has been used extensively as an indicator of water quality and has historically led to the public health protection concept. The aim of this review is to examine methods currently in use or which can be proposed for the monitoring of coliforms in drinking water. Actually, the need for more rapid, sensitive and specific tests is essential in the water industry. Routine and widely accepted techniques are discussed, as are methods which have emerged from recent research developments.Approved traditional methods for coliform detection include the multiple-tube fermentation (MTF) technique and the membrane filter (MF) technique using different specific media and incubation conditions. These methods have limitations, however, such as duration of incubation, antagonistic organism interference, lack of specificity and poor detection of slow-growing or viable but non-culturable (VBNC) microorganisms. Nowadays, the simple and inexpensive membrane filter technique is the most widely used method for routine enumeration of coliforms in drinking water.The detection of coliforms based on specific enzymatic activity has improved the sensitivity of these methods. The enzymes beta-D galactosidase and beta-D glucuronidase are widely used for the detection and enumeration of total coliforms and Escherichia coli, respectively. Many chromogenic and fluorogenic substrates exist for the specific detection of these enzymatic activities, and various commercial tests based on these substrates are available. Numerous comparisons have shown these tests may be a suitable alternative to the classical techniques. They are, however, more expensive, and the incubation time, even though reduced, remains too long for same-day results. More sophisticated analytical tools such as solid phase cytometry can be employed to decrease the time needed for the detection of bacterial enzymatic activities, with a low detection threshold.Detection of coliforms by molecular methods is also proposed, as these methods allow for very specific and rapid detection without the need for a cultivation step. Three molecular-based methods are evaluated here: the immunological, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and in-situ hybridization (ISH) techniques. In the immunological approach, various antibodies against coliform bacteria have been produced, but the application of this technique often showed low antibody specificity. PCR can be used to detect coliform bacteria by means of signal amplification: DNA sequence coding for the lacZ gene (beta-galactosidase gene) and the uidA gene (beta-D glucuronidase gene) has been used to detect total coliforms and E. coli, respectively. However, quantification with PCR is still lacking in precision and necessitates extensive laboratory work. The FISH technique involves the use of oligonucleotide probes to detect complementary sequences inside specific cells. Oligonucleotide probes designed specifically for regions of the 16S RNA molecules of Enterobacteriaceae can be used for microbiological quality control of drinking water samples. FISH should be an interesting viable alternative to the conventional culture methods for the detection of coliforms in drinking water, as it provides quantitative data in a fairly short period of time (6 to 8 h), but still requires research effort.This review shows that even though many innovative bacterial detection methods have been developed, few have the potential for becoming a standardized method for the detection of coliforms in drinking water samples.     

邻位连接技术：一种新的高灵敏度蛋白质检测技术

蛋白质组学(proteomics)诞生以来,高效准确的蛋白质检测技术受到越来越多的关注.最近 ,一种高灵敏度的蛋白质检测技术,邻位连接技术(proximity ligation assay, PLA)被建 立.该技术采用核酸适体(aptamer)或单/多克隆抗体 核酸复合物作为邻位连接探针(proximity probes).当一对邻位探针同时识别同一个目标蛋白分子时,它们将在空间位置上相互临近,通过连接反应形成一段可扩增的DNA标签序列,该标签序列能够反映待测蛋白的种类及浓度.该技术将对蛋白质的检测转变为对DNA核酸序列的检测,实现了特殊蛋白质的检测,定量及定位.文章从该方法的产生背景,发展过程,原理以及探针制备等方面对该方法进行了系统的介绍,列举了该方法的几种重要应用,并对该方法在蛋白质组学研究领域的应用前景进行了展望.     

DNA probes in the diagnosis of genetic and infectious diseases

DNA hybridization is firmly established as an essential tool in modern molecular biology. During the past decade an increasing number of investigators have applied this technique to the detection and identification of a variety of infectious agents. In the recent past it has become clear that DNA hybridization, when coupled to restriction enzyme analysis, is an essential tool in the diagnosis of a constantly growing number of genetic diseases. A review of the scientific literature suggests that at the present time there are more than 50 DNA probes suitable for diagnostic purposes. The limiting factor in their full implementation as diagnostic tests is the development of a supporting ‘system’, including suitable procedures for sample preparation and a high specific activity, non-radioactive DNA tagging procedure.     

Advances in the application of scanning electrochemical microscopy to bioanalytical systems

Scanning electrochemical microscopy (SECM) is a powerful surface characterisation technique that allows for the electrochemical profiling of surfaces with sub micrometer resolution. While SECM has been most widely used to electrochemically study and profile non-biological surfaces and processes, the technique has in recent years, been increasingly used for the study of biological systems - and this is the focus of this review. An overview of SECM and how the technique may be applied to the study of biological systems will first be given. SECM and its application to the study of cells, enzymes and DNA will each be considered in detail. The review will conclude with a discussion of future directions and scope for further developments and applications.     

Detection of DNA sequences in Plasmodium berghei by means of in situ hybridization

A non-radioactive in situ hybridization technique, used to map unique DNA sequences to plant chromosomes, has been adapted for the localization of specific DNA sequences in nuclei of Plasmodium berghei. After hybridization using probes labeled with biotin-11-dUTP, the formed DNA/DNA hybrids were detected by fluorescence microscopy using a specific double-layer antibody technique. Besides its high resolution, this procedure is characterized by a high sensitivity, allowing the detection of a unique sequence as small as 2.5 kb.     

Real-time monitoring of the strand displacement amplification (SDA) of human cytomegalovirus by a new SDA-piezoelectric DNA sensor system

Nucleic acid amplification has long been used in biosensor technologies, such as DNA sensors, DNA chips and microarrays, due to its advantage of high sensitivity in detecting target DNA. However, dynamic monitoring of nucleic acid amplifications with traditional DNA sensors in real-time is difficult since a constant temperature must be maintained during detection. Thus, the piezoelectric sensor, one type of traditional DNA sensor, is not applicable in real-time monitoring PCR due to the dramatic change in temperature that occurs during reaction. In this study, we introduced strand displacement amplification (SDA), an well-developed nucleic acid amplification technique that can work under conditions of constant temperature, into the development of a novel piezoelectric sensor. Using the new SDA-piezoelectric DNA sensor, we designed a stable system for liquid-phase detection, in which the crystal oscillator plate was fixed by an easily adjustable screw-threaded clamping mechanism and successfully applied the new sensor system to real-time SDA monitoring of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). This new technique overcomes the shortcomings of traditional DNA sensors in real-time monitoring of nucleic acid amplification. The technique has proved to be a markedly simplified procedure with a number of advantages, such as higher sensitivity, better time efficiency, and the ability of dynamic real-time detection.     

Trans-diamminedichlorplatinum (II)-modified probes for detection of picogram quantities of DNA.

A novel simple nonradioactive method for detection of specific nucleotide sequences has been developed. This method consists of the hybridization of a target DNA with a DNA probe modified with trans-diamminedichlorplatinum(II) (trans-DDP) followed by detection of DNA/DNA hybrids with affinity-isolated anti-DNA-trans-DDP antibodies and poly-horseradish peroxidase-protein A conjugate. Major advantages of this approach are the low cost and the extreme simplicity of the labeling procedure, which involves only mixing of the reagents. The sensitivity of the proposed technique is sufficient to detect 0.8 pg of DNA in Southern blot hybridization and 25 fg in dot hybridization and permits colony screening.     

Nucleic acid approaches for detection and identification of biological warfare and infectious disease agents

Biological warfare agents are the most problematic of the weapons of mass destruction and terror. Both civilian and military sources predict that over the next decade the threat from proliferation of these agents will increase significantly. In this review we summarize the state of the art in detection and identification of biological threat agents based on PCR technology with emphasis on the new technology of microarrays. The advantages and limitations of real-time PCR technology and a review of the literature as it applies to pathogen and virus detection are presented. The paper covers a number of issues related to the challenges facing biological threat agent detection technologies and identifies critical components that must be overcome for the emergence of reliable PCR-based DNA technologies as bioterrorism countermeasures and for environmental applications. The review evaluates various system components developed for an integrated DNA microchip and the potential applications of the next generation of fully automated DNA analyzers with integrated sample preparation and biosensing elements. The article also reviews promising devices and technologies that are near to being, or have been, commercialized.