原子力显微镜拉伸吸附在金膜表面的短单链DNA分子

对单根DNA分子的操纵和拉伸可以直接研究DNA的弹性等力学性质. 首先通过将金沉积到云母表面制备了表面粗糙度小于0.3 nm的金膜,然后一段硫代的单链DNA (100 bases) 吸附到金膜表面. 利用原子力显微镜观察不同浓度的DNA吸附在金膜上的表面形貌. 进一步用原子力显微镜的力曲线模式拉伸DNA分子,在50％的情况下DNA可以被针尖拉伸,观察到了由于针尖和DNA分子间作用力的不同导致的多种不同力曲线.     

基于纳米金复合探针的基因芯片膜转印检测法

建立了一种基于纳米金复合探针的基因芯片膜转印核酸检测新方法。首先,用纳米金颗粒同时标记检测探针P2和两种长短不同且生物素化的信号探针 (T10,T40),其中检测探针与靶DNA 5￠端互补,两种信号探针起信号放大作用。当靶DNA分子存在时,芯片表面捕捉探针P1 (与靶DNA分子3￠端互补) 通过碱基互补配对原则结合靶DNA分子,将其固定于芯片上,同时检测探针通过与靶DNA 5￠端互补配对将纳米金复合探针结合于芯片表面,结果在芯片表面形成“三明治”结构,后通过链霉亲和素-生物素反应,使芯片表面对应有靶DNA分子的部位结合上碱性磷酸酶,最后利用BCIP/NBT显色系统使芯片表面信号结果镜面转印至尼龙膜表面。当检测探针和信号探针摩尔比为1∶10,T10和T40摩尔比为9:1时可以检测1 pmol/L合成靶DNA分子或0.23 pmol/L结核分枝杆菌16S rDNA PCR扩增产物,检测结果通过普通的光学扫描仪读取或肉眼直接判读信号有无。本芯片检测系统灵敏度高,操作方法简单、快速,不需要特殊仪器设备,在生物分子的检测方面具有较高的应用价值。     

RecA蛋白介导的三链核酸结构形成及其序列提取

人工合成的单链DNA分子经PCR扩增形成双链DNA分子。将RecA蛋白与生物素标记的寡聚核酸探针序列在ATPγS存在的情况下共同哺育,使RecA蛋白包裹寡聚核酸探针,然后加入含同源序列的上述双链DNA分子经适当环境哺育形成了稳定的局部三链核酸结构。通过加入链亲和素包裹的磁珠吸附生物素化的探针,这样同源双链DNA分子与寡聚核酸探针形成的局部三链核酸结构也被吸附在磁珠上。使用磁分离装置提取这一结构,逐步降低盐离子浓度以洗脱双链DNA分子。将洗脱液中残留的蛋白质去除,经PCR扩增可获得目的DNA序列。同时使用同源探针和非同源探针在其它序列中提取目的DNA序列,结果显示目的DNA序列只被同源探针提取。实验结果显示了这一三链核酸结构形成的序列特异性,并且其稳定性随盐离子浓度降低而下降。提示在这一结构中同源的寡聚核酸单链与双链DNA分子形成了氢键结合,同时提示使用文中描述的方法可以提取特异的序列,用以克隆相应的基因。     

一种用于CYP3A5基因分型的电化学传感器阵列设计

目的：设计一种用于检测CYP3A5基因分型的电化学传感器阵列及其不同基因型的判别方法。方法：设计的电化学基体由印刷电路板（PCB）组成,该电路板包含一组金电极。每个金电极表面修饰有包含单链捕获探针的自组装单分子膜。设计中使用二茂铁做为电活性指示剂,基因分型检测是通过两种不同电势的二茂铁衍生物分别标记等位基因特异性信号探针来实现。结果：该设计能构建一种快速准确、操作简便的DNA电化学传感器阵列检测系统。结论：本文设计为使用电化学方法检测基因分型提供了一种新方法和新技术。     

一种用于CYP3A5基因分型的电化学传感器阵列设计

目的:设计一种用于检测CYP3A5基因分型的电化学传感器阵列及其不同基因型的判别方法。方法:设计的电化学基体由印刷电路板(PCB)组成,该电路板包含一组金电极。每个金电极表面修饰有包含单链捕获探针的自组装单分子膜。设计中使用二茂铁做为电活性指示剂,基因分型检测是通过两种不同电势的二茂铁衍生物分别标记等位基因特异性信号探针来实现。结果:该设计能构建一种快速准确、操作简便的DNA电化学传感器阵列检测系统。结论:本文设计为使用电化学方法检测基因分型提供了一种新方法和新技术。     

~λDNA与其EcoR1酶切片段的同源双链以及与~λplac 5 DNA的异源双链

用硷性蛋白膜甲酰胺铺展开法对DNA分子进行电镜制样,拍摄了线状双链λDNA和其ECOR 1酶切片段的电镜照片,并测得它们的长度。λDNA与其三个EcoR 1酶切片段的同源双链分子是以1:22克分子比例制得的,三个同源双链分子的双链长度分别与F_1、F_3、F_4片段的长度相同,两端均为单链。λDNA与λplac5 DNA的异源双链分子总长度与λDNA大致相同,单链环位于分子的41.5—47.2%之间。     

银染增强的纳米金标记探针对微量核酸的检测

本研究利用银染增强的纳米金技术建立了一种简单快速的核酸定量方法.该方法基于纳米金与烷巯基修饰的寡核苷酸分子共价键合作用,将纳米微粒报告基团标记在与靶核酸一端序列互补的寡核苷酸上,同时生物素化修饰另一端互补序列.靶核酸与两段寡核苷酸探针杂交后,借亲和素固定在酶标板孔内,通过纳米金催化的银染放大效应产生高灵敏的识别信号,适时记录其吸光度值从而实现核酸分子的定量.该检测方法检测单链核酸分子的灵敏度达0.1 fM,双链分子为10 fM.     

CRISPR技术在生物传感中的应用——胞内核酸成像、体外核酸检测与胞内DNA记录

核酸分子是生命的遗传物质和生命信息载体。如何观察细胞内外特定核酸序列,快速检测核酸序列和记录检测的细胞活动过程?这些在分子生物学领域重要的科学问题需要强有力的技术来解决。如今,在基因组编辑领域赫赫有名的CRISPR技术开始涉足上述领域。重点介绍CRISPR相关蛋白在生物传感方面的应用,包括细胞内特定基因组序列和RNA的成像、体外核酸快速检测以及细胞内DNA记录。核酸成像与核酸检测是将特定核酸序列的信息,通过CRISPR蛋白的参与转化为易检测的信号(如荧光);而DNA记录则是将细胞的代际或所接触的信号转化为细胞内DNA序列进行储存。这些新兴研究方向的开发和发展将大大促进CRISPR技术在基础科学、合成生物学、分子诊断等领域的应用。     

双链RNA

一般认为,DNA分子是由双链形成的双螺旋结构(Watson-crick模型),而RNA分子是单链的,其中只有部分碱基序列自相互补,形成局部折迭的双螺旋。但生物界还存在有像DNA分子结构那样的,完全是双链的高分子量RNA(double-stranded RNA,以下简称ds RNA)。由于这种ds RNA是许多病毒--双链RNA病毒(Diplornaviruses)     

低温变性下复合PCR技术及其应用

低温变性下复合PCR(co-amplification at lower denaturation temperature-polymerase chain reaction, COLD- PCR)是一种在高丰度野生型序列背景下选择性变性和扩增低丰度突变型序列的方法,可将突变型序列富集10~100倍。基于突变片段Tm值的改变和异源双链DNA分子的形成,COLD-PCR可富集扩增片段中所有类型和位置的突变,也可富集未知突变,具有敏感、特异、精确、廉价和易操作等优点。COLD-PCR及其衍生方法被应用于肿瘤、微生物、产前筛查和动植物等领域,对疾病的早期诊断、病程和治疗监控、药物选择、预后判断和植物育种等均有积极的作用。本文就COLD-PCR的原理、关键技术、衍生方法及其应用进行综述。     

Capping DNA with DNA

Twelve classes of deoxyribozymes that promote an ATP-dependent "self-capping" reaction were isolated by in vitro selection from a random-sequence pool of DNA. Each deoxyribozyme catalyzes the transfer of the AMP moiety of ATP to its 5'-terminal phosphate group, thereby forming a 5',5'-pyrophosphate linkage. An identical DNA adenylate structure is generated by the T4 DNA ligase during enzymatic DNA ligation. A 41-nucleotide class 1 deoxyribozyme requires Cu(2+) as a cofactor and adopts a structure that recognizes both the adenine and triphosphate moieties of ATP or dATP. The catalytic efficiency for this DNA, measured at 10(4) M(-1) x min(-1) using either ATP or dATP as substrate, is similar to other catalytic nucleic acids that use small substrates. Chemical probing and site-directed mutagenesis implicate the formation of guanine quartets as critical components of the active structure. The observation of ATP-dependent "self-charging" by DNA suggests that DNA could be made to perform the reactions typically associated with DNA cloning, but without the assistance of protein enzymes.     

Eukaryotic DNA polymerases in DNA replication and DNA repair

DNA polymerases carry out a large variety of synthetic transactions during DNA replication, DNA recombination and DNA repair. Substrates for DNA polymerases vary from single nucleotide gaps to kilobase size gaps and from relatively simple gapped structures to complex replication forks in which two strands need to be replicated simultaneously. Consequently, one would expect the cell to have developed a well-defined set of DNA polymerases with each one uniquely adapted for a specific pathway. And to some degree this turns out to be the case. However, in addition we seem to find a large degree of cross-functionality of DNA polymerases in these different pathways. DNA polymerase α is almost exclusively required for the initiation of DNA replication and the priming of Okazaki fragments during elongation. In most organisms no specific repair role beyond that of checkpoint control has been assigned to this enzyme. DNA polymerase δ functions as a dimer and, therefore, may be responsible for both leading and lagging strand DNA replication. In addition, this enzyme is required for mismatch repair and, together with DNA polymerase ζ, for mutagenesis. The function of DNA polymerase ɛ in DNA replication may be restricted to that of Okazaki fragment maturation. In contrast, either polymerase δ or ɛ suffices for the repair of UV-induced damage. The role of DNA polymerase β in base-excision repair is well established for mammalian systems, but in yeast, DNA polymerase δ appears to fullfill that function. Received: 20 April 1998 / Accepted: 8 May 1998     

DNA supercoiling by DNA gyrase

Using purified DNA gyrase to supercoil circular plasmid pBR322 DNA, we examined how the linking number attained at the steady state (‘static head’) varies with the concentrations of ATP and ADP, both in the absence and presence of spermidine. In the absence of spermidine at total adenine nucleotide concentrations between 0.35 and 1.4 mM, the static-head linking number was independent of the sum concentration of ATP and ADP, but depended strongly on the ratio of their concentrations. We established that the same linking number was attained independent of the direction from which the steady state was approached. The decrease in linking number at static head is more extensive when spermidine is present in the incubation, but remains a function of the [ATP]-to-[ADP] ratio. These results are discussed in terms of various kinetic schemes for DNA gyrase. We present one kinetic scheme that accounts for the experimental observations. According to this scheme our experimental results imply that there is significant slip in DNA gyrase when spermidine is absent. It is possible that spermidine acts through adjustment of the degree of coupling of DNA gyrase.     

DNA topoisomerases and DNA repair

DNA topoisomerases are enzymes that can modify, and may regulate, the topological state of DNA through concerted breaking and rejoining of the DNA strands. They have been believed to be directly involved in DNA excision repair, and perhaps to be required for the control of repair as well. The vicissitudes of this hypothesis provide a noteworthy example of the dangers of interpreting cellular phenomena without genetic information and vice versa.     

DNA knots and DNA supercoiling

Comment on: Witz G, et al. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 2011; 108:3608-11.     

DNA杂交与DNA指纹技术

Southern印迹杂交和DNA指纹技术在分子生物学研究以及疾病的诊断、亲缘关系鉴定、犯罪分子确认等过程中发挥了重要作用。回顾了2种技术的发明、发展历程和在生命科学研究中的作用,并探讨了可能的发展方向,从中可以从一个侧面了解分子生物学的发展历程和体会科学家的智慧在科学技术发展中所起的重要作用。     

DNA supercoiling inhibits DNA knotting

Despite the fact that in living cells DNA molecules are long and highly crowded, they are rarely knotted. DNA knotting interferes with the normal functioning of the DNA and, therefore, molecular mechanisms evolved that maintain the knotting and catenation level below that which would be achieved if the DNA segments could pass randomly through each other. Biochemical experiments with torsionally relaxed DNA demonstrated earlier that type II DNA topoisomerases that permit inter- and intramolecular passages between segments of DNA molecules use the energy of ATP hydrolysis to select passages that lead to unknotting rather than to the formation of knots. Using numerical simulations, we identify here another mechanism by which topoisomerases can keep the knotting level low. We observe that DNA supercoiling, such as found in bacterial cells, creates a situation where intramolecular passages leading to knotting are opposed by the free-energy change connected to transitions from unknotted to knotted circular DNA molecules.     

Active DNA demethylation and DNA repair

DNA methylation on cytosine is an epigenetic modification and is essential for gene regulation and genome stability in vertebrates. Traditionally DNA methylation was considered as the most stable of all heritable epigenetic marks. However, it has become clear that DNA methylation is reversible by enzymatic “active” DNA demethylation, with examples in plant cells, animal development and immune cells. It emerges that “pruning” of methylated cytosines by active DNA demethylation is an important determinant for the DNA methylation signature of a cell. Work in plants and animals shows that demethylation occurs by base excision and nucleotide excision repair. Far from merely protecting genomic integrity from environmental insult, DNA repair is therefore at the heart of an epigenetic activation process.