Two-point fluorescence detection and automated fraction collection applied to constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis

Constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE) has been shown to be a sensitive method to detect point mutations in DNA sequences of 100-bp lengths. Here, we report a significant modifications for the instrumental setup that allows a highly accurate prediction of the elution time of DNA fragments from the capillary and an efficient collection of separated fractions. Fluorescently labeled DNA fragments of TP53 exon 8 wild-type and two mutants (base pair number 14480 and 14525) are detected at two separate points of the same capillary. This permits the precise calculation of the fragment velocity after separation in the heated zone because, at room temperature, all DNA fragments of the same length have the same velocity. Such precision permits the selective collection of separated fragments using an automated fraction collector for additional CDCE analysis or sequencing. Also, the two-point detection allows one to rapidly distinguish between double-stranded and single-stranded DNA fragments of the same length, a process that cannot be achieved with a one-point detection system alone. Both modifications greatly improve the procedure to detect novel mutations by means of CDCE.     

Rapid identification of single nucleotide polymorphisms by fluorescence-based capillary electrophoresis

We describe the application of two different fluorescence-based techniques (ddNTP primer extension and single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP)) to the detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) by capillary electrophoresis. The ddNTP primer extension technique is based on the extension, in the presence of fluorescence-labeled dideoxy nucleotides (ddNTP, terminators), of an unlabeled oligonucleotide primer that binds to the complementary template immediately adjacent to the mutant nucleotide position. Given that there are no unlabeled dNTPs, a single ddNTP is added to its 3' end, resulting in a fluorescence-labeled primer extension product which is readily separated by capillary electrophoresis. On the other hand, the non-radioisotopic version of SSCP established in this study uses fluorescent dye to label the PCR products, which are also analyzed by capillary electrophoresis. These procedures were used to identify a well-defined SNP in exon 7 of the human p53 gene in DNA samples isolated from two human cell lines (CEM and THP-1 cells). The results revealed a heterozygous single-base transition (G to A) at nucleotide position 14071 in CEM cells, proving that both fluorescence-based ddNTP primer extension and SSCP are rapid, simple, robust, specific and with no ambiguity in interpretation for the detection of well-defined SNPs.     

Application of constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE) to mutation detection in humans

Constant denaturant electrophoresis is a DNA separation technique based on the principle of cooperative melting equilibrium. DNA sequences with distinct high and low melting domains can be utilized to separate and identify molecules differing by only one base pair in the lower melting domain. Combined with capillary gel electrophoresis and when coupled with high fidelity DNA amplification, this approach can detect mutants at a fraction of 10⁻⁶. Modifications to the capillary elecctrophoretic system have also increased DNA loading capacity which allows for analysis of rare mutations in a large, heterogeneous population such as DNA samples derived from human tissues. Employment of this technology has determined the first mutational spectrum in human cells and tissues in a mitochondrial sequence without phenotypic selection of mutants.     

Analysis of single nucleotide incorporation reactions by capillary electrophoresis

Single nucleotide incorporation assays have been used to probe the kinetic parameters of many DNA and RNA polymerases. Traditionally, oligonucleotide primers are 5'-(32)P labeled using T4 kinase and annealed to a complementary template with a 5' overhang. To quantify the reaction kinetics, the products of the primer extension reactions are usually separated using denaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and quantified using a phosphorimager or other method to measure radioactivity. We have developed a method using a 5' fluorescently labeled oligonucleotide to examine the kinetics of single nucleotide incorporation catalyzed by recombinant human mitochondrial polymerase gamma (Pol gamma) holoenzyme. Using laser-induced fluorescence detection in the P/ACE MDQ instrument, primers 5' labeled with fluorescent probes such as 6-carboxyfluorescein can be rapidly separated and quantified. However, we also show that only select probes can be used, presumably due to unfavorable interactions between Pol gamma and certain 5' labels.     

Automated constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis applied for detection of KRAS exon 1 mutations

In this study, we have applied automated constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (ACDCE) for the detection of KRAS exon 1 mutations. Samples from 191 sporadic colon carcinomas previously analyzed for KRAS mutations with allele-specific PCR (ASPCR), temporal temperature gradient electrophoresis (TTGE), and constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE) were analyzed. In ACDCE, an unmodified ABI Prism 310 genetic analyzer with constant denaturant conditions separated fluorescein-labeled PCR products. Temperature in combination with a chemical denaturant was used for separation. The optimal separation conditions for PCR-amplified KRAS exon 1 fragments were determined by adjusting the temperature before electrophoresis. In the ACDCE analysis, the sequence of a mutant was determined by comparing the electropherogram of the fragment to that of known mutations followed by mixing the sample with control mutations before reanalysis. In a titration experiment mixing mutant and wild-type alleles, the sensitivity for mutation detection was shown to be 0.6% in this automated CDCE technique. The automation of CDCE allowed rapid analysis of a large number of test samples over as short period of time and with a commercially available apparatus.     

Mutation detection in KRAS Exon 1 by constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis in 96 parallel capillaries

Mutations in KRAS exon 1 oncogene are frequently found in colon carcinomas. A correlation between the mutated KRAS and the prognosis and outcome of treatment of colon cancer patients was reported in the literature. The object of our work was to establish a high-throughput method with high sensitivity to enable screening of tumor mutation status of KRAS exon 1 in large groups of colon cancer patients. KRAS exon 1 sequences from DNA isolated from 191 sporadic colon cancers were PCR amplified using one primer labeled with fluorescein and a second primer extended by a GC-clamp. After PCR amplification samples were subjected to automated 96-array constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis using a modified MegaBACE 1000 sequencing instrument. Mutant samples were identified by characteristic peak patterns. The sensitivity of detection of a mutant allele in a background of the wild-type alleles was 0.3%. Using the 96-array instrument a typical screening of 191 samples for KRAS mutation status could be performed within 2 h. A KRAS exon 1 mutation was found in 66 of 191 (34.6%) of the samples. The 96-array constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis provides an opportunity for the high-sensitivity screening of large cancer populations for KRAS exon 1 mutations.     

Detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms by PCR conformation-difference gel electrophoresis

The most common genetic variations in the human genome, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), are ideal biomarkers and are used extensively in disease research. Here we introduce a novel method of PCR-conformation-difference gel electrophoresis (PCR-CDGE) used for detecting SNPs. The principle of PCR-CDGE relies PCR products from different homozygous DNA samples showing dissimilar migration patterns upon PAGE due to their conformational differences. PCR products from heterozygous DNA samples may exhibit two or more bands in PAGE because of the existence of DNA homoduplexes and heteroduplexes. In this study, analysis of two SNPs showed that PCR-CDGE is an accurate, simple, rapid, low-cost, and high-throughput genotyping method that could be used in most laboratories.     

Facile method for automated genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphisms by mass spectrometry

In the future, analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) should become a powerful tool for many genetic applications in areas such as association studies, pharmacogenetics and traceability in the agro-alimentary sector. A number of technologies have been developed for high-throughput genotyping of SNPs. Here we present the simplified GOOD assay for SNP genotyping by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI). The simplified GOOD assay is a single-tube, purification-free, three-step procedure consisting of PCR, primer extension and phosphodiesterase II digestion followed by mass spectrometric analysis. Due to the application of charge-tag technology, no sample purification is required prior to the otherwise very impurity-sensitive MALDI analysis. The use of methylphosphonate containing primers and ddNTPs or α-S-ddNTPs together with a novel DNA polymerase derived from Thermotoga maritima for primer extension allow the fluent preparation of negatively charge-tagged, allele-specific products. A key feature of this polymerase is its preference for ddNTPs and α-S-ddNTPs over dNTPs. The simplified GOOD assay was run with automatic liquid handling at the lowest manageable volumes, automatic data acquisition and interpretation. We applied this novel procedure to genotyping SNPs of candidate genes for hypertension and cardiovascular disease.     

Linkage analysis using single nucleotide polymorphisms

We performed multipoint linkage analysis using 83 markers from the SNP Consortium (TSC) SNP linkage map in 3 regions covering 190 cM previously scanned with microsatellite markers and found to be linked to type 2 diabetes. Since the average linkage disequilibrium present in the TSC SNP marker clusters is relatively low, we assumed the intracluster genetic distances were a reasonable small nonzero distance (0.03 cM) and performed linkage analysis using GENEHUNTER PLUS and ASM linkage analysis software. We found that for the pedigree structures and missing data patterns in our samples the average information content in all three regions and the LOD score curves in two regions obtained from the TSC SNP markers were similar to results obtained from microsatellite marker maps with 10 cM average spacing. We also give an algorithm which extends the Lander-Green algorithm to permit multipoint linkage analysis of clusters of tightly linked markers with arbitrarily high levels of intracluster linkage disequilibrium.     

Detection of low-frequency mutations in exon 8 of the TP53 gene by constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE).

We extended our development of the means to measure point mutations at the DNA level to the problem of detecting TP53 gene variants in the area around tumors where mutant fractions are expected to be as low as one mutant per 1000 wild-type (WT) sequences. We met this criterion by using the following methods. The TP53 exon 8 sequence was amplified from genomic DNA samples under conditions of high polymerase fidelity using a fluorescein-labeled primer. This mixture of WT and mutant sequences was converted to heteroduplexes of mutant and WT sequences by melting and re-annealing. The mixture was resolved by capillary gel electrophoresis under appropriate constant denaturing conditions. Using laser-induced fluorescence, we found that fractions as low as 1/1000 could be detected without any prior enrichment for mutant sequences, and that the melting properties of the amplified DNA will leave "fingerprints" in the electropherogram that can be used to identify the specific mutation. This method is fast and robust and should be applicable to clinical analyses in which rapid scanning for any mutation in an exonic sequence is important.     

Empirical Bayes analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms

Background  

An important goal of whole-genome studies concerned with single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is the identification of SNPs associated with a covariate of interest such as the case-control status or the type of cancer. Since these studies often comprise the genotypes of hundreds of thousands of SNPs, methods are required that can cope with the corresponding multiple testing problem. For the analysis of gene expression data, approaches such as the empirical Bayes analysis of microarrays have been developed particularly for the detection of genes associated with the response. However, the empirical Bayes analysis of microarrays has only been suggested for binary responses when considering expression values, i.e. continuous predictors.     

Ligation of high-melting-temperature 'clamp' sequence extends the scanning range of rare point-mutational analysis by constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE) to most of the human genome

Mutations cause or influence the prevalence of many diseases. In human tissues, somatic point mutations have been observed at fractions at or below 4/10,000 and 5/100,000 in mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, respectively. In human populations, fractions for the multiple alleles that code for recessive deleterious syndromes are not expected to exceed 5 x 10(-4). Both nuclear and mitochondrial point mutations have been measured in human cells and tissues at fractions approaching 10(-6) using constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE) coupled with high-fidelity PCR (hifiPCR). However, this approach is only applicable to those target sequences (approximately 100 bp) juxtaposed with a 'clamp', a higher-melting-temperature sequence, in genomic DNA; such naturally clamped targets represent approximately 9% of the human genome. To open up most of the human genome to rare point-mutational analysis, a high-efficiency DNA ligation procedure was recently developed so that a clamp could be attached to any target of interest. We coupled this ligation procedure with prior CDCE/hifiPCR and achieved a sensitivity of 2 x 10(-5) in human cells for the first time using an externally attached clamp. At this sensitivity, somatic mutations, each representing an anatomically distinct cluster of cells (turnover unit) derived from a mutant stem cell, may be detected in a series of tissue samples, each containing as many as 5 x 10(4) turnover units. Additionally, rare inherited mutations may be scanned in pooled DNA samples, each derived from as many as 10(5) persons.     

Constant denaturant capillary electrophoresis (CDCE): a high resolution approach to mutational analysis.

Using a zone of constant temperature and denaturant concentration in capillary electrophoresis, we have devised a simple, rapid, and reproducible system for separating mutant from wild type DNA sequences with high resolution. Important to the success of this method, which we call Constant Denaturant Capillary Electrophoresis (CDCE), has been the use of linear polyacrylamide at viscosity levels that permit facile replacement of the matrix after each run. For a typical 100 bp fragment, point mutation-containing heteroduplexes are separated from wild type homoduplexes in less than 30 minutes. Using laser-induced fluorescence to detect fluorescent-tagged DNA, the system has an absolute limit of detection of 3 x 10(4) molecules with a linear dynamic range of six orders of magnitude. The relative limit of detection at present is 3 x 10(-4), i.e. 10(5) mutant sequences are recognized among 3 x 10(8) wild type sequences. The new approach should be applicable to the identification of low frequency mutations, to mutational spectrometry and to genetic screening of pooled samples for detection of rare variants.     

Fully automated two-dimensional capillary electrophoresis for high sensitivity protein analysis

We report a system for automated protein analysis. In the system, proteins are labeled with the fluorogenic reagent 3-(2-furoyl)quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde, which reacts with lysine residues and creates a highly fluorescent product. These labeled proteins are analyzed by submicellar capillary electrophoresis at pH 7.5 to perform a first dimension separation. Once the first components migrate from the capillary, a fraction is transferred to a second dimension capillary, where electrophoresis is performed at pH 11.1 to further separate the proteins. Laser-induced fluorescence is used as an ultrasensitive detector of the separated proteins. Successive fractions are transferred from the first dimension capillary to the second dimension capillary for further separation to generate, in serial fashion, a two-dimensional electropherogram. The transfer of fractions is computer-controlled; there is no operator intervention once the sample has been injected. Zeptomoles of labeled proteins are detected, providing exquisite sensitivity.     

Single-stranded conformational polymorphism analysis using automated capillary array electrophoresis apparatuses

We describe a new environment of a single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) analysis using automated capillary array sequencers (e.g., ABI Prism 3100 and 3700). In this environment, electrophoretic conditions, settings for instrument management, and software for data analysis are adjusted for SSCP analysis. Highly reproducible results are obtained with this new system, and fragments with mutations and/or polymorphisms in different capillaries or different runs can be reliably detected. The relative peak heights between alleles are quantitative and reproducible between runs, and so allele frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms can be accurately estimated by a pooled DNA strategy. The method allows unattended, low-cost, and quantitative SSCP analysis using instruments that are widely accessible.     

miRNA相关单核苷酸多态性

miRNA相关单核苷酸多态性(miRNA-related single nucleotide polymorphisms或mirSNP)是可以导致miRNA基因调控功能缺失或紊乱的一类功能型SNP的总称。不论是miRNA靶基因结合位点,还是miRNA基因或miRNA加工基因上的mirSNP,都有可能影响miRNA对靶基因的调控。miRNA基因及miRNA加工基因上的mirSNP主要通过阻碍miRNA的生物合成而发挥功能,而靶基因结合位点上的mirSNP主要通过导致自由能的改变或功能构象的消失,影响miRNA与靶序列结合而丧失其原有的调控功能。mirSNP大多位于人类基因组基因间区和内含子区,与包括肿瘤在内的众多复杂性疾病密切关联。mirSNP不论对于复杂性疾病发病机制研究还是诊疗预后分子标志的确定都具有极其重要的研究价值。     

New strategy to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms

A great effort has been made to identify and map a large set of single nucleotide polymorphisms. The goal is to determine human DNA variants that contribute most significantly to population variation in each trait. Different algorithms and software packages, such as PolyBayes and PolyPhred, have been developed to address this problem. We present strategies to detect single nucleotide polymorphisms, using chromatogram analysis and consensi of multiple aligned sequences. The algorithms were tested using HIV datasets, and the results were compared with those produced by PolyBayes and PolyPhred using the same dataset. Our algorithms produced significantly better results than these two software packages.     

Large-scale analysis of non-synonymous coding region single nucleotide polymorphisms

MOTIVATION: Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common form of genetic variant in humans. SNPs causing amino acid substitutions are of particular interest as candidates for loci affecting susceptibility to complex diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension. To efficiently screen SNPs for disease association, it is important to distinguish neutral variants from deleterious ones. RESULTS: We describe the use of Pfam protein motif models and the HMMER program to predict whether amino acid changes in conserved domains are likely to affect protein function. We find that the magnitude of the change in the HMMER E-value caused by an amino acid substitution is a good predictor of whether it is deleterious. We provide internet-accessible display tools for a genomewide collection of SNPs, including 7391 distinct non-synonymous coding region SNPs in 2683 genes. AVAILABILITY: http://lpgws.nci.nih.gov/cgi-bin/GeneViewer.cgi     

Detection of single nucleotide polymorphisms

Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) detection technologies are used to scan for new polymorphisms and to determine the allele(s) of a known polymorphism in target sequences. SNP detection technologies have evolved from labor intensive, time consuming, and expensive processes to some of the most highly automated, efficient, and relatively inexpensive methods. Driven by the Human Genome Project, these technologies are now maturing and robust strategies are found in both SNP discovery and genotyping areas. The nearly completed human genome sequence provides the reference against which all other sequencing data can be compared. Global SNP discovery is therefore only limited by the amount of funding available for the activity. Local, target, SNP discovery relies mostly on direct DNA sequencing or on denaturing high performance liquid chromatography (dHPLC). The number of SNP genotyping methods has exploded in recent years and many robust methods are currently available. The demand for SNP genotyping is great, however, and no one method is able to meet the needs of all studies using SNPs. Despite the considerable gains over the last decade, new approaches must be developed to lower the cost and increase the speed of SNP detection.