Novel detection system for biomolecules using nano-sized bacterial magnetic particles and magnetic force microscopy

A system for streptavidin detection using biotin conjugated to nano-sized bacterial magnetic particles (BMPs) has been developed. BMPs, isolated from magnetic bacteria, were used as magnetic markers for magnetic force microscopy (MFM) imaging. The magnetic signal was obtained from a single particle using MFM without application of an external magnetic field. The number of biotin conjugated BMPs (biotin-BMPs) bound to streptavidin immobilized on the glass slides increased with streptavidin concentrations up to 100 pg/ml. The minimum streptavidin detection limit using this technique is 1 pg/ml, which is 100 times more sensitive than a conventional fluorescent detection system. This is the first report using single domain nano-sized magnetic particles as magnetic markers for biosensing. This assay system can be used for immunoassay and DNA detection with high sensitivities.     

东方田鼠微卫星标记的富集筛选与初步应用

根据生物素与链霉亲和素的亲和原理, 利用磁珠富集法筛选东方田鼠(Microtus fortis)微卫星分子标记。链霉亲和素磁珠捕获生物素标记的微卫星探针, 然后与连有接头的单链限制性酶切片段复性结合, 获得含有微卫星的单链片段, PCR扩增形成双链, 连接T载体并转化感受态细胞, 得到东方田鼠微卫星富集文库。随机挑选70个阳性克隆, 经测序分析, 获得微卫星序列92个。设计合成27对微卫星引物并成功筛选出21对可用引物, 取其中10对引物, 荧光标记后对3个人工驯养及野生东方田鼠种群进行遗传多样性分析。结果显示, 文章所构建的东方田鼠微卫星文库的阳性克隆率较高, 初步筛选的10个微卫星标记均为具有高度多态性的微卫星标记。在3个东方田鼠种群中, 野生湖南种群的观测等位基因数(Na)、有效等位基因数(Ne)、观测杂合度(Ho)、期望杂合度(He)和多态信息含量(PIC)均最高, 人工驯养的湖南种群次之, 人工驯养的宁夏种群最低。     

豚鼠基因组26个多态性微卫星标记的筛选

目的筛选豚鼠基因组的多态性微卫星标记,为豚鼠遗传质量控制及基因定位等工作奠定基础。方法采用磁珠富集法和豚鼠基因组数据库筛选法获取微卫星位点序列,通过分析和初步筛选,挑选部分候选位点,根据其序列设计引物,对5种不同来源的豚鼠基因组DNA标本进行PCR扩增,以期获得多态性分子标记。结果本实验采用磁珠富集法共获得微卫星序列304个,设计引物125对,最终获得多态性位点1个,暂未发现多态性的特异性位点17个;用数据库筛选法共获得微卫星序列292个,设计并合成相应引物178对,最终发现多态性位点25个,暂未发现多态性的特异性位点28个。结论本实验获得26个多态性微卫星标记,45个潜在的候选标记,为微卫星标记在豚鼠遗传质量监测及突变基因定位等工作的应用奠定了基础。     

基于磁珠富集法的绣线菊SSR分子标记分离与筛选

微卫星序列（SSR）具有多态性高、共显性遗传等特点,是一种极具价值的分子遗传标记。采用磁珠富集法从高山绣线菊基因组DNA中分离和筛选SSR标记。高山绣线菊基因组经限制性内切酶Mse I酶切后与接头连接,并与生物素标记SSR探针（AC）15和（AG）15杂交,然后通过链霉亲和素磁珠富集、洗脱、PCR扩增、克隆,完成微卫星文库构建。利用载体通用引物和探针序列引物进行PCR扩增,筛选重组克隆并测序,获得112条序列。随机挑选其中60条序列设计的引物,经初期筛选获得多态性引物16对。用所得16对引物对4个居群92个个体的蒙古绣线菊和高山绣线菊进行PCR扩增。统计分析PCR产物的毛细管电泳结果,发现4个居群的平均等位基因数、平均期望杂合度及平均观测杂合度都比较高。64个数据系列（4个居群×16个位点）中的26个显著偏离HardyWeinberg平衡,推测可能由于无效等位基因的存在所引起。分析显示研究开发的16对多态性SSR引物可以用于后续遗传多样性、物种进化与亲缘关系等方面研究,丰富了绣线菊遗传多样性研究的分子标记。     

丁坝对鱼类栖地的影响范围评估

利用磁珠富集法和5’锚定PCR法开发背瘤丽蚌的微卫星标记,将获得的多态性引物用于群体的遗传多态性分析,以期在比较两种开发微卫星标记方法的基础上同时获得一批有用的微卫星引物。从磁珠富集法获得的微卫星序列阳性克隆率为69.2%,重复次数超过10的占总数的70.2%,从设计的28对引物中筛选得到多态性引物11对,开发效率为39.3%。这11对引物用于养殖群体的遗传多样性分析,结果显示,等位基因数范围为4～13,观测杂合度、期望杂合度范围分别为0.205～0.738、0.566～0.839。而5’锚定PCR法获得的微卫星序列阳性克隆率为97.8%,重复次数超过10的占总数的24.7%,从设计的56对引物中筛选得到多态性引物19对,开发效率为30.4%。这19对引物用于养殖群体的遗传多样性分析,结果显示,等位基因数范围为3～10,观测杂合度、期望杂合度范围分别为0.208～0.894、0.431～0.896。实验结果表明,磁珠富集法所获微卫星序列质量高,开发微卫星标记效率较高;而5’锚定PCR法实验操作更简便,所获得的引物遗传多样性指数更高。两种方法开发的引物均可用于背瘤丽蚌和近缘种的野生种质资源遗传多样性研究。     

The geomagnetic environment in which sea turtle eggs incubate affects subsequent magnetic navigation behaviour of hatchlings

Loggerhead sea turtle hatchlings (Caretta caretta) use regional magnetic fields as open-ocean navigational markers during trans-oceanic migrations. Little is known, however, about the ontogeny of this behaviour. As a first step towards investigating whether the magnetic environment in which hatchlings develop affects subsequent magnetic orientation behaviour, eggs deposited by nesting female loggerheads were permitted to develop in situ either in the natural ambient magnetic field or in a magnetic field distorted by magnets placed around the nest. In orientation experiments, hatchlings that developed in the normal ambient field oriented approximately south when exposed to a field that exists near the northern coast of Portugal, a direction consistent with their migratory route in the northeastern Atlantic. By contrast, hatchlings that developed in a distorted magnetic field had orientation indistinguishable from random when tested in the same north Portugal field. No differences existed between the two groups in orientation assays involving responses to orbital movements of waves or sea-finding, neither of which involves magnetic field perception. These findings, to our knowledge, demonstrate for the first time that the magnetic environment present during early development can influence the magnetic orientation behaviour of a neonatal migratory animal.     

Differential detection of S100A8 in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder by pair wise tissue proteomic and immunohistochemical analysis

The search for novel molecular markers of tumor invasion is vital if strategies are to become more effective in the diagnostic and prognostic management of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Up to 50% of tumors detected at stage 1 (pT1) progress to a higher grade even after endoscopic surgical resection, and there are currently no protein markers of this aggressive, invasive phenotype. We have combined SELDI-TOF-MS, ClinProt magnetic bead enrichment, Nano-LC-ESI-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry and immunohistochemical analysis to the study of 12 invasive bladder cancer tissue biopsies paired with normal bladder tissue samples obtained from the same patients for the definition and identification of proteins up-regulated in the tumors. We report the inflammation-associated calcium binding protein S100A8 (MRP-8, calgranulin A) to be highly expressed in tumor cells in contrast to normal urothelium in 50% of the samples, as well as two unidentified protein markers at 5.75 and 6.89 kDa that were differentially detected in 9/12 and 10/12 tumor samples, respectively. These new markers, when fully characterized, may contribute to new target proteins for the prediction of aggressive, invasive bladder tumors.     

The effect of an artificial magnetic field on Salmonella infection in mice]

Experimental Salmonella infection in mice, developing simultaneously with the prolonged action of an artificial constant magnetic field with induction equal to 3 x 10(-4) T, was found to induce a pronounced decrease in nonspecific resistance in the animals. The study of Salmonella population structure revealed that the cells selected the animals subjected to the action of the artificial magnetic field had mostly a lesser number of signs of antibiotic resistance. By the end of the experiment Salmonella cultures isolated from the mice subjected to the action of the artificial magnetic field were characterized by greater virulence and resistance to the bactericidal action of blood serum. The use of sodium nucleinate under the conditions of the action of the artificial magnetic field enhanced the level of anti-infectious protection in the animals, which changed the direction of cell selection in Salmonella population towards cells with a greater number of markers of antibiotic resistance.     

Metabolomics and mitochondrial dysfunction in Alzheimer’s disease

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) is characterized by cognitive impairment, progressive neurodegeneration, and Aβ accumulation. Aβ oligomers can lead to synaptic damage via alterations in glutamate receptors and excitotoxicity, as well as mitochondrial dysfunction. AD is associated with various biological indicators, including (1) predisposing factors such as genetic risk factors, (2) laboratory markers such as Aβ and tau protein, and (3) diagnostic markers such as MRI and PET findings. However, these markers are not confirmed, invasive, or expensive. In the present study, we employed nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods that are inexpensive, time-efficient, and can be performed using samples obtained from various easily accessible sources such as cerebrospinal fluid, plasma, and peripheral tissue, thus highlighting the clinical utility of this approach. NMR analyses of blood metabolites showed that glutamine, glutamate, leucine, oxaloacetate, aspartate, isoleucine, and 3-hydroxyisovalerate are increased in patients with AD compared with control individuals. These metabolites seem to be related to mitochondrial dysfunction. Our data indicated that 3-hydroxyisovalerate, which is linked to known pathologic processes associated with mitochondrial dysfunction and accelerated neurodegeneration, was increased in the blood samples of patients with AD.     

藏酋猴微卫星富集文库的构建及微卫星分子标记的筛选

通过磁珠富集法构建了藏酋猴AC重复和AAAG重复的微卫星富集文库,分离微卫星序列并对其进行分析。将藏酋猴基因组DNA经Sau3AI酶切后纯化回收,连接特定接头。用生物素标记的探针与酶切片段杂交,捕获300～1000bp片段,随后将获得的片段连接到pMD-19T载体上,转化至JM109中,成功构建藏酋猴微卫星富集文库。(AC)n富集文库和(AAAG)n富集文库的阳性克隆率分别为50%和10%左右。根据测序得到的48个微卫星序列成功设计了24对引物,最终筛选出6个微卫星标记,这些标记将为藏酋猴的遗传多样性研究、圈养种群结构的分析和遗传图谱的构建等奠定一定的基础。     

The gene for leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter is located on chromosome 3q27.

Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter (VWM) is an autosomal recessive disorder with normal early development and, usually, childhood-onset neurological deterioration. At present, diagnosis of VWM is based on clinical examination and the results of repeat magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which show that, with time, increasing amounts of the cerebral white matter vanish and are replaced by cerebrospinal fluid. We have performed a genome linkage screening of a panel of 19 families of different ethnic origins. Significant linkage to chromosome 3q27 was observed in a 7-cM interval between markers D3S3730 and D3S3592, with a maximum multipoint LOD score of 5.1 calculated from the entire data set. The results of genealogical studies have suggested that seven parents in four Dutch families with VWM may have inherited an allele for the disease from a common ancestor who lived at least eight generations ago. Analysis of these families provided further evidence for the localization of the gene for VWM to 3q27. The patients shared a haplotype spanning 5 cM between markers D3S1618 and D3S3592. In one family of a different ethnic background, the patient had, in the same region, homozygosity for 13 consecutive markers spanning at least 12 cM, suggesting consanguinity between the parents. A healthy sibling of this patient had the same homozygous haplotype, which suggests that the healthy sibling is presymptomatic for the disease.     

用磁珠富集法从AFLP片段中分离微卫星DNA标记

将花生(Arachis hypogaea L．)基因组DNA经酶切后转变成AFLP DNA片段,然后用生物素标记的简单重复序列(SSR)作探针与其杂交,杂交复合物固定到包被有链亲和素的磁珠上,经过一系列的洗涤过程,含有SSR的AFLP片段被吸附在磁珠表面。这些片段经洗脱下来后,先用对应的AFLP引物扩增,再进行克隆和测序,根据SSR两端的保守序列设计引物,经过多态性分析后,便可得到微卫星DNA标记。整个实验过程操作简单、消耗少,可在一周内完成,可作为从植物中分离SSR的一种简单有效的方法。     

Longitude perception and bicoordinate magnetic maps in sea turtles

Long-distance animal migrants often navigate in ways that imply an awareness of both latitude and longitude. Although several species are known to use magnetic cues as a surrogate for latitude, it is not known how any animal perceives longitude. Magnetic parameters appear to be unpromising as longitudinal markers because they typically vary more in a north-south rather than an east-west direction. Here we report, however, that hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) from Florida, USA, when exposed to magnetic fields that exist at two locations with the same latitude but on opposite sides of the Atlantic Ocean, responded by swimming in different directions that would, in each case, help them advance along their circular migratory route. The results demonstrate for the first time that longitude can be encoded into the magnetic positioning system of a migratory animal. Because turtles also assess north-south position magnetically, the findings imply that loggerheads have a navigational system that exploits the Earth's magnetic field as a kind of bicoordinate magnetic map from which both longitudinal and latitudinal information can be extracted.     

Optimal calibration marker mesh for 2D X-ray sensors in 3D reconstruction

Image intensifiers suffer from distortions due to magnetic fields. In order to use this X-ray projections images for computer-assisted medical interventions, image intensifiers need to be calibrated. Opaque markers are often used for the correction of the image distortion and the estimation of the acquisition geometry parameters. Information under the markers is then lost. In this work, we consider the calibration of image intensifiers in the framework of 3D reconstruction from several 2D X-ray projections. In this context, new schemes of marker distributions are proposed for 2D X-ray sensor calibration. They are based on efficient sampling conditions of the parallel-beam X-ray transform when the detector and source trajectory is restricted to a circle around the measured object. Efficient sampling are essentially subset of standard sampling in this situation. The idea is simply to exploit the data redundancy of standard sampling and to replace some holes of efficient schemes by markers. Optimal location of markers in the sparse efficient sampling geometry can thus be found. In this case, the markers can stay on the sensor during the measurement with--theoretically--no loss of information (when the signal-to-noise ratio is large). Even if the theory is based on the parallel-beam X-ray transform, numerical experiments on both simulated and real data are shown in the case of weakly divergent beam geometry. We show that the 3D reconstruction from simulated data with interlaced markers is essentially the same as those obtained from data with no marker. We show that efficient Fourier interpolation formulas based on optimal sparse sampling schemes can be used to recover the information hidden by the markers.     

In vivo restriction of Escherichia coli-transforming DNA by endonuclease R.M.EcoRI

Transformation of Escherichia coli K-12 for various chromosomal markers was accomplished by using AB1157 recBC+ strain as a recipient. The yield of transformants was reduced 10-fold, as compared with that obtained in JC7623 recBC sbcB recipient. Elimination of transformation has been obtained for arg, pro, his markers in AB1157 (pSA14) harbouring the R.M.EcoRI coding plasmid. Production of restriction endonuclease in this strain did not affect the efficiency of transformation for thr, leu markers. The presence of pSA25 which is isogenic to pSA14 but devoid of R.M.EcoRI genes has been irrelevant to transformation for leu, arg, pro, his, thr markers. Correlation between the restriction of transformed markers in vivo and in vitro is discussed.     

Detection and manipulation of biomolecules by magnetic carriers

The detection and manipulation of single molecules on a common platform would be of great interest for basic research of biological or chemical systems. A promising approach is the application of magnetic carriers. The principles are demonstrated in this contribution. It is shown that paramagnetic beads can be detected by highly sensitive magnetoresistive sensors yielding a purely electronic signal. Different configurations are discussed. The capability of the sensors to detect even single markers is demonstrated by a model experiment. In addition, the paramagnetic beads can be used as carriers for biomolecules. They can be manipulated on-chip via currents running through specially designed line patterns. Thus, magnetic markers in combination with magnetoresistive sensors are a promising choice for future integrated lab-on-a-chip systems.     

Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae)

Microsatellite‐enriched genomic libraries were obtained from the whitefly Bemisia tabaci (Hemiptera: Aleyrodidae) using a magnetic/biotin capture of repetitive sequences. Ten dinucleotide markers were successfully isolated and characterized from these libraries. Variability was assessed in six populations of B. tabaci collected from different localities of the island of Crete, Greece. The number of alleles per locus in approximately 105 individuals screened across populations ranged from two to 13. Averaged observed heterozygosity over the six populations ranged from 0.001 to 0.58.     

三叶木通微卫星分子标记开发及评价

为了获得适于三叶木通遗传多样性和遗传结构研究的微卫星分子标记,该研究采用磁珠富集法构建了三叶木通微卫星富集文库。结果表明:在150个阳性克隆中发现了70个微卫星位点,富集效率为46.67%,其中含双碱基重复单元的序列占比为79.37%,三碱基和四碱基重复含有量较少。共设计引物63对,其中筛选出16对高多态引物,对1个三叶木通自然居群48个个体进行了遗传分析,结果显示位点的等位基因数为10~22个,观察杂合度和期望杂合度分别为0.370~0.792和0.724~0.936,多态性信息指数为0.725~0.919,表明以上引物均为高多态性引物。其中,12个位点偏离哈迪-温伯格平衡,呈现出纯合子过剩状态,这可能与哑等位基因和其它因素有关。综上结果表明,该研究所开发的16对引物能够用于三叶木通遗传多样性和遗传结构评价工作。     

Linkage analysis of anther-derived monoploids showing distorted segregation of molecular markers

Monoploids can be obtained from several diploid plant species by anther culture. Mapping of molecular markers using monoploids is greatly facilitated by the simple 1:1 segregation ratio expected from all heterozygous loci in the genome. Distorted segregation of molecular markers, however, appears to be a common phenomenon in many crop species and hinders the use of monoploids for mapping purposes. This report examines the segregation pattern of two marker genes linked together with one locus or separately with two independent loci which are responsible for the observed distortion. Each of the loci exhibiting distorted segregation has one of the two alleles which inhibits regeneration of the gametic cells in vitro and disrupts the expected segregation ratio of the linked markers. All possible situations in which linkage occurs between markers and distortion-causing genes are considered. Theoretical results outlining the segregation pattern among these linkage types indicate that the distinguishable distorted ratios can be used for mapping purposes. A protocol is given for the mapping of distorted gene markers based on existing gene mapping software. An example is presented of the mapping of distorted RAPD markers of monoploids obtained from a diploid potato genotype. Received: 18 October 1999 / Accepted: 24 November 1999<@head-com-p1a.lf>Communicated by G. Wenzel