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Multiplex and high-throughput assays are becoming the main trends in the development of new nucleic acid detection and quantification methods, such as those for genetically modified organism (GMO) analysis. Here, we report a novel universal LNA probe-mediated droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method (ULNA-ddPCR) for multiple DNA target quantification in GMOs. In ULNA-ddPCR, only one universal LNA probe is used for multiple DNA targets instead of using one to one TaqMan probe. The specificity, sensitivity, dynamic range, and accuracy of the ULNA-ddPCR method are determined by employing GM rice analysis as an example. Simplex and triplex ULNA-ddPCR assays for three GM rice events, T2A-1, T1C-19, and G6H1, are established and evaluated. All results indicate that the developed simplex and triplex ULNA-ddPCR assays are suitable for quantitative analysis of GM rice events with high sensitivity, accuracy, and low cost. The ULNA-ddPCR method also has the potential for multiple DNA target quantification in other research fields.

The accurate monitoring and quantification of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are key points for the implementation of labeling regulations, and a certified reference material (CRM) acts as the scaleplate for quantifying the GM contents of foods/feeds and evaluating a GMO analytical method or equipment. Herein we developed a series of CRMs for transgenic rice event G6H1, which possesses insect-resistant and herbicide-tolerant traits. Three G6H1 CRMs were produced by mixing seed powders obtained from homozygous G6H1 and its recipient cultivar Xiushui 110 at mass ratios of 49.825%, 9.967%, and 4.986%. The between-bottle homogeneity and within-bottle homogeneity were thoroughly evaluated with consistent results. The potential DNA degradation in transportation and shelf life were evaluated with an expiration period of at least 12 months. The property values of three CRMs (G6H1a, G6H1b, G6H1c) were given as (49.825 ± 0.448) g/kg, (9.967 ± 1.757) g/kg, and (4.986 ± 1.274 g/kg based on mass fraction ratio,...

Multiple-target plasmid DNA reference materials have been generated and utilized as good substitutes of matrix-based reference materials in the analysis of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Herein, we report the construction of one multiple-target plasmid reference molecule, pCAN, which harbors eight GM canola event-specific sequences (RF1, RF2, MS1, MS8, Topas 19/2, Oxy235, RT73, and T45) and a partial sequence of the canola endogenous reference gene PEP. The applicability of this plasmid reference material in qualitative and quantitative PCR assays of the eight GM canola events was evaluated, including the analysis of specificity, limit of detection (LOD), limit of quantification (LOQ), and performance of pCAN in the analysis of various canola samples, etc. The LODs are 15 copies for RF2, MS1, and RT73 assays using pCAN as the calibrator and 10 genome copies for the other events. The LOQ in each event-specific real-time PCR assay is 20 copies. In quantitative real-time PCR analysis, the PCR efficiencies of all event-specific and PEP assays are between 91% and 97%, and the squared regression coefficients (R

Most known allergenic proteins in rice ( Oryza sativa ) seed belong to the Tryp_alpha_amyl family (PF00234), but the sequence characterization and the evolution of the allergenic Tryp_alpha_amyl family members in plants have not been fully investigated. In this study, two specific motifs were found besides the common alpha-amylase inhibitors (AAI) domain from the allergenic Tryp_alpha_amyl family members in rice seeds (trRSAs). To understand the evolution and functional importance of the Tryp_alpha_amy1 family and the specific motifs for the allergenic one, a BLAST search identified 75 homologous proteins of trRSAs (trHAs) from 22 plant species including main crops such as rice, maize ( Zea mays ), wheat ( Triticum aestivum ), and sorghum ( Sorghum bicolor ) from all available sequences in the public databases. Statistical analysis showed that the allergenicity of trHAs is closely associated with these two motifs with high number of cysteine residues (p value = 0.00026), and the trHAs with and without the two motifs were clustered into separate clades, respectively. Furthermore, significant difference was observed on the secondary and tertiary structures of allergenic and nonallergenic trHAs. In addition, expression analysis showed that trHA-encoding genes of purple false brome ( Brachypodium distachyon ), barrel medic ( Medicago truncatula ), rice, and sorghum are dominantly expressed in seeds. This work provides insight into the understanding of the properties of allergens in the Tryp_alpha_amyl family and is helpful for allergy therapy.

In this study, a collaborative trial of validating a real-time PCR method for the TT51-1 rice event was organized, including six participating laboratories. In this validation, serially diluted solutions from homogeneous genomic DNA of the TT51-1 event were used to construct standard curves of the TT51-1 event and phospholipase D (PLD) assays. The PCR efficiency was 95%, and the R(2) coefficient was 0.99 for the TT51-1 system. The mean quantitative values for blind samples containing 0.1%, 0.5% 1%, 5%, and 10% (w/w) TT51-1 corresponded to 0.1%, 0.51%, 1.06%, 4.83%, and 9.62%, respectively, with a bias (%) ranging from -3.77% to 5.87%. The repeatability and reproducibility were all below 25% across the entire dynamic range. Furthermore, the measurement uncertainties of the quantitative results were estimated to be 0.10%, 0.20%, 0.40%, 1.76%, and 3.52% (w/w) for the tested samples. Both the LOD and LOQ were calculated to be 0.22%. This collaborative trial demonstrated that the TT51-1 method produces reliable, comparable, and reproducible results for a given sample set and can be adopted as a detection standard for testing laboratories.

To enforce the labeling regulations of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the application of DNA plasmids as calibrants is becoming essential for the practical quantification of GMOs. This study reports the construction of plasmid pTC1507 for a quantification assay of genetically modified (GM) maize TC1507 and the collaborative ring trial in international validation of its applicability as a plasmid calibrant. pTC1507 includes one event-specific sequence of TC1507 maize and one unique sequence of maize endogenous gene zSSIIb. A total of eight GMO detection laboratories worldwide were invited to join the validation process, and test results were returned from all eight participants. Statistical analysis of the returned results showed that real-time PCR assays using pTC1507 as calibrant in both GM event-specific and endogenous gene quantifications had high PCR efficiency (ranging from 0.80 to 1.15) and good linearity (ranging from 0.9921 to 0.9998). In a quantification assay of five blind samples, the bias between the test values and true values ranged from 2.6 to 24.9%. All results indicated that the developed pTC1507 plasmid is applicable for the quantitative analysis of TC1507 maize and can be used as a suitable substitute for dried powder certified reference materials (CRMs).

Protein-based detection methods, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and lateral flow strip, have been widely used for rapid, spot, and sensitive detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). Herein, one novel quantum dot-based fluorescence-linked immunosorbent assay (QD-FLISA) was developed employing quantum dots (QDs) as the fluorescent marker for the detection of the Cry1Ab protein in MON810 maize. The end-point fluorescent detection system was carried out using QDs conjugated with goat anti-rabbit secondary antibody. The newly developed Cry1Ab QD-FLISA assay was highly specific to the Cry1Ab protein and had no cross-reactivity with other target proteins, such as Cry2Ab, Cry1F, and Cry3Bb. The quantified linearity was achieved in the value range of 0.05-5% (w/w). The limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of the QD-FLISA were 2.956 and 9.854 pg/mL, respectively, which were more sensitive than the conventional sandwich ELISA method. All of the results indicated that QD-FLISA was a highly specific and sensitive method for the monitoring of Cry1Ab in GMOs.

Rice (Oryza sativa) is a main staple food in the world, and several genetically modified (GM) rice events have been approved for commercialization. To accurately quantify GM contents in rice derived products, we have evaluated the variation of seed DNA density and nuclear DNA content in the hull, endosperm, and embryo of rice seeds from 19 cultivars, as well as their impacts on GM rice quantification. Rice endosperm DNA accounts for 73.71% of total seed DNA, whereas the hull and embryo DNAs account for 3.98% and 22.31%, respectively. Two formulas were established to describe the relationship between GM content on the basis of weight ratio (GM(wt)%) and that on the basis of haploid genome copy number ratio (GM(hg)%) for the samples containing heterozygous GM rice seeds. These two equations were well confirmed in quantification of the heterozygous GM rice TT51-1 seeds containing the GM allele from a female parent or that from a male parent. This work is useful for accurate quantification of GM rice using reference materials containing the heterozygous GM rice seed powder.

Various polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods were developed for the execution of genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling policies, of which an event-specific PCR detection method based on the flanking sequence of exogenous integration is the primary trend in GMO detection due to its high specificity. In this study, the 5' and 3' flanking sequences of the exogenous integration of MON89788 soybean were revealed by thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR. The event-specific PCR primers and TaqMan probe were designed based upon the revealed 5' flanking sequence, and the qualitative and quantitative PCR assays were established employing these designed primers and probes. In qualitative PCR, the limit of detection (LOD) was about 0.01 ng of genomic DNA corresponding to 10 copies of haploid soybean genomic DNA. In the quantitative PCR assay, the LOD was as low as two haploid genome copies, and the limit of quantification was five haploid genome copies. Furthermore, the developed PCR methods were in-house validated by five researchers, and the validated results indicated that the developed event-specific PCR methods can be used for identification and quantification of MON89788 soybean and its derivates.

Genetically modified (GM) papaya (Carica papaya L.), Huanong No. 1, was approved for commercialization in Guangdong province, China in 2006, and the development of the Huanong No. 1 papaya detection method is necessary for implementing genetically modified organism (GMO) labeling regulations. In this study, we reported the characterization of the exogenous integration of GM Huanong No. 1 papaya by means of conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and thermal asymmetric interlaced (TAIL)-PCR strategies. The results suggested that one intact copy of the initial construction was integrated in the papaya genome and which probably resulted in one deletion (38 bp in size) of the host genomic DNA. Also, one unintended insertion of a 92 bp truncated NptII fragment was observed at the 5' end of the exogenous insert. Furthermore, we revealed its 5' and 3' flanking sequences between the insert DNA and the papaya genomic DNA, and developed the event-specific qualitative and quantitative PCR assays for GM Huanong No. 1 papaya based on the 5' integration flanking sequence. The relative limit of detection (LOD) of the qualitative PCR assay was about 0.01% in 100 ng of total papaya genomic DNA, corresponding to about 25 copies of papaya haploid genome. In the quantitative PCR, the limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) were as low as 12.5 and 25 copies of papaya haploid genome, respectively. In practical sample quantification, the quantified biases between the test and true values of three samples ranged from 0.44% to 4.41%. Collectively, we proposed that all of these results are useful for the identification and quantification of Huanong No. 1 papaya and its derivates.

To enforce the labeling regulations of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), the application of reference molecules as calibrators is becoming essential for practical quantification of GMOs. However, the reported reference molecules with tandem marker multiple targets have been proved not suitable for duplex PCR analysis. In this study, we developed one unique plasmid molecule based on one pMD-18T vector with three exogenous target DNA fragments of Roundup Ready soybean GTS 40-3-2 (RRS), that is, CaMV35S, NOS, and RRS event fragments, plus one fragment of soybean endogenous Lectin gene. This Lectin gene fragment was separated from the three exogenous target DNA fragments of RRS by inserting one 2.6 kb DNA fragment with no relatedness to RRS detection targets in this resultant plasmid. Then, we proved that this design allows the quantification of RRS using the three duplex real-time PCR assays targeting CaMV35S, NOS, and RRS events employing this reference molecule as the calibrator. In these duplex PCR assays, the limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) were 10 and 50 copies, respectively. For the quantitative analysis of practical RRS samples, the results of accuracy and precision were similar to those of simplex PCR assays, for instance, the quantitative results were at the 1% level, the mean bias of the simplex and duplex PCR were 4.0% and 4.6%, respectively, and the statistic analysis ( t-test) showed that the quantitative data from duplex and simplex PCR had no significant discrepancy for each soybean sample. Obviously, duplex PCR analysis has the advantages of saving the costs of PCR reaction and reducing the experimental errors in simplex PCR testing. The strategy reported in the present study will be helpful for the development of new reference molecules suitable for duplex PCR quantitative assays of GMOs.

One tomato ( Lycopersicon esculentum) gene, LAT52, has been proved to be a suitable endogenous reference gene for genetically modified (GM) tomato detection in a previous study. Herein are reported the results of a collaborative ring trial for international validation of the LAT52 gene as endogenous reference gene and its analytical systems; 14 GMO detection laboratories from 8 countries were invited, and results were finally received from 13. These data confirmed the species specificity by testing 10 plant genomic DNAs, less allelic variation and stable single copy number of the LAT52 gene, among 12 different tomato cultivars. Furthermore, the limit of detection of LAT52 qualitative PCR was proved to be 0.1%, which corresponded to 11 copies of haploid tomato genomic DNA, and the limit of quantification for the quantitative PCR system was about 10 copies of haploid tomato genomic DNA with acceptable PCR efficiency and linearity. Additionally, the bias between the test and true values of 8 blind samples ranged from 1.94 to 10.64%. All of these validated results indicated that the LAT52 gene is suitable for use as an endogenous reference gene for the identification and quantification of GM tomato and its derivates.

With the development of genetically modified organism (GMO) detection techniques, the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) technique has been the mainstay for GMO detection, and real-time PCR is the most effective and important method for GMO quantification. An event-specific detection strategy based on the unique and specific integration junction sequences between the host plant genome DNA and the integrated gene is being developed for its high specificity. This study establishes the event-specific detection methods for TC1507 and CBH351 maizes. In addition, the event-specific TaqMan real-time PCR detection methods for another seven GM maize events (Bt11, Bt176, GA21, MON810, MON863, NK603, and T25) were systematically optimized and developed. In these PCR assays, the fluorescent quencher, TAMRA, was dyed on the T-base of the probe at the internal position to improve the intensity of the fluorescent signal. To overcome the difficulties in obtaining the certified reference materials of these GM maizes, one novel standard reference molecule containing all nine specific integration junction sequences of these GM maizes and the maize endogenous reference gene, zSSIIb, was constructed and used for quantitative analysis. The limits of detection of these methods were 20 copies for these different GM maizes, the limits of quantitation were about 20 copies, and the dynamic ranges for quantification were from 0.05 to 100% in 100 ng of DNA template. Furthermore, nine groups of the mixed maize samples of these nine GM maize events were quantitatively analyzed to evaluate the accuracy and precision. The accuracy expressed as bias varied from 0.67 to 28.00% for the nine tested groups of GM maize samples, and the precision expressed as relative standard deviations was from 0.83 to 26.20%. All of these indicated that the established event-specific real-time PCR detection systems and the reference molecule in this study are suitable for the identification and quantification of these GM maizes.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods have been the main technical support for the detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). To date, GMO-specific PCR detection strategies have been developed basically at four different levels, such as screening-, gene-, construct-, and event-specific detection methods. Event-specific PCR detection method is the primary trend in GMO detection because of its high specificity based on the flanking sequence of exogenous integrant. GM canola, event T45, with tolerance to glufosinate ammonium is one of the commercial genetically modified (GM) canola events approved in China. In this study, the 5'-integration junction sequence between host plant DNA and the integrated gene construct of T45 canola was cloned and revealed by means of TAIL-PCR. Specific PCR primers and TaqMan probes were designed based upon the revealed sequence, and qualitative and quantitative TaqMan real-time PCR detection assays employing these primers and probe were developed. In qualitative PCR, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.1% for T45 canola in 100 ng of genomic DNA. The quantitative PCR assay showed limits of detection and quantification (LOD and LOQ) of 5 and 50 haploid genome copies, respectively. In addition, three mixed canola samples with known GM contents were detected employing the developed real-time PCR assay, and expected results were obtained. These results indicated that the developed event-specific PCR methods can be used for identification and quantification of T45 canola and its derivates.

As the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) labeling policies are issued in many countries, qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques are increasingly used for the detection of genetically modified (GM) crops in foods. Qualitative PCR and TaqMan real-time quantitative PCR methods to detect and identify three varieties of insect resistant cotton, i.e., Mon531 cotton (Monsanto Co.) and GK19 and SGK321 cottons (Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences), which were approved for commercialization in China, were developed in this paper. Primer pairs specific to inserted DNAs, such as Cowpea trypsin inhibitor (CpTI) gene of SGK321 cotton and the specific junction DNA sequences containing partial Cry1A(c) gene and NOS terminator of Mon531, GK19, and SGK321 cotton varieties were designed to conduct the identified PCR assays. In conventional specific identified PCR assays, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.05% for Mon531, GK19, or SGK321 in 100 ng of cotton genomic DNA for one reaction. Also, the multiplex PCR method for screening the three GM cottons was also established, which could save time and cost in practical detection. Furthermore, a real-time quantitative PCR assay based on TaqMan chemistry for detection of insect resistant gene, Cry1A(c), was developed. This assay also featured the use of a standard plasmid as a reference molecule, which contained both a specific region of the transgene Cry1A(c) and an endogenous stearoyl-acyl carrier protein desaturase (Sad1) gene of the cotton. In quantitative PCR assay, the quantification range was from 0.01 to 100% in 100 ng of the genome DNA template, and in the detection of 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0% levels of three insect resistant cotton lines, respectively, all of the relative standard deviations (RSDs) were less than 8.2% except for the GM cotton samples with 1.0% Mon531 or GK19, which meant that our real-time PCR assays involving the use of reference molecule were reliable and practical for GM insect resistant cottons quantification. All of these results indicated that our established conventional and TaqMan real-time PCR assays were applicable to detect the three insect resistant cottons qualitatively and quantitatively.

Toward the development of reliable qualitative and quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) detection methods of transgenic tomatoes, one tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) species specific gene, LAT52, was selected and validated as suitable for using as an endogenous reference gene in transgenic tomato PCR detection. Both qualitative and quantitative PCR methods were assayed with 16 different tomato varieties, and identical amplified products or fluorescent signals were obtained with all of them. No amplified products and fluorescent signals were observed when DNA samples from 20 different plants such as soybean, maize, rapeseed, rice, and Arabidopsis thaliana were used as templates. These results demonstrated that the amplified LAT52 DNA sequence was specific for tomato. Furthermore, results of Southern blot showed that the LAT52 gene was a single-copy gene in the different tested tomato cultivars. In qualitative and quantitative PCR analysis, the detection sensitivities were 0.05 and 0.005 ng of tomato genomic DNA, respectively. In addition, two real-time assays employing this gene as an endogenous reference gene were established, one for the quantification of processed food samples derived from nontransgenic tomatoes that contained degraded target DNA and the other for the quantification of the junction region of CaMV35s promoter and the anti-sense ethylene-forming enzyme (EFE) gene in transgenic tomato Huafan No. 1 samples. All of these results indicated that the LAT52 gene could be successfully used as a tomato endogenous reference gene in practical qualitative and quantitative detection of transgenic tomatoes, even for some processed foods derived from transgenic and nontransgenic tomatoes.

The papaya (Carica papaya L.) Chymopapain (CHY) gene has been reported as a suitable endogenous reference gene for genetically modified (GM) papaya detection in previous studies. Herein, we further validated the use of the CHY gene and its qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays through an interlaboratory collaborative ring trial. A total of 12 laboratories working on detection of genetically modified organisms participated in the ring trial and returned test results. Statistical analysis of the returned results confirmed the species specificity, low heterogeneity, and single-copy number of the CHY gene among different papaya varieties. The limit of detection of the CHY qualitative PCR assay was 0.1%, while the limit of quantification of the quantitative PCR assay was ∼25 copies of haploid papaya genome with acceptable PCR efficiency and linearity. The differences between the tested and true values of papaya content in 10 blind samples ranged from 0.84 to 6.58%. These results indicated that the CHY gene was suitable as an endogenous reference gene for the identification and quantification of GM papaya.

In recent years the consumption of tea and herbal infusions has increased. These hot drinks are consumed as daily drinks as well as for medicinal purposes. All tea varieties (white, yellow, green, oolong, black and puerh) originate from the leaves of the tea plant, Camellia sinensis. All extracts made of plant or herbal materials which do not contain Camellia sinensis are referred as herbal infusions or tisanes. During processing and manufacturing fungal contamination of the plant materials is possible, enabling contamination of these products with mycotoxins. In this study a multimycotoxin UPLC-MS/MS method was developed and validated for the analysis of the raw tea and herbal infusion materials as well as for their drinkable products. The samples were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), with a mobile phase consisting of variable mixtures of water and methanol with 0.3% formic acid. The limits of detection for the different mycotoxins varied between 2.1 μg/kg and 121 μg/kg for raw materials and between 0.4 μg/L and 46 μg/L for drinkable products. Afterward 91 different tea and herbal infusion samples were analyzed. Only in one sample, Ceylon melange, 76 μg/kg fumonisin B(1) was detected. No mycotoxins were detected in the drinkable products.

The genetically modified (GM) food/feed quantification depends on the reliable detection systems of endogenous reference genes. Currently, four endogenous reference genes including sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), GOS9, phospholipase D (PLD), and ppi phosphofructokinase (ppi-PPF) of rice have been used in GM rice detection. To compare the applicability of these four rice reference genes in quantitative PCR systems, we analyzed the target nucleotide sequence variation in 58 conventional rice varieties from various geographic and phylogenic origins, also their quantification performances were evaluated using quantitative real-time PCR and GeNorm analysis via a series of statistical calculation to get a "M value" which is negative correlation with the stability of genes. The sequencing analysis results showed that the reported GOS9 and PLD taqman probe regions had detectable single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among the tested rice cultivars, while no SNPs were observed for SPS and ppi-PPF amplicons. Also, poor quantitative performance was detectable in these cultivars with SNPs using GOS9 and PLD quantitative PCR systems. Even though the PCR efficiency of ppi-PPF system was slightly lower, the SPS and ppi-PPF quantitative PCR systems were shown to be applicable for rice endogenous reference assay with less variation among the C(t) values, good reproducibility in quantitative assays, and the low M values by the comprehensive quantitative PCR comparison and GeNorm analysis.

The virus-resistant papaya (Carica papaya L.), Huanong no. 1, was the genetically modified (GM) fruit approved for growing in China in 2006. To implement the labeling regulation of GM papaya and its derivates, the development of papaya endogenous reference gene is very necessary for GM papaya detection. Herein, we reported one papaya specific gene, Chymopapain (CHY), as one suitable endogenous reference gene, used for GM papaya identification. Thereafter, we established the conventional and real-time quantitative PCR assays of the CHY gene. In the CHY conventional PCR assay, the limit of detection (LOD) was 25 copies of haploid papaya genome. In the CHY real-time quantitative PCR assay, both the LOD and the limit of quantification (LOQ) were as low as 12.5 copies of haploid papaya genome. Furthermore, we revealed the construct-specific sequence of Chinese GM papaya Huanong no. 1 and developed its conventional and quantitative PCR systems employing the CHY gene as endogenous reference gene. This work is useful for papaya specific identification and GM papaya detection.

One rice ( Oryza sativa ) gene, sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS), has been proven to be a suitable endogenous reference gene for genetically modified (GM) rice detection in a previous study. Herein are the reported results of an international collaborative ring trial for validation of the SPS gene as an endogenous reference gene and its optimized qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) systems. A total of 12 genetically modified organism (GMO) detection laboratories from seven countries participated in the ring trial and returned their results. The validated results confirmed the species specificity of the method through testing 10 plant genomic DNAs, low heterogeneity, and a stable single-copy number of the rice SPS gene among 7 indica varieties and 5 japonica varieties. The SPS qualitative PCR assay was validated with a limit of detection (LOD) of 0.1%, which corresponded to about 230 copies of haploid rice genomic DNA, while the limit of quantification (LOQ) for the quantitative PCR system was about 23 copies of haploid rice genomic DNA, with acceptable PCR efficiency and linearity. Furthermore, the bias between the test and true values of eight blind samples ranged from 5.22 to 26.53%. Thus, we believe that the SPS gene is suitable for use as an endogenous reference gene for the identification and quantification of GM rice and its derivates.

As more genetically modified plant events are approved for commercialization worldwide, the event-specific PCR method has become the key method for genetically modified organism (GMO) identification and quantification. This study reveals the 3' flanking sequence of the exogenous integration of Oxy-235 canola employing thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (TAIL-PCR). On the basis of the revealed 3' flanking sequence, PCR primers and TaqMan probe were designed and qualitative and quantitative PCR assays were established for Oxy-235 canola. The specificity and limits of detection (LOD) and quantification (LOQ) of these two PCR assays were validated to as low as 0.1% for the relative LOD of qualitative PCR assay; the absolute LOD and LOQ were low to 10 and 20 copies of canola genomic DNA in quantitative PCR assay, respectively. Furthermore, ideal quantified results were obtained in the practical canola sample detection. All of the results indicate that the developed qualitative and quantitative PCR methods based on the revealed 3' integration flanking sequence are suitable for GM canola Oxy-235 identification and quantification.

Because of the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) labeling policies issued in many countries and areas, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) methods were developed for the execution of GMO labeling policies, such as screening, gene specific, construct specific, and event specific PCR detection methods, which have become a mainstay of GMOs detection. The event specific PCR detection method is the primary trend in GMOs detection because of its high specificity based on the flanking sequence of the exogenous integrant. This genetically modified maize, MON863, contains a Cry3Bb1 coding sequence that produces a protein with enhanced insecticidal activity against the coleopteran pest, corn rootworm. In this study, the 5'-integration junction sequence between the host plant DNA and the integrated gene construct of the genetically modified maize MON863 was revealed by means of thermal asymmetric interlaced-PCR, and the specific PCR primers and TaqMan probe were designed based upon the revealed 5'-integration junction sequence; the conventional qualitative PCR and quantitative TaqMan real-time PCR detection methods employing these primers and probes were successfully developed. In conventional qualitative PCR assay, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.1% for MON863 in 100 ng of maize genomic DNA for one reaction. In the quantitative TaqMan real-time PCR assay, the LOD and the limit of quantification were eight and 80 haploid genome copies, respectively. In addition, three mixed maize samples with known MON863 contents were detected using the established real-time PCR systems, and the ideal results indicated that the established event specific real-time PCR detection systems were reliable, sensitive, and accurate.

With the development of transgenic crops, many countries have issued regulations to label the genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and their derived products. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) methods are thought to be reliable and useful techniques for qualitative and quantitative detection of GMOs. These methods generally need to amplify the transgene and compare the amplified result with that of the corresponding reference gene to obtain reliable results. In this article, we reported the development of specific primers and probe for the rice (Oryza sativa) sucrose phosphate synthase (SPS) gene and PCR cycling conditions suitable for the use of this sequence as an endogenous reference gene in both qualitative and quantitative PCR assays. Both methods were assayed with 13 different rice varieties, and identical amplification products were obtained with all of them. No amplification products were observed when DNA samples from other species, such as wheat, maize, barley, tobacco, soybean, rapeseed, tomato, sunflower, carrot, pepper, eggplant, lupine, mung bean, plum, and Arabidopsis thaliana, were used as templates, which demonstrated that this system was specific for rice. In addition, the results of the Southern blot analysis confirmed that the SPS gene was a single copy in the tested rice varieties. In qualitative and quantitative PCR analyses, the detection sensitivities were 0.05 and 0.005 ng of rice genomic DNA, respectively. To test the practical use of this SPS gene as an endogenous reference gene, we have also quantified the beta-glucuronidase (GUS) gene in transgenic rice using this reference gene. These results indicated that the SPS gene was species specific, had one copy number, and had a low heterogeneity among the tested cultivars. Therefore, this gene could be used as an endogenous reference gene of rice and the optimized PCR systems could be used for practical qualitative and quantitative detection of transgenic rice.