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The development of a reliable PCR assay for genetic testing of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Touchdown PCR conditions were tested and different primer sets were evaluated with genomic DNA from blood sample of patients suffering from spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). An improved PCR assay was developed with a new set of primers and using the optimized touchdown PCR protocol. This new assay had been successfully employed in the screening of one identificated SCA3 family. Results from the present study document a simple and reliable PCR assay for genetic testing of SCA3. Strategies used in the present study may find applications in the optimization of PCR assay for triplet expansion with GC rich in the sequence context.

DNA sequence data from a variety of mitochondrial and nuclear gene regions are significant components of phylogenetic research in entomology. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification primers for many gene regions have been developed that are specific to a range of dipteran groups. Here, we review the existing Diptera-specific PCR amplification primers that have been published for 11 mitochondrial and nuclear gene regions: 12S small ribosomal subunit, cytochrome b, cytochrome oxidase c subunit I, 28S ribosomal RNA, alanyl-tRNA synthetase, the carbamoyl phosphate synthase region of CAD, elongation factor-1α, 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, triose phosphate isomerase, white, and wingless. We also have designed in total 94 new PCR amplification primers for use in these same gene regions. Our new primers have been developed and tested using our DNA sequence database of > 1,600 specimens representing 40 families of Diptera. All of the past and newly developed primer sequences are presented in tables, and their locations are shown on gene maps. This combined data will facilitate future molecular phylogenetic research within Diptera.

With the increasing development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), labeling regulations have been introduced, which require appropriate detection methods. The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique has been the mainstay for GMO detection, especially for event-specific qualitative and quantitative PCR detection methods, which have become the internationally agreed state-of-art. This paper describes the character and event-specific quantitative detection method of DP-356043-5 (356043) soybean. In this research, the flanking regions were characterized by inverse PCR (I-PCR). Furthermore, the event-specific PCR primers and TaqMan probe were designed based on the discovered right and left flanking sequences. In the qualitative PCR assay, PCR systems were established with the species-specific and event-specific primers, respectively. And event-specific primers were established on both right and left flanking sequences; the limit of detection (LOD) was both 0.05% (approximates to 42 haploid genome copies). In the quantitative TaqMan real-time PCR assay, we obtained standard curves with good linearity and relatively high efficiency of PCR. All the results indicated that the established event-specific qualitative and quantitative PCR systems for 356043 soybean in this study were reliable and suitable for 356043 soybean detection in mixed samples. Besides, based on the flanking sequence information we obtained, not only the qualitative and quantitative PCR system for detecting 356043 soybean can be established, but also some other novel event-specific detection methods using gene microarray, biosensor, etc., with target sequence on them can also be developed, which have a good value for detecting 356043 soybean.

With the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), labeling regulations have been introduced, which require appropriate detection methods. Event-specific qualitative and quantitative PCR detection methods have become the internationally agreed state-of-art. This paper describes the characterization and event-specific quantitative detection of LY038 maize insert with the application of reference molecule. The flanking regions were characterized by Inverse-PCR (I-PCR). Furthermore, the event-specific PCR primers and TaqMan probe were designed based on the discovered right flanking sequence. In the qualitative PCR assay, two PCR systems were established with the event-specific and specie-specific primers respectively, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.1% (approximates to 37 haploid genome copies). In the quantitative TaqMan real-time PCR assay, a reference molecule was constructed by recombinant PCR and standard curves were set up. By using the reference molecule, we obtained standard curves with good linearity and relatively high efficiency of PCR reaction. The results indicated the usability of the plasmid as standard material. From above results, we believed that the established event-specific qualitative and quantitative PCR systems for LY038 maize in this study were acceptable and suitable for LY038 maize detection in mixed samples.

Objectives To establish a primer design method for amplification of GC-rich DNA sequences. Design and methods A group of 15 pairs of primers with higher Tm (> 79.7 °C) and lower level ΔTm ( 65 °C), and we can overcome this difficulty easily by designing primers and using higher annealing temperature.

PCR detection of viral pathogens is extremely useful, but suffers from the challenge of detecting the many variant strains of a given virus that arise over time. Here, we report the computational derivation and initial experimental testing of a combination of 10 PCR primers to be used in a single high-sensitivity mixed PCR reaction for the detection of dengue virus. Primer sequences were computed such that their probability of mispriming with human DNA is extremely low. A 'cocktail' of 10 primers was shown experimentally to be able to detect cDNA clones representing the four serotypes and dengue virus RNA spiked into total human whole blood RNA. Computationally, the primers are predicted to detect 95% of the 1688 dengue strains analyzed (with perfect primer match). Allowing up to one mismatch and one insertion per primer, the primer set detects 99% of strains. Primer sets from three previous studies have been compared with the present set of primers and their relative sensitivity for dengue virus is discussed. These results provide the formulation and demonstration of a mixed primer PCR reagent that may enable the detection of nearly any dengue strain irrespective of serotype, in a single PCR reaction, and illustrate an approach to the broad problem of detecting highly mutable RNA viruses.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), an essential tool in many fields such as molecular biology, normally comprises three steps: denaturation at a high temperature, annealing at a low temperature and elongation at a moderate temperature. Here, we report a two-step PCR method which incorporates annealing and elongation step for significant time-saving and reduction in reagent use. To investigate whether the two-step method is as useful as the common three-step method, different lengths of DNA fragments were amplified by two-step PCR and three-step PCR and the influence of incorporated temperature and the amount of Taq polymerases were performed in the present study. The results showed that, all the DNA fragments of 300 to 1000 bp could be amplified by two-step PCR method and the temperature from 50 to 60.8°C could provide a viable range for annealing/extension steps and the fidelity of the PCR has not been affected by the two step method presented. Taken together, the two-step PCR could be used to amplify DNA fragment, which is time-saving, reliable and inexpensive. Key words: Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), two-step polymerase chain reaction, three-step polymerase chain reaction, time-saving.

PCR amplification techniques viz., repetitive DNA element PCR (REP-PCR), short tandemly repeated repetitive PCR (STRR-PCR) and arbitrarily primed PCR (RAPD-PCR) were used for the taxonomic discrimination among the strains of the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus elongatus collected across the coastal regions of the Indian subcontinent. These strains showed similar phenotypic and genotypic characteristics. Data obtained from genomic fingerprinting were used to perform cluster analysis and demonstrated ability to differentiate strains at intra-specific level. Polymorphisms of different PCR amplification products can serve as strain-specific molecular fingerprints. In comparison with the STRR and RAPD, the REP primer set generates fingerprints of lower complexity, but still the phenogram clearly differentiated the strains. In conclusion, described PCR fingerprinting methods can be considered as promising tools for the differentiation at the strain level of cyanobacteria from the same species.

The 16S-23S intergenic spacers (ITS) of ribosomal DNA from ten independent isolates of Streptococcus iniae and one reference strain ATCC29178 were sequenced, aligned and used to design a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primer set for rapid and specific detection and identification of S. iniae. This primer set amplified a 377-bp DNA fragment specifically from S. iniae, but not from other common bacterial pathogens of fish or from non-fish pathogens. The PCR conditions were optimized to allow detection of the organism from agar, broth culture or infected fish tissue. The sensitivity of the PCR assay was established by the detection of DNA as low as 0.02 ng or as few as 10 CFU bacterial cells. The establishment of the specific PCR assay provides a useful tool for the identification and diagnosis of fish infection with S. iniae.

To overcome the disadvantages of two-round nested PCR, we developed a simple and robust closed single-tube nested PCR method (antisense PCR). The method uses antisense oligonucleotides that carry a 5' tag and that can potentially hybridize to the 3' ends of the outer primers, depending on the annealing temperature. During initial cycles, which are performed at a high annealing temperature, the antisense oligonucleotides do not hybridize and amplification is directed by the outer primers. During later cycles, for which the annealing temperature is decreased, the outer primers hybridize to the antisense oligonucleotides, extend to produce sequences that are mismatched to the amplicon templates, and consequently become inactivated, whereas the inner primers hybridize to the amplicon templates and continue amplification. Antisense quantitative PCR (qPCR) was compared with one-round qPCR for real-time amplification of four PCR targets (BCR, APC, N-RAS, and a rearranged IGH gene). It had equal amplification efficiency but produced much less nonspecific amplification. Antisense PCR enables both endpoint detection and real-time quantification. It can substitute for two-round nested PCRs but may also be applicable to instances of one-round PCR in which nonspecificity is a problem.

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) provides a foundation for simple sequence repeat molecular marker-assisted selection (SSR MAS) in soybean. This PCR system and its various conditions have been optimized by many researchers. However, current research on the optimization of the PCR system focuses on double-primer PCR products. We compared single- and double-SSR primer PCR products from 50 soybean samples and found that the use of single-PCR primers in the reaction system can lead to amplified fragments of portions of the SSR primers in the PCR process, resulting in both false-positives and fragment impurity of double-primer PCR amplification, inconvenient for subsequent analysis. We used "single-primer PCR correction" to eliminate interference caused by single-primer nonspecific PCR amplification and improve PCR quality. Using this method, the precision and success rates of SSR MAS in soybean can be increased.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based genome walking method has been extensively used to isolate unknown flanking sequences, whereas nonspecific products are always inevitable. To resolve these problems, we developed a new strategy to isolate the unknown flanking sequences by combining A-T linker adapter PCR with inverse PCR (I–PCR) or thermal asymmetric interlaced PCR (TAIL–PCR). The result showed that this method can be efficiently achieved with the flanking sequence from the Arabidopsis mutant and papain gene. Our study provides researchers with an additional method for determining genomic DNA flanking sequences to identify the target band from bulk of bands and to eliminate the cloning step for sequencing.

We describe a set of novel primers for successful amplification of the complete mitochondrial cytochrome b (cyt b) gene of ungulate species. DNA extracted from non-invasively obtained and decomposed samples is found to be degraded and inappropriate for amplification of the complete gene (more than 1 kb) in single PCR amplification. We developed a series of six ungulate-specific conserved primers for the cyt b gene. These primers, in various combinations, amplify 366–1,266 bp fragments. We also used them in multiplex PCR reaction to assess the maximum possible size of the PCR amplification product.

We have developed a self-reporting polymerase chain reaction (PCR) system for visual colorimetric gene detection and distinction of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Amplification is performed using target-specific primers modified with a 5′-end tail that is complementary to a G-quadruplex deoxyribozyme-forming sequence. At end-point, G-quadruplexes are forced to fold from PCR-generated duplex DNA and then are used to colorimetrically report the successful occurrence of PCR by assaying their peroxidase activity using a chromogenic substrate. Furthermore, primer design considerations for the G-quadruplex-generating PCR system have allowed us to visually distinguish SNPs associated with Mycobacterium tuberculosis drug resistance alleles.

There are two approaches in detection of bacterium Erwinia amylovora by PCR. One is based on detection of plasmid pEA29 and the other is based on detection of a chromosomal DNA sequence, specific for E. amylovora, in a sample. Since pathogenic strains without pEA29 have been isolated from the environment, methods based on this plasmid have been compromised and PCR methods based on chromosomal DNA species specific sequences became only reliable methods. PCR method with chromosomal primers FER1-F and FER1-R is currently the most reliable method due to its high sensitivity and specificity. The goal of this research is to make a significant improvement of the method by optimization of PCR in application of hot start DNA Taq polymerase, instead of wax, to obtain a hot start reaction. This enzyme, which is currently widely applied, can provide simpler achievement of hot start, saving labor and time and decreasing possibility of cross contamination of samples. Experiments showed that simple replacement of a regular recombinant Taq DNA polymerase by a hot start Taq DNA polymerase leads to complete failure of the reaction. Many optimization experiments had to be carried out to obtain an operational and reliable PCR which simultaneously has high sensitivity and specificity. Content of the reaction mixture, as well as temperature and time parameters of PCR, were significantly changed to achieve proper optimization.

The purpose of this study was to develop species-specific PCR primers for detection of Fusobacterium periodonticum. The specificity data showed that two sets of PCR primers, Fp-F3/Fp-R2 and Fp-F1/Fp-R2 PCR, produced amplicons from all the F. periodonticum, but not from the other species tested, which included 12 Fusobacterium species or subspecies and representative oral bacteria. The sensitivity of the primer sets was 4 or 40 pg of the chromosomal DNA from F. periodonticum ATCC 33693(T) . These results suggest that these two sets of PCR primers are quite sensitive in detection of F. periodonticum in molecular epidemiological studies of periodontitis.

Ravindran, R., Rao, J.R. and Mishra, A.K. 2010. Development of de novo PCR primers generated from arbitrary PCR for the detection of Babesia bigemina in bovines. J. Appl. Anim. Res., 38: 109–112. A set of de novo oligonucleotide polymerase chain reaction (PCR) primers yielding a 480 bp product were developed with an analytical sensitivity of 0.5 ng using the sequence information of a B. bigemina specific monomorphic RAPD fragment. The primers did not amplify any products from DNA templates of bovine and bubaline hosts as well as other common protozoans like Theileria annulata, Trypanosoma evansi and Toxoplasma gondii. These primers will help in detection of this pathogen.

(A) Schematic representation of the PCR cycle profile used in PNA-directed clamping PCR. T1: temperature of PNA annealing step (20 sec), T2: temperature of PCR primer annealing step (20 sec). (B) Optimization of T1 for efficient PNA-directed PCR clamping . cDNA was PCR amplified (M: mutant, Bcr-Abl

Summary A real time PCR assay was developed for the detection of Chalara fraxinea in common ash. PCR primers and Taqman probes, based on the internal transcribed spacer region of the multi-copy gene rDNA, were tested for specificity and sensitivity. The primers amplified an 81 bp fragment for C. fraxinea but did not amplify DNA from other Chalara species or from other fungi isolated from ash, whether pathogenic or saprophytic. The limit of detection was 5 pg of genomic DNA per PCR. Moreover, naturally-infected samples were correctly diagnosed. A procedure for DNA extraction from woody tissues using an electric drill yielded DNA of an appropriate quality for real time PCR. This molecular method could be useful for routine analysis of this emergent pathogen and for epidemiological studies.

This article describes the development of an improved method for the isolation of genomic fragments adjacent to a known DNA sequence based on a cassette ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique. To reduce the nonspecific amplification of PCR-based genome walking, the 3' ends of the restriction enzyme-digested genomic DNA fragments were blocked with dideoxynucleoside triphosphate (ddNTP) and ligated with properly designed cassettes. The modified genomic DNA fragments flanked with cassettes were used as a template for the amplification of a target gene with a gene-specific primer (GSP) and a cassette primer (CP). The ddNTP blocking of the genomic DNA ends significantly reduced the nonspecific amplification and resulted in a simple and rapid walking along the genome. The efficiency of the template-blocking PCR method was confirmed by a carefully designed control experiment. The method was successfully applied for the cloning of the PGK1 promoter from Pichia ciferrii and two novel cellulase genes from Penicillium sp.

Phytoplankton are primary producers and can be important indicators of environmental change. To monitor the plankton species composition of environmental seawater samples, we developed a molecular method composed of colony polymerase chain reaction (PCR), polymerase chain reaction–restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), and sequencing. A clone library of the ribosomal small subunit RNA gene (18S rDNA) in the nuclear genome was constructed by environmental PCR using a newly designed primer set and clones were directly amplified by colony PCR. To select unique putative clones, we choose a PCR-RFLP method that employed two restriction enzymes (MseI and Tsp509I). After the PCR-RFLP pattern was evaluated, selected clones were sequenced and analyzed. In this study, we revealed the hidden biodiversity in environmental seawater containing a wide range of taxonomic groups in the Alveolata (Ciliphora and Dinophyceae), Euglenozoa, Stramenopiles (Bacillariophyta), and Viridiplantae (Chlorophyta) without the need to conduct extensive colony isolation techniques. Moreover, we found species of fungi and Metazoa (Arthropoda, Annelida, and Mollusca). Therefore, this improved molecular method can be used to generate a robust database describing the species diversity of environmental samples and provide useful information regarding the dynamics of the eukaryotic plankton community structure.

Abnormalities in DNA methylation of CpG islands that play a role in gene regulation affect gene expression and hence play a role in disease, including cancer. Bisulfite-based DNA methylation analysis methods such as methylation-specific PCR (MSP) and bisulfite sequencing (BiSeq) are most commonly used to study gene-specific DNA methylation. Assessing specificity and visualizing the position of PCR primers in their genomic context is a laborious and tedious task, primarily due to the sequence changes induced during the bisulfite conversion. For this purpose, we developed methGraph, a web application for easy, fast and flexible visualization and accurate in silico quality evaluation of PCR-based methylation assays. The visualization process starts by submitting PCR primer sequences for specificity assessment and mapping on the genome using the BiSearch ePCR primer-search algorithm. The next step comprises the selection of relevant UCSC genome annotation tracks for display in the final graph. A custom track showing all individual CpG dinucleotides, representing their distribution in the CpG island is also provided. Finally, methGraph creates a BED file that is automatically uploaded to the UCSC genome browser, after which the resulting image files are extracted and made available for visualization and download. The generated high-quality figures can easily be customized and exported for use in publications or presentations. methGraph is available at http://mellfire.ugent.be/methgraph/.

Importance of the Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) have already crossed the border of mere target DNA sequence present or absence analysis. For number analyses e.g. Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) or gene expression assesment the DNA quantification is demanded. Real-time (or quantitative) PCR is the most used tool for nucleic acids quantification. PCR efficiency has relevant importance on DNA quantification - it should be almost same for each PCR and its value should varied between 90-100%. There are a lot of PCR enhancers and inhibitors well known. We described impact of used DNA solvent and used laboratory plastic on real-time PCR efficiency.

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.

Standardization of human cytomegalovirus (CMV) PCR is highly recommended. As primer design is essential for PCR sensitivity, this study evaluated all published CMV primer pairs to identify the most sensitive for single-round real-time PCR. PubMed (1993–2004) was searched for original papers aimed at CMV PCR. Fifty-seven papers were identified revealing 82 different primer pairs. Of these, 17 primer sets were selected for empirical study, as they were either used in real-time PCR or were evaluated comparatively by conventional PCR. After optimizing the PCR conditions, these primer sets were evaluated by real-time PCR using a SYBR Green format. Analytical sensitivities were assessed by testing the reference standard CMV strain AD169. Ablastsearch was performed to identify mismatches with published sequences. Additionally, 60 clinical samples were tested with the three primer sets showing highest analytical sensitivity and the best match to all CMV strains. Three primer sets located in the glycoprotein B (UL55) gene region were found to be the most sensitive using strain AD169. However, two of these showed a considerable number of mismatches with clinical isolates in ablastsearch. Instead, two other pairs from the lower matrix phosphoprotein (UL83) gene and DNA polymerase (UL54) gene showed reasonable sensitivity and no mismatches with clinical isolates. These three pairs were further tested with clinical samples, which indicated that the two primer sets fromUL55andUL54were the most sensitive. Interestingly, the analytical sensitivity of the PCR was inversely correlated with the size of the PCR product. In conclusion, these two primer pairs are recommended for a standardized, highly sensitive, real-time PCR.

Phylogenetic and “fingerprinting” analyses of the 16S rRNA genes of prokaryotes have been a mainstay of microbial ecology during the last two decades. However, many methods and results from studies that rely on the 16S rRNA gene for detection and quantification of specific microbial taxa have seemingly received only cursory or even no validation. To directly examine the efficacy and specificity of 16S rRNA gene-based primers for phylum-, class-, and operational taxonomic unit-specific target amplification in quantitative PCR, we created a collection of primers based solely on an extensive soil bacterial 16S rRNA gene clone library containing ∼5,000 sequences from a single soil sample (i.e., a closed site-specific library was used to create PCR primers for use at this site). These primers were initially tested in silico prior to empirical testing by PCR amplification of known target sequences and of controls based on disparate phylogenetic groups. Although all primers were highly specific according to the in silico analysis, the empirical analyses clearly exhibited a high degree of nonspecificity for many of the phyla or classes, while other primers proved to be highly specific. These findings suggest that significant care must be taken when interpreting studies whose results were obtained with target specific primers that were not adequately validated, especially where population densities or dynamics have been inferred from the data. Further, we suggest that the reliability of quantification of specific target abundance using 16S rRNA-based quantitative PCR is case specific and must be determined through rigorous empirical testing rather than solely in silico.

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the amplification of multiple targets in a single reaction, presents a new set of challenges that further complicate more traditional PCR setups. These complications include a greater probability for nonspecific amplicon formation and for imbalanced amplification of different targets, each of which can compromise quantification and detection of multiple targets. Despite these difficulties, multiplex PCR is frequently used in applications such as pathogen detection, RNA quantification, mutation analysis, and (recently) next generation DNA sequencing. Here we investigated the utility of primers with one or two thermolabile 4-oxo-1-pentyl phosphotriester modifications in improving multiplex PCR performance. Initial endpoint and real-time analyses revealed a decrease in off-target amplification and a subsequent increase in amplicon yield. Furthermore, the use of modified primers in multiplex setups revealed a greater limit of detection and more uniform amplification of each target as compared with unmodified primers. Overall, the thermolabile modified primers present a novel and exciting avenue for improving multiplex PCR performance.

In the post-genomic era, providing a detailed description of protein functions poses a formidable challenge. To gain functional insights, we have to construct many kinds of expression vectors. DNA recombination based on polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and digestion followed by ligation is the preferred method for vector construction. However, this existing pattern is intrinsically limited by the selection of restriction endonuclease, prompting researchers to use commercial suppliers rather than amplifying genes themselves. Moreover, this method would introduce additional bases into the PCR products, which may be undesired for the construction of epitope expressing plasmid. A PCR-based gene synthesis method, referred to as competitive priming PCR (CP-PCR), is described here to efficiently assemble the plasmid expressing fusion protein of fibrinogen alpha chain and binding domain of galactose transcription factor. A pair of competitive sense primers were designed for the same target sequence. With the presence of antisense primer, PCR amplification of target sequence was performed in the same one system. The PCR product was underwent single digestion by using PstI, followed by ligation with the vector pCMV-BD linearized with EcoRIand PstI. The reconstructed plasmid was validated by sequencing and the fusion protein was affirmed by western blot. CP-PCR combines the superior convenience and precision of PCR. Moreover, it is perfectly capable of generating nearly all kinds of cohesive terminuses, which are ready to recombination in the presence of single digestion or even in the absence of digestion. We demonstrate, by using CP-PCR, the feasibility of directed cloning interested sequence only in the requirement of single digestion or even in the absence of digestion. Competitive priming PCR is demonstrated with convenience and precision equivalent to the traditional method. More than that, "seamless" DNA recombination may be achieved by this novel strategy.

A genome comparison method was used to identify specific target sequences for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection of Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and the CDS value of this bacterium was compared with that of 139 other bacterial genomes. It was found that 20 CDS of V. parahaemolyticus were relatively specific according to their E value in BLAST (a new tool for comparing protein and nucleotide sequences), and four of them were selected for the design of PCR primers. There were positive amplification products of these four pairs of primers from nine V. parahaemolyticus strains, whereas there were no amplification products from nine other Vibrionaceae strains and four non-Vibrionaceae strains. An evaluation of detection sensitivities revealed that these four pairs of primers can be used in a PCR assay for the detection of V. parahaemolyticus. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS An automatic BLAST method was developed in this study, by which species-specific sequences can be screened out rapidly. In this way, new and specific genes of Vibrio parahaemolyticus were identified to be used as target sequences for PCR detection. In terms of acceptable specificity and sensitivity, the four pairs of primers were selected by screening, which can be applied in PCR assays and other molecular methods. These kinds of methods might become commercial detection products in the new future. In addition, this method for searching specific DNA sequences can also be used for the mining specific sequences in other genus and species, such as Salmonella, Staphylococcus, etc.

Quantification of circulating nucleic acids in plasma and serum could be used as a non-invasive diagnostic tool for monitoring a wide variety of diseases and conditions. We describe here a rapid, simple and accurate multiplex real-time PCR method for direct synchronized analysis of circulating cell-free (ccf) mitochondrial (mtDNA) and nuclear (nDNA) DNA in plasma and serum samples. The method is based on one-step multiplex real-time PCR using a FAM-labeled MGB probe and primers to amplify the mtDNA sequence of the ATP 8 gene, and a VIC-labeled MGB probe and primers to amplify the nDNA sequence of the glycerinaldehyde-3-phosphate-dehydrogenase (GAPDH) gene, in plasma and serum samples simultaneously. The efficiencies of the multiplex assays were measured in serial dilutions. Based on the simulation of the PCR reaction kinetics, the relative quantities of ccf mtDNA were calculated using a very simple equation. Using our optimised real-time PCR conditions, close to 100% efficiency was obtained from the two assays. The two assays performed in the dilution series showed very good and reproducible correlation to each other. This optimised multiplex real-time PCR protocol can be widely used for synchronized quantification of mtDNA and nDNA in different samples, with a very high rate of efficiency.

BACKGROUND: With the development of genetically modified organisms (GMOs), event-specific qualitative and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) detection methods have become the internationally agreed standard. RESULTS: The flanking regions of DAS-59122-7 maize were characterized by inverse PCR (I-PCR). In the qualitative PCR assay, a duplex PCR was established with the event-specific and taxon-specific primers, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1 g kg−1 (approximates to 38 haploid genome copies). In the quantitative TaqMan® real-time PCR assay, a plasmidic reference material was constructed by recombinant PCR and standard curves were set up. By using the plasmidic reference material, we obtained standard curves with good linearity and relatively high efficiency. The results indicated the usability of the plasmid as standard material. CONCLUSION: From above results, we believe that the developed event-specific qualitative and quantitative PCR systems for DAS-59122-7 maize in this study are acceptable and suitable for DAS-59122-7 maize detection. Copyright © 2008 Society of Chemical Industry

Here, we report on the use of quantitative PCR (qPCR) to determine gene copy number in filamentous fungi. Using the sequenced dothideomycete Stagonospora nodorum, qPCR was used to unequivocally confirm the presence of single, two and three copy regions as predicted by in silico PCR. Further validation of the technique was demonstrated by verifying the copy numbers of introduced gene cassettes in previously characterised transformants of S. nodorum. Apart from increased sensitivity, this technique offers a high-throughput alternative to Southern blots for determining gene copy number, a

Rapid identification of bacterial pathogens is important for patient management and initiation of appropriate antibiotic therapy in the early stages of infection. Among the several techniques, capillary electrophoresis single-strand conformation polymorphism (CE-SSCP) analysis combined with small subunit rRNA gene-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) has come into the spotlight owing to its sensitivity, resolution, and reproducibility. Despite the advantages of the method, the design of PCR primers and optimization of multiplex PCR conditions remain to be studied so that as many pathogens as possible can be analyzed in a single run. Here we describe a novel two-step technique involving multiplex PCR pathogen detection by CE-SSCP analysis followed by singleplex PCR pathogen quantification by CE-SSCP. Specific PCR primers were designed for optimal separation of their products by CE-SSCP based on molecular weight. PCR conditions were then optimized for multiplex analysis of the targets. Subsequently, detected pathogens were quantified by PCR with specific primers. Eight clinically important strains were simultaneously identified under the optimized conditions. Each individual pathogen was then quantified at a level of sensitivity of tens of cells per milliliter. In conclusion, the two-step pathogen detection method based on CE-SSCP described here allows for sensitive detection of pathogens by multiplex PCR (first step) and quantification by specific PCR (second step). The results illustrate the potential of the method in clinical applications.

Genetically modified crops are widely grown in the world today. Labeling is required when genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are placed on the market. There is a need to establish a specific method for the detection of genetically modified foods. MON863 transgenic maize containing a Cry3Bb1 sequence that produces insecticidal protein cry3Bb1 is a major GMO crop. In this paper, we report studies that designed specific PCR primers and TaqMan probes based upon the 5′-transgene integration sequence, and developed qualitative and quantitative PCR conditions using these primers and probes. We determined the 5′-transgene integration sequence using a ligation-mediated polymerase chain reaction (LM PCR) method. In qualitative PCR studies, the limit of detection (LOD) was 0.5% for MON863 in 100 ng genomic DNA. In the quantitative PCR assays, the limit of detection (LOD) and limit of quantitation (LOQ) are 10 and 100 haploid copies, respectively. Maize samples with different contents of genetically modified component were tested using the established TaqMan real-time PCR system.

Polymerase chain reaction/electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (PCR/ESI-MS, previously known as “TIGER”) utilizes PCR with broad-range primers to amplify products from a wide array of organisms within a taxonomic group, followed by analysis of PCR amplicons using mass spectrometry. Computer analysis of precise masses allows for calculations of base compositions for the broad-range PCR products, which can then be compared to a database for identification. PCR/ESI-MS has the benefits of PCR in sensitivity and high-throughput capacity, but also has the distinct advantage of being able to detect and identify organisms with no prior characterization or sequence data. Existing broad range PCR primers, designed with an emphasis on human pathogens, were tested for their ability to amplify DNA of well characterized phytobacterial strains, as well as to populate the existing PCR/ESI-MS bacterial database with base counts. In a blinded panel study, PCR/ESI-MS successfully identified 93% of unknown bacterial DNAs to the genus level and 73% to the species/subspecies level. Additionally, PCR/ESI-MS was capable of detecting and identifying multiple bacteria within the same sample. The sensitivity of PCR/ESI-MS was consistent with other PCR based assays, and the specificity varied depending on the bacterial species. Preliminary tests with real life samples demonstrate a high potential for using PCR/ESI-MS systems for agricultural diagnostic applications.

Serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE) is a powerful technique for studying gene expression at the genome level. However, short SAGE tags limit the further study of related data. In this study, in order to identify a gene, we developed a semi-nested PCR-based method called the two-step analysis of unknown SAGE tags (TSAT-PCR) to generate longer 3′-end cDNA fragments from unknown SAGE tags. In the procedure, a modified lock-docking oligo(dT) with two degenerate nucleotide positions at the 3′-end was used as a reverse primer to synthesize cDNAs. Afterwards, the full-length cDNAs were amplified by PCR based on 5′-RACE and 3′-RACE. The amplified cDNAs were then used for the subsequent two-step PCR of the TSAT-PCR process. The first-step PCR was carried out at an appropriately low annealing temperature; a SAGE tag-specific primer was used as the sense primer, and an 18 bp sequence (universal primer I) located at the 5′-reverse primer end was used as the antisense primer. After 15–20 PCR cycles, the 3′-end cDNA fragments containing the tag could be enriched, and the PCR products could be used as templates for the second-step PCR to obtain the specific products. The second-step PCR was performed with a SAGE tag-specific primer and a 22-bp sequence (universal primer II) upstream of universal primer I at the 5′-reverse primer with a high annealing temperature. With our innovative TSAT-PCR method, we could easily obtain specific PCR products covering SAGE from those transcripts, especially low-abundance transcripts. It can be used as a method to identify genes expressed in different cell types.

A novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) biochip is presented in this paper. In this PCR chip, the glass substrate integrated with the microheater and microsensor is separable from the reaction chamber where the sample is injected, which now makes repeated reuse of the glass substrate possible. The heat transfer efficiency and target gene amplification of the proposed separable PCR chip was compared with that of the conventional united PCR chip. The results showed that the sex-determining Y chromosome (SRY) gene PCR for detecting male infertility was successfully performed in the separable chip. However, repeated multiplex PCR was successful for only two genes, SPGY1 and SRY, but not for gene SY586. Future work is needed for a multiplex PCR with more than three genes.

We have developed a novel method for typing single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) that can be applicable to rapid screening. The method involves the fusion of two PCR techniques, allele-specific PCR (AS-PCR) and L-DNA-tagged PCR (LT-PCR), which enables us to label PCR products with sequence-defined tags of mirror-image DNA (L-DNA). PCR products were applied without any purification or denaturation steps to gold surfaces where complementary single-stranded L-DNA was immobilized, and the products were detected with surface plasmon resonance (SPR) imaging. We were able to clearly discriminate 3 genotypes at position 2677 of the MDR1 gene (G/G-homozygote, G/T-heterozygote, and T/T-homozygote) by comparing SPR difference images.

Real Time PCR is a new advancement in the field of molecular diagnostics. The evolution of capabilities of Real Time PCR from traditional PCR has provided researchers an upper hand over the quantification and detection of specific DNA sequences. During the recent years, the areas of application of Real Time PCR have expanded exponentially.

Two types (MIR and Alu) of short interspersed repeated DNA sequences (SINEs) were used for analysis of genetic relationships among higher primates, and for detection of polymorphism in human genomic DNA. The DNA regions located between the neighboring copies of these SINEs were amplified in polymerase chain reaction with primers complementary to the MIR and Alu consensus sequences (inter-SINE PCR). Comparison of the sets of amplified DNA fragments for different species or individuals provides evaluation of the relationships among them. Using inter-MIR PCR technique, the relationships among the higher primates of the infraorder Catarrhini reported elsewhere were confirmed, pointing to the efficiency of the method for phylogenetic studies. No human DNA polymorphism was revealed with the help of inter-MIR PCR. This polymorphism was detected by means of inter-Alu PCR, which is probably associated with the continuing amplification of Alu elements in human genome.

Real-time polymerase chain reaction (real-time PCR), also known as quantitative PCR, is used to determine relative gene expression or to quantify exact levels of mRNA in cells or tissues. Before the advent of real-time PCR, the major difficulty associated with traditional quantitative or semiquantitative PCR was to ensure that PCR reactions were quantified within the exponential phase of amplification. Real-time PCR alleviates that problem by detecting and quantifying fluorescent signals after each amplification cycle. Additionally, it does not require running gels and thus is able to produce data in 2 to 3 h. Four different types of chemistries, DNA-binding agents (SYBR Green), hydrolysis probes (TaqMan), hairpin probes (molecular beacons, scorpions), and fluorescent-labeled hybridization probes (Light Cycler), have been commonly used for real-time PCR. Among those chemistries, SYBR Green is the most economical choice. We have used real-time PCR and SYBR Green to examine the expression of a numb...

Comprehensive genomic molecular analyses require relatively large DNA amounts that are often not available from forensic, clinical and other crucial biological samples. Numerous methods to amplify the whole genome have been proposed for cancer, forensic and taxonomic research. Unfortunately, when using truly random primers for the initial priming step, all of these procedures suffer from high background problems for sub-nanogram quantities of input DNA. Here we report an approach to eliminate this problem for PCR-based methods even at levels of DNA approaching that of a single cell.

A rapid method (

For molecular biological detection of Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (MAP), PCR methods with primers targeting different regions specific for MAP are used worldwide. However, some uncertainties exist concerning the specificity of certain target regions and the sensitivity. To identify the methods which are best suited for diagnostics, 8 single-round and 5 nested PCR systems including 12 different primer pairs based on IS900 (9 x), ISMav2 (1 x), 1757 (1 x), and locus 255 (1 x) sequences were compared regarding their analytical sensitivity and specificity under similar PCR conditions. Reference strains and field isolates of 17 Mycobacterium species and subspecies, 16 different non-mycobacterial bovine pathogens and commensals were included in this study. Single-round PCR resulted in a detection limit of 100 fg to 1 pg, and nested PCR in 10 fg or below. Depending on the specific primer sequences targeting IS900, false positive results occurred with one of the five single-round and two of the four nested PCR systems. This also applied to the single-round PCR based on ISMav2 and the nested PCR based on f57. A high number of non-specific products were primarily detected for the single-round PCR assay based on ISMav2, but also for a single-round PCR targeting the IS900 and the locus 255. In conclusion, stringent selection of IS900-specific primers ensures that IS900 remains a favourite target sequence for amplification of MAP specific loci. The studied PCR systems based on f57, and locus 255 can also be recommended. Revision of ISMav2 primers is necessary. Single-round PCR systems are very reliable. Nested PCR assays were occasionally disturbed by contaminations, thus bearing a risk for routine diagnostics. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

New bioactive proteins need to be screened from various microorganisms for the increasing need for industrial and pharmaceutical peptide, proteins, or enzymes. A novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method, restriction site-dependent PCR (RSD-PCR), was designed for rapid new genes cloning from genomic DNA. RSD-PCR strategy is based on these principles: (i) restriction sites disperse throughout genomes are candidacy for universal pairing; (ii) a universal primer is a combination of a 3′-end of selected restriction sites, and a 5′-end of degenerated sequence. A two-round PCR protocol was designed and optimized for the RSD-PCR: amplify the single strand target template from genomic DNA by a specific primer and amplify the target gene by using the specific primer and one of the universal RSD-primers. The optimized RSD-PCR was successfully applied in chromosome walking using specific internal primers, and cloning of new genes using degenerated primers derived from NH2-terminal amino acid sequence of protein.

A two-step PCR method has been developed for the robust, high-throughput production of linear templates ready for cell-free protein synthesis. The construct made from the cDNA expresses a target protein region with N- and/or C-terminal tags. The procedure consists only of mixing, dilution, and PCR steps, and is free from cloning and purification steps. In the first step of the two-step PCR, a target region within the coding sequence is amplified using two gene-specific forward and reverse primers, which contain the linker sequences and the terminal sequences of the target region. The second PCR concatenates the first PCR product with the N- and C-terminal double-stranded fragments, which contain the linker sequences as well as the sequences for the tag(s) and the initiation and termination, respectively, for T7 transcription and ribosomal translation, and amplifies it with the universal primer. Proteins can be fused with a variety of tags, such as natural poly-histidine, glutathione-S-transferase, maltose-binding protein, and/or streptavidin-binding peptide. The two-step PCR method was successfully applied to 42 human target protein regions with various GC contents (38-77%). The robustness of the two-step PCR method against possible fluctuations of experimental conditions in practical use was explored. The second PCR product was obtained at 60-120 microg/ml, and was used without purification as a template at a concentration of 2-4 microg/ml in an Escherichia coli coupled transcription-translation system. This combination of two-step PCR with cell-free protein synthesis is suitable for the rapid production of proteins in milligram quantities for genome-scale studies.

The exact quantification of tiny amounts of nucleic acids in biological samples continues to remain a requirement in both the experimental and the diagnostic laboratory. Competitive PCR involves the coamplification of a target DNA sample with known amounts of a competitor DNA that shares most of the nucleotide sequence with the target; in this way, any predictable or unpredictable variable affecting PCR amplification has the same effect on both molecular species. Competitive PCR therefore permits the quantification of the absolute number of target molecules in comparison to the amount of competitor DNA. Although requiring intensive post-PCR manipulation, the accuracy of competitive PCR by far exceeds that of any other quantitative PCR procedure, including real-time PCR. This protocol covers all stages in the competitive PCR and RT-PCR methods, from the design and construction of competitor molecules, and the competitive PCR itself, to the analysis of data and quantification of target DNA. Once the correct primers are available, the protocol can be completed in about 24 h.

This chapter introduces the primary concepts behind PCR, describes different flavors or specialized derivatives of PCR that are used to overcome various problems, provides an overview of ways in which the use of PCR can enhance soil microbiology research, and also provides information on equipment and other products designed for PCR. Ultimately, the PCR copies and amplifies the target sequence from the nucleic acid template, doubling the number of copies during each cycle of temperature. The different PCR methodologies are Nested and Seminested PCRs, Touchdown PCR, hot-start PCR, Booster PCR, Two-Step PCR, Multiplex PCR and Reverse transcriptase (RT) PCR. In recent years there has been increased interest in the use of DNA fingerprinting methodologies to identify bacteria at the isolate level and to subtype pathogenic bacteria. A more recent method, terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis, has also been used to study microbial community structures. T-RFLP analysis is based on the restriction endonuclease digestion of PCR products that have been fluorescently end labeled through the use of labeled primers. It is probably already apparent that the choice of the primer sequences is critical for the successful amplification of a specific DNA sequence. The degree of specificity can be varied by primer design and also by changing the annealing temperature. Sensitivity can be evaluated in terms of whole-cell lysates or pure genomic DNA preparations. Overall, PCR adds a useful new technology to aid in the study of plant and soil microbes.

A web-based resource, Microbial Community Analysis (MiCA), has been developed to facilitate studies on microbial community ecology that use analyses of terminal-restriction fragment length polymorphisms (T-RFLP) of 16S and 18S rRNA genes. MiCA provides an intuitive web interface to access two specialized programs and a specially formatted database of 16S ribosomal RNA sequences. The first program performs virtual polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of rRNA genes and restriction of the amplicons using primer sequences and restriction enzymes chosen by the user. This program, in silico PCR and Restriction (ISPaR), uses a binary encoding of DNA sequences to rapidly scan large numbers of sequences in databases searching for primer annealing and restriction sites while permitting the user to specify the number of mismatches in primer sequences. ISPaR supports multiple digests with up to three enzymes. The number of base pairs between the 5' and 3' primers and the proximal restriction sites can be reported, printed, or exported in various formats. The second program, APLAUS, infers a plausible community structure(s) based on T-RFLP data supplied by a user. APLAUS estimates the relative abundances of populations and reports a listing of phylotypes that are consistent with the empirical data. MiCA is accessible at http://mica.ibest.uidaho.edu/.

T-A cloning takes advantage of the unpaired adenosyl residue added to the 3′ terminus of amplified DNAs by Taq and other thermostable DNA polymerase and uses a linearized plasmid vector with a protruding 3′ thymidylate residue at each of its 3′ termini to clone polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-derived DNA fragments. It is a simple, reliable, and efficient ligation-dependent cloning method for PCR products, but the drawback of variable cloning efficiency occurs during application. In the present work, the relationship between variable T-A cloning efficiency and the different 5′ end nucleotide base of primers used in PCR amplification was studied. The results showed that different cloning efficiency was obtained with different primer pairs containing A, T, C and G at the 5′ terminus respectively. The data shows that when the 5′ end base of primer pair was adenosyl, more white colonies could be obtained in cloning the corresponding PCR product in comparison with other bases. And the least white colonies were formed when using the primer pair with 5′ cytidylate end. The gluanylate end primers resulted in almost the same cloning efficiency in the white colonies amount as the thymidylate end primer did, and this efficiency was much lower than that of adenosyl end primers. This presumably is a consequence of variability in 3′dA addition to PCR products mediated by Taq polymerase. Our results offer instructions for primer design for researchers who choose T-A cloning to clone PCR products.