Evaluation of FTA ® paper for storage of oral meta-genomic DNA.

Aim: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the short-term storage of meta-genomic DNA from native oral biofilms on FTA(®) paper.
Materials and Methods: Thirteen volunteers of both sexes received an acrylic splint for intraoral biofilm formation over a period of 48 hours. The biofilms were collected, resuspended in phosphate-buffered saline, and either stored on FTA(®) paper or directly processed by standard laboratory DNA extraction. The nucleic acid extraction efficiencies were evaluated by 16S rDNA targeted SSCP fingerprinting. The acquired banding pattern of FTA-derived meta-genomic DNA was compared to a standard DNA preparation protocol. Sensitivity and positive predictive values were calculated.
Results: The volunteers showed inter-individual differences in their bacterial species composition. A total of 200 bands were found for both methods and 85% of the banding patterns were equal, representing a sensitivity of 0.941 and a false-negative predictive value of 0.059.
Conclusion: Meta-genomic DNA sampling, extraction, and adhesion using FTA(®) paper is a reliable method for storage of microbial DNA for a short period of time.