Rapid Preparation of Filamentous Fungal DNA for PCR Analysis by Ultrasonic Treatment

A simple method to prepare of DNA template suitable for PCR amplification from filamentous fungi will be valuable for improving experimental efficiency.Here,a method was developed which just needed ultrasonic treatment of the mycelium at usual condition,and the produced solution could directly be used as DNA template for internal transcribed spacer(ITS)amplification successfully.The PCR could be improved by additional treatment of 60℃water baths,but was not centrifugation.When the template amount was 0.5-2μL and the ultrasonic time was 7-11 min,there was no distinctly influences on PCR.The method was commonly used for M.purpureus,I.cicadae,Lentinula sp.,Flammul sp.and Dictyophora sp.etc.to detect target sequences of ITS,hygromycin resistance gene(Hyg),CRISPR-associated protein 9(Cas9),Citrinin gene C(CtnC),Citrinin gene D(CtnD),large subunit rRNA gene(NL),and so on.The method could provide a simple,rapid,safe and economic approach to prepare the DNA template for large-scale PCR of the special filamentous fungi materials.

Facile and diverse logic circuits based on dumbbell DNA-templated fluorescent copper nanoclusters and S1 nuclease detection

DNA-based logic gates promote the development of molecular computing and show enormous potential in the fields of nanotechnology and biotechnology. Dumbbell oligonucleotides(DNA) with poly-thymine(poly-T) loops and a nicked random double strand have been demonstrated to be an efficient template for the formation of fluorescent copper nanoclusters(Cu NCs) in our previous work. Herein, a new platform technology is presented with which to construct molecular logic gates by employing Cu NCs probe as a basic output generator, coupling of functional nucleases as the inputs. Two dumbbell DNAs are used with the difference in stem length(8 bp and 16 bp, respectively). The degradation of DNA templates can be tuned by various nucleic acid enzymes, single-stranded nuclease(S1), double-stranded specific nuclease(DSN), E. coli DNA ligase, exonucleases Ⅰ and Ⅲ. Briefly, S1 can digest both DNA templates, while the cleavage ability of DSN will be resistant by the short stem of SS-DNA(short-stem DNA). Exonuclease Ⅰ and Ⅲ can degrade these two nicked DNA templates, which are inhibited due to the ligation of E. coli DNA ligase. With this novel strategy, a set of logic gates is successfully constructed at the molecular level,including “YES”, “PASS 0”, “OR”, “INHIBIT”, which take the advantages of no label, easy operation, fast speed, high efficiency and low cost. Furthermore, S1 nuclease, as the biomarker of numerous carcinogens,is selectively detected in the range of 0.05–50 U/m L with the detection limit of 0.005 U/m L(1×10^(−6)U)based on this platform.

Effects of storage time on DNA profiling success from archived latent fingerprint samples using an optimised workflow

Due to recent improvements in forensic DNA testing kit sensitivity,there has been an increased demand in the criminal justice community to revisit past convictions or cold cases.Some of these cases have little biological evidence other than touch DNA in the form of archived latent fingerprint lift cards.In this study,a previously developed optimised workflow for this sample type was tested on aged fingerprints to determine if improved short tandem repeat(STR)profiles could be obtained.Two-year-old samples processed with the optimised workflow produced an average of approximately five more STR alleles per profile over the traditional method.The optimised workflow also produced detectable alleles in samples aged out to 28 years.Of the methods tested,the optimised workflow resulted in the most informative profiles from evidence samples more representative of the forensic need.This workflow is recommended for use with archived latent fingerprint samples,regardless of the archival time.