Fluorescence-based assay formats and signal amplification strategies for DNA microarray analysis

Smart Metal-Organic Frameworks for Biotechnological Applications: A Mini-Review

In this pandemic situation it is evident that viruses and bacteria, more specifically, multiple drug resistant (MDR) bacteria, endanger human civilization severely. It is high time to design smart weapons to combat these pathogens for the prevention and cure of allied ailments. Metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) are porous materials designed from metal ions or inorganic clusters and multidentate organic ligands. Due to some unique features like high porosity, tunable pore shape and size, numerous possible metal-ligand combinations, etc., MOFs are ideal candidates to design "smart biotechnological tools". MOFs construct promising fluorescence based biosensing platforms for detection of viruses. MOFs also exhibit excellent antibacterial activity due to their ability for sustained release of active biocidal agents. There are several reviews that summarize the antibacterial applications of MOFs, but the biosensing platforms based on MOFs for detection of viruses have scarcely been summarized. This review carefully covers both the aspects including virus detection (nucleic acid recognition and immunological detection) with underlying mechanisms as well as antibacterial application of MOFs and doped MOFs or composites. This review will deliver valuable information and references for designing new, smarter antimicrobial agents based on MOFs.

Shrink-induced silica multiscale structures for enhanced fluorescence from DNA microarrays

We describe a manufacturable and scalable method for fabrication of multiscale wrinkled silica (SiO2) structures on shrink-wrap film to enhance fluorescence signals in DNA fluorescence microarrays. We are able to enhance the fluorescence signal of hybridized DNA by more than 120 fold relative to a planar glass slide. Notably, our substrate has improved detection sensitivity (280 pM) relative to planar glass slide (11 nM). Furthermore, this is accompanied by a 30-45 times improvement in the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR). Unlike metal enhanced fluorescence (MEF) based enhancements, this is a far-field and uniform effect based on surface concentration and photophysical effects from the nano- to microscale SiO2 structures. Notably, the photophysical effects contribute an almost 2.5 fold enhancement over the concentration effects alone. Therefore, this simple and robust method offers an efficient technique to enhance the detection capabilities of fluorescence based DNA microarrays.

Metal-organic frameworks-based biosensor for sequence-specific recognition of double-stranded DNA

A simple, cost-efficient, sensitive and selective fluorescence sensor is developed for sequence-specific recognition of duplex DNA (ds-DNA) in vitro using metal-organic framework (MOF) as the sensing platform. N,N-Bis(2-hydroxy-ethyl)dithiooxamidatocopper(II) (H(2)dtoaCu) was chosen as the example MOF, because it strongly chemisorbs the dye-labeled probe TFO (triplex-forming oligonucleotide), and quenches fluorescence from the dye. In the presence of target ds-DNA (the PPT of HIV RNA, a 16-bp ds-DNA sequence), the TFO could interact with the major groove in ds-DNA (via Hoogsteen hydrogen bonding) to form a rigid triplex structure, resulting in fluorescence recovery. The enhanced fluorescence signal has a relationship with the ds-DNA concentration, the detection limit is as low as 1.3 nmol L(-1) (S/N = 3) with good selectivity, which is lower than that based on a graphene oxide platform and electrochemical-DNA sensor.

Amplified on-chip fluorescence detection of DNA hybridization by surface-initiated enzymatic polymerization

We describe the incorporation of multiple fluorophores into a single stranded DNA (ssDNA) chain using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT), a template-independent DNA polymerase that catalyzes the sequential addition of deoxynucleotides (dNTPs) at the 3'-OH group of an oligonucleotide primer; we term this methodology surface initiated enzymatic polymerization (SIEP) of DNA. We found that long (>1 Kb) ssDNA homopolymer can be grown by SIEP, and that the length of the ssDNA product is determined by the monomer to oligonucleotide initiator ratio. We observed efficient initiation (≥50%) and narrow polydispersity of the extended product when fluorescently labeled nucleotides are incorporated. TdT's ability to incorporate fluorescent dNTPs into a ssDNA chain was characterized by examining the effect of the molar ratios of fluorescent dNTP to natural dNTP on the degree of fluorophore incorporation and the length of the polymerized DNA strand. These experiments allowed us to optimize the polymerization conditions to incorporate up to ~50 fluorescent Cy3-labeled dNTPs per kilobase into a ssDNA chain. With the goal of using TdT as an on-chip labeling method, we also quantified TdT mediated signal amplification on the surface by immobilizing ssDNA oligonucleotide initiators on a glass surface followed by SIEP of DNA. The incorporation of multiple fluorophores into the extended DNA chain by SIEP translated to a ~45 fold signal amplification compared to the incorporation of a single fluorophore. SIEP was then employed to detect hybridization of DNA, by the posthybridization, on-chip polymerization of fluorescently labeled ssDNA that was grown from the 3'-OH of target strands that hybridized to DNA probes that were printed on a surface. A dose-response curve for detection of DNA hybridization by SIEP was generated, with a ~1 pM limit of detection and a linear dynamic range of 2 logs.

High-throughput microarray technology in diagnostics of enterobacteria based on genome-wide probe selection and regression analysis

Background

The Enterobacteriaceae comprise a large number of clinically relevant species with several individual subspecies. Overlapping virulence-associated gene pools and the high overall genome plasticity often interferes with correct enterobacterial strain typing and risk assessment. Array technology offers a fast, reproducible and standardisable means for bacterial typing and thus provides many advantages for bacterial diagnostics, risk assessment and surveillance. The development of highly discriminative broad-range microbial diagnostic microarrays remains a challenge, because of marked genome plasticity of many bacterial pathogens.

Results

We developed a DNA microarray for strain typing and detection of major antimicrobial resistance genes of clinically relevant enterobacteria. For this purpose, we applied a global genome-wide probe selection strategy on 32 available complete enterobacterial genomes combined with a regression model for pathogen classification. The discriminative power of the probe set was further tested in silico on 15 additional complete enterobacterial genome sequences. DNA microarrays based on the selected probes were used to type 92 clinical enterobacterial isolates. Phenotypic tests confirmed the array-based typing results and corroborate that the selected probes allowed correct typing and prediction of major antibiotic resistances of clinically relevant Enterobacteriaceae, including the subspecies level, e.g. the reliable distinction of different E. coli pathotypes.

Conclusions

Our results demonstrate that the global probe selection approach based on longest common factor statistics as well as the design of a DNA microarray with a restricted set of discriminative probes enables robust discrimination of different enterobacterial variants and represents a proof of concept that can be adopted for diagnostics of a wide range of microbial pathogens. Our approach circumvents misclassifications arising from the application of virulence markers, which are highly affected by horizontal gene transfer. Moreover, a broad range of pathogens have been covered by an efficient probe set size enabling the design of high-throughput diagnostics.

Multiplexed identification of different fish species by detection of parvalbumin, a common fish allergen gene: a DNA application of multi-analyte profiling (xMAP) technology

Fish are a common cause of allergic reactions associated with food consumption, with parvalbumin being the major allergenic protein. Some fish-hypersensitive patients tolerate some fish species while being allergic to others. Reliable detection methods for allergenic fish species in foods are necessary to ensure compliance with food allergen labeling guidelines to protect fish-allergic consumers. The objective of this project was to develop a multi-analyte detection method for the presence of fish in food. Therefore, conserved parvalbumin exon sequences were utilized for the design of universal PCR primers amplifying intron DNA and small regions of exons flanking the enclosed intron from even very distantly related fish species. An assay for the identification of eight fish species was developed using xMAP technology with probes targeting species-specific parvalbumin intron regions. Additionally, a universal fish probe was designed targeting a highly conserved exon region located between the intron and the reverse primer region. The universal fish assay showed no cross-reactivity with other species, such as beef, pork, lamb, chicken, turkey, and shrimp. Importantly, with the exception of one notable case with fish in the same subfamily, species-specific detection showed no cross-reactivity with other fish species. Limits of detection for these eight species were experimentally estimated to range from 0.01% to 0.04%, with potential to increase the detection sensitivity. This report introduces a newly developed method for the multiplex identification of at least eight allergenic fish species in food, which could conceivably be extended to detect up to 100 species simultaneously in one sample.

A simple gold nanoparticle-mediated immobilization method to fabricate highly homogeneous DNA microarrays having higher capacities than those prepared by using conventional techniques

A simple, highly efficient immobilization method to fabricate DNA microarrays, that utilizes gold nanoparticles as the mediator, has been developed. The fabrication method begins with electrostatic attachment of amine-modified DNA to gold nanoparticles. The resulting gold-DNA complexes are immobilized on conventional amine or aldehyde functionalized glass slides. By employing gold nanoparticles as the immobilization mediator, implementation of this procedure yields highly homogeneous microarrays that have higher binding capacities than those produced by conventional methods. This outcome is due to the increased three-dimensional immobilization surface provided by the gold nanoparticles as well as the intrinsic effects of gold on emission properties. This novel immobilization strategy gives microarrays that produce more intense hybridization signals for the complementary DNA. Furthermore, the silver enhancement technique, made possible only in the case of immobilized gold nanoparticles on the microarrays, enables simple monitoring of the integrity of the immobilized DNA probe.

A novel method for the detection of point mutation in DNA using single-base-coded CdS nanoprobes

A novel method for DNA point mutation detection using single-base-coded CdS nanoparticle probes is proposed. Target DNA was immobilized on core/shell Fe(3)O(4)/Au magnetic nanoparticles. Single-base-coded CdS nanoparticles, such as guanosine coded CdS (G-CdS), cytidine coded CdS (C-CdS), thymidine coded CdS (T-CdS) and adenosine coded CdS (A-CdS) were used as the probes to identify the mutation sites in DNA strand. The hybridization process of single-base-coded CdS nanoparticle probes with the mutation sites in DNA was monitored using piezoelectric quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). The hybridization of the mutation base in DNA with its complementary base-coded CdS nanoprobes specifically caused significant changes in the resonance frequency of the QCM. Thus the base types of the mutation sites in DNA strand could be identified. The results were further confirmed by fluorescence measurement of CdS. Owing to its operation convenience and cost-effective, this DNA point mutation detection method is expected to hold a great promise in the detection of DNA point mutation and genetic assays.

A polydiacetylene microchip based on a biotin-streptavidin interaction for the diagnosis of pathogen infections

A micropatterned polydiacetylene (PDA) chip, utilizing the unique fluorogenic property of PDA and a specific biotin-streptavidin (STA) interaction, is constructed to detect pathogen infections. To construct the PDA chip, biotin-modified diacetylene liposomes are immobilized on aldehyde glass and conjugated with STA, followed by UV irradiation to polymerize the STA-functionalized diacetylene liposomes. Genomic DNA of a model pathogen, Chlamydia trachomatis, is isolated from human samples and biotin-labeled target DNA is obtained through PCR amplification using biotin-11-dUTP. Owing to the stimulus caused by the biotin-STA interaction, the biotinylated DNA induces an intense fluorescence signal on the immobilized PDA. By using this strategy, it is possible to diagnose Chlamydia infections by applying DNA samples from several nonhealthy humans to a single PDA chip. The results of this study serve as the basis for a new strategy for fluorogenic PDA microarray-based diagnosis of pathogen infections.

Area-scaling of interferometric and fluorescent detection of protein on antibody microarrays

The sensitivity limits for an in-line interferometric (IL)/fluorescent (FL) dual-channel BioCD are established as a function of spatial averaging. Forward-phase and sandwich assays at 10ng/ml were performed on large-scale antibody microarrays (6800-spot) and detected using in-line interferometry and fluorescence channels. The interferometric channel has an extrapolated label-free limit-of-detection (LOD) of 250pg/ml in a forward-phase assay for which the fluorescent channel is inapplicable. In the sandwich assay, the extrapolated limit-of-detection is 70pg/ml for the interferometric channel, and for the fluorescent channel it is 30pg/ml. Intrinsic scale-free sensitivities for the detection channels are defined assuming spatially uncorrelated fluctuations with sensitivities of S'=13pg/mm for interferometric detection and 7pg/mm for sandwich fluorescent detection. The intrinsic sensitivities become weakly scale dependent in the presence of fractal spatial correlations among the antibody spots.

Quantitative evaluation of oligonucleotide surface concentrations using polymerization-based amplification

Quantitative evaluation of minimal polynucleotide concentrations has become a critical analysis among a myriad of applications found in molecular diagnostic technology. Development of high-throughput, nonenzymatic assays that are sensitive, quantitative and yet feasible for point-of-care testing are thus beneficial for routine implementation. Here, we develop a nonenzymatic method for quantifying surface concentrations of labeled DNA targets by coupling regulated amounts of polymer growth to complementary biomolecular binding on array-based biochips. Polymer film thickness measurements in the 20–220 nm range vary logarithmically with labeled DNA surface concentrations over two orders of magnitude with a lower limit of quantitation at 60 molecules/μm² (∼10⁶ target molecules). In an effort to develop this amplification method towards compatibility with fluorescence-based methods of characterization, incorporation of fluorescent nanoparticles into the polymer films is also evaluated. The resulting gains in fluorescent signal enable quantification using detection instrumentation amenable to point-of-care settings.

Figure

Combined fluorescent and interferometric detection of protein on a BioCD

We perform simultaneous interferometric and fluorescent detection of molecular protein layers on a BioCD. The 488 nm excitation wavelength of fluorescein also provides the interferometric detection channel that operates in a common-path in-line configuration in the condition of phase quadrature set by a thermal oxide on silicon. The simultaneous acquisition of both channels enables a direct correlation between bound mass and fluorescent surface density, which we compare in forward- and reverse-phase immunoassays. Scaling mass sensitivities for immunoassays measured in the interferometric and fluorescent channels are 15 pg/mm and 1.5 pg/mm, respectively, when applied to gel-printed periodic antibody patterns detected in the frequency domain from the spinning disc. These sensitivities are limited by the inhomogeneities of the print. While fluorescence is subject to bleaching, the interferometry signal is robust under long-term laser illumination.

Strategies for label-free optical detection

A large number of methods using direct detection with label-free systems are known. They compete with the well-introduced fluorescence-based methods. However, recent applications take advantage of label-free detection in protein-protein interactions, high-throughput screening, and high-content screening. These new applications require new strategies for biosensors. It becomes more and more obvious that neither the transduction principle nor the recognition elements for the biomolecular interaction process alone determine the quality of the biosensor. Accordingly, the biosensor system has to be considered as a whole. This chapter focuses on strategies to optimize the detection platform and the biomolecular recognition layer. It concentrates on direct detection methods, with special focus on optical transduction. Since even this restriction still leaves a large number of methods, only microrefractometric and microreflectometric methods using planar transducers have been selected for a detailed description and a listing of applications. However, since many review articles on the physical principles exist, the description is kept short. Other methods are just mentioned in brief and for comparison. The outlook and the applications demonstrate the future perspectives of direct optical detection in bioanalytics.

Enzyme-catalyzed signal amplification for electrochemical DNA detection with a PNA-modified electrode

The signal amplification technique of peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based electrochemical DNA sensor was developed in a label-free and one-step method utilizing enzymatic catalysis. Electrochemical detection of DNA hybridization on a PNA-modified electrode is based on the change of surface charge caused by the hybridization of negatively charged DNA molecules. The negatively charged mediator, ferrocenedicarboxylic acid, cannot diffuse to the DNA hybridized electrode surface due to the charge repulsion with the hybridized DNA molecule while it can easily approach the neutral PNA-modified electrode surface without the hybridization. By employing glucose oxidase catalysis on this PNA-based electrochemical system, the oxidized mediator could be immediately reduced leading to greatly increased electrochemical signals. Using the enzymatic strategy, we successfully demonstrated its clinical utility by detecting one of the mutation sequences of the breast cancer susceptibility gene BRCA1 at a sample concentration lower than 10(-9) M. Furthermore, a single base-mismatched sample could be also discriminated from a perfectly matched sample.

Functionalization of PVC membrane with ss oligonucleotides for a potentiometric biosensor

A novel application of a single stranded (ss) oligonucleotide as an active component of polymeric membrane in an ion-selective electrode (ISE) is described. The original oligonucleotides, oligo(dA)(15), modified by cholesterol, triphenylmethyl and hexadecyl derivatives, were immobilized into poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) membrane using extraction protocol. In parallel, the adsorption protocol was used to immobilize unmodified oligo(dA)(15) on the PVC membrane based on tridodecylmethyammonium chloride (TDDMA(+)Cl(-)). Immobilization of ss oligonucleotide probe through spacer was more effective for the potentiometric detection of the hybridization between complementary oligonucleotides. It was found that cholesterol-oligo(dA)(15) modified membranes were sensitive toward complementary oligo(dT)(15) in the concentration range 2-80 nM at pH 7. An explanation for the detection mechanism is proposed.

High efficiency Hall effect micro-biosensor platform for detection of magnetically labeled biomolecules

Detection of magnetically labeled biomolecules using micro-Hall biosensors is a promising method for monitoring biomolecular recognition processes. The measurement efficiency of standard systems is limited by the time taken for magnetic beads to reach the sensing area of the Hall devices. Here, micro-current lines were integrated with Hall effect structures to manipulate the position of magnetic beads via field gradients generated by localized currents flowing in the current lines. Beads were accumulated onto the sensor surface within seconds of passing currents through the current lines. Real-time detection of magnetic beads using current lines integrated with Hall biosensors was achieved. These results are promising in establishing Hall biosensor platforms as efficient and inexpensive means of monitoring biomolecular reactions for medical applications.