Gene-associated markers provide tools for tackling illegal fishing and false eco-certification.

Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing has had a major role in the overexploitation of global fish populations. In response, international regulations have been imposed and many fisheries have been 'eco-certified' by consumer organizations, but methods for independent control of catch certificates and eco-labels are urgently needed. Here we show that, by using gene-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms, individual marine fish can be assigned back to population of origin with unprecedented high levels of precision. By applying high differentiation single nucleotide polymorphism assays, in four commercial marine fish, on a pan-European scale, we find 93-100% of individuals could be correctly assigned to origin in policy-driven case studies. We show how case-targeted single nucleotide polymorphism assays can be created and forensically validated, using a centrally maintained and publicly available database. Our results demonstrate how application of gene-associated markers will likely revolutionize origin assignment and become highly valuable tools for fighting illegal fishing and mislabelling worldwide.

Analysis of crucial factors resulting in microarray hybridization failure.

The factors that affect the formation and stability of DNA/DNA duplexes are complicated and still mostly unknown. In this study attempts were made to look for the crucial factor affecting hybridization failure in DNA microarray assays. A comprehensive range of factors were investigated simultaneously using a 25-mer oligonucleotide Potyvirus microarray. These included steric hindrance, direct/indirect labelling types, distance of a probe to the fluorescent labelling end, target (the DNA fragment used to hybridize with microarray probes) strand types either single strand or double strand, probes without mismatch and with different numbers of mismatch nucleotides (up to 36%) and different mismatch locations (5' end, centre and 3' end), probe GC content and T(m), secondary structures of probes and targets, different target lengths (0.277 kb to ~1.3 kb) and concentrations (0.1-30 nM). The results showed that whilst most of these known factors were unlikely to be the main causes of failed hybridization, there was strong evidence suggesting that the viral amplicon target structure is the most crucial factor. However, computing predicted target secondary structures by Mfold showed no correlation with the hybridization results. One explanation is that the predicted target secondary structures are different from the real structures. Here we postulate that the real target structure might be a combination of secondary structures resulting in a three-dimensional structure from exposure to three types of sub-structures: (1) a completely exposed linear structure to allow probes access for the successful hybridization and showing strong fluorescent signals; (2) a partially exposed structure to allow unstable binding and showing weak fluorescent signals; (3) a closed structure resulting in failed hybridization. These results are very important for microarray based studies as they not only provide an explanation for some current controversial results, but also provide potential resolution for the future studies. Due to the lack of available software for predicting the true target structure, development of microarrays should conduct an initial oligonucleotide probe selection procedure and those probes with capacity to hybridize with the target should be considered for the microarray development.

Identifying Fishes through DNA Barcodes and Microarrays.

BACKGROUND: International fish trade reached an import value of 62.8 billion Euro in 2006, of which 44.6% are covered by the European Union. Species identification is a key problem throughout the life cycle of fishes: from eggs and larvae to adults in fisheries research and control, as well as processed fish products in consumer protection. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: This study aims to evaluate the applicability of the three mitochondrial genes 16S rRNA (16S), cytochrome b (cyt b), and cytochrome oxidase subunit I (COI) for the identification of 50 European marine fish species by combining techniques of "DNA barcoding" and microarrays. In a DNA barcoding approach, neighbour Joining (NJ) phylogenetic trees of 369 16S, 212 cyt b, and 447 COI sequences indicated that cyt b and COI are suitable for unambiguous identification, whereas 16S failed to discriminate closely related flatfish and gurnard species. In course of probe design for DNA microarray development, each of the markers yielded a high number of potentially species-specific probes in silico, although many of them were rejected based on microarray hybridisation experiments. None of the markers provided probes to discriminate the sibling flatfish and gurnard species. However, since 16S-probes were less negatively influenced by the "position of label" effect and showed the lowest rejection rate and the highest mean signal intensity, 16S is more suitable for DNA microarray probe design than cty b and COI. The large portion of rejected COI-probes after hybridisation experiments (>90%) renders the DNA barcoding marker as rather unsuitable for this high-throughput technology. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Based on these data, a DNA microarray containing 64 functional oligonucleotide probes for the identification of 30 out of the 50 fish species investigated was developed. It represents the next step towards an automated and easy-to-handle method to identify fish, ichthyoplankton, and fish products.

Development of a short oligonucleotide microarray for the detection and identification of multiple potyviruses.

The genus Potyvirus is the largest and one of the most economically important virus genera infecting plants. However, current diagnostic techniques are limited in their ability to identify multiple potyvirus infections. An assay that can identify multiple potyviruses simultaneously, with good specificity and sensitivity, is therefore highly desirable. To determine the feasibility of simultaneous detection of multiple potyviruses a 25-mer oligonucleotide microarray was developed targeting four distinct potyviruses: Dasheen mosaic virus (DsMV), Leek yellow stripe virus (LYSV), Potato virus Y (PVY) and Zucchini yellow mosaic virus (ZYMV). A total of 85 probes including 33 perfect-match and 52 mismatch probes were designed from conserved and variable sequence regions of the nuclear inclusion b (NIb) gene, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene, coat protein (CP) gene and the 3' untranslated region (UTR), representing the four targeted potyviruses at both species and strain levels. Each probe was synthesized with spacers of either 6 or 12 poly-cytosine or poly-thymine at the 5' terminus. The array showed high specificity when tested with nineteen different geographically diverse potyvirus isolates of the four target species, four distinct but closely related potyviruses, and four healthy plant species. The approaches and protocols developed in this study form a useful basis for developing other potyviruses arrays and the results also provide useful insights into generic issues for the development of arrays for detecting other pathogens.

Immobilization chemistries.

Among the parameters which influence the success of a microarray experiment, the attachment of the nucleic acid captures to the support surface plays a decisive role.This article attempts to review the main concepts and ideas of the multiple variants which exist in terms of the immobilization chemistries used in nucleic acid microarray technology. Starting from the attachment of unmodified nucleic acids to modified glass slides by adsorption, further strategies for the coupling of nucleic acid capture molecules to a variety of support materials are surveyed with a focus on the reactive groups involved in the respective process.After a brief introduction, an overview is given about microarray substrates with special emphasis on the approaches used for the activation of these - usually chemically inert - materials. In the next sections strategies for the "undefined" and "defined" immobilization of captures on the substrates are described. While the latter approach tries to accomplish the coupling via a defined reactive moiety of the molecule to be immobilized, the former mentioned techniques involve multiply occurring reactive groups in the capture.The article finishes with an example for microarray manufacture, the production of aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) functionalized glass substrates to which PDITC homobifunctional linker molecules are coupled; on their part providing reactive functional groups for the covalent immobilization of pre-synthesized, amino-modified oligonucleotides.This survey does not seek to be comprehensive rather it tries to present and provide key examples for the basic techniques, and to enable orientation if more detailed studies are needed. This review should not be considered as a guide to how to use the different chemistries described, but instead as a presentation of various principles and approaches applied in the still evolving field of nucleic acid microarray technology.

Genetic population structure of the lionfish Pterois miles (Scorpaenidae, Pteroinae) in the Gulf of Aqaba and northern Red Sea.

The aim of this study is to reveal gene flow between populations of the coral reef dwelling lionfish Pterois miles in the Gulf of Aqaba and northern Red Sea. Due to the fjord-like hydrography and topology of the Gulf of Aqaba, isolation of populations might be possible. Analysis of 5' mitochondrial control region sequences from 94 P. miles specimens detected 32 polymorphic sites, yielding 38 haplotypes. Sequence divergence among different haplotypes ranged from 0.6% to 9.9% and genetic diversity was high (h=0.85, pi=1.9%). AMOVA indicates panmixia between the Gulf of Aqaba and northern Red Sea, but analysis of migration pattern shows an almost unidirectional migration originating from the Red Sea.

Molecular phylogeny of the lionfish genera Dendrochirus and Pterois (Scorpaenidae, Pteroinae) based on mitochondrial DNA sequences.

This study investigates the molecular phylogeny of seven lionfishes of the genera Dendrochirus and Pterois. MP, ML, and NJ phylogenetic analysis based on 964 bp of partial mitochondrial DNA sequences (cytochrome b and 16S rDNA) revealed two main clades: (1) "Pterois" clade (Pterois miles and Pterois volitans), and (2) "Pteropterus-Dendrochirus" clade (remainder of the sampled species). The position of Dendrochirus brachypterus either basal to the main clades or in the "Pteropterus-Dendrochirus" clade cannot be resolved. However, the molecular phylogeny did not support the current separation of the genera Pterois and Dendrochirus. The siblings P. miles and P. volitans are clearly separated and our results support the proposed allopatric or parapatric distribution in the Indian and Pacific Ocean. However, the present analysis cannot reveal if P. miles and P. volitans are separate species or two populations of a single species, because the observed separation in different clades can be either explained by speciation or lineage sorting. Molecular clock estimates for the siblings P. miles and P. volitans suggest a divergence time of 2.4-8.3 mya, which coincide with geological events that created vicariance between populations of the Indian and Pacific Ocean.

Detection of rViscumin in plasma samples by immuno-PCR.

To allow for pharmacokinetic studies in adjunction with the current clinical developments of the potent cytostatic anti-cancer drug rViscumin, a sandwich immuno-PCR (IPCR) assay was developed for the detection of rViscumin in blood plasma. The IPCR was carried out with a commercially available reagent kit, consisting of pre-assembled rViscumin-specific antibody-DNA conjugates as well as a specific competitor DNA fragment to be amplified by PCR. Various combinations of capture- and detection-antibodies were compared for performance in IPCR. Using the optimized assay, as few as 50 zeptomol (approx. 100 fg/ml) rViscumin (MW 57 kDa) was detectable in standardized human serum samples. The IPCR assay was very selective for rViscumin and in spiking experiments in proband plasma samples, signal recovery rates between 70% and 120% were obtained. The linear sensitivity range of the assay covered more than five orders of magnitude. Repeated measurements of rViscumin resulted in a mean standard deviation value of 14.2%.

Selection of large diversities of antiidiotypic antibody fragments by phage display.

Antiidiotypic antibodies (Ab2) are needed as tools for a better understanding of molecular mimicry and the immunological network, and for many potential applications in the biomedical and pharmaceutical field. Antiidiotypic antibodies mimicking carbohydrate or conformational epitopes (Ab2beta) are of considerable interest as surrogate immunogens for cancer vaccination. However, it has so far been difficult and tedious to produce Ab2s to a given antigen. Here we describe a fast and reliable technique for generating large diversities of antiidiotypic single chain antibody fragments from non-immunized phagemid libraries using phage display. Key elements are a specific elution with the original antigen followed by trypsin treatment of the eluted phages in combination with the protease sensitive helperphage KM13. This novel method was compared with various conventional selection and elution methods, including, specific elution with or without trypsin treatment, elution with glycine at pH 2.2 with or without trypsin treatment, and elution by trypsin treatment only. The results clearly show that specific elution in combination with trypsin treatment of the eluted phages is by far superior to the other conventional methods, enabling for the first time the generation of a large variety of Ab2s after only two to three rounds of selection, thereby maintaining maximum diversity. We obtained 28 to 88 antiidiotypes out of 96 tested clones after two to three rounds of selection with a diversity of 55-90 %. This was achieved for two carbohydrate (di-, and tetrasaccharides) and one conformational protein epitope using two large naïve libraries and their corresponding monoclonal Ab1. The antiidiotypic nature of the selected scFv-phages was verified by ELISA and immunocytochemistry inhibition experiments.

DNA microarrays with PAMAM dendritic linker systems.

The DNA microarray-based analysis of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) is important for the correlation of genetic variations and individual phenotypes, and for locating disease-causing genes. To facilitate the development of surfaces suitable for immobilization of oligonucleotides, we report here a novel method for the surface immobilization of DNA using pre-fabricated polyamidoamine (PAMAM) starburst dendrimers as mediator moieties. Dendrimers containing 64 primary amino groups in their outer sphere are covalently attached to silylated glass supports and, subsequently, the dendritic macromolecules are modified with glutaric anhydride and activated with N-hydroxysuccinimide. As a result of the dendritic PAMAM linker system the surfaces reveal both a very high immobilization efficiency for amino-modified DNA-oligomers, and also a remarkable high stability during repeated regeneration and re-using cycles. The performance of dendrimer-based DNA microarrays in the discrimination of SNPs is demonstrated.