Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria by a combination of immunofluorescent staining and capillary electrophoresis.

As the number of incidents of bacterial infections continues to rise around the globe, simpler, faster, and more sensitive diagnostic techniques are required to improve the safety of the food supply and to screen for potential bacterial infections in humans. We present here direct and indirect approaches for the detection of bacteria, which are based upon a combination of immunofluorescent staining and capillary electrophoresis. In the direct approach, Escherichia coli O157:H7 bacteria stained with fluorescein-tagged specific antibodies are detected by CE, while in the indirect approach fluorescein-tagged specific antibodies to E. coli are first captured by E. coli O157:H7 bacteria and then released and detected by CE. We have identified suitable bacteria staining and CE protocols, which involved a 10 mM Tris-borate-EDTA (TBE) buffer, 0.25 micro g antibody/1 million bacteria, and capillaries dynamically coated with poly-N-hydroxyethylacrylamide (polyDuramide). We have also successfully detected the presence of E. coli O157:H7 in contaminated meat. The total time required for analysis was 6-8 h, which is less than that realized in most commercial assays presently available.

Critical factors for high-performance physically adsorbed (dynamic) polymeric wall coatings for capillary electrophoresis of DNA.

Physically adsorbed (dynamic) polymeric wall coatings for microchannel electrophoresis have distinct advantages over covalently linked coatings. In order to determine the critical factors that control the formation of dynamic wall coatings, we have created a set of model polymers and copolymers based on N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA) and N,N-diethylacrylamide (DEA), and studied their adsorption behavior from aqueous solution as well as their performance for microchannel electrophoresis of DNA. This study is revealing in terms of the polymer properties that help create an "ideal" wall coating. Our measurements indicate that the chemical nature of the coating polymer strongly impacts its electroosmotic flow (EOF) suppression capabilities. Additionally, we find that a critical polymer chain length is required for polymers of this type to perform effectively as microchannel wall coatings. The effective mobilities of double-stranded (dsDNA) fragments within dynamically coated capillaries were determined in order to correlate polymer hydrophobicity with separation performance. Even for dsDNA, which is not expected to be a strongly adsorbing analyte, wall coating hydrophobicity has a deleterious influence on separation performance.

Optimized sample preparation for tandem capillary electrophoresis single-stranded conformational polymorphism/ heteroduplex analysis.

Here we describe DNA sample preparation methods that allow the rapid, simultaneous generation of both single-stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) and heteroduplex DNA elements from a single sample in a single tube, which are suitable for direct injection into a capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument with excellent sensitivity of genetic mutation detection. The p53 gene was used as a model DNA region for this study, which was performed on a high-throughput MegaBACE 96-capillary array electrophoresis instrument. We found that, contrary to the practice common in slab-gel SSCP analysis, denaturants such as formamide are incompatible with this novel technique because they result in homo- and heteroduplex peak broadening in CE (possibly as a result of incomplete dsDNA re-hybridization) that reduces the peak resolution and hence the sensitivity of mutation detection. We also have found that PCR buffers, which are typically used to suspend samples for slab-gel heteroduplex analysis (HA), but which are less suitable for CE because of the presence of extra salt that reduces the efficiency of electrokinetic injection, may be substituted with a 10 mM Tris-HCI buffer (pH 8.5). The use of this Tris-HCl buffer for sample preparation provides both a high sensitivity of mutation detection by tandem SSCP/HA and high efficiency ofelectrokinetic injection by CE. In a related study (published elsewhere), we have applied this optimized protocol to the screening of a set of 32 mutant DNA samples from p53 exons 7 and 8 and recorded 100% sensitivity of mutation detection for tandem CE-SSCP/HA, whereas each individual method yielded lower sensitivity on its own (93% for SSCP and 75% for HA).

Technical challenges in applying capillary electrophoresis-single strand conformation polymorphism for routine genetic analysis.

Recent and future advances in population genetics will have a significant impact on health care practices and the economics of health care provision only if a spectrum of patient-tailored, effective methods of DNA screening for sequence alterations has been developed. Genetic screening by capillary electrophoresis-single strand conformation polymorphism (CE-SSCP), which is based upon the differences in electrophoretic mobilities of wild-type and mutant DNA species, offers an important complement to other presently available techniques such as Sanger sequencing and DNA hybridization arrays due to its simplicity, versatility, and low cost of analysis. A two-part review of CE-SSCP that discusses its advantages and limitations is presented. Emphasis is placed on technological aspects of CE-SSCP (including such rarely addressed issues as sample preparation protocols and the nature of the polymeric DNA separation matrix) as well as on the potential of CE-SSCP for routine genetic analysis. An attempt is made to organize and present the information in sufficient detail to allow the use of SSCP for routine genetic screening even by those inexperienced in CE. Some discussion of CE-based heteroduplex analysis (HA) is also presented.

High-throughput, high-sensitivity genetic mutation detection by tandem single-strand conformation polymorphism/heteroduplex analysis capillary array electrophoresis.

We present the first optimization of linear polyacrylamide (LPA)-based DNA separation matrixes for an automated tandem microchannel single-strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP)/heteroduplex analysis (HA) method, implemented in capillary arrays dynamically coated with poly(N-hydroxyethylacrylamide) (polyDuramide). An optimized protocol for sample preparation allowed both SSCP and HA species to be produced in one step in a single tube and distinguished in a single electrophoretic analysis. A simple, two-color fluorescent sample labeling and detection strategy enabled unambiguous identification of all DNA species in the electropherogram, both single- and double-stranded. Using these protocols and a panel of 11 p53 mutant DNA samples in comparison with wild-type, we employed high-throughput capillary array electrophoresis (CAE) to carry out a systematic and simultaneous optimization of LPA weight-average molar mass (Mw) and concentration for SSCP/HA peak separation. The combination of the optimized LPA matrix (6% LPA, Mw 600 kDa) and a hydrophilic, adsorbed polyDuramide wall coating was found to be essential for resolution of CAE-SSCP/HA peaks and yielded sensitive mutation detection in all 11 p53 samples initially studied. A larger set of 32 mutant DNA specimens was then analyzed using these optimized tandem CAE-SSCP/HA protocols and materials and yielded 100% sensitivity of mutation detection, whereas each individual method yielded lower sensitivity on its own (93% for SSCP and 75% for HA). This simple, highly sensitive tandem SSCP/HA mutation detection method should be easily translatable to electrophoretic analyses on microfluidic devices, due to the ease of the capillary coating protocol and the low viscosity of the matrix.

Metal Complexes of Mesitylphosphine: Synthesis, Structure, and Spectroscopy.

A series of primary phosphine homoleptic complexes [ML(4)](n)()(+)X(n)() (1, M = Ni, n = 0; 2, M = Pd, n = 2, X = BF(4); 3, M = Cu, n = 1, X = PF(6); 4, M = Ag, n = 1, X = BF(4); L = PH(2)Mes, Mes = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)] was prepared from mesitylphosphine and Ni(COD)(2), [Pd(NCMe)(4)][BF(4)](2), [Cu(NCMe)(4)]PF(6), and AgBF(4), respectively. Reactions of 1-4 with MeC(CH(2)PPh(2))(3) (triphos) or [P(CH(2)CH(2)PPh(2))(3)] (tetraphos) afforded the derivatives [M(L')L](n)()(+)X(n)() (L' = triphos; 6, M = Ni, n = 0; 7, M = Cu, n = 1, X = PF(6); 8, M = Ag, n = 1, X = BF(4); L' = tetraphos; 9, M = Pd, n = 2, X = BF(4)). Addition of NOBF(4) to 1 yielded the nitrosyl compound [NiL(3)(NO)]BF(4), 5. The solution structure and dynamics of 1-9 were studied by (31)P NMR spectroscopy (including the first reported analyses of a 12-spin system for 1-2). Complexes 1, 3, 6, and 7.solvent were characterized crystallographically. The structural and spectroscopic studies suggest that the coordination properties of L are dominated by its relatively small cone angle and that the basicity of L is comparable to that of more commonly used tertiary phosphines.

Synthesis and Ligand Substitution Reactions of a Mesitylphosphido-Bridged Platinum(II) Dimer.

The stable primary phosphine complexes trans-M(PH(2)Mes)(2)Cl(2) (1, M = Pd; 2, M = Pt; Mes = 2,4,6-(t-Bu)(3)C(6)H(2)) were prepared from Pd(PhCN)(2)Cl(2) and K(2)PtCl(4), respectively. Reaction of Pt(COD)Cl(2) (COD = 1,5-cyclooctadiene) with less bulky arylphosphines gives the unstable cis-Pt(PH(2)Ar)(2)Cl(2) (3, Ar = Is = 2,4,6-(i-Pr)(3)C(6)H(2); 4, Ar = Mes = 2,4,6-Me(3)C(6)H(2)). Spontaneous dehydrochlorination of 4 or direct reaction of K(2)PtCl(4) with 2 equiv of PH(2)Mes gives the insoluble primary phosphido-bridged dimer [Pt(PH(2)Mes)(&mgr;-PHMes)Cl](2) (5), which was characterized spectroscopically, including solid-state (31)P NMR studies. The reversible reaction of 5 with PH(2)Mes gives [Pt(PH(2)Mes)(2)(&mgr;-PHMes)](2)[Cl](2) (6), while PEt(3) yields [Pt(PEt(3))(2)(&mgr;-PHMes)](2)[Cl](2) (7), which on recrystallization forms [Pt(PEt(3))(&mgr;-PHMes)Cl](2) (8). Complex 5 and PPh(3) afford [Pt(PPh(3))(&mgr;-PHMes)Cl](2) (9). Addition of 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethane (dppe) to 5 gives the dicationic [Pt(dppe)(&mgr;-PHMes)](2)[Cl](2) (10-Cl), which was also obtained as the tetrafluoroborate salt 10-BF(4)() by deprotonation of [Pt(dppe)(PH(2)Mes)Cl][BF(4)] (11) with Et(3)N or by reaction of [Pt(dppe)(&mgr;-OH)](2)[BF(4)](2) with 2 equiv of PH(2)Mes. Complexes 8, 9, and 10-Cl.2CH(2)Cl(2).2H(2)O were characterized crystallographically.