Fluorescence-based temperature control for polymerase chain reaction.

The ability to accurately monitor solution temperature is important for the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Robust amplification during PCR is contingent on the solution reaching denaturation and annealing temperatures. By correlating temperature to the fluorescence of a passive dye, noninvasive monitoring of solution temperatures is possible. The temperature sensitivity of 22 fluorescent dyes was assessed. Emission spectra were monitored and the change in fluorescence between 45 and 95°C was quantified. Seven dyes decreased in intensity as the temperature increased, and 15 were variable depending on the excitation wavelength. Sulforhodamine B (monosodium salt) exhibited a fold change in fluorescence of 2.85. Faster PCR minimizes cycling times and improves turnaround time, throughput, and specificity. If temperature measurements are accurate, no holding period is required even at rapid speeds. A custom instrument using fluorescence-based temperature monitoring with dynamic feedback control for temperature cycling amplified a fragment surrounding rs917118 from genomic DNA in 3min and 45s using 35 cycles, allowing subsequent genotyping by high-resolution melting analysis. Gold-standard thermocouple readings and fluorescence-based temperature differences were 0.29±0.17 and 0.96±0.26°C at annealing and denaturation, respectively. This new method for temperature cycling may allow faster speeds for PCR than currently considered possible.

Quantum method for fluorescence background removal in DNA melting analysis.

Fluorescent high-resolution DNA melting analysis is a robust method of genotyping and mutation scanning. However, removing background fluorescence is important for accurate classification and to correctly display helicity. Linear baseline extrapolation, commonly used with absorbance, often fails at low temperatures when fluorescence is used. A new quantum method of background removal based on the inherent decrease of fluorescence with temperature is described. Absorbance and fluorescence melting curves were compared using synthetic targets including hairpins, unlabeled probes, and a 50 bp duplex. In addition, the quantum method was compared to a previously described exponential method for analysis of genotyping data produced after polymerase chain reaction (PCR), including those from small amplicons, unlabeled probes, and snapback primers. The quantum method best matched absorbance data and predicted helicity, with the exponential method displaying low-temperature bulges and domain artifacts that can lead to incorrect genotyping. When two melting domains were widely separated, quantum analysis produced a flat baseline between domains, while exponential analysis was temperature-dependent. Both methods have little effect on the melting temperature (Tm) although some differences were significant (hairpin Tm values increased 0.7 °C by the quantum method and decreased 1.5 °C by exponential method, p = 0.01). However, peak heights on derivative plots were strongly algorithm-dependent, with exponential analysis enhancing low-temperature peaks while dampening high-temperature peaks. Quantum-analyzed fluorescence curves were a better match to absorbance data in terms of shape, area, and peak height compared to other methods, indicating that DNA helicity is best approximated by the quantum method.

Monitoring temperature with fluorescence during real-time PCR and melting analysis.

Accurate control of the sample temperature during thermal cycling is critical for successful polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Direct sensor contact with the reaction is problematic, forcing measurements external to the sample and compromising accuracy during rapid temperature transitions. The widespread use of fluorescence in real-time PCR and melting analysis suggests another measure of temperature, the intrinsic fluorescence of temperature-sensitive passive dyes. Calibration curves correlating sulforhodamine B fluorescence to temperature on nine real-time PCR instruments were obtained by heating at 0.018-0.1 °C/s between 50 and 95 °C, with a twofold change in fluorescence. After instrument stabilization for 20 min, no dye photobleaching was observed and thermal degradation was 2.2%/h at 80 °C. During cycling, solution temperatures derived from fluorescence were well matched to thermocouples placed within samples, but not to temperatures recorded by the instrument. Solution temperatures lagged instrument temperatures by up to 8 °C during cycling, often requiring 5-10 s at target temperatures for equilibration. Melting curves were displaced by 0.2-1.1 °C. Temperature inaccuracies were dependent on the instrument, the ramp rate, and the sample volume. The fluorescence of passive dyes can be used to accurately assess solution temperatures during PCR and should be particularly useful at fast cycling speeds.

High-resolution DNA melting analysis in clinical research and diagnostics.

Among nucleic acid analytical methods, high-resolution melting analysis is gaining more and more attention. High-resolution melting provides simple, homogeneous solutions for variant scanning and genotyping, addressing the needs of today's overburdened laboratories with rapid turnaround times and minimal cost. The flexibility of the technique has allowed it to be adopted by a wide range of disciplines for a variety of applications. In this review we examine the broad use of high-resolution melting analysis, including gene scanning, genotyping (including small amplicon, unlabeled probe and snapback primers), sequence matching and methylation analysis. Four major application arenas are examined to demonstrate the methods and approaches commonly used in particular fields. The appropriate usage of high-resolution melting analysis is discussed in the context of known constraints, such as sample quality and quantity, with a particular focus placed on proper experimental design in order to produce successful results.