Techniques 2 Flashcards
What two processes entailed DNA extraction.
- Free max amount o fDNA from the cell.(DNA isolation)
- Separate DNA from other cellular material and debris. (DNA purification)
Why do we do DNA extraction
- DNA located in nucleus enclosed in cell where there are other cellular components such as enzymes, proteins and organic and inorganic compounds. Therefore we need to separate the DNA from the contaminants.
What are the basic steps of DNA extraction.
- Lysis and disruption
- Precipitation
- Purification
Explain the lysis step of DNA extraction.
- The cell membrane and nuclear membrane need to be disrupted this can be either physical or chemical.
- Physical: mechanical disruption through homogenisation or sonication.
- Chemical: lysing using detergents (sodium-dodecyl-sulphate (SDS)) or enzymes (proteinase K,cellulase)
How do detergents work to lyse cells.
Rapid disruption of membranes
How do enzymes work to lyse cells.
Increase DNA recovery efficiency by degrading proteins and polysaccharides
What does the precipitation step of DNA extraction entail.
Separate free DNA from cell debris and contaminants such as proteins, lipids, polysaccharides, detergents and reagents from lysis.
Why is salt used in the precipitation step of extraction.
- Precipitates proteins -decreased solubility due to increased ionic strength of solution.
- Na+ neutralises DNA backbone and stabilises it
- With the addition of proteases, proteins precipitate out, DNA remains soluble in aqueous layer.
Why is alcohol used in the precipitation step of extraction.
- Precipitates DNA -not soluble in alcohol
- Ethanol or isopropanol can bee used
Explain what the purification step of extraction entails.
- Separate precipitated DNA from aqueous layer.
- Washing steps remove remaining debris and unwanted contaminants .
- Isolate pure DNA-dried and resuspended for storage
Why do we do the salting out method
- High yield of DNA and eliminates most contaminates
- Cost effective
Function of Tris-HCL (part of buffer )
Maintained pH
Function of MgCl2 (part of lysis buffer)
Protects DNA from DNAse activity
Function of triton-X
Detergent
Function of sucrose (lysis buffer)
Osmotic membrane rupture
Function of T20E5 (found in proteinase K solution)
- Maintains pH
- Chelating agent
- Inactivates DNAse
Function of SDS (part of proteinase K)
- Lyses WBC lipid membranes
- Denatures protein
Function of proteinase K
Degrades proteins
Why should DNA be suspended in TE buffer
Stabilise DNA for longer storage
Importance of DNA quantification
- Quantification of nucleic acids is done to determine the average concentrations of DNA present in a mix prior to downstream experiments.
- Sample purity is also an important consideration to accurately calculate the amount of DNA in a sample.
- The accurate measurement is based on sensitivity, specificity and interference by contaminants.
DNA quantification methods
1.UV ABSORBANCE OR SPECTROPHOTOMETRY=Nanodrop
2.FLUOROMETRIC QUANTIFICATION=qubit fluorometer
3.AGAROSE GEL ELECTROPHORESIS=Gel tank + Agarose + DNA dye + Gel documentation system
4.AUTOMATED ELECTROPHORESIS + FLUORESCENCE MEASUREMENT= Bioanalyser or Tapestation
5.Real time PCR= qRT-PCR
Explain spectrophotometry
- The spectrophometric method is based on the properties of a substance to absorb light at a certain wavelength
- .A spectrophotometer is the instrument used to illuminate the sample and measure the signal after the light passes through the sample
- The attenuation in the light that reaches the detector after passing through the sample is measured in relation to the incident light and expressed as absorbance values of the sample in the solution
4.The Nanodrop is an instrument employing spectrophotometry and is used for measuring the DNA quantity/ concentration and DNA purity/ quality of a DNA sample
What do the 260/280 and 260/30 ratio mean
DNA is regarded as “pure” at:
-260/280 ~ 1.8 (pure RNA 260/280 ~ 2.0) and
-260/230 ~ 2
-Low ratios indicates contamination
-Residual contamination may result in an overestimation of the nucleic acid concentration
Advantages of spectrophotometry
- Use small micro volumes (12microL)
- Rapid results for quick assessments
- Graph gives indication quality
- Concentration ranges from 2-15000, can be assessed.
- Quantification of concentrated samples avoiding the need for sample dilution
- Can provide information on contaminants -can identify non-nucleic acid contamination in samples
Disadvantages of spectrophotometry
- Bad resolution for low concentration samples
- Does not distinguish between DS or ssDNA
- Containing samples leads to falsely high quantisation reading
How does a nanodrop work
- Spectrophotometer passes light from a xenon flashlamp from the upper pedestal through the liquid and the lower pedestal where it is detected by the integrated spectrometer
- Measure the absorbance at wavelengths of 230 nm, 260 nm and 280 nm
Advantages of fluorescence measurement
- It is specific-performed measurement is selective for DNA, dsDNA, ssDNA and RNA.
- It is sensitive -can measure pg/mL, it is the recommended method for very diluted nucleic acid samples.
- It is accurate despite contamination being present in the sample, including nucleic acid contaminants
- High throughput-microreader plate in one run.
Disadvantage of fluorescence measurement.
- Time consuming - reagent and sample preparation are required.
- No purity information is provided
- Costly-expensive assay kit
- Need specific equipment and reagent.
Advantages Agarose gel electrophoresis
- DNA still usable afterwards
- Requires a low amount of DNA
- DNA can be detected, no matter the size
Disadvantages of agarose gel electrophoresis.
- Time consuming
- Low accuracy
Explain what The positive control for PCR is.
- DNA with known outcome
- Shows that the primers have attached to the DNA strand
Explain what The negative control for PCR is.
- Sample without DNA
- Shows if contamination of the PCR experiment with foreign DNA has occurred
Characterise primers used in PCR reactions.
- Short oligo nucleotides: complement target sequence and bind to single stranded DNA.
- 18-40 nucleotides long
- Tm of 5C between each other
- 50% GC content
- Working solution (0.05microM-0.1microM)
Characterise dNTPs : Deoxynucleotide triphosphates
- Nucleic acid components to generate new DNA.
- 50microM each dNTP per reaction
What happens if there is excess dNTPs
Inhibits polymerase activity
What happens if the dNTPs concentration is to low.
Reduces amplicon yield
Function of DNA polymerase
- It is a thermostable enzyme that synthesises copies of DNA with every cycle of PCR. It binds nucleotides to the complementary strand.
- Binds first and add a nucleotide to the 3’-OH group of the primer . Moves in a 5’ to 3’ direction adding dNTPs.
Function of Mg2+/MgCl2 in PCR solution
- Cofactors for DNA polymerase
- Phosphodiester bond formation
- Required for successful amplification
- Concentration is higher than dNTP and primers.
Function of polymerase buffer in PCR solution
- Facilitate amplification by stabilising the polymerase.
- Most PCR buffer contain Tris/HCL at pH8
First stage of PCR -denaturation
- Double stranded separate into two single strands.
- Initial denaturing is needed before the three stages begin
- Between 94-98C
- 2min-10min: fully denature.
- High GC content require higher and longer denaturation
Second stage of PCR-annealing
- Primers anneal at complementary sequences
- Ta-5C below lowest Tm of either primer.
- Ta-52C-60C
- Time -15-60seconds
What is the final stage of PCR : Extension
- Temp allows optimal polymerase activity
- Binding the nucleotides to the annealed primer.
- 70C-80C -1-2minutes (this is polymerase specific.)
Visualising PCR product
- Agarose gel electrophoresis
- Capillary electrophoresis
Different types of PCR.
- Hi fidelity PC
- QPCR
- Multiplex PCR
- Hot-start PCR
Explain hi fidelity PCR
- When down stream application require minimal errors
- High-fidelity polymerase used for proofreading
- Reduces number of replication errors
- Cleaves out the errors and corrects mismatches
Explain multiplex PCR
- Uses multiple pair of primers
- Amplifies different target sequences
- Within same DNA sample
- Mostly kit based: not easy to optimise
Explain hot -start PCR
- Reaction starts when specific temp is reached
- Polymerase: inactive until required temp is reached
- Reduces the nonspecific amp at low temps
How do you trouble shoot DNA templates that are low intensity bands or weak profile.
- Quantity of input DNA and increase amount if necessary
- Polymerase with high sensitivity for amplification
- If appropriate, increase the number of PCR cycles