Mycotoxigenic Fusarium species and zearalenone concentration in commercial maize kernels in northern Ghana.

The fungal genus Fusarium contains many toxigenic pathogens of maize with associated yield losses, reduction of grain quality, and accumulation of mycotoxins in harvested grains. To determine zearalenone (ZEN) concentration and identify the various Fusarium species in commercial maize grains, a survey of 75 maize samples, collected from 11 market centers in the five regions in northern Ghana was identified based on morphological characteristics, sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer region, and polymerase chain reaction using species-specific primers. ZEN levels were determined using HPLC. ZEN contamination was recorded in 33.3% of the maize samples, with concentrations ranging from 0.61 to 3.05 µg/kg. Based on VERT1/2 and TEF 1-α sequencing, F. verticillioides was the most prevalent species in the studied samples: 40.35% from the Upper East Region, 28.07% from the North East Region, 19.30% from the Upper West Region, 10.53% from the Savannah Region, and 1.75% for the Northern Region. Other fungal species found were F. equiseti and F. solani. A higher number of the Fusarium isolates were found in white maize (609 isolates from 27 samples) compared to yellow maize (225 isolates from 23 samples).

Assessing the effect of sample storage time on viral detection using a rapid and cost-effective CTAB-based extraction method.

BACKGROUND: Cassava leaf samples degrade quickly during storage and transportation from distant areas. Proper sampling and efficient, low-cost storage methods are critical for obtaining sufficient quality DNA and RNA for plant virus epidemiology and improving disease control understanding. This is useful when samples are collected from remote areas far from a laboratory or in developing countries where money and materials for virus diagnostics are scarce. RESULTS: The effect of sample storage duration on nucleic acid (N.A.) quality on virus detection was investigated in this study. A simple, rapid, and cost-effective CTAB-based approach (M3) for single N.A. extraction was optimized and tested alongside two existing CTAB-based methods (M1 and M2) for N.A. extraction from fresh and herbarium cassava leaves stored for; 1, 8, 26, and 56 months. The amount and quality of DNA and RNA were determined using Nanodrop 2000 c U.V.-vis Spectrophotometer and agarose gel electrophoreses. The sample degradation rate was estimated using a simple mathematical model in Matlab computational software. The results show no significant difference in mean DNA concentration between M1 and M2 but a significant difference between M3 and the other two methods at p < 0.005. The mean DNA concentration extracted using M3 was higher for 1 and 8 months of leave storage. M3 and M2 produced high concentrations at 26 and 56 months of leave storage. Using a developed scale for quality score, M3 and M2 produced high-quality DNA from fresh samples. All methods produced poor-quality DNA and RNA at 8 and 26 months of leave storage and no visual bands at the age of 56 months. Statistically, there was a significant difference in the mean DNA quality between M1 and M2, but there was no significant difference between M3 and the other two methods at p < 0.005. However, Cassava brown streak virus (CBSV) and Ugandan cassava brown streak virus (UCBSV) were readily detected by RT-PCR from RNA isolated using M3. The quality of DNA declined per storage time at 0.0493 and 0.0521/month, while RNA was 0.0678 and 0.0744/month. Compared to the existing two methods, modified CTAB extracted enough high-quality N.A. in one-third the time of the existing two methods. CONCLUSION: Our method provides cost-effective, quick, and simple processing of fresh and dry samples, which will quicken and guide the decision on when and what type of sample to process for plant disease management and surveillance actions.

Modified CTAB protocols for high-molecular-weight DNA extractions from ferns.

Premise: Efficient protocols for extracting high-molecular-weight (HMW) DNA from ferns facilitate the long-read sequencing of their large and complex genomes. Here, we perform two cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)-based protocols to extract HMW DNA and evaluate their applicability in diverse fern taxa for the first time. Methods and Results: We describe two modified CTAB protocols, with key adjustments to minimize mechanical disruption during lysis to prevent DNA shearing. One of these protocols uses a small amount of fresh tissue but yields a considerable quantity of HMW DNA with high efficiency. The other accommodates a large amount of input tissue, adopts an initial step of nuclei isolation, and thus ensures a high yield in a short period of time. Both methods were proven to be robust and effective in obtaining HMW DNA from diverse fern lineages, including 33 species in 19 families. The DNA extractions mostly had high DNA integrity, with mean sizes larger than 50 kbp, as well as high purity (A260/A230 and A260/A280 > 1.8). Conclusions: This study provides HMW DNA extraction protocols for ferns in the hope of facilitating further attempts to sequence their genomes, which will bridge our genomic understanding of land plant diversity.

Optimization of the Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) DNA extraction protocol using forest elephant dung samples.

Among non-invasive biological samples, feces offer an important source of DNA and can easily be collected. However, working with fecal DNA from highly vegetarians species such as elephant is more challenging because plant secondary compounds have an inhibitory effect on PCR reactions. Working with forest elephant dung samples, we tested and adapted a protocol of DNA extraction developed on plants based on the Cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) protocol. The protocol is relatively simple and yields a high DNA concentration. It is five-time less expensive compared to the methods of Benbouza et al. The extracted DNA is of good quality and easily amplified by PCR. The high-amplification percentage of mitochondrial genes in fecal DNA and subsequent sequencing of PCR products indicate that the proposed optimized method is reliable for molecular analysis of forest elephant dung samples.•Our optimized CTAB protocol has been adjusted by the addition of Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate (SDS) and proteinase K during the lysis phase. The combined effect of these reagents was capable of lysing cell walls and removing proteins efficiently.•Moreover, the prolonged time of incubation (overnight incubation at room temperature followed by 3 hours of incubation in a water bath) enhanced the increase of DNA yield but make the optimized protocol more time-consuming.

An improved method for efficient recovery of high quality DNA from date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L; Arecaceae).

Date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L; Arecaceae) is one of a few fruit trees that can remarkably grow in dessert agroecosystems that are characterized by extreme temperature fluctuations. Due to increasing demands for dates in the global market and commercial cultivation in many countries, the tree is currently under extensive research in many countries, particularly to improve the germplasm using different molecular tools. Most molecular techniques largely depend on good quality DNA in significant quantities, which are highly compromised by the presence of various contaminants in DNA. The traditional cetyltrimethylammoniumbromide (CTAB) based method has failed to produce good quality DNA from date palm due to hard fibrous nature of tissue. On the basis of previous studies, commercial DNA extraction kits are not economical although they are very effective. Therefore, we have developed an improved DNA extraction protocol by modifying the original CTAB method to produce extra pure DNA in large quantities. The novel method has been validated using different quality testing approaches. This cost-effective method can be used successfully for DNA extraction from date palm. Moreover, this improved method may have potential for DNA extraction from other palms that have similar leaf texture to date palm leaves, but this method needs to be tested for other palms before being used. The improved method has following key modifications:•Grinding of plant tissue in liquid nitrogen and subsequent lysis of cells in CTAB buffer that has increased concentration of ß-mercaptoethanol•Repeated steps of chloroform: IAA extraction and ethanol washing•Addition of RNase A before the DNA precipitation step.

An optimized high-quality DNA isolation protocol for spodoptera frugiperda J. E. smith (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

An optimized high-quality DNA isolation protocol was developed using body segment tissue from the Fall Armyworm (Spodoptera frugiperda), that will allow documenting genetic variability based on biotypes, facilitating studies on the appearance, distribution and population dynamics of the fall armyworm at the molecular level. The resulting protocol is an easy-to-use, timesaving method that can rapidly achieve high quality, high-yielding total genomic DNA, using chemicals and everyday consumables available in a molecular laboratory. This new method of DNA extraction avoids the contamination of polysaccharides, salts, phenols, proteins and other cellular by-products that can interfere with subsequent reactions. DNA purity estimates reveal A260: A280 ratios greater than 1.9, which were evidenced by quality test on agarose gel, observing complete integrity and high purity of the resulting samples, and yielded 30-99 µg/g of total DNA. Therefore, the quality of the DNA produced from this extraction is suitable for subsequent molecular applications: (i) next generation whole genome sequencing, (ii) conventional polymerase chain reaction for genotyping, (iii) barcodes and (iv) gene cloning. In addition, to become an anticipating diagnostic tool for invasive lepidopteran larval stages:•The resulting protocol is an easy-to-use time-saving method.•This new extraction method prevents contamination from polysaccharides, salts, phenols, proteins, and other cellular sub-products.•DNA purity estimations reveal A260:A280 ratios above 1.9.

Preservation and maceration of amazon açai leaflet tissue to obtain genomic DNA / Preservação e maceração de tecido de folíolos de açaí da Amazônia para obtenção de DNA genômico

The objective of this study was to test the efficiency of preservation and maceration methods for Euterpe precatoria leaflet tissue to obtain genomic DNA for molecular studies. The leaflets of E. precatoria were collected in an experimental field at Embrapa Acre, Brazil. The study was conducted in a completely randomized design with 10 replicates, in a 12 × 2 factorial structure, with 12 storage treatments (fresh; lyophiliser 3 days; refrigerator 3, 5, and 7 days; silica gel 7, 10, 20, and 30 days; and transport buffer 3, 5, and 7 days) and two leaf tissue maceration methods (liquid nitrogen and the TissueLyser®). Statistically significant differences in the obtained DNA concentration were found between the maceration and storage treatments. The TissueLyser® macerator produced higher DNA concentrations when compared to liquid nitrogen. For the storage treatments, five groups were formed based on DNA concentration when macerated with the TissueLyser® and two groups when macerated with liquid nitrogen. The DNA concentrations ranged from 285.00 ng/µ L (7 days in transport buffer) to 702.00 ng/µ L (30 days in silica gel) when the leaflets were macerated with liquid nitrogen, and from 572.73 ng/µ L (30 days in silica gel) to 2,850.00 ng/µ L (3 days in lyophiliser) using the TissueLyser® macerator. The DNA purity (A260/A280 nm) varied from 1.30 to 1.70 when the leaflets were macerated with liquid nitrogen and from 1.30 to 1.90 with the TissueLyser® macerator. Despite the variations in leaf tissue preservation and DNA concentration, all treatments were effective for DNA isolation and it was possible to amplify genomic regions of microsatellite markers by PCR. It was concluded that leaflets of E. precatoria stored in a lyophiliser and processed with an automatic macerator resulted in satisfactory DNA for molecular studies.

O objetivo deste estudo foi testar a eficiência de métodos de preservação e maceração de tecidos de folíolos de Euterpe precatoria para obter DNA genômico para estudos moleculares. Os folíolos de E. precatoria foram coletados no campo experimental da Embrapa Acre, Brasil. O estudo foi conduzido em delineamento inteiramente casualizado com 10 repetições, em esquema fatorial 12 × 2, com 12 tratamentos de armazenamento (fresco; liofilizado 3 dias; geladeira 3, 5, e 7; sílica gel 7, 10, 20 e 30 dias e tampão de transporte 3, 5 e 7 dias) e dois tipos de maceração do tecido foliar (nitrogênio líquido e TissueLyser®). Para a variável concentração de DNA houve diferença estatística entre os tipos maceração e de armazenamento. O macerador TissueLyser® apresentou maiores concentrações de DNA quando comparado ao nitrogênio líquido.Para os tipos de armazenamento verificou-se formação de cinco grupos quando macerados TissueLyser® e dois grupos quando macerados com nitrogênio líquido. As concentrações de DNA variaram de 285,00 ng/µ L (7 dias em tampão de transporte) a 702,00 ng/µ L (30 dias em sílica gel) quando maceradas com nitrogênio líquido. Quando maceradas com macerador TissueLyser® variaram de 572,73 ng/µ L (30 dias em sílica gel) a 2.850,00 ng/µ L (3 dias em liofilizador). A pureza do DNA (A260/A280 nm) variou de 1,30 a 1,70 quando os folíolos foram macerados com nitrogênio líquido e de 1,30 a 1,90 quando macerados em macerador TissueLyser®. Apesar das variações na conservação e concentração dos tecidos foliares, todos os tratamentos foram eficazes para o isolamento do DNA e amplificaram regiões de marcadores microssatélites. Concluiu-se que folíolos de E. precatoria armazenados em liofilizador e macerados com macerador automático resultaram em DNA satisfatório para estudos moleculares.

Analysis of DNA Methylation Profile in Plants by Chop-PCR.

Plants, when challenged with any unfavorable condition, such as biotic or abiotic stress, adapt to the stress via physiological or structural changes. DNA methylation, an important epigenetic factor, plays an integral role in determining chromatin dynamicity and in turn regulates the process of gene transcription in eukaryotes. DNA methylation resulting in 5-methylcytosine interferes with the transcription process by hindering accessibility of the transcriptional machinery. Transcriptionally active genes are predominantly hypomethylated, whereas repressed genes exhibit hypermethylation. It can thus be interpreted that the presence of methylation in the promoter and upstream regions of loci represses their transcription and vice versa. Chop-PCR is a targeted DNA methylation detection technique that uses partial digestion by methylation-sensitive restriction enzymes (MSREs) followed by PCR amplification. The presence of cytosine methylation at the cleavage sites of the MSREs protects the DNA against digestion and therefore can be amplified using PCR. Enzymatic cleavage occurs unhindered at unmethylated restriction sites and subsequent PCR amplification of the target sequence is not observed.

An Optimized CTAB Method for Genomic DNA Extraction from Freshly-picked Pinnae of Fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris L.

As the sister clade of seed plants, ferns are significant materials for plant phylogeny research. However, the genomic DNA extraction protocol for fern samples like modified CTAB method still lacks robustness. Here, we found that the amount and condition of the pinnae samples are critical for gDNA extraction in fern, Adiantum capillus-veneris L. In 500 µl CTAB solution, the recommended amount of pinnae is about 10-20 mg (2-3 pieces). The condition of the pinnae must be instantly-picked from a plant cultivated in a suitable environment. With these factors under control, it is highly reproducible to get the high-quality gDNA with low degradation rate.

Comparison of three different methods for isolating RNA from Oncomela-nia hupensis / 中国血吸虫病防治杂志

Objective To compare the effects of three kinds of Oncomelania hupensis RNA extraction methods,namely a modified SDS method,TRIzol reagent method,and CTAB method,so as to obtain an economical and efficient method for RNA extraction from O. hupensis. Methods The modified SDS method,TRIzol reagent method and CTAB method were applied to ex-tract the RNA from O. hupensis. A nucleic acid protein analyzer was used to measure the concentration and purity of RNA. The yields were calculated by the concentration of the products. The purity was indicated by A260/A280 and A260/A230. The quality of RNA was inspected by 1% agarose gel electrophoresis. The β-acting gene was selected as the target gene for RT-PCR analysis. Re-sults The RNA yields obtained by using the three kinds of extraction methods were significantly different(F = 16895.85,P <0.01)according to the analysis of variance. The LSD test showed that the yields obtained by using the modified SDS method were the highest,and those obtained by the CTAB method were the lowest. The purity of RNA extracted by the CTAB method was su-perior to that by the other two methods,and the A260/A280 and A260/A230 ratios of the CTAB method were in the range from 1.8-2.0 and 2.0-2.2. The A260/A230 ratios of the other two methods were both lower than 2.0. The RNA extracted by the modified SDS meth-od had the better integrity. The electrophoresis results showed that the 28S rRNA band,18S rRNA band and 5S rRNA band were clear,and there was no obvious smear between each band. The RNA obtained by the TRIzol reagent method had no 28S rRNA band,and that obtained by the CTAB method had no 28S rRNA and 5S rRNA bands. The β-acting gene of the RNA ex-tracted by all the three methods could be amplified by RT-PCR. The costs and time-consuming of the modified SDS method were less than those of the other two methods. Conclusion The modified SDS method is an economic and efficient method,and it is suitable for extracting the RNA of O. hupensis,especially for large sample preparation.

[Comparison of three different methods for isolating RNA from Oncomelania hupensis].

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effects of three kinds of Oncomelania hupensis RNA extraction methods, namely a modified SDS method, TRIzol reagent method, and CTAB method, so as to obtain an economical and efficient method for RNA extraction from O. hupensis. METHODS: The modified SDS method, TRIzol reagent method and CTAB method were applied to extract the RNA from O. hupensis. A nucleic acid protein analyzer was used to measure the concentration and purity of RNA. The yields were calculated by the concentration of the products. The purity was indicated by A260/A280 and A260/A230. The quality of RNA was inspected by 1% agarose gel electrophoresis. The ß-acting gene was selected as the target gene for RT-PCR analysis. RESULTS: The RNA yields obtained by using the three kinds of extraction methods were significantly different (F = 16 895.85, P < 0.01) according to the analysis of variance. The LSD test showed that the yields obtained by using the modified SDS method were the highest, and those obtained by the CTAB method were the lowest. The purity of RNA extracted by the CTAB method was superior to that by the other two methods, and the A260/A280 and A260/A230 ratios of the CTAB method were in the range from 1.8-2.0 and 2.0-2.2. The A260/A230 ratios of the other two methods were both lower than 2.0. The RNA extracted by the modified SDS method had the better integrity. The electrophoresis results showed that the 28S rRNA band, 18S rRNA band and 5S rRNA band were clear, and there was no obvious smear between each band. The RNA obtained by the TRIzol reagent method had no 28S rRNA band, and that obtained by the CTAB method had no 28S rRNA and 5S rRNA bands. The ß-acting gene of the RNA extracted by all the three methods could be amplified by RT-PCR. The costs and time-consuming of the modified SDS method were less than those of the other two methods. CONCLUSIONS: The modified SDS method is an economic and efficient method, and it is suitable for extracting the RNA of O. hupensis, especially for large sample preparation.

DNA Quantity and Quality in Remnants of Traffic-Killed Specimens of an Endangered Longhorn Beetle: A Comparison of Different Methods.

The sampling of living insects should be avoided in highly endangered species when the sampling would further increase the risk of population extinction. Nonlethal sampling (wing clips or leg removals) can be an alternative to obtain DNA of individuals for population genetic studies. However, nonlethal sampling may not be possible for all insect species. We examined whether remnants of traffic-killed specimens of the endangered and protected flightless longhorn beetle Iberodorcadion fuliginator (L., 1758) can be used as a resource for population genetic analyses. Using insect fragments of traffic-killed specimens collected over 15 yr, we determined the most efficient DNA extraction method in relation to the state of the specimens (crushed, fragment, or intact), preservation (dried, airtight, or in ethanol), storage duration, and weight of the sample by assessing the quantity and quality of genomic DNA. A modified cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide method provided the highest recovery rate of genomic DNA and the largest yield and highest quality of DNA. We further used traffic-killed specimens to evaluate two DNA amplification techniques (quantitative polymerase chain reaction [qPCR] and microsatellites). Both qPCR and microsatellites revealed successful DNA amplification in all degraded specimens or beetle fragments examined. However, relative qPCR concentration and peak height of microsatellites were affected by the state of specimen and storage duration but not by specimen weight. Our investigation demonstrates that degraded remnants of traffic-killed beetle specimens can serve as a source of high-quality genomic DNA, which allows to address conservation genetic issues.

Comparison of Different Extraction Methods of Genomic DNA of Cordia Dicholoma Seeds / 中国中医药信息杂志

Objective To extract high quality genomic DNA of Cordia dicholoma seeds by using different methods;To provide references for researches on genomic DNA of Cordia dicholoma seeds. Methods Genomic DNA of Cordia dicholoma seeds was extracted through improved CTAB method and improved SDS method. Purity and concentration of obtained DNA were detected by spectrophotometry and agarose gel electrophoresis. Results The results of spectrophotometry showed that the purity of genomic DNA obtained through improved CTAB method was better than improved SDS method. Genomic DNA extracted through improved CTAB method was without protein and RNA pollution. The results of agarose gel electrophoresis showed that electrophoresis of genomic DNA obtained through the two methods both had the main belt. However, genomic DNA extracted through improved SDS method degraded more than improved CTAB method. Conclusion Improved CTAB method can obtain relatively high quality genomic DNA of Cordia dicholoma seeds.

Influencing Factors for Genomic DNA Extraction of Paeonia Suffruticosa / 中国药房

OBJECTIVE:To study the influencing factors for the extraction of the genomic DNA from Paeonia Suffruticosa.METHODS:Taking Paeonia Suffruticosa(root bark of Chinese medicinal herb) as material to investigate the influencing factors including concentrations of the NaCl and beta-mercaptoethanol,temperature and time of water bath,RNaseA,PCR(polymerase chain reaction) system etc in the buffer solution on the basis of modified CTAB method.RESULTS:The DNA obtained by modified CTAB method was pure,integrated,with the value of A260/A280 ranged from 1.8 to 2.0,the ampl-ified bands of PCR were clear and bright,which lay a solid foundation for the following molecular biology experiments.CONCLUSION:The modified CTAB method is economical,rapid and efficient,and it can be served as an extraction of genomic DNA from root bark Chinese medicinal herb as well as a theoretical basis for full scale production.