Detection of target DNA using fluorescent cationic polymer and peptide nucleic acid probes on solid support

✍ Scribed by Frédéric R Raymond; Hoang-Anh Ho; Régis Peytavi; Luc Bissonnette; Maurice Boissinot; François J Picard; Mario Leclerc; Michel G Bergeron

• Book ID: 104497566
• Publisher: BioMed Central
• Year: 2005
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 715 KB
• Volume: 5
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1472-6750
• DOI: 10.1186/1472-6750-5-10

✦ Synopsis

Background

Nucleic acids detection using microarrays requires labelling of target nucleic acids with fluorophores or other reporter molecules prior to hybridization.

Results

Using surface-bound peptide nucleic acids (PNA) probes and soluble fluorescent cationic polythiophenes, we show a simple and sensitive electrostatic approach to detect and identify unlabelled target nucleic acid on microarray.

Conclusion

This simple methodology opens exciting possibilities for applied genetic analysis for the diagnosis of infections, identification of genetic mutations, and forensic inquiries. This electrostatic strategy could also be used with other nucleic acid detection methods such as electrochemistry, silver staining, metallization, quantum dots, or electrochemical dyes.