数字PCR在食品安全检测中的应用研究进展

聚合酶链反应(PCR)在动植物源掺杂鉴别、转基因成分和致病微生物等食品安全检测领域成为日趋重要的检测技术。从传统PCR、荧光PCR到数字PCR,PCR技术逐渐从定性分析、半定量分析发展到准确定量,不仅提升了准确度和检测效率,同时也扩展了食品检测范围,使食品安全的监管更加精细化。该文总结了近5年来数字PCR在食品安全检测中的研究进展,比较了传统PCR、荧光定量PCR和数字PCR的相关标准制订情况,列举、讨论了数字PCR在不同食品安全领域检测中的技术进展和存在的问题,并对数字PCR未来发展方向进行了展望。     

Optimization and Verification of Droplet Digital PCR Even-Specific Methods for the Quantification of GM Maize DAS1507 and NK603

In recent years, digital polymerase chain reaction (dPCR), a new molecular biology technique, has been gaining in popularity. Among many other applications, this technique can also be used for the detection and quantification of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in food and feed. It might replace the currently widely used real-time PCR method (qPCR), by overcoming problems related to the PCR inhibition and the requirement of certified reference materials to be used as a calibrant. In theory, validated qPCR methods can be easily transferred to the dPCR platform. However, optimization of the PCR conditions might be necessary. In this study, we report the transfer of two validated qPCR methods for quantification of maize DAS1507 and NK603 events to the droplet dPCR (ddPCR) platform. After some optimization, both methods have been verified according to the guidance of the European Network of GMO Laboratories (ENGL) on analytical method verification (ENGL working group on “Method Verification.” (2011) Verification of Analytical Methods for GMO Testing When Implementing Interlaboratory Validated Methods). Digital PCR methods performed equally or better than the qPCR methods. Optimized ddPCR methods confirm their suitability for GMO determination in food and feed.     

液滴微流控系统在数字聚合酶链式反应中的应用研究进展

数字聚合酶链式反应( PCR)技术近年来发展迅速。与以实时荧光定量PCR为代表的传统PCR技术相比,数字PCR技术显著提高了定量分析的精确度和灵敏度。数字PCR的快速发展与近年来微流控技术在数字PCR技术中的广泛应用有着密切的联系。早期的研究和商业化产品使用的是大规模集成流路微流控芯片,加工过程复杂且价格高昂。近年来,液滴微流控芯片被应用到数字PCR技术中,它可以在短时间内产生102~107个微液滴,每一个微液滴都是最多只含有一个目的基因片段的PCR反应器。 PCR扩增后,通过对单个微液滴的观察计数,就可以获得绝对定量的分析数据。本文综述了不同种类的液滴微流控系统在数字PCR技术中的应用,以及液滴数字PCR微流控芯片在生物、医药、环境等领域的应用。     

一种用于核酸绝对定量检测的高鲁棒性液滴式数字PCR芯片

为满足液滴式数字聚合酶链式反应（PCR）技术对扩增反应过程中稳定保存液滴以及反应后高效检测的核心需求,构建了一种具有过滤气泡和增强荧光信号功能的液滴式数字聚合酶链式反应芯片.该芯片可在10 min内产生20多万个半径约为21 μm的液滴.利用“玻璃天花板”的方式构建了独立于芯片主体材料的液滴收集腔,为液滴提供稳定的保存与反应环境;还构建了过滤结构,可有效过滤混入液相中的空气,提高芯片鲁棒性.同时,在液滴收集腔中引入反射层,增强荧光信号,使单个视野荧光成像时间缩短约40%,提高了检测效率.利用该芯片定量检测EGFR基因第21号外显子,检测信号与DNA浓度在10¹~10⁵ copies/μL范围内呈现良好的线性关系（R²=0.998）.该方案在载玻片大小的芯片上实现了液滴产生、PCR扩增和荧光信号读取,并具有较高的鲁棒性与检测效率,在核酸检测等方面具有应用潜力.     

智能数字聚合酶链式反应系统的开发与应用验证

数字聚合酶链式反应(digital polymerase chain reaction,dPCR)技术可以针对低浓度的目标核酸分子实现精确的绝对定量检测,在各类疾病的检测与治疗方面有着极大应用价值. 针对目前商业数字PCR仪造价昂贵、体积庞大等缺点,基于智能手机与微流控芯片,设计开发了一种低成本、高集成的智能数字PCR设备. 介绍了硬件系统的制作以及整机的整合搭建过程. 采用PID算法,结合温控电路与半导体制冷片等硬件,进行了PCR温度循环的精准控制. 最后,采用自适应阈值分割法对采集到的荧光图像进行了处理,并依据泊松分布的规律对统计结果进行了校正,完成了对PCR反应后采集到荧光图像的结果分析与检测.     

一种用于核酸高灵敏检测的液滴式数字聚合酶链式反应芯片

为了实现对核酸的高灵敏度检测,构建了一种新型的液滴式数字聚合酶链式反应(dd PCR)芯片.该芯片由产生液滴的聚二甲基硅氧烷(PDMS)模块和储存液滴的玻璃腔室构成.实验结果表明,该芯片可以在25 min内产生2×106个直径为20μm的微液滴(体积4.187 p L).利用该芯片定量检测了表皮生长因子受体(EGFR)基因第19号外显子,在DNA浓度为106~101copies/μL范围内呈现良好的线性关系(R2=0.9998);在浓度为106copies/μL的19号外显子野生型DNA中检测105~100copies/μL的突变型DNA,其检测敏感度可达到0.0001%.该方法在同一芯片上实现了液滴产生、核酸扩增和荧光信号读取的功能,在核酸绝对定量及痕量突变基因的检测中具有潜在应用前景.     

水溶性香豆素荧光底物的制备及在液滴数字式检测中的应用

4-甲基伞形酮磷酸酯(4-MUP)是一类重要的荧光底物, 由于具有较高的疏水性, 荧光信号易在液滴间扩散而限制了其在液滴微流控芯片领域中的应用. 本文首先通过修饰7-羟基香豆素-4-乙酸, 制备了具有较高水溶性的新型底物分子7-二羟基磷酸酯香豆素-4-乙酸甲酯; 进而以7-二羟基磷酸酯香豆素-4-乙酸甲酯为底物, 以球刷酶(荷载大量碱性磷酸酶的聚电解质纳米颗粒, SP-AKP)为模式酶, 建立了基于液滴微流控的单SP-AKP数字式检测体系. 结果表明, 该水溶性香豆素荧光底物具有与传统4-MUP底物相似的荧光光谱和酶催化性能. 传统4-MUP酶促荧光产物5 min即在液滴中发生明显扩散, 而该水溶性香豆素荧光底物酶催化后产生的荧光产物7-羟基香豆素-4-乙酸甲酯在24 h后仍未观察到明显扩散现象, 具有优异的抑制荧光扩散性能. 在基于液滴微流控芯片的单SP-AKP数字式检测中, 对SP-AKP的检测限可达29.9 amol/L, 同时有效提升了检测时间的可操作性与数字式信号读取的准确性. 新型水溶性香豆素荧光底物有望替代4-MUP应用于以基于液滴数字式超敏生物检测为代表, 在液滴分区实现酶促反应进行超灵敏检测的众多检测领域中.     

Microfluidic DNA amplification—A review

The application of microfluidic devices for DNA amplification has recently been extensively studied. Here, we review the important development of microfluidic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) devices and discuss the underlying physical principles for the optimal design and operation of the device. In particular, we focus on continuous-flow microfluidic PCR on-chip, which can be readily implemented as an integrated function of a micro-total-analysis system. To overcome sample carryover contamination and surface adsorption associated with microfluidic PCR, microdroplet technology has recently been utilized to perform PCR in droplets, which can eliminate the synthesis of short chimeric products, shorten thermal-cycling time, and offers great potential for single DNA molecule and single-cell amplification. The work on chip-based PCR in droplets is highlighted.     

1-Million droplet array with wide-field fluorescence imaging for digital PCR

Digital droplet reactors are useful as chemical and biological containers to discretize reagents into picolitre or nanolitre volumes for analysis of single cells, organisms, or molecules. However, most DNA based assays require processing of samples on the order of tens of microlitres and contain as few as one to as many as millions of fragments to be detected. Presented in this work is a droplet microfluidic platform and fluorescence imaging setup designed to better meet the needs of the high-throughput and high-dynamic-range by integrating multiple high-throughput droplet processing schemes on the chip. The design is capable of generating over 1-million, monodisperse, 50 picolitre droplets in 2-7 minutes that then self-assemble into high density 3-dimensional sphere packing configurations in a large viewing chamber for visualization and analysis. This device then undergoes on-chip polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and fluorescence detection to digitally quantify the sample's nucleic acid contents. Wide-field fluorescence images are captured using a low cost 21-megapixel digital camera and macro-lens with an 8-12 cm(2) field-of-view at 1× to 0.85× magnification, respectively. We demonstrate both end-point and real-time imaging ability to perform on-chip quantitative digital PCR analysis of the entire droplet array. Compared to previous work, this highly integrated design yields a 100-fold increase in the number of on-chip digitized reactors with simultaneous fluorescence imaging for digital PCR based assays.     

Absolute quantification of genetically modified MON810 maize (Zea mays L.) by digital polymerase chain reaction

Quantitative analysis of genetically modified (GM) foods requires estimation of the amount of the transgenic event relative to an endogenous gene. Regulatory authorities in the European Union (EU) have defined the labelling threshold for GM food on the copy number ratio between the transgenic event and an endogenous gene. Real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is currently being used for quantification of GM organisms (GMOs). Limitations in real-time PCR applications to detect very low number of DNA targets has led to new developments such as the digital PCR (dPCR) which allows accurate measurement of DNA copies without the need for a reference calibrator. In this paper, the amount of maize MON810 and hmg copies present in a DNA extract from seed powders certified for their mass content and for their copy number ratio was measured by dPCR. The ratio of these absolute copy numbers determined by dPCR was found to be identical to the ratios measured by real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR) using a plasmid DNA calibrator. These results indicate that both methods could be applied to determine the copy number ratio in MON810. The reported values were in agreement with estimations from a model elaborated to convert mass fractions into copy number fractions in MON810 varieties. This model was challenged on two MON810 varieties used for the production of MON810 certified reference materials (CRMs) which differ in the parental origin of the introduced GM trait. We conclude that dPCR has a high metrological quality and can be used for certifying GM CRMs in terms of DNA copy number ratio.     

微流控芯片液滴生成与检测技术研究进展

微流控芯片液滴技术是一种操控微小体积液体的新技术,既可实现高通量微观样本的生成及控制,也可进行独立液滴的操作.分散的微液滴单元可作为理想的微反应器,在生物医药中的药物筛选、材料筛选和高附加值微颗粒材料合成领域展现出巨大的应用潜力.液滴微流控芯片是利用流体剪切力的改变,使互不相溶的两相流体在其界面处生成稳定、有序的液滴,...     

Multiplex digital PCR: breaking the one target per color barrier of quantitative PCR

Quantitative polymerase chain reactions (qPCR) based on real-time PCR constitute a powerful and sensitive method for the analysis of nucleic acids. However, in qPCR, the ability to multiplex targets using differently colored fluorescent probes is typically limited to 4-fold by the spectral overlap of the fluorophores. Furthermore, multiplexing qPCR assays requires expensive instrumentation and most often lengthy assay development cycles. Digital PCR (dPCR), which is based on the amplification of single target DNA molecules in many separate reactions, is an attractive alternative to qPCR. Here we report a novel and easy method for multiplexing dPCR in picolitre droplets within emulsions-generated and read out in microfluidic devices-that takes advantage of both the very high numbers of reactions possible within emulsions (>10(6)) as well as the high likelihood that the amplification of only a single target DNA molecule will initiate within each droplet. By varying the concentration of different fluorogenic probes of the same color, it is possible to identify the different probes on the basis of fluorescence intensity. Adding multiple colors increases the number of possible reactions geometrically, rather than linearly as with qPCR. Accurate and precise copy numbers of up to sixteen per cell were measured using a model system. A 5-plex assay for spinal muscular atrophy was demonstrated with just two fluorophores to simultaneously measure the copy number of two genes (SMN1 and SMN2) and to genotype a single nucleotide polymorphism (c.815A>G, SMN1). Results of a pilot study with SMA patients are presented.     

Evaluation of microfluidics-based droplet PCR combined with multiplex STR system in forensic science

Because of its excellent monodispersity, high throughput, and low volume, microfluidics-based droplet PCR has become the core technology of digital PCR, next-generation sequencing, and other technology platforms. This study constructed a microfluidic water-in-oil droplet PCR system and amplified a commercially available forensic 22-plex short tandem repeat detection system. We analyzed the sensitivity, concordance, amplification efficiency of the droplet PCR, and influence factors of the above aspects. The droplet PCR showed high concordance with conventional bulk PCR and had high sensitivity as 0.125 ng. Furthermore, we observed the performance of droplet PCR in high-order mixed DNA. As the mixture ratios from 10:1 to 30:1, droplet PCR presented more mixture proportion (Mx) increased loci from 11 (57.89%) to 17 (89.47%). In the mixture ratios 20:1, 25:1, and 30:1, significant Mx differences between droplet PCR and bulk PCR were observed (p < 0.05). The results showed that the droplet PCR could improve the identification of the minor contributor's DNA in a two-person mixture and alleviate the imbalanced amplification problem. This study provides a reference and basis for the wide application of droplet PCR in forensic science.     

Highly efficient capillary polymerase chain reaction using an oscillation droplet microreactor

The current work presents the development of a capillary-based oscillation droplet approach to maximize the potential of a continuous-flow polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Through the full utilization of interfacial chemistry, a water-in-oil (w/o) droplet was generated by allowing an oil–water plug to flow along a polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) capillary. The w/o droplet functioned as the reactor for oscillating-flow PCR to provide a stable reaction environment, accelerate reagent mixing, and eliminate surface adsorption. The capillary PCR approach proposed in the current research offers high amplification efficiency, fast reaction speed, and easy system control attributable to the oscillation droplet reactor. Experimental results show that the droplet-based micro-PCR assay requires lower reaction volume (2 μL) and shorter reaction time (12 min) compared with conventional PCR methods. Taking the amplification of the New Delhi metallo-beta-lactamase (NDM-1) gene as an example, the present work demonstrates that the oscillation droplet PCR assay is capable of achieving high efficiency up to 89.5% and a detection limit of 10 DNA copies. The miniature PCR protocol developed in the current work is fast, robust, and low-cost, thus exhibiting the potential for expansion into various practical applications.     

A review on continuous-flow microfluidic PCR in droplets: Advances,challenges and future

Significant advances have been made in developing microfluidic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) devices in the last two decades. More recently, microfluidic microdroplet technology has been exploited to perform PCR in droplets because of its unique features. For example, it can prevent crossover contamination and PCR inhibition, is suitable for single-cell and single-molecule analyses, and has the potential for system integration and automation. This review will therefore focus on recent developments on droplet-based continuous-flow microfluidic PCR, and the major research challenges. This paper will also discuss a new way of on-chip flow control and a rational design simulation tool, which are required to underpin fully integrated and automated droplet-based microfluidic systems. We will conclude with a scientific speculation of future autonomous scientific discoveries enabled by microfluidic microdroplet technologies.     

液滴数字聚合酶链式反应芯片及其在致病菌检测中的应用

设计与制作了一种基于聚二甲基硅氧烷-玻璃(PDMS-Glass)的多功能集成式液滴数字聚合酶链式反应(ddPCR)芯片,该芯片由产生液滴的PDMS模块和收集液滴的玻璃腔体模块组成。PDMS模块采用双通道的T形结构设计,液滴产生速度快且通量高,在30 min内可生成2×10~6个直径约为20μm的微液滴。玻璃腔体模块中存储的液滴在整个实验过程中无需转移,可直接在原位PCR仪上进行扩增,每个液滴均是一个微反应器,经过多次热循环后,液滴仍能保持良好的稳定性。选用副溶血性弧菌(VP)作为食源性致病菌的研究模型,考察了ddPCR芯片对其基因组DNA的绝对定量能力,结果表明,该ddPCR芯片对VP基因组DNA绝对定量的线性范围宽,可跨越5个数量级(10~1~10~6 copies/μL),定量结果与DNA理论参考浓度间有很好的相关性。     

Circumventing air bubbles in microfluidic systems and quantitative continuous-flow PCR applications

Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is an essential part of research based on genomics or cell analysis. The development of a microfluidic device that would be suitable for high-temperature-based reactions therefore becomes an important contribution towards the integration of micro-total analysis systems (μTAS). However, problems associated with the generation of air bubbles in the microchannels before the introduction of the assay liquid, which we call the “initial start-up” in this study, made the flow irregular and unstable. In this report, we have tried to address these problems by adapting a novel liquid-flow method for high-temperature-based reactions. A PDMS-based microfluidic device was fabricated by soft-lithography techniques and placed on a cartridge heater. The generation of the air bubbles was prevented by introducing the fluorinated oil, an inert and highly viscous liquid, as the cap just before the introduction of the sample solutions into the microchannels. The technique was applied for continuous-flow PCR, which could perform PCR on-chip in a microfluidic system. For the evaluation of practical accuracy, plasmid DNA that serves as a reference molecule for the quantification of genetically modified (GM) maize was used as the template DNA for continuous-flow PCR. After PCR, the products were collected in a vial and analyzed by gel electrophoresis to confirm the accuracy of the results. Additionally, quantitative continuous-flow PCR was performed using TaqMan technology on our PCR device. A laser detection system was also used for the quantitative PCR method. We observed a linear relationship between the threshold cycle (Ct) and the initial DNA concentration. These results showed that it would be possible to quantify the initial copies of the template DNA on our microfluidic device. Accurate quantitative DNA analysis in microfluidic systems is required for the integration of PCR with μTAS, thus we anticipate that our device would have promising potential for applications in a wide range of research.     

A surface topography assisted droplet manipulation platform for biomarker detection and pathogen identification

This paper reports a droplet microfluidic, sample-to-answer platform for the detection of disease biomarkers and infectious pathogens using crude biosamples. The platform exploited the dual functionality of silica superparamagnetic particles (SSP) for solid phase extraction of DNA and magnetic actuation. This enabled the integration of sample preparation and genetic analysis within discrete droplets, including the steps of cell lysis, DNA binding, washing, elution, amplification and detection. The microfluidic device was self contained, with all reagents stored in droplets, thereby eliminating the need for fluidic coupling to external reagent reservoirs. The device incorporated unique surface topographic features to assist droplet manipulation. Pairs of micro-elevations were created to form slits that facilitated efficient splitting of SSP from droplets. In addition, a compact sample handling stage, which integrated the magnet manipulator, the droplet microfluidic device and a Peltier thermal cycler, was built for convenient droplet manipulation and real-time detection. The feasibility of the platform was demonstrated by analysing ovarian cancer biomarker Rsf-1 and detecting Escherichia coli with real time polymerase chain reaction and real time helicase dependent amplification.     

基于微流控双水相液滴流酶促反应的尿素检测

以简单、快速的微流控酶促反应方法实现了尿素浓度的可视化检测。 在微流控双水相液滴流动中,利用脲酶水解尿素生成碳酸铵使液滴内的中性红指示剂变色,并对液滴颜色强度进行分析来确定待测样品中尿素的浓度,检测范围可达到0~50 mg/mL。 双水相体系克服了传统油水分析检测平台生物相容性低的缺陷。 液滴流以较少的试剂消耗、极大的比表面积、微米级的扩散距离大大提高了反应速率,导致了较快的分析检测速度,将检测时间缩短为20 s左右。 为应用化学领域的尿素快速分析检测提供借鉴和参考。     

Real-time PCR of single bacterial cells on an array of adhering droplets

Real-time PCR at the single bacterial cell level is an indispensable tool to quantitatively reveal the heterogeneity of isogenetic cells. Conventional PCR platforms that utilize microtiter plates or PCR tubes have been widely used, but their large reaction volumes are not suited for sensitive single-cell analysis. Microfluidic devices provide high density, low volume PCR chambers, but they are usually expensive and require dedicated equipment to manipulate liquid and perform detection. To address these limitations, we developed an inexpensive chip-level device that is compatible with a commercial real-time PCR thermal cycler to perform quantitative PCR for single bacterial cells. The chip contains twelve surface-adhering droplets, defined by hydrophilic patterning, that serve as real-time PCR reaction chambers when they are immersed in oil. A one-step process that premixed reagents with cell medium before loading was applied, so no on-chip liquid manipulation and DNA purification were needed. To validate its application for genetic analysis, Synechocystis PCC 6803 cells were loaded on the chip from 1000 cells to one cell per droplet, and their 16S rRNA gene (two copies per cell) was analyzed on a commercially available ABI StepOne real-time PCR thermal cycler. The result showed that the device is capable of genetic analysis at single bacterial cell level with C(q) standard deviation less than 1.05 cycles. The successful rate of this chip-based operation is more than 85% at the single bacterial cell level.