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DNA barcoding for effective biodiversity assessment of a hyperdiverse arthropod group: the ants of Madagascar.

The role of DNA barcoding as a tool to accelerate the inventory and analysis of diversity for hyperdiverse arthropods is tested using ants in Madagascar. We demonstrate how DNA barcoding helps address the failure of current inventory methods to rapidly respond to pressing biodiversity needs, specifically in the assessment of richness and turnover across landscapes with hyperdiverse taxa. In a comparison of inventories at four localities in northern Madagascar, patterns of richness were not significantly different when richness was determined using morphological taxonomy (morphospecies) or sequence divergence thresholds (Molecular Operational Taxonomic Unit(s); MOTU). However, sequence-based methods tended to yield greater richness and significantly lower indices of similarity than morphological taxonomy. MOTU determined using our molecular technique were a remarkably local phenomenon-indicative of highly restricted dispersal and/or long-term isolation. In cases where molecular and morphological methods differed in their assignment of individuals to categories, the morphological estimate was always more conservative than the molecular estimate. In those cases where morphospecies descriptions collapsed distinct molecular groups, sequence divergences of 16% (on average) were contained within the same morphospecies. Such high divergences highlight taxa for further detailed genetic, morphological, life history, and behavioral studies.

Animals↗

Dosa: A method to covalently barcode proteins for high throughput biochemistry.

Deep mutational scanning couples a protein's activity to DNA sequencing for high throughput assessment of the effects of all single amino acid substitutions, but it largely uses indirect assays, like growth, as proxy for protein activity. Here, we covalently link variant proteins in vivo to an RNA barcode by fusing them to E. coli tRNA (m5U54) methyltransferase TrmA (E358Q), which forms a covalent bond with a tRNA stem-loop. Following cell lysis, variant proteins are separated in vitro according to their biochemical properties and identified by their barcodes. We use this method, Dosa, to analyze a large pool of FLAG epitope variants for binding to an anti-FLAG antibody, to profile the cleavage preferences of variants of enteropeptidase and human rhinovirus 3C protease, and to measure the solubility of several hundred Aβ(1-42) variants. This method should be amenable to numerous biochemical assays with proteins produced in E. coli or mammalian cells.

Protein display↗

Identifying Canadian mosquito species through DNA barcodes.

A short fragment of mt DNA from the cytochrome c oxidase 1 (CO1) region was used to provide the first CO1 barcodes for 37 species of Canadian mosquitoes (Diptera: Culicidae) from the provinces Ontario and New Brunswick. Sequence variation was analysed in a 617-bp fragment from the 5' end of the CO1 region. Sequences of each mosquito species formed barcode clusters with tight cohesion that were usually clearly distinct from those of allied species. CO1 sequence divergences were, on average, nearly 20 times higher for congeneric species than for members of a species; divergences between congeneric species averaged 10.4% (range 0.2-17.2%), whereas those for conspecific individuals averaged 0.5% (range 0.0-3.9%).

Animals↗

DNA barcoding reveals extraordinary cryptic diversity in an amphipod genus: implications for desert spring conservation.

DNA barcoding has revealed unrecognized species in several animal groups. In this study we have employed DNA barcoding to examine Hyalella, a taxonomically difficult genus of amphipod crustaceans, from sites in the southern Great Basin of California and Nevada, USA. We assessed the extent of species diversity using a species screening threshold (SST) set at 10 times the average intrapopulation cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) haplotype divergence. Despite the fact that this threshold approach is more conservative in delineating provisional species than the phylogenetic species concept, our analyses revealed extraordinary levels of cryptic diversity and endemism. The SST discriminated two provisional species within Hyalella sandra, and 33 provisional species within Hyalella azteca. COI nucleotide divergences among these provisional species ranged from 4.4% to 29.9%. These results have important implications for the conservation of life in desert springs - habitats that are threatened as a result of groundwater over-exploitation.

Amphipoda↗

Automated radiographic report generation using barcode technology.

Barcode reporting is a method of automated report preparation made possible by advancing computer technology, which may improve radiographic services and reduce their costs. This reporting method for normal examinations in a hospital-based radiology practice has been well accepted by radiology staff and has encouraged further applications. A free-text barcode system for reporting mammographic examinations subsequently has been developed and has further reduced dependency on transcription services, with little or no increase in radiologist's workload. Most radiologists in the department with the system believe it has had a positive impact on radiographic services, and almost two-thirds of them would consider using this kind of reporting system in a private-practice setting.

Computers↗

Use of an electronic barcode system for patient identification during blood transfusion: 3-year experience in a regional hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the use of an electronic barcode system for patient identification during blood transfusion. DESIGN: Retrospective study. SETTING: Regional hospital, Hong Kong. PATIENTS: For all patients requiring blood transfusion between May 1999 and April 2002, with the exception of patients in the psychiatric wards and the accident and emergency department, a portable, hand-held scan-and-print electronic device was used to verify and document patients' identity at two critical points of transfusion: blood sampling for the compatibility test and blood administration. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Scope of use of the electronic device, cost, effectiveness, staff compliance, problems and solution for improvement. RESULTS: In the first 3 years of hospital-wide use of the new device, no incidents of blood transfusion to wrong patients, or wrong labelling of blood samples, occurred with 41,00 blood sampling procedures and administration of 27 000 units of blood. Blood sampling took 6 minutes to complete with the use of the electronic device-similar to that taken by the conventional second-checker system. Among hospital staff, the compliance rate of using the new device approached 90%. Battery problems occurred in 12% of episodes of use of the device. CONCLUSIONS: The electronic barcode system was effective in reducing human error related to bedside transfusion procedures. The future goal is to tailor-make a more efficient device with additional functions.

Attitude of Health Personnel↗

Performance Profiles of Short DNA Barcode Segments for Family Level Detection of Asteraceae Within Asterales.

Short DNA barcodes may facilitate sequence recovery from degraded material, but their ability to retain target-family identity while excluding related taxa varies among genomic regions. We computationally evaluated 16 nuclear, plastid, and mitochondrial marker regions from 11 Asterales families using 279,956 NCBI locus-record matches and an accession-disjoint discovery/test design. Thirty-one candidate segments of 50-200 bp (mean, 98.55 bp) were screened in discovery data and evaluated for within-Asteraceae sequence recall, differentiation from non-Asteraceae Asterales, in silico primer behavior, phylogenetic placement, and exploratory matching across 808 metadata-defined metagenomic samples. Conserved regions such as matR and rbcL showed high within-Asteraceae identity, whereas ITS1, ITS, and trnH-psbA showed larger differences from related-family backgrounds; ITS2 and ycf1 showed intermediate profiles. Candidate segments were placed within or immediately adjacent to Asteraceae reference branches in segment-specific maximum-likelihood analyses, although support and topology varied among regions. Metadata-defined target-containing groups had higher mean query coverage and identity than background groups; because target presence was not independently verified and no classifier was fitted, these comparisons were descriptive and did not estimate diagnostic accuracy. Definitionally linked sequence statistics were interpreted as structural associations rather than evidence of causal evolutionary mechanisms. These results provide a family-level computational comparison of candidate short segments for Asteraceae detection within Asterales. Species identification, operational marker combinations, threshold robustness, and laboratory performance require validation using taxonomically dense, voucher-linked, and experimentally characterized datasets.

Asteraceae↗

Development of electronic barcodes for use in plant pathology and functional genomics.

We have developed a novel 'electronic barcode' system that uses radio frequency identification (RFID) tags, cell phones, and portable computers to link phenotypic, environmental, and genomic data. We describe a secure, inexpensive system to record and retrieve data from plant samples. It utilizes RFID tags, computers, PDAs, and cell phones to link, record, and retrieve positional, and functional genomic data. Our results suggest that RFID tags can be used in functional genomic screens to record information that is involved in plant development or disease.

Arabidopsis↗

Digital codes from hypervariable tandemly repeated DNA sequences in the Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite gene can genetically barcode isolates.

DNA typing systems currently used in parasitology involve either hybridising Southern blots with repetitive sequence probes or amplifying genomic sequences using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Both such approaches assay allelic length variation, usually in unexpressed tandemly repeated DNA sequences. Where an appropriate target locus exists, an alternative PCR-based strategy which reveals allelic sequence variation in tandemly repeated DNA offers a more accurate and internally controlled assay. We describe such a strategy for the rapid extraction of information on tandem repeat sequence variation from hypervariable alleles, and apply it to the Plasmodium falciparum CS gene. The extreme variability of such DNA 'barcodes' can be used to identify parasite stocks and lineages. This system is also potentially useful for population genetic and epidemiological studies since it offers the possibility of following the spread of distinctively marked parasite genotypes in samples taken from infected individuals.

Animals↗

Analysis of hybridization on the molecular barcode GeneChip microarray.

Microarrays have been developed for analysis of transcriptional profiles in many organisms. For experimental simplicity and systems for which microarrays do not exist, it would be desirable to use a standard microarray platform for the analysis of multiple systems. The molecular barcode (MB) Affymetrix GeneChip could serve as such a platform. The reproducibility and quantitative capacity of the MB GeneChip were examined. Using mixed PCR templates of defined template quantity, the individual concentration responses of 384 array features were measured and shown to be highly reproducible. Moreover, the binding behaviors of the mismatched array features mirror those of the matched features, at reduced intensity. Additional analysis defined the importance of particular sequence motifs in the prediction of high-affinity and low-affinity target hybridization. The data support the future application of MB GeneChips for quantitative applications. It is proposed that at least seven orders-of-magnitude in accurate concentration sensitivity could be achieved.

Base Sequence↗

DNA barcoding of blastocystis.

We have developed a simple method for subtyping the intestinal protistan parasite Blastocystis using an approach equivalent to DNA barcoding in animals. Amplification of a 600 bp region of the small subunit ribosomal RNA gene followed by single primer sequencing of the PCR product provides enough data to assign isolates to specific subtypes unambiguously. We believe that this approach will prove useful in future epidemiological studies.

Animals↗

Coupling molecular beacons to barcoded metal nanowires for multiplexed, sealed chamber DNA bioassays.

We have combined molecular beacon (MB) probes with barcoded metal nanowires to enable no-wash, sealed chamber, multiplexed detection of nucleic acids. Probe design and experimental parameters important in nanowire-based MB assays are discussed. Loop regions of 24 bases and 5 base pair stem regions in the beacon probes gave optimal performance. Our results suggest that thermodynamic predictions for secondary structure stability of solution-phase MB can guide probe design for nanowire-based assays. Dengue virus-specific probes with predicted solution-phase DeltaG of folding in 500 mM buffered NaCl of approximately -4 kcal/mol performed better than those with DeltaG > -2 or < -6 kcal/mol. Buffered 300-500 mM NaCl was selected after comparison of several buffers previously reported for similar types of assays, and 200-500 mM NaCl was found to be the optimal ionic strength for the hybridization temperatures (25 and 50 degrees C) and probe designs used here. Target binding to the surface as a function of solution concentration fit a Sips isotherm with Kd = 1.7 +/- 0.3 nM. The detection limit was approximately 100 pM, limited by incomplete quenching. Single base mismatches could be discriminated from fully complementary targets. Oligonucleotide target sequences specific for human immunodeficiency, hepatitis C, and severe acute respiratory viruses were assayed simultaneously in a no-wash, sealed chamber, multiplexed experiment in which each of three probe sequences was attached to a different pattern of encoded nanowires. Finally, we demonstrated that probe-coated nanowires retain their selectivity and sensitivity in a triplexed assay after storage for over 3 months.

DNA, Viral↗

An shRNA barcode screen provides insight into cancer cell vulnerability to MDM2 inhibitors.

The identification of the cellular targets of small molecules with anticancer activity is crucial to their further development as drug candidates. Here, we present the application of a large-scale RNA interference-based short hairpin RNA (shRNA) barcode screen to gain insight in the mechanism of action of nutlin-3 (1). Nutlin-3 is a small-molecule inhibitor of MDM2, which can activate the p53 pathway. Nutlin-3 shows strong antitumor effects in mice, with surprisingly few side effects on normal tissues. Aside from p53, we here identify 53BP1 as a critical mediator of nutlin-3-induced cytotoxicity. 53BP1 is part of a signaling network induced by DNA damage that is frequently activated in cancer but not in healthy tissues. Our results suggest that nutlin-3's tumor specificity may result from its ability to turn a cancer cell-specific property (activated DNA damage signaling) into a weakness that can be exploited therapeutically.

Animals↗

Signature-tagged mutagenesis: barcoding mutants for genome-wide screens.

DNA signature tags (molecular barcodes) facilitate functional screens by identifying mutants in mixed populations that have a reduced or increased adaptation to a particular environment. Many innovative adaptations and refinements in the technology have been described since its original use with Salmonella; they have yielded a wealth of information on a broad range of biological processes--mainly in bacteria, but also in yeast and other fungi, viruses, parasites and, most recently, in mammalian cells. By combining whole-genome microarrays and comprehensive ordered libraries of mutants, high-throughput functional screens can now be achieved on a genomic scale.

Animals↗

A bio-barcode assay for on-chip attomolar-sensitivity protein detection.

Functionalized nanoparticles hold great promise in realizing highly sensitive and selective biodetection. We report a single disposable chip which is capable of carrying out a multi-step process that employs nanoparticles--a bio-barcode assay (BCA) for single protein marker detection. To illustrate the capability of the system, we tested for the presence of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in buffer solution and goat serum. Detection was accomplished at PSA concentrations as low as 500 aM. This corresponds to only 300 copies of protein analytes using 1 microL total sample volume. We established that the on-chip BCA for PSA detection offers four orders of magnitude higher sensitivity compared to commercially available ELISA-based PSA tests.

Animals↗

Molecular barcodes for soil nematode identification.

Using a molecular barcode, derived from single-specimen polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and sequencing of the 5' segment of the small subunit ribosomal RNA (SSU) gene, we have developed a molecular operational taxonomic unit (MOTU) scheme for soil nematodes. Individual specimens were considered to belong to the same MOTU when the sequenced segment of 450 bases was > 99.5% identical. A Scottish upland Agrostis-Festuca grassland soil was sampled, using both culture-based and random selection methods. One hundred and sixty-six cultured isolates were sequenced, and clustered into five MOTU. From 74 randomly sampled individuals across the study site, 19 MOTU were defined. A subsequent sample of 18 individuals from a single subplot contained eight MOTU, four of which were unique to the single subplot sample. Interestingly, seven of these MOTU were not present in the culture-independent sampling. Overall, a total of 23 MOTU were defined from only 240 sequences. Many MOTU could readily be assigned to classical, morphologically defined taxonomic units using a database of SSU sequences from named nematode species. The MOTU technique allows a rapid assessment of nematode taxon diversity in soils. Correlation with a database of sequences from known species offers a route to application of the technique in ecological surveys addressing biological as well as genetic diversity.

Animals↗

Histone H3 variants and their potential role in indexing mammalian genomes: the "H3 barcode hypothesis".

In the history of science, provocative but, at times, controversial ideas have been put forward to explain basic problems that confront and intrigue the scientific community. These hypotheses, although often not correct in every detail, lead to increased discussion that ultimately guides experimental tests of the principal concepts and produce valuable insights into long-standing questions. Here, we present a hypothesis, the "H3 barcode hypothesis." Hopefully, our ideas will evoke critical discussion and new experimental approaches that bear on general topics, such as nuclear architecture, epigenetic memory, and cell-fate choice. Our hypothesis rests on the central concept that mammalian histone H3 variants (H3.1, H3.2, and H3.3), although remarkably similar in amino acid sequence, exhibit distinct posttranslational "signatures" that create different chromosomal domains or territories, which, in turn, influence epigenetic states during cellular differentiation and development. Although we restrict our comments to H3 variants in mammals, we expect that the more general concepts presented here will apply to other histone variant families in organisms that employ them.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Molecular barcodes detect redundancy and contamination in hairpin-bisulfite PCR.

PCR amplification of limited amounts of DNA template carries an increased risk of product redundancy and contamination. We use molecular barcoding to label each genomic DNA template with an individual sequence tag prior to PCR amplification. In addition, we include molecular 'batch-stamps' that effectively label each genomic template with a sample ID and analysis date. This highly sensitive method identifies redundant and contaminant sequences and serves as a reliable method for positive identification of desired sequences; we can therefore capture accurately the genomic template diversity in the sample analyzed. Although our application described here involves the use of hairpin-bisulfite PCR for amplification of double-stranded DNA, the method can readily be adapted to single-strand PCR. Useful applications will include analyses of limited template DNA for biomedical, ancient DNA and forensic purposes.

Base Sequence↗