Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 9, 2026
07:16
Author Spotlight: Advancements in DNA Nanosensors – Addressing Sensitivity and Selectivity Challenges in Molecular Detection
Published on: February 9, 2024
1.7K
Enzymatic Method for the Synthesis of Long DNA Sequences with Multiple Repeat Units
Colette J Whitfield1, Andrew T Turley2, Eimer M Tuite2
1Institute for Cell and Molecular Biosciences, University of Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE2 4HH (UK).
Angewandte Chemie (International Ed. in English)
|June 23, 2015
Summary
This study introduces a novel polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method to synthesize long DNA molecules with repeating sequences. The technique efficiently generates DNA up to 20 kilobases, suitable for nanomaterial applications.
Area of Science:
- Molecular Biology
- Synthetic Biology
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Synthesizing long DNA with precise repeating sequences is challenging.
- Existing methods have limitations in length and sequence control.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a flexible and efficient method for preparing long DNA with defined repeat units.
- To enable the creation of DNA sequences for advanced applications like nanomaterials.
Main Methods:
- Utilizing a polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-derived approach.
- Employing two seeding oligodeoxynucleotides (oligoseeds) encoding repeat units.
- Extending oligoseeds using a thermostable archaeal DNA polymerase through multiple heat-cool cycles.
Main Results:
- Successfully generated long DNA molecules exceeding 20 kilobases in length.
- Achieved uniformly repeating sequences with high fidelity.
- Demonstrated flexibility in repeat unit length (1-10 base pairs) and base sequence.
Conclusions:
- The described PCR-derived method offers a robust way to synthesize long, precisely repeating DNA sequences.
- The generated DNA is suitable for diverse applications, particularly in the field of nanomaterials.
Related Concept Videos
01:59Lagging Strand Synthesis
64.2K
During replication, the complementary strands in double-stranded DNA are synthesized at different rates. Replication first begins on the leading strand. Replication starts later, occurs more slowly, and proceeds discontinuously on the lagging strand.
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
There are several major differences between synthesis of the leading strand and synthesis of the lagging strand. 1) Leading strand synthesis happens in the direction of replication fork opening, whereas lagging strand synthesis happens in the...
64.2K
03:01The Replisome
39.7K
DNA replication is carried out by a large complex of proteins that act in a coordinated matter to achieve high-fidelity DNA replication. Together this complex is known as the DNA replication machinery or the replisome.
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with...
The synthesis of the leading and lagging strands is a highly coordinated process. To explain this, the “Trombone model” was proposed by Bruce Alberts in 1980. The DNA loop formation starts when a primer is synthesized on the parent lagging strand. The loop grows with...
39.7K
03:01The Replisome
11.6K
11.6K
02:40DNA Replication
65.6K
DNA replication involves the separation of the two strands of the double helix, with each strand serving as a template from which the new complementary strand is copied. After replication, each double-stranded DNA includes one parental or “old” strand and one “new” strand. This is known as semiconservative replication. The resulting DNA molecules have the same sequence and are divided equally into the two daughter cells.
Replication in Prokaryotes
DNA replication...
Replication in Prokaryotes
DNA replication...
65.6K
01:57Sanger Sequencing
779.5K
DNA sequencing is a fundamental technique that is routinely used in the biological sciences. This method can be applied to a range of questions at different scales - from the sequencing of a cloned DNA fragment or the study of a mutation in a gene up to whole-genome sequencing. However, despite the widespread use of sequencing today, it was not until 1977 that Fredrick Sanger and his collaborators developed the chain-termination method to decode DNA sequences. It relies on the separation of a...
779.5K
01:05Maxam-Gilbert Sequencing
13.7K
In the same year as the discovery of the Sanger sequencing method, another group of scientists, Allan Maxam and Walter Gilbert, demonstrated their chemical-cleavage method for DNA sequencing. The Maxam-Gilbert method relies on using different chemicals that can cleave the DNA sequence at specific sites, the separation of resulting DNA fragments of variable size using electrophoresis, and deciphering the DNA sequence from the resulting gel bands.
Challenges of the Maxam-Gilbert Method
The...
Challenges of the Maxam-Gilbert Method
The...
13.7K