Specific protein detection using designed DNA carriers and nanopores.

Nanopores are a versatile technique for the detection and characterization of single molecules in solution. An ongoing challenge in the field is to find methods to selectively detect specific biomolecules. In this work we describe a new technique for sensing specific proteins using unmodified solid-state nanopores. We engineered a double strand of DNA by hybridizing nearly two hundred oligonucleotides to a linearized version of the m13mp18 virus genome. This engineered double strand, which we call a DNA carrier, allows positioning of protein binding sites at nanometer accurate intervals along its contour via DNA conjugation chemistry. We measure the ionic current signal of translocating DNA carriers as a function of the number of binding sites and show detection down to the single protein level. Furthermore, we use DNA carriers to develop an assay for identifying a single protein species within a protein mixture.We thank Vivek Thacker and Nadanai Laohakunakorn for critical reading of this manuscript. N.A.W.B. was supported by an EPSRC Doctoral Prize Award. U.F.K. acknowledges support by an ERC starting grant, PassMembrane 261101.This is the final published version. It first appeared at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja512521w

Digitally encoded DNA nanostructures for multiplexed, single-molecule protein sensing with nanopores.

The simultaneous detection of a large number of different analytes is important in bionanotechnology research and in diagnostic applications. Nanopore sensing is an attractive method in this regard as the approach can be integrated into small, portable device architectures, and there is significant potential for detecting multiple sub-populations in a sample. Here, we show that highly multiplexed sensing of single molecules can be achieved with solid-state nanopores by using digitally encoded DNA nanostructures. Based on the principles of DNA origami, we designed a library of DNA nanostructures in which each member contains a unique barcode; each bit in the barcode is signalled by the presence or absence of multiple DNA dumbbell hairpins. We show that a 3-bit barcode can be assigned with 94% accuracy by electrophoretically driving the DNA structures through a solid-state nanopore. Select members of the library were then functionalized to detect a single, specific antibody through antigen presentation at designed positions on the DNA. This allows us to simultaneously detect four different antibodies of the same isotype at nanomolar concentration levels.N.A.W.B. and U.F.K. acknowledge funding from an ERC starting grant (Passmembrane 261101) and an ERC consolidator grant (Designerpores 647144). N.A.W.B. also acknowledges funding from an EPSRC doctoral prize award.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Nature Publishing Group via https://doi.org/10.1038/nnano.2016.5

Nanopores formed by DNA origami: a review.

Nanopores have emerged over the past two decades to become an important technique in single molecule experimental physics and biomolecule sensing. Recently DNA nanotechnology, in particular DNA origami, has been used for the formation of nanopores in insulating materials. DNA origami is a very attractive technique for the formation of nanopores since it enables the construction of 3D shapes with precise control over geometry and surface functionality. DNA origami has been applied to nanopore research by forming hybrid architectures with solid state nanopores and by direct insertion into lipid bilayers. This review discusses recent experimental work in this area and provides an outlook for future avenues and challenges.N.A.W.B. acknowledges funding from the EPSRC NanoDTC program and an EPSRC doctoral prize award, U.F.K. acknowledges funding from an ERC starting Grant.This is the accepted manuscript of a paper published in FEBS Letters (Bell NAW, Keyser UF, FEBS Letters 2014, 588, 3564–3570, doi:10.1016/j.febslet.2014.06.013)

Translocation frequency of double-stranded DNA through a solid-state nanopore.

Solid-state nanopores are single-molecule sensors that measure changes in ionic current as charged polymers such as DNA pass through. Here, we present comprehensive experiments on the length, voltage, and salt dependence of the frequency of double-stranded DNA translocations through conical quartz nanopores with mean opening diameter 15 nm. We observe an entropic barrier-limited, length-dependent translocation frequency at 4M LiCl salt concentration and a drift-dominated, length-independent translocation frequency at 1M KCl salt concentration. These observations are described by a unifying convection-diffusion equation, which includes the contribution of an entropic barrier for polymer entry.This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the American Physical Society via http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.93.02240

Nanopore analysis of amyloid fibrils formed by lysozyme aggregation.

The measurement of single particle size distributions of amyloid fibrils is crucial for determining mechanisms of growth and toxicity. Nanopore sensing is an attractive solution for this problem since it gives information on aggregates' shapes with relatively high throughput for a single particle technology. In this paper we study the translocation of lysozyme fibrils through quartz glass nanopores. We demonstrate that, under appropriate salt and pH conditions, lysozyme fibrils translocate through bare quartz nanopores without causing significant clogging. This enables us to measure statistics on tens of thousands of translocations of lysozyme fibrils with the same nanopore and track their development over a time course of aggregation spanning 24 h. Analysis of our events shows that the statistics are consistent with a simple bulk conductivity model for the passage of rods with a fixed cross sectional area through a conical glass nanopore.N.A.W.B. acknowledges funding from the EPSRC NanoDTC program and an EPSRC doctoral prize award and U.F.K. acknowledges funding from an ERC starting grant, PassMembrane (261101).This is the final version of the article. It first appeared from RSC via http://dx.doi.org/10.1039/C5AN00530

Asymmetric dynamics of DNA entering and exiting a strongly confining nanopore.

In nanopore sensing, changes in ionic current are used to analyse single molecules in solution. The translocation dynamics of polyelectrolytes is of particular interest given potential applications such as DNA sequencing. In this paper, we determine how the dynamics of voltage driven DNA translocation can be affected by the nanopore geometry and hence the available configurational space for the DNA. Using the inherent geometrical asymmetry of a conically shaped nanopore, we examine how DNA dynamics depends on the directionality of transport. The total translocation time of DNA when exiting the extended conical confinement is significantly larger compared to the configuration where the DNA enters the pore from the open reservoir. By using specially designed DNA molecules with positional markers, we demonstrate that the translocation velocity progressively increases as the DNA exits from confinement. We show that a hydrodynamic model can account for these observations.Translocation of a charged polymer through confined nanoenvironments is highly dependent on their geometrical parameters. Here, the authors investigate experimentally the translocation dynamics of DNA through conical nanopores and provide a quantitative model for the translocation into and out of confinement

Decreased brain venous vasculature visibility on susceptibility-weighted imaging venography in patients with multiple sclerosis is related to chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: The potential pathogenesis between the presence and severity of chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency (CCSVI) and its relation to clinical and imaging outcomes in brain parenchyma of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients has not yet been elucidated. The aim of the study was to investigate the relationship between CCSVI, and altered brain parenchyma venous vasculature visibility (VVV) on susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI) in patients with MS and in sex- and age-matched healthy controls (HC). METHODS: 59 MS patients, 41 relapsing-remitting and 18 secondary-progressive, and 33 HC were imaged on a 3T GE scanner using pre- and post-contrast SWI venography. The presence and severity of CCSVI was determined using extra-cranial and trans-cranial Doppler criteria. Apparent total venous volume (ATVV), venous intracranial fraction (VIF) and average distance-from-vein (DFV) were calculated for various vein mean diameter categories: .9 mm. RESULTS: CCSVI criteria were fulfilled in 79.7% of MS patients and 18.2% of HC (p < .0001). Patients with MS showed decreased overall ATVV, ATVV of veins with a diameter < .3 mm, and increased DFV compared to HC (all p < .0001). Subjects diagnosed with CCSVI had significantly increased DFV (p < .0001), decreased overall ATVV and ATVV of veins with a diameter < .3 mm (p < .003) compared to subjects without CCSVI. The severity of CCSVI was significantly related to decreased VVV in MS (p < .0001) on pre- and post-contrast SWI, but not in HC. CONCLUSIONS: MS patients with higher number of venous stenoses, indicative of CCSVI severity, showed significantly decreased venous vasculature in the brain parenchyma. The pathogenesis of these findings has to be further investigated, but they suggest that reduced metabolism and morphological changes of venous vasculature may be taking place in patients with MS

Forest carbon sequestration:the impact of forest management

In this chapter, we describe alternative ways in which forests and forestry can help to mítigate climate change, along with the potential impact of these activities. The three carbon storage compartments should be considered inall impact estimates. Carbon content in living biomass is easily estimated via species-specific equations or by applying factors to oven-dry biomass weights (e.g.,lbañez et al.,2002, Herrero et al.,2011,Castaño and Bravo, 2012).Litter carbon content has been analysed in many studies on primary forest productivity, though information regarding the influence of forest management on litter carbon content is less abundant (Blanco et al., 2006). In the last decade,efforts have been made to assess soil carbon in forests, but studies on the effect of forest management on soils show discrepancies (Lindner and Karjalainen,2007).Hoover (2011), for example,found no difference in forest floor carbon stocks among stands subjected to partial or complete harvest treatments in the United States.Instituto Universitario de Gestión Forestal Sostenibl

Global Taxonomic Diversity of Anomodonts (Tetrapoda, Therapsida) and the Terrestrial Rock Record Across the Permian-Triassic Boundary

The end-Permian biotic crisis (∼252.5 Ma) represents the most severe extinction event in Earth's history. This paper investigates diversity patterns in Anomodontia, an extinct group of therapsid synapsids (‘mammal-like reptiles’), through time and in particular across this event. As herbivores and the dominant terrestrial tetrapods of their time, anomodonts play a central role in assessing the impact of the end-Permian extinction on terrestrial ecosystems. Taxonomic diversity analysis reveals that anomodonts experienced three distinct phases of diversification interrupted by the same number of extinctions, i.e. an end-Guadalupian, an end-Permian, and a mid-Triassic extinction. A positive correlation between the number of taxa and the number of formations per time interval shows that anomodont diversity is biased by the Permian-Triassic terrestrial rock record. Normalized diversity curves indicate that anomodont richness continuously declines from the Middle Permian to the Late Triassic, but also reveals all three extinction events. Taxonomic rates (origination and extinction) indicate that the end-Guadalupian and end-Permian extinctions were driven by increased rates of extinction as well as low origination rates. However, this pattern is not evident at the final decline of anomodont diversity during the Middle Triassic. Therefore, it remains unclear whether the Middle Triassic extinction represents a gradual or abrupt event that is unique to anomodonts or more common among terrestrial tetrapods. The end-Permian extinction represents the most distinct event in terms of decline in anomodont richness and turnover rates

Neurocranium versus Face: A Morphometric Approach with Classical Anthropometric Variables for Characterizing Patterns of Cranial Integration in Extant Hominoids and Extinct Hominins

The relative importance of the two main cranial complexes, the neurocranium and the splanchnocranium, has been examined in the five species of extant hominoids and in a huge sample of extinct hominins using six standard craniometric variables that measure the length, width and height of each cranial module. Factor analysis and two-block partial least squares were used for establishing the major patterns of developmental and evolutionary integration between both cranial modules. The results obtained show that all extant hominoids (including the anatomically modern humans) share a conserved pattern of developmental integration, a result that agrees with previous studies. The pattern of evolutionary integration between both cranial modules in australopiths runs in parallel to developmental integration. In contrast, the pattern of evolutionary and developmental integration of the species of the genus Homo is the opposite, which is probably the consequence of distinctive selective regimes for both hominin groups.JAPC, JMJA and PP received fundings from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Gobierno de España (http://www.idi.mineco.gob.es), project CGL2011-30334, and Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo, Junta de Andalucía, España (http://www.juntadeandalucia.es/organismo​s/economiainnovacioncienciayempleo.html), project P11-HUM-7248 and Research Groups RNM-146 and HUM-607