Application of Single Molecule Detection to DNA Sequencing and Sizing

Single-molecule identification in flowing sample streams by fluorescence burst size and intraburst fluorescence decay rate

We report a multiplex technique for identification of single fluorescent molecules in a flowing sample stream by correlated measurement of single-molecule fluorescence burst size and intraburst fluorescence decay rate. These quantities were measured simultaneously for single fluorescent molecules in a flowing sample stream containing a dilute mixture of fluorescent species:  Rhodamine 6G and tetramethylrhodamine isothiocyanate. Using a detailed Monte Carlo simulation of our experiment, we calculate single-molecule detection efficiencies and confidence levels for identification of these species and identify major sources of error for single-molecule identification. The technique reported here is applicable to distinguishing between fluorophores with similar spectroscopic properties and requires only a single excitation wavelength and single fluorescence emission detection channel.

Exonucleolytic degradation of high-density labeled DNA studied by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy

The exonucleolytic degradation of high-density labeled DNA by exonuclease III was monitored using two-color fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS). One strand of the double stranded template DNA was labeled on either one or two base types and additionally at one end via a 5' Cy5 tagged primer. Exonucleolytic degradation was followed via the diffusion time, the brightness of the remaining DNA as well as the concentration of released labeled bases. We found a hydrolyzation rate of about 11 to 17 nucleotides per minute per enzyme (nt/min/enzyme) for high-density labeled DNA, which is by a factor of about 4 slower than for unlabeled DNA. The exonucleolytic degradation of a 488 base pair long double stranded DNA resulted in a short double stranded DNA segment of 112 ± 40 base pairs (bp) length with two single-stranded tails.

Progress towards single-molecule DNA sequencing: a one color demonstration

Single molecules of fluorescently labeled nucleotides were detected during the cleavage of individual DNA fragments by a processive exonuclease. In these experiments, multiple (10-100) strands of DNA with tetramethyl rhodamine labeled dUMP (TMR-dUMP) incorporated into the sequence were anchored in flow upstream of the detection region of an ultra sensitive flow cytometer. A dilute solution of Exonuclease I passed over the microspheres. When an exonuclease attached to a strand, processive digestion of that strand began. The liberated, labeled bases flowed through the detection region and were detected at high efficiency at the single-molecule level by laser-induced fluorescence. The digestion of a single strand of DNA by a single exonuclease was discernable in these experiments. This result demonstrates the feasibility of single-molecule DNA sequencing. In addition, these experiments point to a new and practical means of arriving at a consensus sequence by individually reading out identical sequences on multiple fragments.

Programmable delivery of DNA through a nanopipet

We report the pulsed delivery of single-stranded DNA molecules through a nanopipet. The conical geometry of the pipet leads to a localized electric field, since all of the potential drop occurs in the tip region. Pulsatile delivery of DNA molecules can be achieved in an experimentally simple way with high precision by controlling the applied voltage. Single-molecule detection and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy in the nanopipet enable us to determine the number of molecules delivered. Anomalous slow diffusion of the DNA molecules in the pipet has also been observed. This nanopumping technique may have potential applications in local drug delivery and nanofabrication of biomolecules on surfaces in aqueous environments.

Identification of nucleotides with identical fluorescent labels based on fluorescence polarization in surfactant solutions

A solution-phase steady-state polarization-based method for discriminating among the four DNA nucleotides labeled identically with tetramethylrhodamine is described and demonstrated. Labeled nucleotides were dissolved in buffered surfactant solutions. In room temperature 4.5 mM Triton X-100 solutions at neutral pH, the measured steady-state polarizations of tetramethylrhodamine-labeled dATP, dCTP, dGTP and dUTP were 0.261 +/- 0.003, 0.112 +/- 0.003, 0.288 +/- 0.003, and 0.147 +/- 0.003, respectively. A blind test of 40 samples showed no errors in classification based on polarization. The reproducibility obtained during this study demonstrates that the four dye-labeled nucleotides can be discriminated with more than 99.8% confidence.

Data registration and selective single-molecule analysis using multi-parameter fluorescence detection

A general strategy to identify and quantify sample molecules in dilute solution employing a new spectroscopic method for data registration and specific burst analysis denoted as multi-parameter fluorescence detection (MFD) was recently developed. While keeping the experimental advantage of monitoring single molecules diffusing through the microscopic open volume element of a confocal epi-illuminated set-up as in experiments of fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, MFD uses pulsed excitation and time-correlated single-photon counting to simultaneously monitor the evolution of the four-dimensional fluorescence information (intensity, F; lifetime, tau; anisotropy, r; and spectral range, lambda(r)) in real time and allows for exclusion of extraneous events for subsequent analysis. In this review, the versatility of this technique in confocal fluorescence spectroscopy will be presented by identifying freely diffusing single dyes via their characteristic fluorescence properties in homogenous assays, resulting in significantly reduced misclassification probabilities. Major improvements in background suppression are demonstrated by time-gated autocorrelation analysis of fluorescence intensity traces extracted from MFD data. Finally, applications of MFD to real-time conformational dynamics studies of fluorescence labeled oligonucleotides will be presented.

Fluorescent high-density labeling of DNA: error-free substitution for a normal nucleotide

The enzymatic incorporation of deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates by a thermostable, 3'-->5' exonuclease deficient mutant of the Tgo DNA polymerase was studied for PCR-based high-density labeling of 217-bp "natural" DNA in which fluorescent-dUTP was substituted completely for the normal dTTP. The amplified DNA carried two different sorts of tethered dye molecules. The rhodamine-green was used for internal tagging of the DNA. Since high-density incorporation of rhodamine-green-X-dUTP led to a substantial reduction (quenching) of the rhodamine-green fluorescence, a second "high" quantum yield label, Cy5, was inserted via a 5'-tagged primer in order to identify the two-color product. A theoretical concept of fluorescence auto- and cross-correlation spectroscopy developed here was applied to quantify the DNA sequence formed in terms of both the number of two-color fluorescent molecules and the number of covalently incorporated rhodamine-green-X-dUMP residues. The novel approach allowed to separate optically the specific DNA product. After complete, exonucleolytic degradation of the two-color DNA we determined 82-88 fluorescent U* labels incorporated covalently out of 92 maximum possible U* incorporations. The heavily green-labeled DNA was then isolated by preparative mobility-shift electrophoresis, re-amplified in a subsequent PCR with normal deoxyribonucleoside triphosphates, and re-sequenced. By means of this novel methodology for analyzing base-specific incorporations that was first developed here, we found that all fluorescent nucleotides and the normal nucleotides were incorporated at the correct positions. The determined labeling efficiency of 0.89-0.96 indicated that a fraction of the substrate analog was not bearing the fluorophore. The results were used to guide developments in single-molecule DNA sequencing. The labeling strategy (principal approach) for PCR-based high-density tagging of DNA, which included an appropriate thermostable DNA polymerase and a suitable fluorescent dye-dNTP, was developed here.

Theoretical investigation of aspects of single-molecule fluorescence detection in microcapillaries

In the present report, the results of a theoretical investigation of two aspects of single-molecule detection by laser-induced fluorescence in microcapillaries are presented. The two issues studied are the scattering of the exciting laser beam on the microcapillary and the change of the fluorescence lifetime of the molecule due to the electrodynamic interaction between its fluorescence emission and the confining capillary. Numerical results for experimentally relevant conditions are provided.

Optical collection efficiency function in single-molecule detection experiments

The optical collection efficiency function for an optical system such as that used in single-molecule detection experiments is studied. Closed analytical expressions based on a geometrical optics approximation are presented. Comparison is made with exact wave optics calculations.

Optical detection of single molecules

Recent advances in ultrasensitive instrumentation have allowed for the detection, identification, and dynamic studies of single molecules in the condensed phase. This measurement capability provides a new set of tools for scientists to address important current problems and to explore new frontiers in many scientific disciplines, such as chemistry, molecular biology, molecular medicine, and nanostructured materials. This review focuses on the methodologies and biological applications of single-molecule detection based on laser-induced fluorescence.

Spatial dependence of the optical collection efficiency in flow cytometry

The sensitive flow cytometric detection of fluorescent species in liquid sample streams requires efficient collection of light from small [approximately 1 picoliter (pl)] sample volumes. This is often accomplished with high numerical aperture (NA) imaging collection optics used in combination with a spatial filter. A method to measure the spatial variation of the optical collection efficiency within the sample volume, using a submicrometer light source, is described. Measurements of the relative optical collection efficiency are presented for two optical collection systems used in our laboratory for single molecule detection. The measurement are in qualitative agreement with relative optical collection efficiency calculations using a simple geometrical optics model. Absolute measurements of the peak collection efficiencies for the two collection systems are also presented. These absolute collection efficiency measurements are in good quantitative agreement with ideal collection efficiencies calculated using measured transmissions and rated NAs of the collection optics. The utility of this information for the characterization and optimization of sensitive fluorescence detection apparatus is discussed.

Fluorescence correlations, single molecule detection and large number screening. Applications in biotechnology

Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), when carried out under conditions with low background as obtained in very small volume elements, is a powerful tool for examining molecular interactions as well as their time dependence. Interactions of biological importance which can be analyzed are hybridization between nucleic acid primers and DNA or RNA targets, between peptide ligands and isolated as well as cell-bound receptors, between antigen and antibodies. Since the interaction can be analyzed rapidly in small volumes without the need for separating unbound from bound ligand, an important application of FCS is envisaged in large-scale drug screening. The sensitivity has been advanced to the point that detection of single dye molecules is possible in the submillisecond range. This opens up the possibility for detecting rare events such as the appearance of pathogens in the early phase of infection or mutants exhibiting unusual properties when screening combinatorial libraries.