%0 Journal Article
%T A New Generation Microarray for the Simultaneous Detection and Identification of Yersinia pestis and Bacillus anthracis in Food
%A Noriko Goji
%A Trevor MacMillan
%A Kingsley Kwaku Amoako
%J Journal of Pathogens
%D 2012
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2012/627036
%X The use of microarrays as a multiple analytic system has generated increased interest and provided a powerful analytical tool for the simultaneous detection of pathogens in a single experiment. A wide array of applications for this technology has been reported. A low density oligonucleotide microarray was generated from the genetic sequences of Y. pestis and B. anthracis and used to fabricate a microarray chip. The new generation chip, consisting of 2,240 spots in 4 quadrants with the capability of stripping/rehybridization, was designated as ¡°Y-PESTIS/B-ANTHRACIS 4x2K Array.¡± The chip was tested for specificity using DNA from a panel of bacteria that may be potentially present in food. In all, 37 unique Y. pestis-specific and 83 B. anthracis-specific probes were identified. The microarray assay distinguished Y. pestis and B. anthracis from the other bacterial species tested and correctly identified the Y. pestis-specific oligonucleotide probes using DNA extracted from experimentally inoculated milk samples. Using a whole genome amplification method, the assay was able to detect as low as 1£¿ng genomic DNA as the start sample. The results suggest that oligonucleotide microarray can specifically detect and identify Y. pestis and B. anthracis and may be a potentially useful diagnostic tool for detecting and confirming the organisms in food during a bioterrorism event. 1. Introduction Microarray technology has great potential for use in diagnostics, and DNA microarrays have received considerable attention due to the ability to simultaneously analyse a very large number of nucleic acid sequence targets and detect multiple genetic targets or genomes from multiple pathogens on a single slide [1]. The technology has played an increasingly important role in genomics and has generated increased interest in the last decade. DNA microarrays consist of several oligonucleotide probes that have been immobilized on a solid glass support, and the technique has great potential to be used for the discrimination of closely related strains by employing oligonucleotides specific for each target organism. Hence, the design of a suitable probe set is the key in the development of microarrays as all probes on a microarray should be highly specific for their target genes. The probes should be able to bind efficiently to target sequences to allow the detection of very low abundance targets in complex mixtures with high sensitivity [2]. The use of DNA microarrays has been shown to be effective for the high-throughput detection of pathogenic microorganisms in clinical,
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/jpath/2012/627036/