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Author

Yifu Guan

Bio: Yifu Guan is an academic researcher from China Medical University (PRC). The author has contributed to research in topics: Circular dichroism & DNA polymerase I. The author has an hindex of 2, co-authored 2 publications receiving 26 citations.

Papers
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Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It was found that the longer the primer, the more efficient is the primer extension, and these polymerization behavior of short primers lay foundation about DNA polymerization mechanism and development of novel nucleic acid detection assays.
Abstract: DNA polymerases amplify DNA fragments through primer extension reactions. However, polymerization behavior of short primers in the primer extension process has not been systematically explored. In this study, we examined the minimal primer length required for primer extension, and the effect of primer length, mismatches and other conditions on DNA polymerization using a non-radioactive method. Under the condition we conducted, the shortest primers polymerized by Klenow fragment (KF) and Taq DNA polymerase in our experiments were respectively heptamer and octamer. The extension efficiency was also affected by the up-stream overhanging structure of the primer-template complex. We hypothesized a simple model to interpret these observations based on the polymerase structures. Furthermore, it was found that the longer the primer, the more efficient is the primer extension. These polymerization behavior of short primers lay foundation about DNA polymerization mechanism and development of novel nucleic acid detection assays.

18 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Understanding is enriched about the effects of nucleotide derivatives on the G-quadruplex structure stability in different ionic environments, which will help to design G- quadruplex for biological and medical applications.
Abstract: Thrombin binding aptamer (TBA), a 15-mer oligonucleotide of d(GGTTGGTGTGGTTGG) sequence, folds into a chair-type antiparallel G-quadruplex in the K(+) environment, and each of two G-tetrads is characterized by a syn-anti-syn-anti glycosidic conformation arrangement. To explore its folding topology and structural stability, 2'-O-methyl nucleotide (OMe) with the C3'-endo sugar pucker conformation and anti glycosidic angle was used to selectively substitute for the guanine residues of G-tetrads of TBA, and these substituted TBAs were characterized using a circular dichroism spectrum, thermally differential spectrum, ultraviolet stability analysis, electrophoresis mobility shift assay, and thermodynamic analysis in K(+) and Ca(2+) environments. Results showed that single substitutions for syn-dG residues destabilized the G-quadruplex structure, while single substitutions for anti-dG residues could preserve the G-quadruplex in the K(+) environment. When one or two G-tetrads were modified with OMe, TBA became unstructured. In contrast, in Ca(2+) environment, the native TBA appeared to be unstructured. When two G-tetrads were substituted with OMe, TBA seemed to become a more stable parallel G-4 structure. Further thermodynamic data suggested that OMe-substitutions were an enthalpy-driven event. The results in this study enrich our understanding about the effects of nucleotide derivatives on the G-quadruplex structure stability in different ionic environments, which will help to design G-quadruplex for biological and medical applications.

10 citations


Cited by
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Journal ArticleDOI
06 Jul 2015-Sensors
TL;DR: The aim in this review is to give an overview of selected research activities related to nucleic acid-based aptamer techniques that have been reported in the past two decades.
Abstract: Detection of small molecules or proteins of living cells provides an exceptional opportunity to study genetic variations and functions, cellular behaviors, and various diseases including cancer and microbial infections. Our aim in this review is to give an overview of selected research activities related to nucleic acid-based aptamer techniques that have been reported in the past two decades. Limitations of aptamers and possible approaches to overcome these limitations are also discussed.

136 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that the incorporation of FAM and Tamra fluorescent dyes and the presence of PEG influenced the structures adopted by certain sequences with G-quadruplex-forming potential.

87 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Using lineage segregation in embryonic stem cell cultures as a model of early mammalian embryogenesis, DP-seq revealed novel sets of low abundant transcripts, some corresponding to the identity of cellular progeny before they arise, reflecting the specification of cell fate prior to actual germ layer segregation.
Abstract: We developed a novel Designed Primer-based RNA-sequencing strategy (DP-seq) that uses a defined set of heptamer primers to amplify the majority of expressed transcripts from limiting amounts of mRNA, while preserving their relative abundance. Our strategy reproducibly yielded high levels of amplification from as low as 50 picograms of mRNA while offering a dynamic range of over five orders of magnitude in RNA concentrations. We also demonstrated the potential of DP-seq to selectively suppress the amplification of the highly expressing ribosomal transcripts by more than 70% in our sequencing library. Using lineage segregation in embryonic stem cell cultures as a model of early mammalian embryogenesis, DP-seq revealed novel sets of low abundant transcripts, some corresponding to the identity of cellular progeny before they arise, reflecting the specification of cell fate prior to actual germ layer segregation.

41 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: The findings indicate that, as observed in humans, tandem or partially tandem duplications are the dominant form of insertion, although short duplications from ectopic donors account for a sizable fraction of insertions in rice (38%).
Abstract: The insertion of DNA into a genome can result in the duplication and dispersal of functional sequences through the genome. In addition, a deeper understanding of insertion mechanisms will inform methods of genetic engineering and plant transformation. Exploiting structural variations in numerous rice accessions, we have inferred and analyzed intermediate length (10–1,000 bp) insertions in plants. Insertions in this size class were found to be approximately equal in frequency to deletions, and compound insertion–deletions comprised only 0.1% of all events. Our findings indicate that, as observed in humans, tandem or partially tandem duplications are the dominant form of insertion (48%), although short duplications from ectopic donors account for a sizable fraction of insertions in rice (38%). Many nontandem duplications contain insertions from nearby DNA (within 200 bp) and can contain multiple donor sources—some distant—in single events. Although replication slippage is a plausible explanation for tandem duplications, the end homology required in such a model is most often absent and rarely is >5 bp. However, end homology is commonly longer than expected by chance. Such findings lead us to favor a model of patch-mediated double-strand-break creation followed by nonhomologous end-joining. Additionally, a striking bias toward 31-bp partially tandem duplications suggests that errors in nucleotide excision repair may be resolved via a similar, but distinct, pathway. In summary, the analysis of recent insertions in rice suggests multiple underappreciated causes of structural variation in eukaryotes.

38 citations

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: A chip-based method to investigate polymerases and their interactions with nucleic acids is introduced, which employs an electrical actuation of DNA templates on microelectrodes and reveals previously unidentified tight binding states for Taq and Pol I (KF) DNA polymerases.
Abstract: The engineering of high-performance enzymes for future sequencing and PCR technologies as well as the development of many anticancer drugs requires a detailed analysis of DNA/RNA synthesis processes. However, due to the complex molecular interplay involved, real-time methodologies have not been available to obtain comprehensive information on both binding parameters and enzymatic activities. Here we introduce a chip-based method to investigate polymerases and their interactions with nucleic acids, which employs an electrical actuation of DNA templates on microelectrodes. Two measurement modes track both the dynamics of the induced switching process and the DNA extension simultaneously to quantitate binding kinetics, dissociation constants and thermodynamic energies. The high sensitivity of the method reveals previously unidentified tight binding states for Taq and Pol I (KF) DNA polymerases. Furthermore, the incorporation of label-free nucleotides can be followed in real-time and changes in the DNA polymerase conformation (finger closing) during enzymatic activity are observable.

34 citations