A method to distinguish morphologically similar Peromyscus species using extracellular RNA and high-resolution melt analysis.

A method to distinguish morphologically similar Peromyscus species using extracellular RNA and high-resolution melt analysis. Anal Biochem. 2016 Jun 24; Authors: Nelson VA, Clarke BL, Crossland JP, Bemis LT Abstract A method applying high-resolution melt (HRM) analysis to PCR products copied and amplified from extracellular RNA (exRNA) has been developed to distinguish two morphologically similar Peromyscus species: P. leucopus and P. maniculatus. P. leucopus is considered the primary reservoir host of Borrelia burgdorferi, the causative agent for Lyme disease in North America. In northern Minnesota the habitat ranges of P. leucopus overlaps with that of P. maniculatus. Serum samples from live mice of both species were collected from cheek bleeds, total extracellular RNA (exRNA) was extracted, copied using reverse transcription and amplified by PCR followed by HRM analysis. A circulating ribosomal RNA (rRNA) was identified which differed at seven nucleotides between the two species and a method of HRM analysis was developed allowing rapid species confirmation. In the future, this HRM based method may be adapted for additional species. PMID: 27349513 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
Source: Analytical Biochemistry - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: Anal Biochem Source Type: research