Biomaterial Database

Polymerase chain reaction: amplification of DNA from fixed tissue. 1990

D Crisan, and E M Cadoff, and J C Mattson, and K A Hartle

Department of Pathology, University of Pittsburgh, PA 15213-2582.

The polymerase chain reaction (PCR) allows the analysis of DNA from biologic samples containing only nanogram quantities of DNA. We used DNA purified from fresh or frozen peripheral blood (PB) leukocytes and formalin, or B-5 fixed bone marrow aspirate clots (BM). A sequence of the beta-globin gene was amplified via the PCR then hybridized with allele specific oligonucleotide probes for hemoglobin A, S, and C. All DNA preparations, including formalin and B-5 fixed BMs, were successfully amplified; the hybridization of the amplified products resulted in patterns consistent with the hemoglobin phenotype for all patients. PCR can be used on DNA from many sources; retrospective studies using paraffin embedded fixed tissue are possible because extremely small amounts of DNA present in fixed tissue can be successfully amplified.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D008969	Molecular Sequence Data	Descriptions of specific amino acid, carbohydrate, or nucleotide sequences which have appeared in the published literature and/or are deposited in and maintained by databanks such as GENBANK, European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), National Biomedical Research Foundation (NBRF), or other sequence repositories.	Sequence Data, Molecular,Molecular Sequencing Data,Data, Molecular Sequence,Data, Molecular Sequencing,Sequencing Data, Molecular
D009693	Nucleic Acid Hybridization	Widely used technique which exploits the ability of complementary sequences in single-stranded DNAs or RNAs to pair with each other to form a double helix. Hybridization can take place between two complimentary DNA sequences, between a single-stranded DNA and a complementary RNA, or between two RNA sequences. The technique is used to detect and isolate specific sequences, measure homology, or define other characteristics of one or both strands. (Kendrew, Encyclopedia of Molecular Biology, 1994, p503)	Genomic Hybridization,Acid Hybridization, Nucleic,Acid Hybridizations, Nucleic,Genomic Hybridizations,Hybridization, Genomic,Hybridization, Nucleic Acid,Hybridizations, Genomic,Hybridizations, Nucleic Acid,Nucleic Acid Hybridizations
D004247	DNA	A deoxyribonucleotide polymer that is the primary genetic material of all cells. Eukaryotic and prokaryotic organisms normally contain DNA in a double-stranded state, yet several important biological processes transiently involve single-stranded regions. DNA, which consists of a polysugar-phosphate backbone possessing projections of purines (adenine and guanine) and pyrimidines (thymine and cytosine), forms a double helix that is held together by hydrogen bonds between these purines and pyrimidines (adenine to thymine and guanine to cytosine).	DNA, Double-Stranded,Deoxyribonucleic Acid,ds-DNA,DNA, Double Stranded,Double-Stranded DNA,ds DNA
D004277	DNA, Single-Stranded	A single chain of deoxyribonucleotides that occurs in some bacteria and viruses. It usually exists as a covalently closed circle.	Single-Stranded DNA,DNA, Single Stranded,Single Stranded DNA
D005260	Female		Females
D005404	Fixatives	Agents employed in the preparation of histologic or pathologic specimens for the purpose of maintaining the existing form and structure of all of the constituent elements. Great numbers of different agents are used; some are also decalcifying and hardening agents. They must quickly kill and coagulate living tissue.	Fixative,Pickling Agents,Agents, Pickling
D005557	Formaldehyde	A highly reactive aldehyde gas formed by oxidation or incomplete combustion of hydrocarbons. In solution, it has a wide range of uses: in the manufacture of resins and textiles, as a disinfectant, and as a laboratory fixative or preservative. Formaldehyde solution (formalin) is considered a hazardous compound, and its vapor toxic. (From Reynolds, Martindale The Extra Pharmacopoeia, 30th ed, p717)	Formalin,Formol,Methanal,Oxomethane
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man