title: A novel SERRS sandwich-hybridization assay to detect specific DNA target.
abstract: In this study, we have applied Surface Enhanced Resonance Raman Scattering (SERRS) technology to the specific detection of DNA. We present an innovative SERRS sandwich-hybridization assay that allows specific DNA detection without any enzymatic amplification, such as is the case with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR). In some substrates, such as ancient or processed remains, enzymatic amplification fails due to DNA alteration (degradation, chemical modification) or to the presence of inhibitors. Consequently, the development of a non-enzymatic method, allowing specific DNA detection, could avoid long, expensive and inconclusive amplification trials. Here, we report the proof of concept of a SERRS sandwich-hybridization assay that leads to the detection of a specific chamois DNA. This SERRS assay reveals its potential as a non-enzymatic alternative technology to DNA amplification methods (particularly the PCR method) with several applications for species detection. As the amount and type of damage highly depend on the preservation conditions, the present SERRS assay would enlarge the range of samples suitable for DNA analysis and ultimately would provide exciting new opportunities for the investigation of ancient DNA in the fields of evolutionary biology and molecular ecology, and of altered DNA in food frauds detection and forensics.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Géologie de Lyon-Terre Planètes Environnement, ENS Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon, France.
authors.forename: Cécile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Feuillie
authors.forename: Maxime Mohamad
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Merheb
authors.forename: Benjamin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gillet
authors.forename: Gilles
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Montagnac
authors.forename: Isabelle
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Daniel
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hänni
mesh_terms: D004247:DNA / Q000032:analysis*; D009693:Nucleic Acid Hybridization / Q000379:methods*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013059:Spectrum Analysis, Raman
chemical_list: D004247:DNA