MeltMan: Optimization, Evaluation, and Universal Application of a qPCR System Integrating the TaqMan qPCR and Melting Analysis into a Single Assay

PLoS One. 2016 Mar 31;11(3):e0151204. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151204. eCollection 2016.

Abstract

In the present work, we optimised and evaluated a qPCR system integrating 6-FAM (6-carboxyfluorescein)-labelled TaqMan probes and melting analysis using the SYTO 82 (S82) DNA binding dye in a single reaction. We investigated the influence of the S82 on various TaqMan and melting analysis parameters and defined its optimal concentration. In the next step, the method was evaluated in 36 different TaqMan assays with a total of 729 paired reactions using various DNA and RNA templates, including field specimens. In addition, the melting profiles of interest were correlated with the electrophoretic patterns. We proved that the S82 is fully compatible with the FAM-TaqMan system. Further, the advantages of this approach in routine diagnostic TaqMan qPCR were illustrated with practical examples. These included solving problems with flat or other atypical amplification curves or even false negativity as a result of probe binding failure. Our data clearly show that the integration of the TaqMan qPCR and melting analysis into a single assay provides an additional control option as well as the opportunity to perform more complex analyses, get more data from the reactions, and obtain analysis results with higher confidence.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • DNA Probes / chemistry
  • DNA Probes / metabolism
  • Fluoresceins / chemistry
  • Fluorescent Dyes / chemistry
  • Foot-and-Mouth Disease Virus / genetics
  • Influenza A virus / genetics
  • Nucleic Acids / metabolism*
  • Phase Transition
  • RNA, Viral / metabolism
  • Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods*
  • Taq Polymerase / metabolism

Substances

  • DNA Probes
  • Fluoresceins
  • Fluorescent Dyes
  • Nucleic Acids
  • RNA, Viral
  • 6-carboxyfluorescein
  • Taq Polymerase

Grants and funding

Funding for this work was provided by the Ministry of Health, Czech Republic-conceptual development of research organization (NIPH, IN 75010330).