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Highly sensitive detection of M.SssI DNA methyltransferase activity using a personal glucose meter

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A Correction to this article was published on 27 July 2018

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Abstract

A simple method for highly sensitive and selective detection of M.SssI CpG methyltransferase (M.SssI MTase) activity is developed, leveraging on the portability and ease of use of a personal glucose meter (PGM). Briefly, DNA-invertase conjugates are hybridized with their complementary DNA strands pre-immobilized on magnetic beads. The 5′-CCGG-3′ sequence present in the DNA duplexes serves as the recognition site for both Hpa II restriction enzyme and M.SssI MTase (5′-CG-3′). Hpa II restriction enzyme specifically cleaves at unmethylated 5′-CCGG-3′ sequence, and the invertase that remains on the methylated DNA catalyzes the hydrolysis of sucrose to glucose and fructose. It is found that the amount of glucose is proportional to the M.SssI MTase methylation activity in the range of 0.5 to 80 U/mL with a detection limit of 0.37 U/mL. Due to the specific recognition sequence present in the DNA strands, this method also shows high selectivity for M.SssI MTase. In addition, inhibition studies with 5′-azacytidine demonstrate the capability of inhibition screening using this method.

Deteciton of M.SssI DNA methyltransferase activity by a personal glucose meter

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Change history

  • 27 July 2018

    We should like to call your attention to the fact that Si Ying Png’s name was misspelled in the original publication: it should be Si Ying Png.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank the Ministry of Education for the financial support (R-143-000-588-112). H.D. is grateful for her scholarship from the Ministry of Education, Republic of Singapore.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Science Drive 3, Singapore, 117543, Singapore

    Huimin Deng, Si Ying Peng & Zhiqiang Gao

  2. China National Tobacco Quality Supervision and Test Center, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450001, China

    Huimin Deng

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  1. Huimin Deng
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  2. Si Ying Peng
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Correspondence to Zhiqiang Gao.

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Deng, H., Peng, S.Y. & Gao, Z. Highly sensitive detection of M.SssI DNA methyltransferase activity using a personal glucose meter. Anal Bioanal Chem 408, 5867–5872 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9701-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-016-9701-y

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