New DNA Sequencing Technique Developed through MBD2

A new DNA sequencing technique was developed through isolating nuclear DNA from organelle DNA done by researchers from New England Biolabs and New Mexico State University. This isolating technique was done by adapting the procedure used in humans for studying genomics. The process uses methyl-CpG-binding domain (MBD2) in the genomic DNA (gDNA) obtained from five angiosperm species methylation followed by sequencing the methyl enriched sample and methyl depleted sample.

Their findings suggested that the methyl enriched sample gain an increase in their nuclear DNA and a decrease in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) by 1.3-29.0 fold and 1.8-31.3 fold, respectively. The methyl depleted DNA shows an increase in their organelle DNA by 3.2-11.1 fold in cpDNA and 3.4-11.3 fold in mtDNA. This result shows that MBD2 can be an alternative approach in attaining increase concentrations of nuclear and organelle DNA for genome sequencing. It also provides a more cost-effective way for genome sequencing due to its fast and simple techniques applied without acquiring too much starting material.

Read more the further details of the study at: http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.3732/apps.1400064.