The preset invention relates to a method for treating a solution including nucleic acid and a device for treating a solution including nucleic acid.
Various devices for treating solutions including nucleic acid have been proposed. These devices can electrochemically analyze the nucleic acid contained in the solution. In electrochemical analysis of nucleic acid, the nucleic acid hybridizes with a probe immobilized on an electrode in the device. In this case, the degree of hybridization of the nucleic acid can be quantitatively analyzed based on a comparison of electrochemical analyses before hybridization and after hybridization (e.g., cyclic voltammetry (CV) measurement).
Non-Patent Literature 1 describes an example of a device for treating a solution including nucleic acid. This device has a well defined by an electrode and a resist. Such a device can be impregnated with the solution including nucleic acid. In this case, the solution is arranged from the interior of the well to the exterior of the well.
As described above, wells are sometimes used in the treatment of solutions including nucleic acid. The present inventors have examined the electrochemical analysis of a small target copy number of nucleic acid using a well. For example, when a solution is arranged from the interior of a well to the exterior of the well, as described above, the target copy number of the nucleic acid may be large.
In particular, it has been difficult to detect microRNA (miRNA) specific to cancer patients by the conventional method described above. For example, the amount of solution arranged from the interior of the well to the exterior of the well is at least approximately 10 μL in the conventional method. In this case, when the minimum nucleic acid concentration required to obtain complementary nucleic acid hybridization is 4 nM, the target copy number of the nucleic acid is approximately 400 mol. Since the total amount of miRNA obtained from 10 mL of serum of a cancer patient is approximately 1 amol or less, as will be described later, it is difficult to detect miRNA specific to a cancer patient by the conventional method.
Electrochemical analysis of a small target copy number of nucleic acid is an example of an object of the present invention. Other objects of the present invention will be clarified from the descriptions of the present specification.
An aspect of the present invention provides:
a method for treating a solution including nucleic acid, comprising the steps of:
arranging the solution on a first surface of a first base material having the first surface, which has a well defined by an electrode and a resist; and
after arranging the solution on the first surface of the first base material, pressing the first base material and a second base material, which has a hydrophobic second surface, together so that the second surface of the second base material and the first surface of the first base material face each other.
Another aspect of the present invention provides:
a device for treating a solution including nucleic acid, comprising:
a first base material having a first surface having a well defined by an electrode and a resist;
a second base material having a hydrophobic second surface; and
a member for pressing the first base material and the second base material together so that the first surface and the second surface face each other.
Yet another aspect of the present invention provides:
a device for treating a solution including nucleic acid, comprising:
a first base material having a first surface having a well defined by an electrode and a resist; and
a second base material having a hydrophobic second surface, wherein
the first base material and the second base material are joined to each other so that the first surface and the second surface face each other.
According to the aspects of the present invention described above, a small target copy number of nucleic acid can be electrochemically analyzed.
The embodiments of the present invention will be described below using the drawings. In the drawings, identical constituent elements are assigned the same reference sign, and descriptions have been omitted as appropriate.
Using
According to the solution treatment method according to the embodiment, a small target copy number of nucleic acid can be electrochemically analyzed. Specifically, in the solution treatment method of the embodiment, as shown in
In the embodiments and Examples, the solution including nucleic acid includes a hybridization solution and nucleic acid (e.g., RNA (e.g., miRNA) or DNA).
As shown in
The details of an example of a plan layout of the first base material 100 will be described using
The first base material 100 comprises a plurality of electrodes 120, a plurality of wiring 122, and the resist 130.
The resist 130 has a plurality of openings. In the example shown in
A portion of each electrode 120 is exposed from respective opening of the resist 130. Thus, each well 102a is defined by each electrode 120 and the resist 130. In the examples shown in
One end of each wiring 122 is connected to respective electrode 120. The other end of each wiring 122 may be connected to a terminal (not illustrated) for acquiring electronic signals of the electrode 120.
The details of the solution treatment method according to the present embodiment will be described using
First, the first base material 100 is prepared as shown in
The substrate 110 may be a glass substrate, may be a semiconductor substrate (e.g., a silicon substrate), or may be a resin substrate. In another example, the first base material 100 may have, in place of the substrate 110, a member (e.g., a member having a shape different from plate-like) having a surface on which the electrodes 120 and the resist 130 can be formed.
The plurality of electrodes 120 are on the substrate 110. The electrodes 120 are made of a conductive material, for example, a metal. The electrodes 120 are capable of functioning as working electrodes.
The resist has a plurality of openings. Each opening of the resist 130 exposes a portion of respective electrode 120. The resist 130 is made of an insulating material, for example, a resin.
The electrode 120 has a surface which is exposed from the resist 130. In an example, the exposed surface of the electrode 120 may be hydrophilic. In this case, in the arrangement of the solution L of
The surface of the resist 130 may be less hydrophilic than the exposed surface of the electrode 120, e.g., may be hydrophobic.
The first base material 100 has a first surface 102, and the first surface 102 has a plurality of wells 102a. Each well 102a is defined by an electrode 120 and the resist 130. Specifically, the electrodes 120 form the bottom surfaces of the wells 102a, and the resist 130 forms the inside surfaces of the wells 102a.
In an example, the volume of each well 102a may be 1 nL or less. In this case, in the confinement of the solution L in
In the example shown in
Next, as shown in
In the example shown in
In another example, none of the parts of the solution L may be arranged inside the well 102a (in other words, the entirety of the solution L is arranged outside the well 102a). In this example, the solution L outside the well 102a can be caused to enter the well 102a by pressing the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 together in
In yet another example, the solution L may be provided to each of the plurality of wells 102a. The solution L can be applied to each well 102a by, for example, dropping. In this example, the solution L in each well 102a can be dropped in an amount substantially equal to or greater than the volume of the well 102a. When the volume of the solution L in each well 102a is greater than the volume of the well 102a, the surface of the solution L may protrude at a position higher than the first surface 102 (upper surface of the resist 130) of the first base material 100. In this example, as shown in
The second base material 200 is then prepared as shown in
In the example shown in
The second surface 202 of the second base material 200 is hydrophobic. Specifically, the second surface 202 of the second base material 200 has a water contact angle of 90° or more. If the second surface 202 of the second base material 200 is hydrophilic, the solution L in the well 102a may leak to the outside of the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 by capillary action through the gap between the first base material 100 and the second base material 200. Conversely, when the second surface 202 of the second base material 200 is hydrophobic, leakage of the solution L in the well 102a to the outside of the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 can be suppressed, and the solution L can be retained in the well 102a with high reliability.
In one example, the second surface 202 of the second base material 200 is made of a hydrophobic material, e.g., polytetrafluoroethylene. In another example, the second surface 202 of the second base material 200 may be hydrophobized. The entire second base material 200 may not be hydrophobic or the entire second base material 200 may be hydrophobic.
Next, the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 are pressed against each other as shown in
In the example shown in
By pressing the first member 310 and the second member 320 together, the solution L can be retained in the well 102a with high reliability. In one example, when the solution L is arranged from the interior of the well 102a to the exterior of the well 102a before the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 are pressed together, the solution L outside the well 102a can be discharged to the outside of the first base material 100 and the second base material 200. In another example, if the solution L is not arranged inside the well 102a before the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 are pressed together, the solution L outside the well 102a can enter the well 102a.
The solution treatment method shown in
An example in which the solution treatment method shown in
In this example, while the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 are pressed against each other (e.g.,
Further, prior to hybridizing the nucleic acid with the probe, specifically, prior to arrangement of the solution L on the first surface 102 of the first base material 100 (
Further, after hybridizing the nucleic acid with the probe, specifically, after removing the second base material 200 from the first base material 100 and washing the first base material 100, electrochemical analysis may be performed using the electrode 120. In one example, a voltammogram may be measured by CV from the electrode 120. In this example, a small target copy number of nucleic acid can be electrochemically analyzed.
In the example described above, the degree of hybridization of the nucleic acid can be determined based on a compassion between the electrochemical analysis before hybridization (e.g., the voltammogram measured by CV) and the electrochemical analysis after hybridization (e.g., the voltammogram measured by CV) (e.g., a potential difference ΔE, which is described later using
The solution treatment method according to the present embodiment is applicable not only to the CV described above but also to electrochemical analysis other than CV (e.g., SWV (Square Wave Voltammetry)).
In one example, the nucleic acid may be a microRNA (miRNA). miRNA may be taken from blood. Generally, it is difficult to obtain a sample containing a large amount of miRNA from blood. According to the solution treatment method shown in
The solution treatment device 10 includes a first base material 100, a second base material 200, a first member 310, and a second member 320. The first member 310 and the second member 320 are members for pressing the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 together so that the first surface 102 and the second surface 202 face each other. When the first member 310 and the second member 320 are not provided, the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 are spaced apart from each other. Thus, using the solution treatment method shown in
The solution treatment device 10 includes a first base material 100 and a second base material 200. The first base material 100 and the second base material 200 are joined together so that the first surface 102 and the second surface 202 face each other. The first base material 100 and the second base material 200 may be bonded to each other, for example, via an adhesive layer. In the example shown in
In the example, the potential difference ΔE is calculated by the following process.
First, a first base material 100 is prepared as shown in
The solution containing the target miRNA (which solution contains the target miRNA and the hybridization solution) is then dropped onto the first surface 102 of the first base material 100, as shown in
The clips (first member 310 and second member 320) then push the first base material 100 and second base material 200 together, as shown in
The miRNA is then hybridized by heating the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 while the first base material 100 and the second base material 200 are pressed together by the clips (first member 310 and second member 320).
The clips (first member 310 and second member 320) are then removed from the first base material 100 and the second base material 200, and the second base material 200 is removed from the first base material 100. The first surface 102 of the first base material 100 is then cleaned.
The electrode 120 is then used to measure voltammogram C2 (
As shown in
The first oxidation wave O1 has a peak current value I0 at potential Ep0. The first oxidation wave O1 has a current value I1 at potential E1 (E1<Ep0).
The second oxidation wave O2 has a peak current value I0′ at potential Ep0′. The second oxidation wave O2 has a current value I at potential Ep0. The second oxidation wave O2 has current value I1 at the potential E2 (E2<Ep0′).
The potential difference ΔE is the difference between the potential E1 of the first oxidation wave O1 and the potential E2 of the second oxidation wave O2.
The reason why the potential difference ΔE occurs is as follows. The potential of the electrode 120 (the working electrode) may be reduced by the negative total charge amount ΔQ generated by the hybridized target nucleic acid. In the measurement of the oxidation waves, an electric double layer of capacitance C can be formed on the working electrode. The fall in the potential of the working electrode can be estimated as ΔQ/C. Thus, the oxidation wave after hybridization (in the example shown in
In
In
11 zmol (5 nM×2.1 pL)
17 zmol (8 nM×2.1 pL)
51 zmol (24 nM×2.1 pL)
168 zmol (80 nM×2.1 pL)
509 zmol (240 nM×2.1 pL)
1.7 amol (800 nM×2.1 pL)
In
141 zmol (4 nM×35 pL)
0.84 amol (24 nM×35 pL)
1.4 amol (40 nM×35 pL)
2.8 amol (80 nM×35 pL)
8.4 amol (240 nM×35 pL)
In
1.7 amol (24 nM×71 pL)
5.7 amol (80 nM×71 pL)
8.5 amol (120 nM×71 pL)
17 amol (240 nM×71 pL)
From the results shown in
From the results shown in
From the results shown in
The results shown in
Furthermore, in any of
As is clear from the descriptions herein, the object of the present invention is not limited to the detection of miRNA unique to cancer patients. Each aspect of the present invention is also applicable to the detection of nucleic acid other than miRNA specific to cancer patients.
While embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, these embodiments are illustrative of the present invention, and various configurations other than those described above may be used.
The present application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-200570, filed Oct. 25, 2018, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
10 solution treatment device
100 first base material
102 first surface
102
a well
110 substrate
120 electrode
122 wiring
130 resist
200 second base material
202 second side
310 first member
320 second member
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
2018-200570 | Oct 2018 | JP | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/JP2019/040922 | 10/17/2019 | WO | 00 |