PMA(propidiummonoazide)dyeisaDNAmodifierinventedbyscientistsatBiotium.Itisaphoto-reactivedyethatbindstodsDNAwithhighaffinity.UponphotolysiswithvisIBLelight,PMAdyecovalentlyattachesitselftodsDNA.ThePMA-modifieddsDNAcannotbeamplifiedbyPCR.Thedyeisdesignedtobecellmembrane-impermeable.Thus,inapopulationofliveanddeadcells,onlydeadcellsaresusceptibletoDNAmodificationduetocompromisedcellmembranes.ThisuniquefeatureofPMAdyemakesithighlyusefulinselectivedetectionoflivebacteriabyqPCR.Abacterialsamplecanbefirstpre-treatedwithPMAunderlighttoinactivatedsDNAfromdeadcells.DNAisthenextractedandanalyzedbyPCR.SinceBiotiumfirstdevelopedPMAdye,therehavebeenhundredsof publicationsontheuseofthedyeinpathogenicbacterialdetectionrelatedtofoodandwatersafety,medicaldiagnosisandbiodefense;downloadapartial PMAReferenceList.PMAisalsoavailableinlyophilizedformat,catalogno.40013.
Note:ScientistsatBiotiumhaverecentlyinventedanewandimproveddyeforviabilityPCR,calledPMAxx™(40069).PMAxx™functionsinamannerverysimilartoPMA,buthasmuchgreateractivityandabilitytodistinguishbetweenliveanddeadbacteria.PMAxx™canbeusedasareplacementforPMAinanybacterialviability-PCRassay.WerecommendthatcustomersinterestedinusingPMAtryPMAxx™instead,forimproveddetectionofviablebacteria.
ForviabilityPCRofgram-negativebacteriawehighlyrecommendusingournewPMAEnhancer(31038)inconjunctionwithPMA.PMAEnhancerforGramNegativeBacteriawasdesignedtoimprovePMA-mediateddiscriminationbetweenliveanddeadgram-negativebacteria.Whenasequencefromagram-negativebacteriaisamplifiedbyPCR,samplespre-treatedwithEnhancershowadecreaseinthesignalfromdeadcells,withnochangeinthesignalfromlivecells.
Biotiumalsoprovidesstrain-specificPMAReal-TimePCRBacterialViabilitykitswithvalidatedprimersfor7selectedpathogens:M.tuberculosis,S.aureus,MRSA,Salmonella,E.coli,E.coliO157:H7andListeria.Thesekitsprovideeverythingthatyouneedfortheselectivedetectionofyourfavoritespeciesoflivebacteriabyreal-timePCR.Don’tseeyourfavoritestrain?Letusknowattechsupport@biotium.com.
Real-TimePCRBacterialViabilityKits
ForphotoactivationofPMAxx™,PMAorEMAdye,werecommendtheuseofBiotium’sPMA-Lite™LEDPhotolysisDevice(E90002),whichisdesignedtoconductphotolysisundercontrolledconditions.
- Molecularweight:511
- Abs=464nm(beforephotolysis)
- Abs/Em=510/610nm(followingphotolysisandcovalentattachmenttoDNA/RNA)
- Darkredliquid
- Storeat-20°Candprotectfromlightatalltimes
References
Nocker,A.,Cheung,C.Y.,andKamper,A.K.(2006).Comparisonofpropidiummonoazidewithethidiummonoazidefordifferentiationoflivevs.deadbacteriabyselectiveremovalofDNAfromdeadcells.J.MicrobioMeth.67(2),310-320.
DownloadthefullPMAReferenceList.
