PMA(propidiummonoazide)isahighaffinityphotoreactiveDNAbindingdyeinventedbyscientistsatBiotiumforviabilityPCRofbacteriaandotherorganisms.Thedyeisweaklyfluorescentbyitselfbutbecomesmorefluorescentafterbindingtonucleicacids.ItpreferentiallybindstodsDNAwithhighaffinity.Uponphotolysis,thedyecovalentlyreactswithDNA,thusresultinginpermanentDNAmodification.Thedyeiscellmembrane-impermeable,andthuscanbeselectivelyusedtomodifyonlyexposedDNAfromdeadcellswhileleavingDNAfromviablecellsintact.Thisfeaturemakesthedyehighlyusefulintheselectivedetectionofviablepathogeniccellsbyquantitativereal-timePCRinthepresencedeadcellswhoseDNAhasbeenPMA-modifiedandthuscannotbeamplified.SinceBiotiumfirstdevelopedPMAdye,therehavebeennumerouspublicationsontheuseofthedyeinpathogenicbacterialdetectionrelatedtofoodandwatersafety,medicaldiagnosisandbiodefense;downloadthePMAReferenceList.PMAdyeisalsoavailableinH2O(40019),aconvenientready-to-useformat.
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-TimePCRBacterialViabilitykitswithvalidatedprimersforselectedpathogens:M.tuberculosis,S.aureus,MRSA,Salmonella,E.coli,E.coliO157:H7,LegionellaandListeria.Thesekitsprovideeverythingthatyouneedfortheselectivedetectionofyourfavoritespeciesoflivebacteriabyreal-timePCR.Don’tseeyourfavoritestrain?Letusknowattechsupport@biotium.com.
Real-TimePCRBacterialViabilityKits
ForphotoactivationofPMA,PMaxx™orEMAdyes,werecommendtheuseofBiotium’sPMA-Lite™LEDPhotolysisDevice(E90002),whichisdesignedtoconductphotolysisundercontrolledconditions.
- Molecularweight:511
- Abs=464nm(beforephotolysis)
- Abs/Em=510/610nm(followingphotolysisandcovalentattachmenttoDNA/RNA)
- DarkredsolidsolubleinDMSOorDMF
- Storeat4°Candprotectfromlightatalltimes
References
Nocker,A.,Cheung,C.Y.,andKamper,A.K.(2006).Comparisonofpropidiummonoazidewithethidiummonoazidefordifferentiationoflivevs.deadbacteriabyselectiveremovalofDNAfromdeadcells.J.MicrobioMeth.67(2),310-320.
DownloadthefullPMAReferenceList.
