An important research finding, discovered by a research group led by Ma Cuiping, from College of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering of QUST, was published online in Journal of the American Chemical Society, an international authoritative top level periodical in chemistry. The research has found that several kinds of DNA polymerases possess innate reverse transcriptase activity, which made a breakthrough on the convention of generating DNA by DNA and had a great significance for RNA rapid detection.

RNA is not only the carrier of genetic information, but also the executor of biological function in living cells. RNA detection has become one of the most robust parts in molecular biology, medical diagnostics and drug discovery. Conventional RNA detection methods involve an extra reverse transcription step, in which reverse transcriptase RNA was reversed and generate cDNA, then with DNA polymerases the application for RNA rapid detection can be carried out. Through experiments and researches, Ma Cuiping’s research group found that Bst and Klenow DNA polymerases possess innate reverse transcriptase activity, that is the ability of generating cDNA by RNA and this cDNA can be used to amplicate. The finding breaks through the convention of generating DNA by DNA and provides the enzymology basis for isothermal RNA and one-step detection. This one-step detection will spur the development of a myriad of simple and easy to use RNA detection technologies for isothermal RNA direct detection and reduce experimental expenses. Also the detection has great significance for RNA rapid detection in POC settings and inspection and quarantine (such as AIDS and Ebola virus ) .

Journal of the American Chemical Society is an international authoritative chemical journal, one of the most influential publications with a longest history in chemistry discipline. It has higher and stricter standards for the originality and importance of the research achievements. This research finding was published on that journal, which marks that the research in RNA detection in the Key Laboratory of Sensor Analysis of Tumor Marker, Ministry of Education has entered a new phase.

The research project has obtained the support from the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

(Translated by Wu Tengfei & Zhao Mengmeng)