The Origin, Function, Distribution, Quantification, and Research Advances of Extracellular DNA

作者：Kaixin Yang, Lishuang Wang, Xinghong Cao, Zhaorui Gu, Guowei Zhao, Mengqu Ran, Yunjun Yan, Jinyong Yan, Li Xu, Chunhui Gao, Min Yang · 发表于：International Journal of Molecular Sciences · 年份：2022 · DOI：10.3390/ijms232213690 · 被引用次数：24 · 研究领域：Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology、Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies、Bacteriophages and microbial interactions

In nature, DNA is ubiquitous, existing not only inside but also outside of the cells of organisms. Intracellular DNA (iDNA) plays an essential role in different stages of biological growth, and it is defined as the carrier of genetic information. In addition, extracellular DNA (eDNA) is not enclosed in living cells, accounting for a large proportion of total DNA in the environment. Both the lysis-dependent and lysis-independent pathways are involved in eDNA release, and the released DNA has diverse environmental functions. This review provides an insight into the origin as well as the multiple ecological functions of eDNA. Furthermore, the main research advancements of eDNA in the various ecological environments and the various model microorganisms are summarized. Furthermore, the major methods for eDNA extraction and quantification are evaluated.