Audic S, Béraud-Colomb E
E.P.91 Structural and Genetic Information IBSM-CNRS, Marseille, France.
Nat Biotechnol. 1997 Sep;15(9):855-8. doi: 10.1038/nbt0997-855.
The first successful recovery of ancient DNA, from quagga and human mummies inspired significant enough interest to open an entire field of research. Efforts from many research groups, often in a hunt for the oldest sequences, showed that ancient DNA was a poor substrate for the enzymes used in molecular biology; it is present in tiny amounts, hard to purify, and frequently damaged. These obstacles have been partially overcome by the use of drastic laboratory precautions and by the introduction of polymerase chain reaction and phylogenetic studies. Ancient DNA analysis now finds applications in many research domains.
从斑驴和人类木乃伊中首次成功提取古代DNA，引发了足够大的关注，从而开启了一个完整的研究领域。许多研究小组的努力，通常是为了寻找最古老的序列，结果表明古代DNA是分子生物学中所用酶的不良底物；它的含量极少，难以纯化，而且经常受损。通过采取严格的实验室预防措施以及引入聚合酶链反应和系统发育研究，这些障碍已得到部分克服。如今，古代DNA分析在许多研究领域都有应用。
