DNA storage under high temperature conditions does not affect performance in human leukocyte antigen genotyping via next-generation sequencing (DNA integrity maintained in extreme conditions).

Stable dry-state storage of DNA is desirable to minimize required storage space and to reduce electrical and shipping costs. DNA purified from various commercially available dry-state stabilization matrices has been used successfully in downstream molecular applications (e.g., quantitative polymerase chain reaction [qPCR], microarray, and sequence-based genotyping). However, standard DNA storage conditions still include freezing of DNA eluted in aqueous buffers or nuclease-free water. Broad implementation of dry-state, long-term DNA storage requires enhancement of such dry-state DNA stabilization products to control for temperature fluctuations at specimen collection, transit, and storage. This study tested the integrity of genomic DNA subjected to long-term storage on GenTegra(™) DNA stabilization matrices (GenTegra LLC, Pleasanton, CA) at extreme conditions, as defined by a 4-year storage period at ambient temperature with an initial incubation for 7 months at 37°C, 56°C, or ambient temperature. Subsequently, purified DNA performance and integrity were measured by qPCR and next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based human leokocyte antigen (HLA) genotyping. High molecular weight genomic DNA samples were recovered from the GenTegra product matrix and exhibited integrity comparable to a highly characterized commercial standard under assessment by qPCR. Samples were genotyped for classical HLA loci using next generation sequencing-based methodolgy on the Roche 454 GS Junior instrument. Amplification efficiency, sequence coverage, and sequence quality were all comparable with those produced from a cell line DNA sequenced as a control. No significant differences were observed in the mean, median, or mode quality scores between samples and controls (p≥0.4). Next generation HLA genotyping was chosen to test the integrity of GenTegra-treated genomic DNA due to the requirment for long sequence reads to genotype the highly polymorphic classical HLA genes. Experimental results demonstrate the efficacy of the GenTegra product as a suitable genomic DNA preservation tool for collection and long-term biobanking of DNA at fluctuating and high temperatures.