Recent Advances in Peptide Nucleic Acids for Rapid Detection of Foodborne Pathogens

Peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) are DNA/RNA analogs in which sugar-phosphate backbone is replaced by N-2-aminoethylglycine repeating units. Since PNA contains a neutral skeleton, there is no electrostatic repulsion, resulting in significant stability of its hybrid structure with complementary oligonucleotides. At present, PNA has taken the place of DNA probe in many studies. There are several disadvantages of cellular uptake of PNA, so modifications in PNA backbone or covalent coupling with cell-penetrating peptides are necessary to improve its delivery inside the cells. In recent years, PNA has been extensively used in the rapid detection of microorganisms, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization, PCR amplification, biosensor, and gene chip. The structure and characteristics of PNA probe, the hybridization method, and the design principle of PNA probes are introduced in this review, and the application progress of PNA probes in the rapid detection of foodborne pathogens is summarized. On this basis, the advantages and disadvantages of PNA probes are analyzed, and the future development trend is prospected.