1
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Jeunen GJ, Mills S, Lamare M, Duffy GA, Knapp M, Stanton JAL, Mariani S, Treece J, Ferreira S, Durán-Vinet B, Zavodna M, Gemmell NJ. Unlocking Antarctic molecular time-capsules - Recovering historical environmental DNA from museum-preserved sponges. Mol Ecol Resour 2024:e14001. [PMID: 39051108 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.14001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 07/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/15/2024] [Indexed: 07/27/2024]
Abstract
Marine sponges have recently emerged as efficient natural environmental DNA (eDNA) samplers. The ability of sponges to accumulate eDNA provides an exciting opportunity to reconstruct contemporary communities and ecosystems with high temporal and spatial precision. However, the use of historical eDNA, trapped within the vast number of specimens stored in scientific collections, opens up the opportunity to begin to reconstruct the communities and ecosystems of the past. Here, we define the term 'heDNA' to denote the historical environmental DNA that can be obtained from the recent past with high spatial and temporal accuracy. Using a variety of Antarctic sponge specimens stored in an extensive marine invertebrate collection, we were able to recover information on Antarctic fish biodiversity from specimens up to 20 years old. We successfully recovered 64 fish heDNA signals from 27 sponge specimens. Alpha diversity measures did not differ among preservation methods, but sponges stored frozen had a significantly different fish community composition compared to those stored dry or in ethanol. Our results show that we were consistently and reliably able to extract the heDNA trapped within marine sponge specimens, thereby enabling the reconstruction and investigation of communities and ecosystems of the recent past with a spatial and temporal resolution previously unattainable. Future research into heDNA extraction from other preservation methods, as well as the impact of specimen age and collection method, will strengthen and expand the opportunities for this novel resource to access new knowledge on ecological change during the last century.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gert-Jan Jeunen
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sadie Mills
- National Institute of Water & Atmospheric Research, Wellington, New Zealand
| | - Miles Lamare
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Grant A Duffy
- Department of Marine Science, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Michael Knapp
- Coastal People: Southern Skies Centre of Research Excellence, Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Jo-Ann L Stanton
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Jackson Treece
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Sara Ferreira
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | | | - Monika Zavodna
- Otago Genomics Facility, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Neil J Gemmell
- Department of Anatomy, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
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2
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Saeung M, Pengon J, Pethrak C, Thaiudomsup S, Lhaosudto S, Saeung A, Manguin S, Chareonviriyaphap T, Jupatanakul N. Dirus complex species identification PCR (DiCSIP) improves the identification of Anopheles dirus complex from the Greater Mekong Subregion. Parasit Vectors 2024; 17:260. [PMID: 38880909 PMCID: PMC11181648 DOI: 10.1186/s13071-024-06321-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Anopheles dirus complex plays a significant role as a malaria vector in the Greater Mekong Subregion (GMS), with varying degrees of vector competence among species. Accurate identification of sibling species in this complex is essential for understanding malaria transmission dynamics and deploying effective vector control measures. However, the original molecular identification assay, Dirus allele-specific polymerase chain reaction (AS-PCR), targeting the ITS2 region, has pronounced nonspecific amplifications leading to ambiguous results and misidentification of the sibling species. This study investigates the underlying causes of these inconsistencies and develops new primers to accurately identify species within the Anopheles dirus complex. METHODS The AS-PCR reaction and thermal cycling conditions were modified to improve specificity for An. dirus member species identification. In silico analyses with Benchling and Primer-BLAST were conducted to identify problematic primers and design a new set for Dirus complex species identification PCR (DiCSIP). DiCSIP was then validated with laboratory and field samples of the An. dirus complex. RESULTS Despite several optimizations by reducing primer concentration, decreasing thermal cycling time, and increasing annealing temperature, the Dirus AS-PCR continued to produce inaccurate identifications for Anopheles dirus, Anopheles scanloni, and Anopheles nemophilous. Subsequently, in silico analyses pinpointed problematic primers with high Guanine-Cytosine (GC) content and multiple off-target binding sites. Through a series of in silico analyses and laboratory validation, a new set of primers for Dirus complex species identification PCR (DiCSIP) has been developed. DiCSIP primers improve specificity, operational range, and sensitivity to identify five complex member species in the GMS accurately. Validation with laboratory and field An. dirus complex specimens demonstrated that DiCSIP could correctly identify all samples while the original Dirus AS-PCR misidentified An. dirus as other species when used with different thermocyclers. CONCLUSIONS The DiCSIP assay offers a significant improvement in An. dirus complex identification, addressing challenges in specificity and efficiency of the previous ITS2-based assay. This new primer set provides a valuable tool for accurate entomological surveys, supporting effective vector control strategies to reduce transmission and prevent malaria re-introducing in the GMS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manop Saeung
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
- HSM, Univ. Montpellier, CNRS, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Jutharat Pengon
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Chatpong Pethrak
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Saranya Thaiudomsup
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Pathum Thani, Thailand
| | - Suthat Lhaosudto
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Atiporn Saeung
- Parasitology and Entomology Research Cluster (PERC), Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | | | - Theeraphap Chareonviriyaphap
- Department of Entomology, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.
- Research and Lifelong Learning Center for Urban and Environmental Entomology, Kasetsart University Institute for Advanced Studies, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand.
| | - Natapong Jupatanakul
- National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), Pathum Thani, Thailand.
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3
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Endo N, Nihei Y, Fujita T, Yasojima M, Daigo F, Takemori H, Nakamura M, Matsuda R, Sovannrlaksmy S, Ihara M. Explaining the impact of mutations on quantification of SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12482. [PMID: 38816525 PMCID: PMC11139995 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62659-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 05/20/2024] [Indexed: 06/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Wastewater surveillance is an effective tool for monitoring community spread of COVID-19 and other diseases. Quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis for wastewater surveillance is more susceptible to mutations in target genome regions than binary PCR analysis for clinical surveillance. The SARS-CoV-2 concentrations in wastewater estimated by N1 and N2 qPCR assays started to diverge around July 2022 in data from different sampling sites, analytical methods, and analytical laboratories in Japan. On the basis of clinical genomic surveillance data and experimental data, we demonstrate that the divergence is due to two mutations in the N1 probe region, which can cause underestimation of viral concentrations. We further show that this inaccuracy can be alleviated if the qPCR data are analyzed with the second derivative method or the Cy0 method instead of the crossing point method.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noriko Endo
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu, Shiga, 520-0811, Japan.
| | - Yoshiaki Nihei
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu, Shiga, 520-0811, Japan
- Water Agency, Inc., 3-25 Higashi-Goken-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 162-0813, Japan
| | - Tomonori Fujita
- Research Center for Environmental Quality Management, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, 1-2 Yumihama, Otsu, Shiga, 520-0811, Japan
| | - Makoto Yasojima
- Shimadzu Techno-Research, Inc., 1 Nishinokyo Shimoai-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8436, Japan
| | - Fumi Daigo
- Shimadzu Techno-Research, Inc., 1 Nishinokyo Shimoai-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8436, Japan
| | - Hiroaki Takemori
- Shimadzu Techno-Research, Inc., 1 Nishinokyo Shimoai-cho, Nakagyo-ku, Kyoto, 604-8436, Japan
| | - Masafumi Nakamura
- Hiyoshi Corporation, 908 Kitanosho, Omihachiman, Shiga, 523-0806, Japan
| | - Ryo Matsuda
- Hiyoshi Corporation, 908 Kitanosho, Omihachiman, Shiga, 523-0806, Japan
| | - Sorn Sovannrlaksmy
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, 200 Monobe-Otsu, Nankoku City, Kochi, 783-8502, Japan
| | - Masaru Ihara
- Faculty of Agriculture and Marine Science, Kochi University, 200 Monobe-Otsu, Nankoku City, Kochi, 783-8502, Japan
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4
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Ressel S, Kumar S, Bermúdez-Barrientos JR, Gordon K, Lane J, Wu J, Abreu-Goodger C, Schwarze J, Buck A. RNA-RNA interactions between respiratory syncytial virus and miR-26 and miR-27 are associated with regulation of cell cycle and antiviral immunity. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:4872-4888. [PMID: 38412296 PMCID: PMC11109944 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkae116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/12/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
microRNAs (miRNAs) regulate nearly all physiological processes but our understanding of exactly how they function remains incomplete, particularly in the context of viral infections. Here, we adapt a biochemical method (CLEAR-CLIP) and analysis pipeline to identify targets of miRNAs in lung cells infected with Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). We show that RSV binds directly to miR-26 and miR-27 through seed pairing and demonstrate that these miRNAs target distinct gene networks associated with cell cycle and metabolism (miR-27) and antiviral immunity (miR-26). Many of the targets are de-repressed upon infection and we show that the miR-27 targets most sensitive to miRNA inhibition are those associated with cell cycle. Finally, we demonstrate that high confidence chimeras map to long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and pseudogenes in transcriptional regulatory regions. We validate that a proportion of miR-27 and Argonaute 2 (AGO2) is nuclear and identify a long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) as a miR-27 target that is linked to transcriptional regulation of nearby genes. This work expands the target networks of miR-26 and miR-27 to include direct interactions with RSV and lncRNAs and implicate these miRNAs in regulation of key genes that impact the viral life cycle associated with cell cycle, metabolism, and antiviral immunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Ressel
- Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Sujai Kumar
- Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | | | - Katrina Gordon
- Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Julia Lane
- Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jin Wu
- Janssen Research & Development, Janssen Pharmaceutica NV, Turnhoutseweg 30, 2340 Beerse, Belgium
| | - Cei Abreu-Goodger
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
| | - Jürgen Schwarze
- Child Life and Health, Centre for Inflammation Research, Institute for Regeneration and Repair, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH16 4TJ, UK
| | - Amy H Buck
- Institute of Immunology & Infection Research, School of Biological Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK
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5
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Madge Pimentel I, Baikova D, Buchner D, Burfeid Castellanos A, David GM, Deep A, Doliwa A, Hadžiomerović U, Mayombo NAS, Prati S, Spyra MA, Vermiert AM, Beisser D, Dunthorn M, Piggott JJ, Sures B, Tiegs SD, Leese F, Beermann AJ. Assessing the response of an urban stream ecosystem to salinization under different flow regimes. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 926:171849. [PMID: 38537828 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.171849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2023] [Revised: 02/08/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/07/2024]
Abstract
Urban streams are exposed to a variety of anthropogenic stressors. Freshwater salinization is a key stressor in these ecosystems that is predicted to be further exacerbated by climate change, which causes simultaneous changes in flow parameters, potentially resulting in non-additive effects on aquatic ecosystems. However, the effects of salinization and flow velocity on urban streams are still poorly understood as multiple-stressor experiments are often conducted at pristine rather than urban sites. Therefore, we conducted a mesocosm experiment at the Boye River, a recently restored stream located in a highly urbanized area in Western Germany, and applied recurrent pulses of salinity along a gradient (NaCl, 9 h daily of +0 to +2.5 mS/cm) in combination with normal and reduced current velocities (20 cm/s vs. 10 cm/s). Using a comprehensive assessment across multiple organism groups (macroinvertebrates, eukaryotic algae, fungi, parasites) and ecosystem functions (primary production, organic-matter decomposition), we show that flow velocity reduction has a pervasive impact, causing community shifts for almost all assessed organism groups (except fungi) and inhibiting organic-matter decomposition. Salinization affected only dynamic components of community assembly by enhancing invertebrate emigration via drift and reducing fungal reproduction. We caution that the comparatively small impact of salt in our study can be due to legacy effects from past salt pollution by coal mining activities >30 years ago. Nevertheless, our results suggest that urban stream management should prioritize the continuity of a minimum discharge to maintain ecosystem integrity. Our study exemplifies a holistic approach for the assessment of multiple-stressor impacts on streams, which is needed to inform the establishment of a salinity threshold above which mitigation actions must be taken.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iris Madge Pimentel
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
| | - Daria Baikova
- Aquatic Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Dominik Buchner
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Gwendoline M David
- Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Department of Plankton and Microbial Ecology, Stechlin, Germany
| | - Aman Deep
- Biodiversity, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Annemie Doliwa
- Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Una Hadžiomerović
- Aquatic Microbiology, Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Sebastian Prati
- Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | | | - Anna-Maria Vermiert
- Ruhr University Bochum, Department of Animal Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity, Bochum, Germany
| | - Daniela Beisser
- Department of Engineering and Natural Sciences, Westphalian University of Applied Sciences, Recklinghausen, Germany
| | - Micah Dunthorn
- Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Jeremy J Piggott
- Zoology and Trinity Centre for the Environment, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Bernd Sures
- Aquatic Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Research Center One Health Ruhr of the University Alliance Ruhr, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Scott D Tiegs
- Department of Biological Sciences, Oakland University, Rochester, MI, USA
| | - Florian Leese
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
| | - Arne J Beermann
- Aquatic Ecosystem Research, Faculty of Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany; Centre for Water and Environmental Research (ZWU), University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
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6
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Park S, Choi J, Lee Y, Noh J, Kim N, Lee J, Cho G, Kim S, Yoo DK, Kang CK, Choe PG, Kim NJ, Park WB, Kim S, Oh MD, Kwon S, Chung J. An ancestral SARS-CoV-2 vaccine induces anti-Omicron variants antibodies by hypermutation. Nat Commun 2024; 15:3368. [PMID: 38643233 PMCID: PMC11032360 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47743-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 04/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The immune escape of Omicron variants significantly subsides by the third dose of an mRNA vaccine. However, it is unclear how Omicron variant-neutralizing antibodies develop under repeated vaccination. We analyze blood samples from 41 BNT162b2 vaccinees following the course of three injections and analyze their B-cell receptor (BCR) repertoires at six time points in total. The concomitant reactivity to both ancestral and Omicron receptor-binding domain (RBD) is achieved by a limited number of BCR clonotypes depending on the accumulation of somatic hypermutation (SHM) after the third dose. Our findings suggest that SHM accumulation in the BCR space to broaden its specificity for unseen antigens is a counterprotective mechanism against virus variant immune escape.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seoryeong Park
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Interdisciplinary Program in Cancer Biology Major, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jaewon Choi
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Integrated Major in Innovative Medical Science, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Yonghee Lee
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Jinsung Noh
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Namphil Kim
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - JinAh Lee
- Zoonotic Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, Republic of Korea
| | - Geummi Cho
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sujeong Kim
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Duck Kyun Yoo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Chang Kyung Kang
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Pyoeng Gyun Choe
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Nam Joong Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Wan Beom Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Seungtaek Kim
- Zoonotic Virus Laboratory, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnam, Republic of Korea.
| | - Myoung-Don Oh
- Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Sunghoon Kwon
- Interdisciplinary Program in Bioengineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Bio-MAX Institute, Seoul National University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
| | - Junho Chung
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Interdisciplinary Program in Cancer Biology Major, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
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7
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Siziba VI, Scroeder MM, Wilson B, Sliwa A, Willows‐Munro S. A method for noninvasive individual genotyping of black-footed cat ( Felis nigripes). Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11315. [PMID: 38660470 PMCID: PMC11040180 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The black-footed cat (Felis nigripes) is endemic to the arid regions of southern Africa. One of the world's smallest wild felids, the species occurs at low densities and is secretive and elusive, which makes ecological studies difficult. Genetic data could provide key information such as estimates on population size, sex ratios, and genetic diversity. In this study, we test if microsatellite loci can be successfully amplified from scat samples that could be noninvasively collected from the field. Using 21 blood and scat samples collected from the same individuals, we statistically tested whether nine microsatellites previously designed for use in domestic cats can be used to identify individual black-footed cats. Genotypes recovered from blood and scat samples were compared to assess loss of heterozygosity, allele dropout, and false alleles resulting from DNA degradation or PCR inhibitors present in scat samples. The microsatellite markers were also used to identify individuals from scats collected in the field that were not linked to any blood samples. All nine microsatellites used in this study were amplified successfully and were polymorphic. Microsatellite loci were found to have sufficient discriminatory power to distinguish individuals and identify clones. In conclusion, these molecular markers can be used to monitor populations of wild black-footed cats noninvasively. The genetic data will be able to contribute important information that may be used to guide future conservation initiatives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vimbai I. Siziba
- School of Life SciencesUniversity of KwaZulu‐NatalScottsvilleSouth Africa
| | | | - Beryl Wilson
- McGregor MuseumKimberleyNorthern CapeSouth Africa
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8
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Knight NL, Adhikari KC, Dodhia KN, Mair WJ, Lopez-Ruiz FJ. Workflows for detecting fungicide resistance in net form and spot form net blotch pathogens. PEST MANAGEMENT SCIENCE 2024; 80:2131-2140. [PMID: 38145910 DOI: 10.1002/ps.7951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 12/27/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Fungicide resistance in Pyrenophora teres f. maculata and P. teres f. teres has become an important disease management issue. Control of the associated barley foliar diseases, spot form and net form net blotch, respectively, relies on three major groups of fungicides, demethylation inhibitors (DMIs), succinate dehydrogenase inhibitors (SDHIs) and quinone outside inhibitors (QoIs). However, resistance has been reported for the DMI and SDHI fungicides in Australia. To enhance detection of different resistance levels, phenotyping and genotyping workflows were designed. RESULTS The phenotyping workflow generated cultures directly from lesions and compared growth on discriminatory doses of tebuconazole (DMI) and fluxapyroxad (SDHI). Genotyping real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays were based on alleles associated with sensitivity or resistance to the DMI and SDHI fungicides. These workflows were applied to spot form and net form net blotch collections from 2019 consisting predominantly of P. teres f. teres from South Australia and P. teres f. maculata from Western Australia. For South Australia the Cyp51A L489-3 and SdhC-R134 alleles, associated with resistance to tebuconazole and fluxapyroxad, respectively, were the most prevalent. These alleles were frequently found in single isolates with dual resistance. This study also reports the first detection of a 134 base pair insertion located at position-66 (PtTi-6) in the Cyp51A promoter of P. teres f. maculata from South Australia. For Western Australia, the PtTi-1 insertion was the most common allele associated with resistance to tebuconazole. CONCLUSION The workflow and PCR assays designed in this study have been demonstrated to efficiently screen P. teres collections for both phenotypic and genetic resistance to DMI and SDHI fungicides. The distribution of reduced sensitivity and resistance to DMI and SDHI fungicides varied between regions in south-western Australia, suggesting the emergence of resistance was impacted by both local pathogen populations and disease management programmes. The knowledge of fungicide resistance in regional P. teres collections will be important for informing appropriate management strategies. © 2023 The Authors. Pest Management Science published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noel L Knight
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
| | - Kul C Adhikari
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
| | - Kejal N Dodhia
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
| | - Wesley J Mair
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
| | - Francisco J Lopez-Ruiz
- Centre for Crop and Disease Management, School of Molecular and Life Sciences, Curtin University, Bentley, Australia
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9
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Wang L, Wang J, Feng D, Wang B, Jahan-Mihan Y, Wang Y, Bi Y, Lim D, Ji B. A simple and effective genotyping workflow for rapid detection of CRISPR genome editing. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2024; 326:G473-G481. [PMID: 38410866 PMCID: PMC11216750 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00013.2024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024]
Abstract
Genetically engineered mouse models play a pivotal role in the modeling of diseases, exploration of gene functions, and the development of novel therapies. In recent years, clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9)-mediated genome editing technology has revolutionized the process of developing such models by enabling precise genome modifications of the multiple interested genes simultaneously. Following genome editing, an efficient genotyping methodology is crucial for subsequent characterization. However, current genotyping methods are laborious, time-consuming, and costly. Here, using targeting the mouse trypsinogen genes as an example, we introduced common applications of CRISPR-Cas9 editing and a streamlined cost-effective genotyping workflow for CRISPR-edited mouse models, in which Sanger sequencing is required only at the initial steps. In the F0 mice, we focused on identifying the presence of positive editing by PCR followed by Sanger sequencing without the need to know the exact sequences, simplifying the initial screening. In the F1 mice, Sanger sequencing and algorithms decoding were used to identify the precise editing. Once the edited sequence was established, a simple and effective genotyping strategy was established to distinguish homozygous and heterozygous status by PCR from tail DNA. The genotyping workflow applies to deletions as small as one nucleotide, multiple-gene knockout, and knockin studies. This simplified, efficient, and cost-effective genotyping shall be instructive to new investigators who are unfamiliar with characterizing CRISPR-Cas9-edited mouse strains.NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study presents a streamlined, cost-effective genotyping workflow for clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-CRISPR-associated protein 9 (Cas9) edited mouse models, focusing on trypsinogen genes. It simplifies initial F0 mouse screening using PCR and Sanger sequencing without needing exact sequences. For F1 mice, precise editing is identified through Sanger sequencing and algorithm decoding. The workflow includes a novel PCR strategy for distinguishing homozygous and heterozygous statuses in subsequent generations, effective for small deletions, multiple-gene knockouts, and knockins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingxiang Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
- Department of General Surgery, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiale Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
| | - Dongfeng Feng
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
| | - Yasmin Jahan-Mihan
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
| | - Ying Wang
- Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
| | - Yan Bi
- Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
| | - DoYoung Lim
- The Transgenic and Knockout Core, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, United States
| | - Baoan Ji
- Department of Cancer Biology, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida, United States
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10
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Wacharapluesadee S, Thippamom N, Hirunpatrawong P, Rattanatumhi K, Sterling SL, Khunnawutmanotham W, Noradechanon K, Maneeorn P, Buathong R, Paitoonpong L, Putcharoen O. Comparative Performance in the Detection of Four Coronavirus Genera from Human, Animal, and Environmental Specimens. Viruses 2024; 16:534. [PMID: 38675878 PMCID: PMC11054315 DOI: 10.3390/v16040534] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Emerging coronaviruses (CoVs) are understood to cause critical human and domestic animal diseases; the spillover from wildlife reservoirs can result in mild and severe respiratory illness in humans and domestic animals and can spread more readily in these naïve hosts. A low-cost CoV molecular method that can detect a variety of CoVs from humans, animals, and environmental specimens is an initial step to ensure the early identification of known and new viruses. We examine a collection of 50 human, 46 wastewater, 28 bat, and 17 avian archived specimens using 3 published pan-CoV PCR assays called Q-, W-, and X-CoV PCR, to compare the performance of each assay against four CoV genera. X-CoV PCR can detect all four CoV genera, but Q- and W-CoV PCR failed to detect δ-CoV. In total, 21 (42.0%), 9 (18.0%), and 21 (42.0%) of 50 human specimens and 30 (65.22%), 6 (13.04%), and 27 (58.70%) of 46 wastewater specimens were detected using Q-, W-, and X-CoV PCR assays, respectively. The X-CoV PCR assay has a comparable sensitivity to Q-CoV PCR in bat CoV detection. Combining Q- and X-CoV PCR assays can increase sensitivity and avoid false negative results in the early detection of novel CoVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Supaporn Wacharapluesadee
- Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Nattakarn Thippamom
- Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Piyapha Hirunpatrawong
- Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Khwankamon Rattanatumhi
- Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Spencer L. Sterling
- Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD 20817, USA
| | - Wiparat Khunnawutmanotham
- Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Kirana Noradechanon
- Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Patarapol Maneeorn
- Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Rome Buathong
- Department of Disease Control, Ministry of Public Health, Muang, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
| | - Leilani Paitoonpong
- Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
| | - Opass Putcharoen
- Thai Red Cross Emerging Infectious Diseases Clinical Center, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand
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11
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Du Z, Behrens SF. Effect of target gene sequence evenness and dominance on real-time PCR quantification of artificial sulfate-reducing microbial communities. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0299930. [PMID: 38452018 PMCID: PMC10919606 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0299930] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2024] [Indexed: 03/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Quantitative real-time PCR of phylogenetic and functional marker genes is among the most commonly used techniques to quantify the abundance of microbial taxa in environmental samples. However, in most environmental applications, the approach is a rough assessment of population abundance rather than an exact absolute quantification method because of PCR-based estimation biases caused by multiple factors. Previous studies on these technical issues have focused on primer or template sequence features or PCR reaction conditions. However, how target gene sequence characteristics (e.g., evenness and dominance) in environmental samples affect qPCR quantifications has not been well studied. Here, we compared three primer sets targeting the beta subunit of the dissimilatory sulfite reductase (dsrB) to investigate qPCR quantification performance under different target gene sequence evenness and dominance conditions using artificial gBlock template mixtures designed accordingly. Our results suggested that the qPCR quantification performance of all tested primer sets was determined by the comprehensive effect of the target gene sequence evenness and dominance in environmental samples. Generally, highly degenerate primer sets have equivalent or better qPCR quantification results than a more target-specific primer set. Low template concentration in this study (~105 copies/L) will exaggerate the qPCR quantification results difference among tested primer sets. Improvements to the accuracy and reproducibility of qPCR assays for gene copy number quantification in environmental microbiology and microbial ecology studies should be based on prior knowledge of target gene sequence information acquired by metagenomic analysis or other approaches, careful selection of primer sets, and proper reaction conditions optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhe Du
- Center for Environmental Health Risk Assessment and Research, Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, Beijing, China
- The BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
| | - Sebastian F. Behrens
- The BioTechnology Institute, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo-Engineering, University of Minnesota Twin Cities, Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States of America
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12
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Mastrodonato AC, Lapadula W, Juri-Ayub M, Escudero ME, Favier GI, Lucero-Estrada CSM. Design and Optimization of a yst-PCR to Detect Yersinia enterocolitica in Meat Food. Foodborne Pathog Dis 2024. [PMID: 38447128 DOI: 10.1089/fpd.2023.0126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/08/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) directed to the yst chromosomal gene (yst-PCR) was used as a rapid, sensitive, and specific method to detect Yersinia enterocolitica strains belonging to different biotypes in foods; a competitive Internal Amplification Control (cIAC) is also developed. The cIAC had a molecular weight of 417 bp and was detected until a concentration of 0.85 ng/μL. No other strains of other Yersinia species, nor Enterobacteriales order were detected by this PCR. In pure culture, the detection limit (DL) of the yst-PCR was lower for ystA+ strain (10 colony-forming unit [CFU]/mL) than for ystB+ strain (1 × 102 CFU/mL); which was the concentration detected in Y. enterocolitica inoculated minced meat. The proposed protocol included an enrichment step in peptone sorbitol bile (PSB) broth at 25°C for 24 h followed by isolation on Mac Conkey agar and chromogenic medium. An aliquot of the PSB broth homogenate and a loopful from the confluent zone of solid media were collected to perform DNA extraction for yst-PCR, and typical colonies were characterized by biochemical assays. Among 30 non-contaminated food samples, 4 samples were yst-positive and no Y. enterocolitica isolates were obtained. It is suggested that this yst-PCR could be used in the investigation of Y. enterocolitica in foods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna C Mastrodonato
- Área Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Walter Lapadula
- Área Biología Molecular, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IMIBIO-SL-CONICET), San Luis, Argentina
| | - Maximiliano Juri-Ayub
- Área Biología Molecular, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IMIBIO-SL-CONICET), San Luis, Argentina
| | - María E Escudero
- Área Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Gabriela I Favier
- Área Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
| | - Cecilia S M Lucero-Estrada
- Área Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, San Luis, Argentina
- Instituto Multidisciplinario de Investigaciones Biológicas de San Luis-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (IMIBIO-SL-CONICET), San Luis, Argentina
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13
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Kelly MG, Mann DG, Taylor JD, Juggins S, Walsh K, Pitt JA, Read DS. Maximising environmental pressure-response relationship signals from diatom-based metabarcoding in rivers. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 914:169445. [PMID: 38159778 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169445] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
DNA metabarcoding has been performed on a large number of river phytobenthos samples collected from the UK, using rbcL primers optimised for diatoms. Within this dataset the composition of non-diatom sequence reads was studied and the effect of including these in models for evaluating the nutrient gradient was assessed. Whilst many non-diatom taxonomic groups were detected, few contained the full diversity expected in riverine environments. This may be due to the performance of the current primers in characterising the wider phytobenthic community and influenced by the sampling method employed, as both were developed specifically for diatoms. Nevertheless, the study identified considerable diversity in some groups, e.g. Eustigmatophyceae and a wider distribution than previously thought for freshwater Phaeophyceae. These results offer a strong case for the benefits of metabarcoding for expanding knowledge of aquatic biodiversity in the UK and elsewhere. Many of the ASVs associated with non-diatoms showed significant pressure responses; however, models that included non-diatoms had similar predictive strength to those based on diatoms alone. Whilst limitations of the primers for assessing non-diatoms may play a role in explaining these results, the diatoms provide a strong signal along the nutrient gradient and other algae, therefore, add little unique information. We recommend that future developments should use ASVs to calculate metrics, with links to reference databases made as a final step to generate lists of taxa to support interpretation. Any further exploration of the potential of non-diatoms would benefit from access to a well-curated reference database, similar to diat.barcode. Such a database does not yet exist, and we caution against the indiscriminate use of NCBI GenBank as a taxonomic resource as many rbcL sequences deposited have not been curated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martyn G Kelly
- Bowburn Consultancy, 11 Monteigne Drive, Bowburn, Durham DH6 5QB, UK; School of Geography, Nottingham University, Nottingham NG7 2RD, UK.
| | - David G Mann
- Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH3 5LR, Scotland, UK; Marine and Continental Waters, Institute for Food and Agricultural Research and Technology (IRTA), Crta de Poble Nou Km 5.5, E-43540 La Ràpita, Catalunya, Spain
| | - Joe D Taylor
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
| | - Stephen Juggins
- School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Kerry Walsh
- Chief Scientist's Group, Environment Agency, Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AH, UK
| | - Jo-Anne Pitt
- Chief Scientist's Group, Environment Agency, Deanery Road, Bristol BS1 5AH, UK
| | - Daniel S Read
- UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH), Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK
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14
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Jafar S, Anjum KM, Zahoor MY, Shehzad W, Naseem A, Imran M. Development and validation of a universal primer pair for the taxonomic and phylogenetic studies of vertebrates. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:332. [PMID: 38393511 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-023-09175-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 02/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Recent studies in the field of molecular identification have described 16S rRNA gene as a highly informative fragment of mitochondrial DNA for species discrimination. This study presents a newly developed universal primer pair yielding an approximately 350 bp fragment of mitochondrial 16S rRNA, variable enough to encompass and identify all vertebrate classes. METHODS AND RESULTS The primers were designed by aligning and analyzing over 1500 16S rRNA sequences downloaded from the NCBI nucleotide database. A total of 93 vertebrate species, spanning 27 orders and 55 families, were PCR-amplified to validate the primers. All the target species were successfully amplified and identified when aligned with reference sequences from the NCBI nucleotide database. Using the Kimura 2-parameter model, low intra-species genetic divergence of the target region was observed - from 0 to 4.63%, whereas relatively higher inter-species genetic divergence was observed, ranging from 4.88% to 69.81%. Moreover, the newly developed primers were successfully applied to a direct PCR protocol, making the workflow very cost-effective, time-saving and less laborious in comparison to conventional PCR. CONCLUSIONS The short length, high variability and conserved priming sites of the target fragment across all vertebrate species make it a highly desirable marker for species identification and discrimination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sana Jafar
- Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, 54000, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Khalid Mahmood Anjum
- Department of Wildlife and Ecology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Ravi Campus, Pattoki, Kasur, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Yasir Zahoor
- Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, 54000, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Wasim Shehzad
- Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, 54000, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Asif Naseem
- Department of Zoology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, The University of Lahore (Sargodha Campus), Sargodha, Punjab, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Imran
- Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory, Institute of Biochemistry and Biotechnology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore, 54000, Punjab, Pakistan.
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15
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Huang K, Zhang J, Li J, Qiu H, Wei L, Yang Y, Wang C. Exploring the Impact of Primer-Template Mismatches on PCR Performance of DNA Polymerases Varying in Proofreading Activity. Genes (Basel) 2024; 15:215. [PMID: 38397205 PMCID: PMC10888005 DOI: 10.3390/genes15020215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/27/2023] [Revised: 02/01/2024] [Accepted: 02/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a widely used technique in gene expression analysis, diagnostics, and various molecular biology applications. However, the accuracy and sensitivity of PCR can be compromised by primer-template mismatches, potentially leading to erroneous results. In this study, we strategically designed 111 primer-template combinations with varying numbers, types, and locations of mismatches to meticulously assess their impact on qPCR performance while two distinctly different types of DNA polymerases were used. Notably, when a single-nucleotide mismatch occurred at the 3' end of the primer, we observed significant decreases in the analytical sensitivity (0-4%) with Invitrogen™ Platinum™ Taq DNA Polymerase High Fidelity, while the analytical sensitivity remained unchanged with Takara Ex Taq Hot Start Version DNA Polymerase. Leveraging these findings, we designed a highly specific PCR to amplify Babesia while effectively avoiding the genetically close Theileria. Through elucidating the critical interplay between types of DNA polymerases and primer-template mismatches, this research provides valuable insights for improving PCR accuracy and performance. These findings have important implications for researchers aiming to achieve robust qPCR results in various molecular biology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Huang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225012, China; (K.H.); (J.L.); (H.Q.)
- Center of Animal Disease Control and Prevention, Songjiang District, Shanghai 201600, China
| | - Jilei Zhang
- College of Medicine, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA;
| | - Jing Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225012, China; (K.H.); (J.L.); (H.Q.)
| | - Haixiang Qiu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225012, China; (K.H.); (J.L.); (H.Q.)
| | - Lanjing Wei
- Bioengineering Program, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA;
| | - Yi Yang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225012, China; (K.H.); (J.L.); (H.Q.)
| | - Chengming Wang
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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16
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Wang ZK, Yuan ZX, Qian C, Liu XW. Plasmonic Probing of Deoxyribonucleic Acid Hybridization at the Single Base Pair Resolution. Anal Chem 2023; 95:18398-18406. [PMID: 38055795 DOI: 10.1021/acs.analchem.3c03316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
Partial DNA duplex formation greatly impacts the quality of DNA hybridization and has been extensively studied due to its significance in many biological processes. However, traditional DNA sensing methods suffer from time-consuming amplification steps and hinder the acquisition of information about single-molecule behavior. In this work, we developed a plasmonic method to probe the hybridization process at a single base pair resolution and study the relationship between the complementarity of DNA analytes and DNA hybridization behaviors. We measured single-molecule hybridization events with Au NP-modified ssDNA probes in real time and found two hybridization adsorption events: stable and transient adsorption. The ratio of these two hybridization adsorption events was correlated with the length of the complementary sequences, distinguishing DNA analytes from different complementary sequences. By using dual incident angle excitation, we recognized different single-base complementary sequences. These results demonstrated that the plasmonic method can be applied to study partial DNA hybridization behavior and has the potential to be incorporated into the identification of similar DNA sequences, providing a sensitive and quantitative tool for DNA analysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhao-Kun Wang
- School of Life Sciences, Division of Life Sciences and Medicine, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230027, China
| | - Zhen-Xuan Yuan
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Chen Qian
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
| | - Xian-Wei Liu
- Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230026, China
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17
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Xu X, Deng Y, Ding J, Shi X, Zheng X, Wang D, Yang Y, Liu L, Wang C, Li S, Gu H, Poon LLM, Zhang T. Refining detection methods for emerging SARS-CoV-2 mutants in wastewater: A case study on the Omicron variants. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 904:166215. [PMID: 37591380 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023]
Abstract
COVID-19 is an ongoing public health threat worldwide driven by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Wastewater surveillance has emerged as a complementary tool to clinical surveillance to control the COVID-19 pandemic. With the emergence of new variants of SARS-CoV-2, accumulated mutations that occurred in the SARS-CoV-2 genome raise new challenges for RT-qPCR diagnosis used in wastewater surveillance. There is a pressing need to develop refined methods for modifying primer/probes to better detect these emerging variants in wastewater. Here, we exemplified this process by focusing on the Omicron variants, for which we have developed and validated a modified detection method. We first modified the primers/probe mismatches of three assays commonly used in wastewater surveillance according to in silico analysis results for the mutations of 882 sequences collected during the fifth-wave outbreak in Hong Kong, and then evaluated them alongside the seven original assays. The results showed that five of seven original assays had better sensitivity for detecting Omicron variants, with the limits of detection (LoDs) ranging from 1.53 to 2.76 copies/μL. UCDC-N1 and Charité-E sets had poor performances, having LoDs higher than 10 copies/μL and false-positive/false-negative results in wastewater testing, probably due to the mismatch and demonstrating the need for modification of primer/probe sequences. The modified assays exhibited higher sensitivity and specificity, along with better reproducibility in detecting 81 wastewater samples. In addition, the sequencing results of six wastewater samples by Illumina also validated the presence of mismatches in the primer/probe binding sites of the three assays. This study highlights the importance of re-configuration of the primer-probe sets and refinements for the sequences to ensure the diagnostic effectiveness of RT-qPCR detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Xu
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yu Deng
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Jiahui Ding
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xianghui Shi
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiawan Zheng
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Dou Wang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yu Yang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Lei Liu
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Chunxiao Wang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shuxian Li
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haogao Gu
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Leo L M Poon
- School of Public Health, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, China; HKU-Pasteur Research Pole, The University of Hong Kong, Sassoon Road, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, Center for Environmental Engineering Research, Department of Civil Engineering, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China.
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18
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Thai DA, Lee NY. A point-of-care platform for hair loss-related single nucleotide polymorphism genotyping. Anal Chim Acta 2023; 1283:341973. [PMID: 37977768 DOI: 10.1016/j.aca.2023.341973] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Rapid genotyping of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is crucial for prognostics and disease management, enabling more rapid therapy selection and treatment determination. Here, we introduce a point-of-care platform for hair loss-related SNP genotyping based on allele-specific loop-mediated isothermal amplification (AS-LAMP) combined with naked-eye visualization. The specificity of the AS-LAMP assay was significantly enhanced by using mismatched allele-specific primers. AS-LAMP reaction and Schiff's reagent-based colorimetric detection were successfully performed using a thermoplastic genotyping chip. This strategy also showed potential for determining homozygotes and heterozygotes in a target sample. To assess SNP genotyping capacity, the genotyping chip was fabricated to visually detect rs6152 polymorphism of an androgen receptor gene associated with genetically induced hair loss. The genotyping platform rapidly identified the SNP within 40 min, and the detection limit was as low as 1 pg/μL of the target DNA contained in human serum. The introduced strategy showed high specificity and stability in discriminating low-abundance mutations, making it suitable as a portable and affordable point-of-care platform for rapid and accurate SNP discrimination applicable for bedside detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Duc Anh Thai
- Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13120, South Korea
| | - Nae Yoon Lee
- Department of BioNano Technology, Gachon University, 1342 Seongnam-daero, Sujeong-gu, Seongnam-si, Gyeonggi-do, 13120, South Korea.
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19
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Koehler JW, Stefan CP, Hall AT, Delp KL, O'Hearn AE, Taylor-Howell CL, Wauquier N, Schoepp RJ, Minogue TD. Sequence optimized diagnostic assay for Ebola virus detection. Sci Rep 2023; 13:18840. [PMID: 37914767 PMCID: PMC10620139 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29390-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 12/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Rapid pathogen identification is a critical first step in patient isolation, treatment, and controlling an outbreak. Real-time PCR is a highly sensitive and specific approach commonly used for infectious disease diagnostics. However, mismatches in the primer or probe sequence and the target organism can cause decreased sensitivity, assay failure, and false negative results. Limited genomic sequences for rare pathogens such as Ebola virus (EBOV) can negatively impact assay performance due to undiscovered genetic diversity. We previously developed and validated several EBOV assays prior to the 2013-2016 EBOV outbreak in West Africa, and sequencing EBOV Makona identified sequence variants that could impact assay performance. Here, we assessed the impact sequence mismatches have on EBOV assay performance, finding one or two primer or probe mismatches resulted in a range of impact from minimal to almost two log sensitivity reduction. Redesigning this assay improved detection of all EBOV variants tested. Comparing the performance of the new assay with the previous assays across a panel of human EBOV samples confirmed increased assay sensitivity as reflected in decreased Cq values with detection of three positive that tested negative with the original assay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey W Koehler
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, MD, 20102, USA
| | - Christopher P Stefan
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, MD, 20102, USA
| | - Adrienne T Hall
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, MD, 20102, USA
| | - Korey L Delp
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, MD, 20102, USA
| | - Aileen E O'Hearn
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, MD, 20102, USA
| | - Cheryl L Taylor-Howell
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, MD, 20102, USA
| | | | - Randal J Schoepp
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, MD, 20102, USA
| | - Timothy D Minogue
- Diagnostic Systems Division, United States Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), 1425 Porter Street, Fort Detrick, MD, 20102, USA.
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20
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Xia H, Zhang Z, Luo C, Wei K, Li X, Mu X, Duan M, Zhu C, Jin L, He X, Tang L, Hu L, Guan Y, Lam DCC, Yang J. MultiPrime: A reliable and efficient tool for targeted next-generation sequencing. IMETA 2023; 2:e143. [PMID: 38868227 PMCID: PMC10989836 DOI: 10.1002/imt2.143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/29/2023] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
We present multiPrime, a novel tool that automatically designs minimal primer sets for targeted next-generation sequencing, tailored to specific microbiomes or genes. MultiPrime enhances primer coverage by designing primers with mismatch tolerance and ensures both high compatibility and specificity. We evaluated the performance of multiPrime using a data set of 43,016 sequences from eight viruses. Our results demonstrated that multiPrime outperformed conventional tools, and the primer set designed by multiPrime successfully amplified the target amplicons. Furthermore, we expanded the application of multiPrime to 30 types of viruses and validated the work efficacy of multiPrime-designed primers in 80 clinical specimens. The subsequent sequencing outcomes from these primers indicated a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 89%.
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Affiliation(s)
- Han Xia
- School of Automation Science and Engineering, Faculty of Electronic and Information EngineeringXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
- MOE Key Lab for Intelligent Networks & Networks Security, Faculty of Electronic and Information EngineeringXi'an Jiaotong UniversityXi'anChina
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Zhe Zhang
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringThe Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong KongChina
| | - Chen Luo
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Kangfei Wei
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Xuming Li
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Xiyu Mu
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Meilin Duan
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Chuanlong Zhu
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Luyi Jin
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Xiaoqing He
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Lingjie Tang
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Long Hu
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - Yuanlin Guan
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
| | - David C. C. Lam
- Department of Mechanical and Aerospace EngineeringThe Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyHong KongChina
| | - Junbo Yang
- Department of Research and DevelopmentHugobiotechBeijingChina
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Genome Analysis Laboratory of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at ShenzhenChinese Academy of Agricultural SciencesShenzhenChina
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21
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Dziedzic E, Sidlauskas B, Cronn R, Anthony J, Cornwell T, Friesen TA, Konstantinidis P, Penaluna BE, Stein S, Levi T. Creating, curating and evaluating a mitogenomic reference database to improve regional species identification using environmental DNA. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:1880-1904. [PMID: 37602732 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/02/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Species detection using eDNA is revolutionizing global capacity to monitor biodiversity. However, the lack of regional, vouchered, genomic sequence information-especially sequence information that includes intraspecific variation-creates a bottleneck for management agencies wanting to harness the complete power of eDNA to monitor taxa and implement eDNA analyses. eDNA studies depend upon regional databases of mitogenomic sequence information to evaluate the effectiveness of such data to detect and identify taxa. We created the Oregon Biodiversity Genome Project to create a database of complete, nearly error-free mitogenomic sequences for all of Oregon's fishes. We have successfully assembled the complete mitogenomes of 313 specimens of freshwater, anadromous and estuarine fishes representing 24 families, 55 genera and 129 species and lineages. Comparative analyses of these sequences illustrate that many regions of the mitogenome are taxonomically informative, that the short (~150 bp) mitochondrial 'barcode' regions typically used for eDNA assays do not consistently diagnose for species and that complete single or multiple genes of the mitogenome are preferable for identifying Oregon's fishes. This project provides a blueprint for other researchers to follow as they build regional databases, illustrates the taxonomic value and limits of complete mitogenomic sequences and offers clues as to how current eDNA assays and environmental genomics methods of the future can best leverage this information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily Dziedzic
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Brian Sidlauskas
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Richard Cronn
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - James Anthony
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Corvallis Research Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Trevan Cornwell
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Corvallis Research Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Thomas A Friesen
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Corvallis Research Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Peter Konstantinidis
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Brooke E Penaluna
- Pacific Northwest Research Station, US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Staci Stein
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Corvallis Research Laboratory, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Taal Levi
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
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22
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Ma S, Xiao G, Deng X, Tong M, Huang J, Li Q, Zhang Y. CovidShiny: An Integrated Web Tool for SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Profiling and Molecular Diagnosis Assay Evaluation In Silico. Viruses 2023; 15:2017. [PMID: 37896794 PMCID: PMC10611021 DOI: 10.3390/v15102017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 09/22/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is still ongoing, with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continuing to evolve and accumulate mutations. While various bioinformatics tools have been developed for SARS-CoV-2, a well-curated mutation-tracking database integrated with in silico evaluation for molecular diagnostic assays is currently unavailable. To address this, we introduce CovidShiny, a web tool that integrates mutation profiling, in silico evaluation, and data download capabilities for genomic sequence-based SARS-CoV-2 assays and data download. It offers a feasible framework for surveilling the mutation of SARS-CoV-2 and evaluating the coverage of the molecular diagnostic assay for SARS-CoV-2. With CovidShiny, we examined the dynamic mutation pattern of SARS-CoV-2 and evaluated the coverage of commonly used assays on a large scale. Based on our in silico analysis, we stress the importance of using multiple target molecular diagnostic assays for SARS-CoV-2 to avoid potential false-negative results caused by viral mutations. Overall, CovidShiny is a valuable tool for SARS-CoV-2 mutation surveillance and in silico assay design and evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaoqian Ma
- The State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine Engineering, Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China; (S.M.); (G.X.); (X.D.); (M.T.); (J.H.); (Q.L.)
| | - Gezhi Xiao
- The State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine Engineering, Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China; (S.M.); (G.X.); (X.D.); (M.T.); (J.H.); (Q.L.)
| | - Xusheng Deng
- The State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine Engineering, Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China; (S.M.); (G.X.); (X.D.); (M.T.); (J.H.); (Q.L.)
| | - Mengsha Tong
- The State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine Engineering, Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China; (S.M.); (G.X.); (X.D.); (M.T.); (J.H.); (Q.L.)
| | - Jialiang Huang
- The State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine Engineering, Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China; (S.M.); (G.X.); (X.D.); (M.T.); (J.H.); (Q.L.)
| | - Qingge Li
- The State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine Engineering, Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China; (S.M.); (G.X.); (X.D.); (M.T.); (J.H.); (Q.L.)
| | - Yongyou Zhang
- The State Key Laboratory of Cellular Stress Biology, National Institute for Data Science in Health and Medicine Engineering, Research Center of Molecular Diagnostics of the Ministry of Education, School of Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China; (S.M.); (G.X.); (X.D.); (M.T.); (J.H.); (Q.L.)
- Faculty of Medicine and Life Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen 361100, China
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23
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Tantrawatpan C, Vaisusuk K, Thanchomnang T, Pilap W, Sankamethawee W, Suksavate W, Chatan W, Bunchom N, Kaewkla O, Stensvold CR, Saijuntha W. Distribution of Blastocystis subtypes isolated from various animal hosts in Thailand. Res Vet Sci 2023; 162:104939. [PMID: 37453229 DOI: 10.1016/j.rvsc.2023.06.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
Blastocystis is a parasitic protist of a variety of hosts, including humans. Mapping the distribution of Blastocystis and its genetic variants across different host species can help us understand the epidemiology of this organism and its role in health and disease. This study aimed to identify subtypes of Blastocystis detected in different animal hosts in Thailand. A total of 825 fecal samples belonging to 18 vertebrate orders, 36 families, 68 genera, and 80 species were collected. Of these, 111 specimens were Blastocystis-positive by culture. Seventy-nine samples were subjected to small subunit (SSU) ribosomal DNA amplification by PCR, and reliable subtype data were obtained for 61 specimens. At least 14 subtypes (ST), namely ST1 to ST10, ST14/ST24/ST25 complex, ST23, ST26, and ST29 were detected. In addition, Blastocystis was found in tortoises. ST1 (3.2%) and ST5 (11.5%) were found in pigs, ST2 (1.6%) and ST3 (3.2%) in non-human primates, ST4 (14.7%) in rodents and ruminants, ST6 (4.9%), ST7 (30%), ST9 (1.6%), and ST29 (1.6%) in birds, ST8 (6.6%) in Green peafowl and East Asian Porcupine, and ST10 (4.9%), ST14/ST24/ST25 (9.8%), ST23 (1.6%) and ST26 (1.6%) in ruminants. The sequence recovered from the elongated tortoises (Indotestudo elongata) (3.2%) was phylogenetically placed within the reptilian cluster of Blastocystis, for which no subtype system is available yet. Of note, we did not obtain Blastocystis sequences from any of the many canids and felids sampled in the study, and our data are in support of host specificity of Blastocystis, according to both colonization and subtype distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chairat Tantrawatpan
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Preclinical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, and Center of Excellence in Stem Cell Research, Thammasat University, Rangsit Campus, Pathum Thani 12120, Thailand
| | - Kotchaphon Vaisusuk
- Department of Veterinary Technology and Veterinary Nursing, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Rajabhat Maha Sarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44000, Thailand
| | | | - Warayutt Pilap
- Walai Rukhavej Botanical Research Institute, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Biodiversity Research, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
| | - Wangworn Sankamethawee
- Department of Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand
| | - Warong Suksavate
- Department of Forest Biology, Faculty of Forestry, Kasetsart University, Bangkok 10900, Thailand
| | - Wasupon Chatan
- Department of Veterinary Clinic, Faculty of Veterinary Sciences, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44000, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Biodiversity Research, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
| | - Naruemon Bunchom
- Walai Rukhavej Botanical Research Institute, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
| | - Onuma Kaewkla
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Biodiversity Research, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand
| | - Christen Rune Stensvold
- Laboratory of Parasitology, Department of Bacteria, Parasites and Fungi, Statens Serum Institut, Artillerivej 5, Copenhagen S DK-2300, Denmark
| | - Weerachai Saijuntha
- Walai Rukhavej Botanical Research Institute, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Biodiversity Research, Mahasarakham University, Maha Sarakham 44150, Thailand.
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24
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Blaschke V, Berten A, Sprenger H, Zagon J, Winkel M. Filling Analytical Gaps in Allergen Detection─Real-Time PCR for the Detection of Commercially Relevant Cephalopods and Gastropods in Food. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2023; 71:12029-12042. [PMID: 37500067 PMCID: PMC10416776 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.2c08966] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
Mollusks belong to the group of shellfish, which are considered to be among the elicitors of severe food allergies worldwide. In recent years, numerous PCR detection methods have been developed for other shellfish such as crustaceans. However, cephalopods and gastropods were not considered in the development of these shellfish detection systems. In this study, we have developed highly specific real-time PCR methods for the comprehensive detection of all commercially relevant cephalopod species and the gastropod families Helicidae, Buccinidae, and Muricidae in food matrices. In total, we cross-tested over 100 animal and plant species to show the specificity of our systems. The limit of detection (LOD12) was set at 1 pg of cephalopod and gastropod DNA or 10 ppm (mg/kg) spiked in a vegetarian food product. The robustness of the protocol was confirmed by testing multiple parameters while cooking and autoclaving of samples ensured the practical applicability of the systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Blaschke
- Department
of Food Safety, German Federal Institute
for Risk Assessment (BfR), P.O. Box 330013, D-14191 Berlin, Germany
| | - Alea Berten
- Technische
Universität Berlin, Institute for
Food Technology and Food Chemistry, Gustav-Meyer-Allee 25, 13355 Berlin, Germany
| | - Heike Sprenger
- Department
of Food Safety, German Federal Institute
for Risk Assessment (BfR), P.O. Box 330013, D-14191 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jutta Zagon
- Department
of Food Safety, German Federal Institute
for Risk Assessment (BfR), P.O. Box 330013, D-14191 Berlin, Germany
| | - Matthias Winkel
- Department
of Food Safety, German Federal Institute
for Risk Assessment (BfR), P.O. Box 330013, D-14191 Berlin, Germany
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25
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Ri MR, Kang JS, Ri MR, U SN. Models for prediction of single base primer extension efficiency from position and type of single mismatch in primer-template duplex. Heliyon 2023; 9:e18829. [PMID: 37576225 PMCID: PMC10412835 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Amplification and specificity of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are affected by the position and type of primer-template mismatches (MMs) as well as various conditions of reaction. In this study, multiple linear regression (MLR) models and artificial neural network (ANN) models were developed for the prediction of the effects of primer-template mismatches on the primer extension efficiency in primer-template duplex. In MLR models, the independent variable Pi representing the position effect of i-th mismatch from 3' end of primers was normalized to values between 0 and 1 according to the size of ΔΔGi, the difference of Gibbs free energy changes between the mismatch and its corresponding perfect-match, and other independent variables Pj representing the position effect of the j-th perfect-match from 3' end of primer were coded 1. A dependent variable of MLR model was relative extension efficiencies of primers. In ANN models, an input layer has neurons equal to the number of independent variables of corresponding MLR models and a hidden layer and an output layer have four and one neurons, respectively. Our MLR models and ANN models outperform the previous polynomial regression model for the prediction of the single base extension (SBE) efficiencies of single-MM primers. Especially, ANN model 6 which has 32 neurons representing the position effect of mismatch, the type of mismatch and the annealing temperature on primer-template duplex in the input layer can predict the SBE efficiencies of single-MM primers with a high accuracy, since its correlation coefficients R in training set, testing set and all data are 0.9870, 0.9782 and 0.9857, respectively. These results will have a good prospect applicable to the design of primer and testing the primer specificity in genome database.
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Affiliation(s)
- Myong-Rim Ri
- Department of Life Science, University of Science, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Jin-Sok Kang
- Department of Life Science, University of Science, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Myong-Ryong Ri
- Department of Life Science, University of Science, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
| | - Song Nam U
- Department of Life Science, University of Science, Pyongyang, Democratic People's Republic of Korea
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26
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Festus RO, Seal SE, Prempeh R, Quain MD, Silva G. Improved Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification (RT-LAMP) for the Rapid and Sensitive Detection of Yam mosaic virus. Viruses 2023; 15:1592. [PMID: 37515278 PMCID: PMC10383231 DOI: 10.3390/v15071592] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 07/19/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Yam (Dioscorea spp.) productivity is constrained significantly by the lack of a formal seed system. Vegetative propagation, through tuber setts as 'seed' yams, encourages the recycling of virus-infected planting materials, contributing to high virus incidence and yield losses. Efforts are ongoing to increase the production of high-quality seed yams in a formal seed system to reduce virus-induced yield losses and enhance the crop's productivity and food security. Specific and sensitive diagnostic tests are imperative to prevent the multiplication of virus-infected materials contributing to a sustainable seed yam certification system. During routine indexing of yam accessions, discrepancies were observed between the results obtained from the reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) test and those from reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR); RT-LAMP failed to detect Yam mosaic virus (YMV) in some samples that tested positive by RT-PCR. This prompted the design of a new set of LAMP primers, YMV1-OPT primers. These primers detected as little as 0.1 fg/µL of purified RNA obtained from a YMV-infected plant, a sensitivity equivalent to that obtained with RT-PCR. RT-LAMP using YMV1-OPT primers is recommended for all future virus-indexing of seed yams for YMV, offering a rapid, sensitive, and cost-effective approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruth O Festus
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Susan E Seal
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
| | - Ruth Prempeh
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute, Fumesua, Kumasi P.O. Box 3785, Ghana
| | - Marian D Quain
- Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-Crops Research Institute, Fumesua, Kumasi P.O. Box 3785, Ghana
| | - Gonçalo Silva
- Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, Central Avenue, Chatham Maritime, Kent ME4 4TB, UK
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27
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Tomar SS, Khairnar K. Challenges of SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance in India during low positivity rate scenario. Front Public Health 2023; 11:1117602. [PMID: 37441634 PMCID: PMC10335399 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1117602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Being the second most populous country in the world, India presents valuable lessons for the world about dealing with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. From this perspective, we attempted a retrospective evaluation of India's SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance strategy and also gave some recommendations for undertaking effective genomic surveillance. The dynamics of the COVID-19 pandemic are continuously evolving, and there is a dire need to modulate the genomic surveillance strategy accordingly. The pandemic is now settling towards a low positivity rate scenario, so it is required to revise the practices and policies formulated for a high positivity rate scenario. The perspective also recommends adopting a decentralised approach for SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance with a focus on optimising the workflow of SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance to ensure early detection of emerging variants, especially in the low positivity rate scenario. The perspective emphasises a key observation that the SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance is an important mitigation effort during the pandemic, the guards of such mitigation efforts should not be lowered during the low positivity rate scenario. We attempt to highlight the limitations faced by the Indian healthcare administration during the SARS-CoV-2 genomic surveillance and, simultaneously, suggest policy interventions derived from our first-hand experience, which may be implementable in a vast, populated country like India.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siddharth Singh Tomar
- Environmental Virology Cell (EVC), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
| | - Krishna Khairnar
- Environmental Virology Cell (EVC), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, India
- Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), New Delhi, India
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28
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Biswal JK, Ranjan R, Mohapatra JK, Rout M, Joshi HR, Singh RP. Development of TaqMan Probe-Based One-Step RT-qPCR Assay Targeting 2B-NSP Coding Region for Diagnosis of Foot-and-Mouth Disease in India. Curr Microbiol 2023; 80:245. [PMID: 37328626 DOI: 10.1007/s00284-023-03369-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/07/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
A one-step TaqMan probe-based RT-qPCR assay in the duplex format simultaneously targeting FMD Virus (FMDV) 2B NSP-coding region and 18S rRNA housekeeping gene was developed and evaluated. The duplex RT-qPCR assay specifically detected FMDV genome in both infected cell culture suspensions and a variety of clinical samples such as FMD-affected tongue/feet epithelium, oral/nasal swabs, milk and oro-pharyngeal fluids. The RT-qPCR assay was found to be highly sensitive, since the assay was 105-fold more sensitive than the traditional FMDV detecting antigen-ELISA (Ag-ELISA) and 102-fold better sensitive than both virus isolation and agarose gel-based RT-multiplex PCR. In addition, the assay could detect up to 100 copies of FMDV genome per reaction. In the epithelial samples (n = 582) collected from the FMD-affected animals, the diagnostic sensitivity was 100% (95% CI 99-100%). Similarly, all the FMDV-negative samples (n = 65) tested were confirmed negative by the new RT-qPCR assay, corresponding to 100% diagnostic specificity (95% CI = 94-100%). Further, the duplex RT-qPCR assay proved to be robust, showing an inter-assay co-efficient of variations ranging from 1.4 to 3.56% for FMDV-2B gene target, and from 2 to 4.12% for 18S rRNA gene target. While analyzing FMDV-infected cell culture suspension, a fairly strong positive correlation (correlation coefficient = 0.85) was observed between 2B-based RT-qPCR and WOAH-approved 5'UTR RT-qPCR assays. Therefore, the one-step RT-qPCR assay developed here with an internal control could be used for rapid, effective, and reliable detection of FMDV in pan-serotypic manner, and has the potential for routine diagnosis of FMDV in high throughput manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jitendra K Biswal
- ICAR-Directorate of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, ICFMD, Arugul, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India.
| | - Rajeev Ranjan
- ICAR-Directorate of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, ICFMD, Arugul, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Jajati K Mohapatra
- ICAR-Directorate of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, ICFMD, Arugul, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | - Manoranjan Rout
- ICAR-Directorate of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, ICFMD, Arugul, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
| | | | - Rabindra Prasad Singh
- ICAR-Directorate of Foot-and-Mouth Disease, ICFMD, Arugul, Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
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Yu B, Xu C, Huang S, Ni J, Zhou J, Zhang Y, Wu M, Zhang J, Fang L. Development of a universal real-time RT-PCR assay for detection of pan-SARS-coronaviruses with an RNA-based internal control. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1181097. [PMID: 37275136 PMCID: PMC10232947 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1181097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 06/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The current pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exemplifies the critical need for rapid diagnostic assays to prompt intensified virological monitoring both in human and wild animal populations. To date, there are no clinical validated assays for pan-SARS-coronavirus (pan-SARS-CoV) detection. Here, we suggest an innovative primer design strategy for the diagnosis of pan-SARS-CoVs targeting the envelope (E) gene using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR). Furthermore, we developed a new primer-probe set targeting human β2-microglobulin (B2M) as an RNA-based internal control for process efficacy. The universal RT-qPCR assay demonstrated no false-positive amplifications with other human coronaviruses or 20 common respiratory viruses, and its limit of detection (LOD) was 159.16 copies/ml at 95% detection probability. In clinical validation, the assay delivered 100% sensitive results in the detection of SARS-CoV-2-positive oropharyngeal samples (n = 120), including three variants of concern (Wuhan, Delta, and Omicron). Taken together, this universal RT-qPCR assay provides a highly sensitive, robust, and rapid detection of SARS-CoV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and animal-derived SARS-related CoVs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beibei Yu
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Changping Xu
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Shiwang Huang
- Shangcheng District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jun Ni
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Jiancang Zhou
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Yuting Zhang
- Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Hangzhou, China
| | - Maomao Wu
- Wenzhou Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Wenzhou, China
| | - Jun Zhang
- Department of Clinical Laboratory, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Precision Medicine in Diagnosis and Monitoring Research of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
| | - Lei Fang
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University College of Medicine, Hangzhou, China
- Key Laboratory of Microbial Technology and Bioinformatics of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, China
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30
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Spezia PG, Filippini F, Nagao Y, Sano T, Ishida T, Maggi F. Identification of Torquetenovirus Species in Patients with Kawasaki Disease Using a Newly Developed Species-Specific PCR Method. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:8674. [PMID: 37240024 PMCID: PMC10218515 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24108674] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2023] [Revised: 05/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
A next-generation sequencing (NGS) study identified a very high viral load of Torquetenovirus (TTV) in KD patients. We aimed to evaluate the feasibility of a newly developed quantitative species-specific TTV-PCR (ssTTV-PCR) method to identify the etiology of KD. We applied ssTTV-PCR to samples collected from 11 KD patients and 22 matched control subjects who participated in our previous prospective study. We used the NGS dataset from the previous study to validate ssTTV-PCR. The TTV loads in whole blood and nasopharyngeal aspirates correlated highly (Spearman's R = 0.8931, p < 0.0001, n = 33), supporting the validity of ssTTV-PCR. The ssTTV-PCR and NGS results were largely consistent. However, inconsistencies occurred when ssTTV-PCR was more sensitive than NGS, when the PCR primer sequences mismatched the viral sequences in the participants, and when the NGS quality score was low. Interpretation of NGS requires complex procedures. ssTTV-PCR is more sensitive than NGS but may fail to detect a fast-evolving TTV species. It would be prudent to update primer sets using NGS data. With this precaution, ssTTV-PCR can be used reliably in a future large-scale etiological study for KD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabio Filippini
- Department of Translational Research, University of Pisa, 56127 Pisa, Italy
| | - Yoshiro Nagao
- Department of Paediatrics, Japan Community Health Care Organisation Osaka Hospital, Osaka 5530003, Japan
- Department of Paediatrics, Fukuoka Tokushukai Hospital, Fukuoka 8160864, Japan
| | - Tetsuya Sano
- Department of Paediatrics, Japan Community Health Care Organisation Osaka Hospital, Osaka 5530003, Japan
| | - Takafumi Ishida
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 1130033, Japan
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases “Lazzaro Spallanzani”—IRCCS, 00149 Rome, Italy
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Shin J, Jung C. Improving the Accuracy of Single-Nucleotide Variant Diagnosis Using On-Off Discriminating Primers. BIOSENSORS 2023; 13:380. [PMID: 36979592 PMCID: PMC10046569 DOI: 10.3390/bios13030380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Early detection of rare mutations through liquid biopsy can provide real-time information related to cancer diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment outcomes. Cell-free DNA samples used in liquid biopsies contain single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) with a variant allele frequency (VAF) of approximately ≤1%. Droplet digital polymerase chain reaction (ddPCR) is considered the gold standard of sequencing using liquid samples, generating amplicons from samples containing mutations with 0.001-0.005% VAF; however, it requires expensive equipment and time-consuming protocols. Therefore, various PCR methods for discriminating SNVs have been developed; nonetheless, non-specific amplification cannot be avoided even in the absence of mutations, which hampers the accurate diagnosis of SNVs. In this study, we introduce single-nucleotide variant on-off discrimination-PCR (Soo-PCR), a highly accurate and practical method that uses a 3'-end tailing primer for the on-off discrimination of low-abundance mutant-type targets, including SNVs. Soo-PCR minimizes the chance of incorrect judgments owing to its high discriminating power. Cancer markers, such as KRAS G12D, EGFR L858R, and EGFR T790M mutations, containing 0.1% VAF, were clearly detected in under 2 h with a high reliability comparable with that of ddPCR. This new method serves as a practical approach to accurately detect and evaluate low-abundance mutations in a user-friendly manner.
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32
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Shofa M, Ohkawa A, Okabayashi T, Kaneko Y, Saito A. Development of a direct duplex real-time PCR assay for rapid detection of domestic cat hepadnavirus. J Vet Diagn Invest 2023; 35:139-144. [PMID: 36786316 PMCID: PMC9999387 DOI: 10.1177/10406387231154610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Domestic cat hepadnavirus (DCH) is a novel hepadnavirus, first identified in 2018. DCH is generally detected using conventional PCR assays, which include time-consuming agarose gel electrophoresis. We developed a rapid, sensitive, and specific real-time PCR (rtPCR) assay for the detection of the DCH genome. To streamline the procedure, our rtPCR assay was carried out using blood samples, without DNA extraction. A consensus primers/probe set was designed based on the nucleotide sequences of the surface/polymerase gene of all DCH strains available in GenBank. To exclude the possibility that the PCR reaction was blocked by anticoagulants, we also used a primers/probe set for amplifying the cat beta-actin gene as a reference gene. Our direct duplex rtPCR assay had high sensitivity, with a limit of detection of 10 copies/μL of blood for DCH. Our direct duplex rtPCR assay should be a useful tool for DCH detection and surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maya Shofa
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
- Faculty of Agriculture; Graduate School of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Akiho Ohkawa
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Tamaki Okabayashi
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
- Faculty of Agriculture; Graduate School of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
- Center for Animal Disease Control, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Yasuyuki Kaneko
- Veterinary Teaching Hospital, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
| | - Akatsuki Saito
- Department of Veterinary Science, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
- Faculty of Agriculture; Graduate School of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
- Center for Animal Disease Control, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
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33
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Wu Y, Domingue MJ, McGraw AR, Vieira KA, Palmeri MZ, Myers SW. Development of an array of molecular tools for the identification of khapra beetle (Trogoderma granarium), a destructive beetle of stored food products. Sci Rep 2023; 13:3327. [PMID: 36849552 PMCID: PMC9971273 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29842-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Trogoderma granarium Everts, the khapra beetle, native to the Indian subcontinent, is one of the world's most destructive pests of stored food products. Early detection of this pest facilitates prompt response towards the invasion and prevents the need for costly eradication efforts. Such detection requires proper identification of T. granarium, which morphologically resembles some more frequently encountered, non-quarantine congeners. All life stages of these species are difficult to distinguish using morphological characters. Additionally, biosurveillance trapping can result in the capture of large numbers of specimens awaiting identification. To address these issues, we aim to develop an array of molecular tools to rapidly and accurately identify T. granarium among non-target species. Our crude, cheap DNA extraction method performed well for Trogoderma spp. and is suitable for downstream analyses including sequencing and real-time PCR (qPCR). We developed a simple quick assay usingrestriction fragment length polymorphism to distinguish between T. granarium and the closely related, congeneric T. variabile Ballion and T. inclusum LeConte. Based on newly generated and published mitochondrial sequence data, we developed a new multiplex TaqMan qPCR assay for T. granarium with improved efficiency and sensitivity over existing qPCR assays. These new tools benefit regulatory agencies and the stored food products industry by providing cost- and time-effective solutions to enhance the identification of T. granarium from related species. They can be added to the existing pest detection toolbox. The selection of which method to use would depend on the intended application.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yunke Wu
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Science and Technology, Forest Pest Methods Laboratory, 1398 West Truck Road, Buzzards Bay, MA, 02542, USA. .,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, 14853, USA.
| | - Michael J Domingue
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Science and Technology, Forest Pest Methods Laboratory, 1398 West Truck Road, Buzzards Bay, MA, 02542, USA.,Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, USA
| | - Alana R McGraw
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Science and Technology, Forest Pest Methods Laboratory, 1398 West Truck Road, Buzzards Bay, MA, 02542, USA.,Department of Entomology, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, 66502, USA
| | - Kendra A Vieira
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Science and Technology, Forest Pest Methods Laboratory, 1398 West Truck Road, Buzzards Bay, MA, 02542, USA
| | - Marjorie Z Palmeri
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Science and Technology, Forest Pest Methods Laboratory, 1398 West Truck Road, Buzzards Bay, MA, 02542, USA.,Department of Environmental Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Scott W Myers
- United States Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services, Plant Protection and Quarantine, Science and Technology, Forest Pest Methods Laboratory, 1398 West Truck Road, Buzzards Bay, MA, 02542, USA
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Peñarrubia L, Rao SN, Porco R, Varo M, Muñoz-Torrero P, Ortiz-Martinez F, Pareja J, López-Fontanals M, Manissero D. Detecting zoonotic Influenza A using QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 panel for pandemic preparedness. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2833. [PMID: 36807577 PMCID: PMC9936110 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29838-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent reports from the World Health Organization regarding Influenza A cases of zoonotic origin in humans (H1v and H9N2) and publications describing emergence swine Influenza A cases in humans together with "G4" Eurasian avian-like H1N1 Influenza A virus have drawn global attention to Influenza A pandemic threat. Additionally, the current COVID-19 epidemic has stressed the importance of surveillance and preparedness to prevent potential outbreaks. One feature of the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 panel is the double target approach for Influenza A detection of seasonal strains affecting humans using a generic Influenza A assay plus the three specific human subtype assays. This work explores the potential use of this double target approach in the QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-Co-V-2 Panel as a tool to detect zoonotic Influenza A strains. A set of recently recorded H9 and H1 spillover strains and the G4 EA Influenza A strains as example of recent zoonotic Flu A strains were subjected to detection prediction with QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Panel using commercial synthetic dsDNA sequences. In addition, a large set of available commercial human and non-human influenza A strains were also tested using QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Panel for a better understanding of detection and discrimination of Influenza A strains. Results show that QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Panel generic Influenza A assay detects all the recently recorded H9, H5 and H1 zoonotic spillover strains and all the G4 EA Influenza A strains. Additionally, these strains yielded negative results for the three-human seasonal IAV (H1, H3 and H1N1 pandemic) assays. Additional non-human strains corroborated those results of Flu A detection with no subtype discrimination, whereas human Influenza strains were positively discriminated. These results indicate that QIAstat-Dx Respiratory SARS-CoV-2 Panel could be a useful tool to diagnose zoonotic Influenza A strains and differentiate them from the seasonal strains commonly affecting humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Peñarrubia
- STAT-Dx Life S.L. (A QIAGEN Company), Baldiri Reixac, 4, 08028, Barcelona, Spain.
| | - Sonia N. Rao
- grid.421680.90000 0004 0404 0296QIAGEN Inc., 19300 Germantown Road, Germantown, MD 20874 USA
| | - Roberto Porco
- STAT-Dx Life S.L. (A QIAGEN Company), Baldiri Reixac, 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Marta Varo
- STAT-Dx Life S.L. (A QIAGEN Company), Baldiri Reixac, 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | - Josep Pareja
- STAT-Dx Life S.L. (A QIAGEN Company), Baldiri Reixac, 4, 08028 Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Davide Manissero
- grid.474454.20000 0004 0451 3823QIAGEN Manchester Ltd, Skelton House, Lloyd Street North, Manchester, M15 6SH UK
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35
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Molecular detection of monkeypox and related viruses: challenges and opportunities. Virus Genes 2023; 59:343-350. [PMID: 36746846 PMCID: PMC9901828 DOI: 10.1007/s11262-023-01975-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2022] [Accepted: 01/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
The recent widespread emergence of monkeypox (mpox), a rare and endemic zoonotic disease by monkeypox virus (MPXV), has made global headlines. While transmissibility (R0 ≈ 0.58) and fatality rate (0-3%) are low, as it causes prolonged morbidity, the World Health Organization has declared monkeypox as a public health emergency of international concern. Thus, effective containment and disease management require quick and efficient detection of MPXV. In this bioinformatic overview, we summarize the numerous molecular tests available for MPXV, and discuss the diversity of genes and primers used in the polymerase chain reaction-based detection. Over 90 primer/probe sets are used for the detection of poxviruses. While hemagglutinin and A-type inclusion protein are the most common target genes, tumor necrosis factor receptor and complement binding protein genes are frequently used for distinguishing Clade I and Clade II of MPXV. Problems and possibilities in the detection of MPXV have been discussed.
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36
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SpikeSeq: A rapid, cost efficient and simple method to identify SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern by Sanger sequencing part of the spike protein gene. J Virol Methods 2023; 312:114648. [PMID: 36368344 PMCID: PMC9642040 DOI: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2022.114648] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2022] [Revised: 11/01/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
In 2020, the novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV-2, caused a pandemic, which is still raging at the time of writing this. Here, we present results from SpikeSeq, the first published Sanger sequencing-based method for the detection of Variants of Concern (VOC) and key mutations, using a 1 kb amplicon from the recognized ARTIC Network primers. The proposed setup relies entirely on materials and methods already in use in diagnostic RT-qPCR labs and on existing commercial infrastructure offering sequencing services. For data analysis, we provide an automated, open source, and browser-based mutation calling software (https://github.com/kblin/covid-spike-classification, https://ssi.biolib.com/covid-spike-classification). We validated the setup on 195 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples, and we were able to profile 85% of RT-qPCR positive samples, where the last 15% largely stemmed from samples with low viral count. We compared the SpikeSeq results to WGS results. SpikeSeq has been used as the primary variant identification tool on > 10.000 SARS-CoV-2 positive clinical samples during 2021. At approximately 4€ per sample in material cost, minimal hands-on time, little data handling, and a short turnaround time, the setup is simple enough to be implemented in any SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR diagnostic lab. Our protocol provides results that can be used to choose antibodies in a clinical setting and for the tracking and surveillance of all positive samples for new variants and known ones such as Alpha (B.1.1.7), Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1) Delta (B.1.617.2), Omicron BA.1(B.1.1.529), BA.2, BA.4/5, BA.2.75.x, and many more, as of October 2022.
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37
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Weber S, Junk I, Brink L, Wörner M, Künzel S, Veith M, Teubner D, Klein R, Paulus M, Krehenwinkel H, Krehenwinkel H. Molecular diet analysis in mussels and other metazoan filter feeders and an assessment of their utility as natural eDNA samplers. Mol Ecol Resour 2023; 23:471-485. [PMID: 36056614 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Molecular gut content analysis is a popular tool to study food web interactions and has recently been suggested as an alternative source for DNA-based biomonitoring. However, the overabundant consumer's DNA often outcompetes that of its diet during PCR. Lineage-specific primers are an efficient means to reduce consumer amplification while retaining broad specificity for dietary taxa. Here, we designed an amplicon sequencing assay to monitor the eukaryotic diet of mussels and other metazoan filter feeders and explore the utility of mussels as natural eDNA samplers to monitor planktonic communities. We designed several lineage-specific rDNA primers with broad taxonomic suitability for eukaryotes. The primers were tested using DNA extracts of different limnic and marine mussel species and the results compared to eDNA water samples collected next to the mussel colonies. In addition, we analysed several 25-year time series samples of mussels from German rivers. Our primer sets efficiently prevent the amplification of mussels and other metazoans. The recovered DNA reflects a broad dietary preference across the eukaryotic tree of life and considerable taxonomic overlap with filtered water samples. We also show the utility of a reversed version of our primers, which prevents amplification of nonmetazoan taxa from complex eukaryote community samples, by enriching fauna associated with the marine brown algae Fucus vesiculosus. Our protocol will enable large-scale dietary analysis in metazoan filter feeders, facilitate aquatic food web analysis and allow surveying of aquacultures for pathogens. Moreover, we show that mussels and other aquatic filter feeders can serve as complementary DNA source for biomonitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Sven Künzel
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, Ploen, Germany
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38
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Wu F, Oghuan J, Gitter A, Mena KD, Brown EL. Wide mismatches in the sequences of primers and probes for monkeypox virus diagnostic assays. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e28395. [PMID: 36504122 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2022] [Revised: 11/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Rapid and accurate diagnosis of infections is fundamental to containment of disease. Several monkeypox virus (MPV) real-time diagnostic assays have been recommended by the CDC; however, the specificity of the primers and probes in these assays for the ongoing MPV outbreak has not been investigated. We analyzed the primer and probe sequences present in the CDC recommended MPV generic real-time PCR assay by aligning those sequences against 1730 MPV complete genomes reported in 2022 worldwide. Sequence mismatches were found in 99.08% and 97.46% of genomes for the MPV generic forward and reverse primers, respectively. Mismatch-corrected primers were synthetized and compared to the generic assay for MPV detection. Results showed that the two primer-template mismatches resulted in a ~11-fold underestimation of initial template DNA in the reaction and 4-fold increase in the 95% LOD. We further evaluated the specificity of seven other real-time PCR assays used for MPV and orthopoxvirus (OPV) detection and identified two assays with the highest matching score (>99.6%) to the global MPV genome database in 2022. Genetic variations in the primer-probe regions across MPV genomes could indicate the temporal and spatial emergence pattern of monkeypox disease. Our results show that the current MPV real-time generic assay may not be optimal to accurately detect MPV, and the mismatch-corrected assay with full complementarity between primers and current MPV genomes could provide a more sensitive and accurate detection of MPV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fuqing Wu
- School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Jeremiah Oghuan
- School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Anna Gitter
- School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Kristina D Mena
- School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Eric L Brown
- School of Public Health, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA
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39
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Witt J, Haupt S, Ahadova A, Bohaumilitzky L, Fuchs V, Ballhausen A, Przybilla MJ, Jendrusch M, Seppälä TT, Fürst D, Walle T, Busch E, Haag GM, Hüneburg R, Nattermann J, von Knebel Doeberitz M, Heuveline V, Kloor M. A simple approach for detecting HLA-A*02 alleles in archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue samples and an application example for studying cancer immunoediting. HLA 2023; 101:24-33. [PMID: 36251018 DOI: 10.1111/tan.14846] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 09/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The HLA system represents a central component of the antigen presentation machinery. As every patient possesses a defined set of HLA molecules, only certain antigens can be presented on the cell surface. Thus, studying HLA type-dependent antigen presentation can improve the understanding of variation in susceptibility to various diseases, including infectious diseases and cancer. In archival formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue, the HLA type is difficult to analyze because of fragmentation of DNA, hindering the application of commonly used assays that rely on long DNA stretches. Addressing these difficulties, we present a refined approach for characterizing presence or absence of HLA-A*02, the most common HLA-A allele in the Caucasian population, in archival samples. We validated our genotyping strategy in a cohort of 90 samples with HLA status obtained by an NGS-based method. 90% (n = 81) of the samples could be analyzed with the approach. For all of them, the presence or absence of HLA-A*02 alleles was correctly determined with the method, demonstrating 100% sensitivity and specificity (95% CI: 91.40%-100% and 91.19%-100%). Furthermore, we provide an example of application in an independent cohort of 73 FFPE microsatellite-unstable (MSI) colorectal cancer samples. As MSI cancer cells encompass a high number of mutations in coding microsatellites, leading to the generation of highly immunogenic frameshift peptide antigens, they are ideally suited for studying relations between the mutational landscape of tumor cells and interindividual differences in the immune system, including the HLA genotype. Overall, our method can help to promote studying HLA type-dependency during the pathogenesis of a wide range of diseases, making archival and historic tissue samples accessible for identifying HLA-A*02 alleles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johannes Witt
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Saskia Haupt
- Engineering Mathematics and Computing Lab, Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Data Mining and Uncertainty Quantification (DMQ), Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Aysel Ahadova
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Lena Bohaumilitzky
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vera Fuchs
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Alexej Ballhausen
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany.,Department of Hematology, Oncology and Tumor Immunology, Charité -Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Moritz Jakob Przybilla
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Michael Jendrusch
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Toni T Seppälä
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Technology, University of Tampere, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Gastroenterology and Alimentary Tract Surgery, Tampere University Hospital, Tampere, Finland.,Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland.,Applied Tumor Genomics Research Program, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Daniel Fürst
- Department of Transplantation Immunology, Institute of clinical Transfusion Medicine and Immune Genetics, Ulm, Germany
| | - Thomas Walle
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Centre for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Elena Busch
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Centre for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Georg Martin Haag
- Department of Medical Oncology, National Centre for Tumor Diseases, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor-Immunity, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Robert Hüneburg
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,National Center for Hereditary Tumor Syndromes, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Jacob Nattermann
- Department of Internal Medicine I, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,National Center for Hereditary Tumor Syndromes, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Magnus von Knebel Doeberitz
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Vincent Heuveline
- Engineering Mathematics and Computing Lab, Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing (IWR), Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.,Data Mining and Uncertainty Quantification (DMQ), Heidelberg Institute for Theoretical Studies, Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Matthias Kloor
- Department of Applied Tumor Biology, Institute of Pathology, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg, Germany.,Clinical Cooperation Unit Applied Tumor Biology, German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Heidelberg, Germany
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40
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Willassen E, Westgaard JI, Kongsrud JA, Hanebrekke T, Buhl-Mortensen P, Holte B. Benthic invertebrates in Svalbard fjords-when metabarcoding does not outperform traditional biodiversity assessment. PeerJ 2022; 10:e14321. [PMID: 36415859 PMCID: PMC9676020 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14321] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
To protect and restore ecosystems and biodiversity is one of the 10 challenges identified by the United Nations's Decade of the Ocean Science. In this study we used eDNA from sediments collected in two fjords of the Svalbard archipelago and compared the taxonomic composition with traditional methods through metabarcoding, targeting mitochondrial CO1, to survey benthos. Clustering of 21.6 mill sequence reads with a d value of 13 in swarm, returned about 25 K OTU reads. An identification search with the BOLD database returned 12,000 taxonomy annotated sequences spanning a similarity range of 50% to 100%. Using an acceptance filter of minimum 90% similarity to the CO1 reference sequence, we found that 74% of the ca 100 taxon identified sequence reads were Polychaeta and 22% Nematoda. Relatively few other benthic invertebrate species were detected. Many of the identified sequence reads were extra-organismal DNA from terrestrial, planktonic, and photic zone sources. For the species rich Polychaeta, we found that, on average, only 20.6% of the species identified from morphology were also detected with DNA. This discrepancy was not due to missing reference sequences in the search database, because 90-100% (mean 96.7%) of the visually identified species at each station were represented with barcodes in Boldsystems. The volume of DNA samples is small compared with the volume searched in visual sorting, and the replicate DNA-samples in sum covered only about 2% of the surface area of a grab. This may considerably reduce the detection rate of species that are not uniformly distributed in the sediments. Along with PCR amplification bias and primer mismatch, this may be an important reason for the limited congruence of species identified with the two approaches. However, metabarcoding also identified 69 additional species that are usually overlooked in visual sample sorting, demonstrating how metabarcoding can complement traditional methodology by detecting additional, less conspicuous groups of organisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Endre Willassen
- Department of Natural History, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Jon-Ivar Westgaard
- Department of Population Genetics, Institute of Marine Research, Tromsø, Troms, Norway
| | | | - Tanja Hanebrekke
- Department of Population Genetics, Institute of Marine Research, Tromsø, Troms, Norway
| | - Pål Buhl-Mortensen
- Department of Bentic Communities, Institute of Marine Research, Bergen, Norway
| | - Børge Holte
- Department of Bentic Communities, Institute of Marine Research, Tromsø, Troms, Norway
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41
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Identification of mutations in SARS-CoV-2 PCR primer regions. Sci Rep 2022; 12:18651. [PMID: 36333366 PMCID: PMC9636223 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-21953-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Due to the constantly increasing number of mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome, concerns have emerged over the possibility of decreased diagnostic accuracy of reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the gold standard diagnostic test for SARS-CoV-2. We propose an analysis pipeline to discover genomic variations overlapping the target regions of commonly used PCR primer sets. We provide the list of these mutations in a publicly available format based on a dataset of more than 1.2 million SARS-CoV-2 samples. Our approach distinguishes among mutations possibly having a damaging impact on PCR efficiency and ones anticipated to be neutral in this sense. Samples are categorized as "prone to misclassification" vs. "likely to be correctly detected" by a given PCR primer set based on the estimated effect of mutations present. Samples susceptible to misclassification are generally present at a daily rate of 2% or lower, although particular primer sets seem to have compromised performance when detecting Omicron samples. As different variant strains may temporarily gain dominance in the worldwide SARS-CoV-2 viral population, the efficiency of a particular PCR primer set may change over time, therefore constant monitoring of variations in primer target regions is highly recommended.
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42
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Blaschke VM, Tran TU, Naneh M, Zagon J, Winkel M. An improved duplex real-time PCR method for the systematic detection of commercially relevant crustaceans in food. Food Control 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodcont.2022.109517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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43
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Sarkes A, Yang Y, Dijanovic S, Fu H, Zahr K, Harding MW, Feindel D, Feng J. Detection of Xanthomonas translucens pv. undulosa, pv. translucens, and pv. secalis by Quantitative PCR. PLANT DISEASE 2022; 106:2876-2883. [PMID: 35442047 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-03-22-0574-re] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
A probe-based quantitative PCR (qPCR) protocol was developed for detection and evaluation of the wheat bacterial leaf streak pathogen Xanthomonas translucens pathovar (pv.) undulosa. The protocol can also detect X. translucens pv. translucens and X. translucens pv. secalis but can't differentiate the three pathovars. When tested on nontarget DNA (i.e., from plant; bacteria other than X. translucens pv. undulosa, X. translucens pv. translucens, and X. translucens pv. secalis; and culture of microorganisms from wheat grains), the qPCR showed a high specificity. On purified X. translucens pv. undulosa DNA, the qPCR was more sensitive than a loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay. When DNA samples from a set of serial dilutions of X. translucens pv. undulosa cells were tested, the qPCR method could repeatedly generate quantification cycle (Cq) values from the dilutions containing ≥1,000 cells. Since 2 µl of the total 50 µl of DNA was used in one reaction, one qPCR reaction could detect the presence of the bacteria in samples containing as few as 40 bacterial cells. The qPCR could detect the bacteria from both infected grain and leaf tissues. For seed testing, a protocol for template preparation was standardized, which allowed one qPCR reaction to test DNA from the surface of one wheat grain. Thus, the qPCR system could detect X. translucens pv. undulosa, X. translucens pv. translucens, and/or X. translucens pv. secalis in samples where the bacteria had an average concentration of ≥40 cells per grain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alian Sarkes
- Alberta Plant Health Lab, Crop Diversification Centre North, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AAFRED), Edmonton, AB, T5Y 6H3, Canada
| | - Yalong Yang
- Alberta Plant Health Lab, Crop Diversification Centre North, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AAFRED), Edmonton, AB, T5Y 6H3, Canada
| | - Snezana Dijanovic
- Alberta Plant Health Lab, Crop Diversification Centre North, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AAFRED), Edmonton, AB, T5Y 6H3, Canada
| | - Heting Fu
- Alberta Plant Health Lab, Crop Diversification Centre North, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AAFRED), Edmonton, AB, T5Y 6H3, Canada
| | - Kher Zahr
- Alberta Plant Health Lab, Crop Diversification Centre North, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AAFRED), Edmonton, AB, T5Y 6H3, Canada
| | - Michael W Harding
- Crop Diversification Centre South, AAFRED, Brooks, AB, T1R 1E6, Canada
| | - David Feindel
- Alberta Plant Health Lab, Crop Diversification Centre North, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AAFRED), Edmonton, AB, T5Y 6H3, Canada
| | - Jie Feng
- Alberta Plant Health Lab, Crop Diversification Centre North, Alberta Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development (AAFRED), Edmonton, AB, T5Y 6H3, Canada
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44
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Wilkes RP, Chan A, Wooming B. Targeted detection and molecular epidemiology of turkey coronavirus spike gene variants in turkeys and chickens. J Vet Diagn Invest 2022; 34:955-959. [PMID: 36184922 PMCID: PMC9597335 DOI: 10.1177/10406387221128610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Turkey coronavirus (TCoV) is a member of the Avian coronavirus species with infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), which is considered to be the source of TCoV. These 2 viruses are highly similar in all regions of their genomes, except for the spike gene, which is necessary for virus attachment. Although TCoV causes severe enteric disease in turkey poults, it does not cause clinical disease in chickens. However, considering that TCoV can infect chickens, it is important to distinguish TCoV from IBV in chickens. This is particularly true for chickens that are housed near turkeys and thus might be infected with TCoV and serve as a silent source of TCoV for turkeys. We developed and validated a real-time PCR assay to detect the spike gene of TCoV and sequenced a portion of this gene to evaluate the molecular epidemiology of TCoV infections associated with a commercial turkey premises in the United States in 2020-2021. We identified natural infections of TCoV in chickens, and based on the molecular epidemiology of the viruses detected, these chickens may have served as a source of infection for the commercial turkey premises located nearby.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca P. Wilkes
- Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Purdue
University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
| | - Angie Chan
- Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, Purdue
University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
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45
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Characterizing the Impact of Primer-Template Mismatches on Recombinase Polymerase Amplification. J Mol Diagn 2022; 24:1207-1216. [PMID: 36116701 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmoldx.2022.08.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2022] [Revised: 07/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) is an isothermal amplification assay that has been ubiquitously utilized in the detection of infectious agents. Like any nucleic acid amplification technology, primer-template complementarity is critical to RPA reaction success. Mismatches arising in the primer-template complex are known to impact reaction kinetics, invalidate downstream analysis, such as nucleic acid quantification, and result in false negatives if used in a diagnostic capacity. Although the impact of specific primer-template mismatches has been well characterized for techniques such as PCR, characterization remains limited for RPA. Through our study, we systematically characterize the impact of mismatches on the RPA reaction, when located in the 3'-anchor region of the primer-template complex. Our investigation identified that the nucleotides involved, as well as position of each mismatch, influence the size of the impact, with terminal cytosine-thymine and guanine-adenine mismatches being the most detrimental. The presence of some mismatch combinations, such as a penultimate cytosine-cytosine and a terminal cytosine-adenine mismatch pairing, led to complete RPA reaction inhibition. Through the successful characterization of 315 mismatch combinations, researchers can optimize their RPA assay accordingly and seek to implement RPA technology for rapid, in-field genotyping.
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46
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Abstract
Lassa Fever (LF) is a viral hemorrhagic fever endemic in West Africa. LF begins with flu-like symptoms that are difficult to distinguish from other common endemic diseases such as malaria, dengue, and yellow fever making it hard to diagnose clinically. Availability of a rapid diagnostic test and other serological and molecular assays facilitates accurate diagnosis of LF. Lassa virus therapeutics are currently in different stages of preclinical development. Arevirumab, a cocktail of monoclonal antibodies, demonstrates a great safety and efficacy profile in non-human primates. Major efforts have been made in the development of a Lassa virus vaccine. Two vaccine candidates, MeV-NP and pLASV-GPC are undergoing evaluation in phase I clinical trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lilia I Melnik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, LA, 70118, USA.
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47
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Frampton RA, Addison SM, Kalamorz F, Smith GR. Genomes of Potato Mop-Top Virus ( Virgaviridae: Pomovirus) Isolates from New Zealand and Their Impact on Diagnostic Methods. PLANT DISEASE 2022; 106:2571-2575. [PMID: 35285263 DOI: 10.1094/pdis-01-22-0192-sc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Following the detection of potato mop-top virus (PMTV) in New Zealand in 2018, three near-complete PMTV genomes (AS22, AS99, AS144) were assembled from soil samples taken from potato fields in Canterbury. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these genomes form a distinct lineage, with limited genetic diversity, within the PMTV species. This analysis supports the hypothesis that these genomes share a common origin, possibly resulting from a single (or limited) incursion of PMTV into New Zealand. A single nucleotide polymorphism was identified in the region where a key diagnostic primer binds. The mismatch of the diagnostic primer has implications for the effectiveness of the Mumford diagnostic protocol currently recommended for use in New Zealand; we recommend that the alternative Pandey assay, for which no primer mismatch was detected, be validated and optimized for use on the viral genomes present in New Zealand.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebekah A Frampton
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Shea M Addison
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Falk Kalamorz
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Lincoln, New Zealand
| | - Grant R Smith
- The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited, Lincoln, New Zealand
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48
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Cuff JP, Kitson JJN, Hemprich-Bennett D, Tercel MPTG, Browett SS, Evans DM. The predator problem and PCR primers in molecular dietary analysis: swamped or silenced; depth or breadth? Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 23:41-51. [PMID: 36017818 PMCID: PMC10087656 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2022] [Revised: 08/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Dietary metabarcoding has vastly improved our ability to analyse the diets of animals, but it is hampered by a plethora of technical limitations including potentially reduced data output due to the disproportionate amplification of the DNA of the focal predator, here termed 'the predator problem'. We review the various methods commonly used to overcome this problem, from deeper sequencing to exclusion of predator DNA during PCR, and how they may interfere with increasingly common multi-predator-taxon studies. We suggest that multi-primer approaches with an emphasis on achieving both depth and breadth of prey detections may overcome the issue to some extent, although multi-taxon studies require further consideration, as highlighted by an empirical example. We also review several alternative methods for reducing the prevalence of predator DNA that are conceptually promising but require additional empirical examination. The predator problem is a key constraint on molecular dietary analyses but, through this synthesis, we hope to guide researchers in overcoming this in an effective and pragmatic way.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan P Cuff
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - James J N Kitson
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | | | - Maximillian P T G Tercel
- School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, Les Augrès Manor, La Profonde Rue, Trinity, Jersey, JE3 5BP, Channel Islands
| | - Samuel S Browett
- Ecosystems and Environment Research Centre, School of Science, Engineering and Environment, University of Salford, Salford, UK
| | - Darren M Evans
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
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49
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Alkhatib M, Carioti L, D’Anna S, Ceccherini-Silberstein F, Svicher V, Salpini R. SARS-CoV-2 Mutations and Variants May Muddle the Sensitivity of COVID-19 Diagnostic Assays. Microorganisms 2022; 10:1559. [PMID: 36013977 PMCID: PMC9414863 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10081559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 07/28/2022] [Accepted: 07/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The performance of diagnostic polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays can be impacted by SARS-CoV-2 variability as this is dependent on the full complementarity between PCR primers/probes and viral target templates. Here, we investigate the genetic variability of SARS-CoV-2 regions recognized by primers/probes utilized by PCR diagnostic assays based on nucleotide mismatching analysis. We evaluated the genetic variation in the binding regions of 73 primers/probes targeting the Nucleocapsid (N, N = 36), Spike (S, N = 22), and RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase/Helicase (RdRp/Hel, N = 15) of the publicly available PCR-based assays. Over 4.9 million high-quality SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences were retrieved from GISAID and were divided into group-A (all except Omicron, >4.2 million) and group-B (only Omicron, >558 thousand). In group-A sequences, a large range of variability in primers/probes binding regions in most PCR assays was observed. Particularly, 87.7% (64/73) of primers/probes displayed ≥1 mismatch with their viral targets, while 8.2% (6/73) contained ≥2 mismatches and 2.7% (2/73) contained ≥3 mismatches. In group-B sequences, 32.9% (24/73) of primers/probes were characterized by ≥1 mismatch, 13.7% (10/73) by ≥2 mismatches, and 5.5% (4/73) by ≥3 mismatches. The high rate of single and multiple mismatches- found in the target regions of molecular assays used worldwide for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis reinforces the need to optimize and constantly update these assays according to SARS-CoV-2 genetic evolution and the future emergence of novel variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Alkhatib
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; mohammad-- (M.A.); (L.C.); (S.D.); (F.C.-S.); (V.S.)
| | - Luca Carioti
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; mohammad-- (M.A.); (L.C.); (S.D.); (F.C.-S.); (V.S.)
| | - Stefano D’Anna
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; mohammad-- (M.A.); (L.C.); (S.D.); (F.C.-S.); (V.S.)
| | - Francesca Ceccherini-Silberstein
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; mohammad-- (M.A.); (L.C.); (S.D.); (F.C.-S.); (V.S.)
| | - Valentina Svicher
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; mohammad-- (M.A.); (L.C.); (S.D.); (F.C.-S.); (V.S.)
- Department of Biology, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy
| | - Romina Salpini
- Department of Experimental Medicine, University of Rome “Tor Vergata”, 00133 Rome, Italy; mohammad-- (M.A.); (L.C.); (S.D.); (F.C.-S.); (V.S.)
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50
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Kronenberger JA, Wilcox TM, Mason DH, Franklin TW, McKelvey KS, Young MK, Schwartz MK. eDNAssay: a machine learning tool that accurately predicts qPCR cross-amplification. Mol Ecol Resour 2022; 22:2994-3005. [PMID: 35778862 DOI: 10.1111/1755-0998.13681] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2022] [Revised: 06/24/2022] [Accepted: 06/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling is a highly sensitive and cost-effective technique for wildlife monitoring, notably through the use of qPCR assays. However, it can be difficult to ensure assay specificity when many closely related species cooccur. In theory, specificity may be assessed in silico by determining whether assay oligonucleotides have enough base-pair mismatches with nontarget sequences to preclude amplification. However, the mismatch qualities required are poorly understood, making in silico assessments difficult and often necessitating extensive in vitro testing-typically the greatest bottleneck in assay development. Increasing the accuracy of in silico assessments would therefore streamline the assay development process. In this study, we paired 10 qPCR assays with 82 synthetic gene fragments for 530 specificity tests using SYBR Green intercalating dye (n = 262) and TaqMan hydrolysis probes (n = 268). Test results were used to train random forest classifiers to predict amplification. The primer-only model (SYBR Green-based) and full-assay model (TaqMan probe-based) were 99.6% and 100% accurate, respectively, in cross-validation. We further assessed model performance using six independent assays not used in model training. In these tests the primer-only model was 92.4% accurate (n = 119) and the full-assay model was 96.5% accurate (n = 144). The high performance achieved by these models makes it possible for eDNA practitioners to more quickly and confidently develop assays specific to the intended target. Practitioners can access the full-assay model via eDNAssay (https://NationalGenomicsCenter.shinyapps.io/eDNAssay), a user-friendly online tool for predicting qPCR cross-amplification.
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Affiliation(s)
- J A Kronenberger
- National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - T M Wilcox
- National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - D H Mason
- National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - T W Franklin
- National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - K S McKelvey
- National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - M K Young
- National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - M K Schwartz
- National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation, USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station, 800 East Beckwith Avenue, Missoula, MT, USA
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