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Choi WS, Jeong JH, Nicolas HDG, Oh S, Antigua KJC, Park JH, Kim B, Yoon SW, Shin KS, Choi YK, Baek YH, Song MS. Peptide Nucleic Acid (PNA)-Enhanced Specificity of a Dual-Target Real-Time Quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-qPCR) Assay for the Detection and Differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 from Related Viruses. Diagnostics (Basel) 2020; 10:diagnostics10100775. [PMID: 33007999 PMCID: PMC7601008 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics10100775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The threat posed by coronaviruses to human health has necessitated the development of a highly specific and sensitive viral detection method that could differentiate between the currently circulating severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and other SARS-related coronaviruses (SARSr-CoVs). In this study, we developed a peptide nucleic acid (PNA)-based real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay targeting the N gene to efficiently discriminate SARS-CoV-2 from other SARSr-CoVs in human clinical samples. Without compromising the sensitivity, this method significantly enhanced the specificity of SARS-CoV-2 detection by 100-fold as compared to conventional RT-qPCR. In addition, we designed an RT-qPCR method for the sensitive and universal detection of ORF3ab-E genes of SARSr-CoV with a limit of detection (LOD) of 3.3 RNA copies per microliter. Thus, the developed assay serves as a confirmative dual-target detection method. Our PNA-mediated dual-target RT-qPCR assay can detect clinical SARS-CoV-2 samples in the range of 18.10–35.19 Ct values with an 82.6–100% detection rate. Furthermore, our assay showed no cross-reactions with other coronaviruses such as human coronaviruses (229E, NL63, and OC43) and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, influenza viruses (Type B, H1N1, H3N2, HPAI H5Nx, and H7N9), and other respiratory disease-causing viruses (MPV, RSV A, RSV B, PIV, AdV, and HRV). We, thus, developed a PNA-based RT-qPCR assay that differentiates emerging pathogens such as SARS-CoV-2 from closely related viruses such as SARSr-CoV and allows diagnosis of infections related to already identified or new coronavirus strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Won-Suk Choi
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
| | - Ju Hwan Jeong
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
| | - Halcyon Dawn G. Nicolas
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
| | - Sol Oh
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
| | - Khristine Joy C. Antigua
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
| | - Ji-Hyun Park
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
| | - Beomkyu Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
| | - Sun-Woo Yoon
- Infectious Diseases Research Center, Korea Research Institute of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Daejeon 34141, Korea;
| | - Kyeong Seob Shin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju 28644, Korea;
| | - Young Ki Choi
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
| | - Yun Hee Baek
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
- Correspondence: (Y.H.B.); (M.-S.S.)
| | - Min-Suk Song
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju 28644, Korea; (W.-S.C.); (J.H.J.); (H.D.G.N.); (S.O.); (K.J.C.A.); (J.-H.P.); (B.K.); (Y.K.C.)
- Correspondence: (Y.H.B.); (M.-S.S.)
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Baek YH, Um J, Antigua KJC, Park JH, Kim Y, Oh S, Kim YI, Choi WS, Kim SG, Jeong JH, Chin BS, Nicolas HDG, Ahn JY, Shin KS, Choi YK, Park JS, Song MS. Development of a reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification as a rapid early-detection method for novel SARS-CoV-2. Emerg Microbes Infect 2020; 9:998-1007. [PMID: 32306853 PMCID: PMC7301696 DOI: 10.1080/22221751.2020.1756698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 219] [Impact Index Per Article: 54.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The previous outbreaks of SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV have led researchers to study the role of diagnostics in impediment of further spread and transmission. With the recent emergence of the novel SARS-CoV-2, the availability of rapid, sensitive, and reliable diagnostic methods is essential for disease control. Hence, we have developed a reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay for the specific detection of SARS-CoV-2. The primer sets for RT-LAMP assay were designed to target the nucleocapsid gene of the viral RNA, and displayed a detection limit of 102 RNA copies close to that of qRT-PCR. Notably, the assay has exhibited a rapid detection span of 30 min combined with the colorimetric visualization. This test can detect specifically viral RNAs of the SARS-CoV-2 with no cross-reactivity to related coronaviruses, such as HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, and MERS-CoV as well as human infectious influenza viruses (type B, H1N1pdm, H3N2, H5N1, H5N6, H5N8, and H7N9), and other respiratory disease-causing viruses (RSVA, RSVB, ADV, PIV, MPV, and HRV). Furthermore, the developed RT-LAMP assay has been evaluated using specimens collected from COVID-19 patients that exhibited high agreement to the qRT-PCR. Our RT-LAMP assay is simple to perform, less expensive, time-efficient, and can be used in clinical laboratories for preliminary detection of SARS-CoV-2 in suspected patients. In addition to the high sensitivity and specificity, this isothermal amplification conjugated with a single-tube colorimetric detection method may contribute to the public health responses and disease control, especially in the areas with limited laboratory capacities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Hee Baek
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jihye Um
- Research Institute of Public Health, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Khristine Joy C Antigua
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Hyun Park
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Yeonjae Kim
- Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Internal Medicine, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Sol Oh
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Young-Il Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Won-Suk Choi
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong Gyu Kim
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ju Hwan Jeong
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Bum Sik Chin
- Center for Infectious Diseases Research, Department of Internal Medicine, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Halcyon Dawn G Nicolas
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Ji-Young Ahn
- School of Biological Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Kyeong Seob Shin
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Young Ki Choi
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Sun Park
- Research Institute of Public Health, National Medical Center, Seoul, Republic of Korea
| | - Min-Suk Song
- Department of Microbiology, Chungbuk National University College of Medicine and Medical Research Institute, Cheongju, Republic of Korea
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