Detection of phytoplasma by loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA (LAMP)

Napier stunt phytoplasma (16SrXI and 16SrIII) in eastern Africa is a serious threat to the expansion of Napier grass (Pennisetum purpureum) farming in the region, where it is widely cultivated as fodder in zero grazing livestock systems. The grass has high potential for bio-fuel production, and has been adopted by farmers as a countermeasure to cereal stem borer Lepidoptera, since it attracts and traps the insect. Diagnosis of stunt phytoplasma have been largely by nested polymerase chain reaction (nPCR) targeting the 16S rRNA gene. However, the method is laborious, costly and technically demanding. This investigation has developed a simpler but effective phytoplasma diagnostic tool, called; loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA (LAMP). The assay was tested on 8 symptomatic and 8 asymptomatic plants, while its detection limit was compared to nested PCR using samples serially diluted from 3 ng/μl to 0.38 pg/μl. Molecular typing of LAMP products was determined by BsrI restriction digestion and Southern blot analysis. The assay sensitivity, positive and negative predictive values were estimated, while the specificity was tested on 11 phytoplasma groups. LAMP was specific to 5 phytoplasma groups: 16SrVI, X, XI and XVI. BsrI restriction digestion produced two predicted fragments, and there was specific binding of probe DNA to the LAMP amplicons in Southern blot analysis. The assay sensitivity was 100%, while the positive and negative predictive values were 63 and 100% respectively. LAMP was 20-fold more sensitive than nested PCR. This study validates LAMP for routine diagnosis of Napier stunt and other closely related phytoplasmas.     

Helicase-dependent isothermal DNA amplification

Polymerase chain reaction is the most widely used method for in vitro DNA amplification. However, it requires thermocycling to separate two DNA strands. In vivo, DNA is replicated by DNA polymerases with various accessory proteins, including a DNA helicase that acts to separate duplex DNA. We have devised a new in vitro isothermal DNA amplification method by mimicking this in vivo mechanism. Helicase-dependent amplification (HDA) utilizes a DNA helicase to generate single-stranded templates for primer hybridization and subsequent primer extension by a DNA polymerase. HDA does not require thermocycling. In addition, it offers several advantages over other isothermal DNA amplification methods by having a simple reaction scheme and being a true isothermal reaction that can be performed at one temperature for the entire process. These properties offer a great potential for the development of simple portable DNA diagnostic devices to be used in the field and at the point-of-care.     

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification of DNA

We have developed a novel method, termed loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), that amplifies DNA with high specificity, efficiency and rapidity under isothermal conditions. This method employs a DNA polymerase and a set of four specially designed primers that recognize a total of six distinct sequences on the target DNA. An inner primer containing sequences of the sense and antisense strands of the target DNA initiates LAMP. The following strand displacement DNA synthesis primed by an outer primer releases a single-stranded DNA. This serves as template for DNA synthesis primed by the second inner and outer primers that hybridize to the other end of the target, which produces a stem–loop DNA structure. In subsequent LAMP cycling one inner primer hybridizes to the loop on the product and initiates displacement DNA synthesis, yielding the original stem–loop DNA and a new stem–loop DNA with a stem twice as long. The cycling reaction continues with accumulation of 10⁹ copies of target in less than an hour. The final products are stem–loop DNAs with several inverted repeats of the target and cauliflower-like structures with multiple loops formed by annealing between alternately inverted repeats of the target in the same strand. Because LAMP recognizes the target by six distinct sequences initially and by four distinct sequences afterwards, it is expected to amplify the target sequence with high selectivity.     

环介导恒温扩增法检测肺炎链球菌的研究

目的 建立环介导恒温扩增(LAMP)检测肺炎链球菌的方法.方法 用LAMP技术扩增肺炎链球菌菌株,并应用50例临床标本采用传统培养法、PCR法、LAMP法进行检测,比较3种方法的检出率,同时检测方法特异性和灵敏度.结果 所测肺炎链球菌均获扩增产物,对其他非肺炎链球菌无交叉反应.LAMP检测灵敏度可达102 CFU/mL.50例临床标本使用LAMP法检出9例肺炎链球菌阳性(18.0％),使用传统培养法检出阳性4例(8.0％).结论 LAMP法较传统培养检测方法特异性强、灵敏度高、操作方便、快速,适合临床标本的肺炎链球菌检测.     

Detection of Botrytis cinerea by loop-mediated isothermal amplification

Aims: To develop a sensitive, rapid and simple method for detection of Botrytis cinerea based on loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) that would be suitable for use outside a conventional laboratory setting. Methods and Results: A LAMP assay was designed based on the intergenic spacer of the B. cinerea nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The resulting assay was characterized in terms of sensitivity and specificity using DNA extracted from cultures. The assay consistently amplified 65 pg B. cinerea DNA. No cross‐reactivity was observed with a range of other fungal pathogens, with the exception of the closely related species Botrytis pelargonii. Use of a novel real‐time LAMP platform (the OptiGene Genie I) allowed detection of B. cinerea in infected rose petals, with amplification occurring in <15 min. Conclusions: The LAMP assay that was developed is suitable for rapid detection of B. cinerea in infected plant material. Significance and Impact of the Study: The LAMP method combines the sensitivity and specificity of nucleic acid‐based methods with simplified equipment and a reduced reaction time. These features make the method potentially suitable for on‐site use, where the results of testing could help to inform decisions regarding the storage and processing of commodities affected by B. cinerea, such as cut flowers, fruit and vegetables.     

Detection of fish nocardiosis by loop-mediated isothermal amplification

AIMS: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel method that amplifies DNA with high specificity and rapidity under isothermal conditions. In this study, using the LAMP method, a protocol for detecting Nocardia seriolae which is a causative agent of fish nocardiosis, was designed. METHODS AND RESULTS: A set of four primers, two inner and two outer, were designed based on the sequence of the 16S-23S ribosomal RNA internal transcribed spacer region of N. seriolae. Time and temperature conditions for detection of N. seriolae were optimized for 60 min at 65 degrees C. Other fish pathogen was not amplified by this LAMP system. The detection of N. seriola using LAMP was found to be more sensitive than that by polymerase chain reaction. CONCLUSIONS: LAMP is a highly sensitive and rapid diagnostic procedure for detection of N. seriolae. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: LAMP is a useful diagnostic method for fish nocardiosis.     

Isolation of single-stranded DNA from loop-mediated isothermal amplification products.

Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP), in which a specific DNA sequence can be directly amplified under isothermal conditions, yields DNA in large quantities of more than 500 microg/ml. We have developed a method to isolate single-stranded DNA fragments from LAMP products that are stem-loop DNAs with several inverted repeats of the target DNA. This method requires the TspRI restriction enzyme, a primer hybridized to the 3' overhanging sequence at its cleavage site, and a DNA polymerase with strand displacement activity. The LAMP products are digested with TspRI and are then extended using the primer, producing the strand-specific DNA fragments. All processes, from LAMP reaction to primer extension, can be carried out at the same temperature. The use of strand-specific DNA would be conducive for detection by hybridization technique such as DNA microarrays.     

Detection of loop-mediated isothermal amplification reaction by turbidity derived from magnesium pyrophosphate formation.

The loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a novel nucleic acid amplification method that uses only one type of enzyme. One of the characteristics of the LAMP method is its ability to synthesize extremely large amount of DNA. Accordingly, a large amount of by-product, pyrophosphate ion, is produced, yielding white precipitate of magnesium pyrophosphate in the reaction mixture. Judging the presence or absence of this white precipitate allows easy distinction of whether nucleic acid was amplified by the LAMP method. Since an increase in the turbidity of the reaction mixture according to the production of precipitate correlates with the amount of DNA synthesized, real-time monitoring of the LAMP reaction was achieved by real-time measurement of turbidity.     

Detection of periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis by loop-mediated isothermal amplification method

A method for nucleic acid amplification, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was employed to develop a rapid and simple detection system for periodontal pathogen, Porphyromonas gingivalis. A set of six primers was designed by targeting the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. By the detection system, target DNA was amplified and visualized on agarose gel within 30 min under isothermal condition at 64 degrees C with a detection limit of 20 cells of P. gingivalis. Without gel electrophoresis, the LAMP amplicon was directly visualized in the reaction tube by addition of SYBR Green I for a naked-eye inspection. The LAMP reaction was also assessed by white turbidity of magnesium pyrophosphate (a by-product of LAMP) in the tube. Detection limits of these naked-eye inspections were 20 cells and 200 cells, respectively. Although false-positive DNA amplification was observed from more than 10(7) cells of Porphyromonas endodontalis, no amplification was observed in other five related oral pathogens. Further, quantitative detection of P. gingivalis was accomplished by a real-time monitoring of the LAMP reaction using SYBR Green I with linearity over a range of 10(2)-10(6) cells. The real-time LAMP was then applied to clinical samples of dental plaque and demonstrated almost identical results to the conventional real-time PCR with an advantage of rapidity. These findings indicate the potential usefulness of LAMP for detecting and quantifying P. gingivalis, especially in its rapidity and simplicity.     

Detection of Mycobacterium ulcerans by the loop mediated isothermal amplification method

Background

Buruli ulcer (BU) caused by Mycobacterium ulcerans (M. ulcerans) has emerged as an important public health problem in several rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa. Early diagnosis and prompt treatment are important in preventing disfiguring complications associated with late stages of the disease progression. Presently there is no simple and rapid test that is appropriate for early diagnosis and use in the low-resource settings where M. ulcerans is most prevalent.

Methodology

We compared conventional and pocket warmer loop mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) methods (using a heat block and a pocket warmer respectively as heat source for amplification reaction) for the detection of M. ulcerans in clinical specimens. The effect of purified and crude DNA preparations on the detection rate of the LAMP assays were also investigated and compared with that of IS2404 PCR, a reference assay for the detection of M. ulcerans. Thirty clinical specimens from suspected BU cases were examined by LAMP and IS2404 PCR.

Principal Findings

The lower detection limit of both LAMP methods at 60°C was 300 copies of IS2404 and 30 copies of IS2404 for the conventional LAMP at 65°C. When purified DNA extracts were used, both the conventional LAMP and IS2404 PCR concordantly detected 21 positive cases, while the pocket warmer LAMP detected 19 cases. Nine of 30 samples were positive by both the LAMP assays as well as IS2404 PCR when crude extracts of clinical specimens were used.

Conclusion/Significance

The LAMP method can be used as a simple and rapid test for the detection of M. ulcerans in clinical specimens. However, obtaining purified DNA, as well as generating isothermal conditions, remains a major challenge for the use of the LAMP method under field conditions. With further improvement in DNA extraction and amplification conditions, the pwLAMP could be used as a point of care diagnostic test for BU     

Sequence dependence of isothermal DNA amplification via EXPAR

Isothermal nucleic acid amplification is becoming increasingly important for molecular diagnostics. Therefore, new computational tools are needed to facilitate assay design. In the isothermal EXPonential Amplification Reaction (EXPAR), template sequences with similar thermodynamic characteristics perform very differently. To understand what causes this variability, we characterized the performance of 384 template sequences, and used this data to develop two computational methods to predict EXPAR template performance based on sequence: a position weight matrix approach with support vector machine classifier, and RELIEF attribute evaluation with Naïve Bayes classification. The methods identified well and poorly performing EXPAR templates with 67–70% sensitivity and 77–80% specificity. We combined these methods into a computational tool that can accelerate new assay design by ruling out likely poor performers. Furthermore, our data suggest that variability in template performance is linked to specific sequence motifs. Cytidine, a pyrimidine base, is over-represented in certain positions of well-performing templates. Guanosine and adenosine, both purine bases, are over-represented in similar regions of poorly performing templates, frequently as GA or AG dimers. Since polymerases have a higher affinity for purine oligonucleotides, polymerase binding to GA-rich regions of a single-stranded DNA template may promote non-specific amplification in EXPAR and other nucleic acid amplification reactions.     

Strand displacement amplification--an isothermal, in vitro DNA amplification technique.

Strand Displacement Amplification (SDA) is an isothermal, in vitro nucleic acid amplification technique based upon the ability of HincII to nick the unmodified strand of a hemiphosphorothioate form of its recognition site, and the ability of exonuclease deficient klenow (exo- klenow) to extend the 3'-end at the nick and displace the downstream DNA strand. Exponential amplification results from coupling sense and antisense reactions in which strands displaced from a sense reaction serve as target for an antisense reaction and vice versa. In the original design (G. T. Walker, M. C. Little, J. G. Nadeau and D. D. Shank (1992) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci 89, 392-396), the target DNA sample is first cleaved with a restriction enzyme(s) in order to generate a double-stranded target fragment with defined 5'- and 3'-ends that can then undergo SDA. Although effective, target generation by restriction enzyme cleavage presents a number of practical limitations. We report a new target generation scheme that eliminates the requirement for restriction enzyme cleavage of the target sample prior to amplification. The method exploits the strand displacement activity of exo- klenow to generate target DNA copies with defined 5'- and 3'-ends. The new target generation process occurs at a single temperature (after initial heat denaturation of the double-stranded DNA). The target copies generated by this process are then amplified directly by SDA. The new protocol improves overall amplification efficiency. Amplification efficiency is also enhanced by improved reaction conditions that reduce nonspecific binding of SDA primers. Greater than 10(7)-fold amplification of a genomic sequence from Mycobacterium tuberculosis is achieved in 2 hours at 37 degrees C even in the presence of as much as 10 micrograms of human DNA per 50 microL reaction. The new target generation scheme can also be applied to techniques separate from SDA as a means of conveniently producing double-stranded fragments with 5'- and 3'-sequences modified as desired.     

Detection of genetically modified organisms (GMOs) using isothermal amplification of target DNA sequences

Background  

The most common method of GMO detection is based upon the amplification of GMO-specific DNA amplicons using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Here we have applied the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method to amplify GMO-related DNA sequences, 'internal' commonly-used motifs for controlling transgene expression and event-specific (plant-transgene) junctions.     

环介导等温扩增技术快速检测施罗氏弧菌(Vibrio shilonii)

【背景】近年来,珊瑚白化事件频有发生,面临着严重衰退。由气候变化引起的珊瑚病原菌快速增殖是导致珊瑚白化的主要因素之一。施罗氏弧菌是枇杷珊瑚的致病菌,能侵入珊瑚虫体内而使珊瑚白化死亡。【目的】优化并建立一种钙黄绿素显色法快速检测珊瑚致病菌施罗氏弧菌的环介导等温扩增(Loop-mediatedisothermalamplificaiton,LAMP)检测技术。【方法】以枇杷珊瑚致病菌施罗氏弧菌为研究对象,针对施罗氏弧菌的rpoD (RNA polymerase subunit D)基因设计6条特异性扩增引物,建立LAMP检测体系并检测其特异性和灵敏度,同时对LAMP法、常规PCR和荧光定量PCR3种检测方法进行比较分析。【结果】供检测的10个样品菌株中,施罗氏弧菌反应结果为阳性,呈亮绿色,其他9株包括阴性对照(灭菌水为模板)反应结果为阴性,呈浅橙黄色;同时,所建立的钙黄绿素-LAMP方法最低检测限度为3.641×10~3 cps/mL,具有与荧光定量PCR等同的灵敏度和准确性,是常规PCR最低检测限度的0.1%;此外,通过模拟野外海水样品检测发现,钙黄绿素-LAMP方法对海水样品中施罗氏弧菌的检测限度可达1.3×10~2 CFU/mL。【结论】建立的钙黄绿素-LAMP检测技术具有很好的特异性、灵敏度和准确性,其操作方法简单、方便,无需昂贵仪器,适用于野外现场珊瑚致病菌施罗氏弧菌的快速检测。     

Fingerprinting of bacterial genomes by amplification of DNA fragments surrounding rare restriction sites.

A method for generating limited representations of total bacterial DNA, without prior knowledge of the DNA sequence, has been developed. This method consists of three steps: digestion with two restriction enzymes, ligation of two oligonucleotide adapters corresponding to the restriction sites, and selective PCR amplification of the ligation products. The method relies on the use of two restriction enzymes with considerable differences in cleavage frequency of the investigated DNA and the ligation of two different oligonucleotides, each corresponding to one of the two cohesive ends of DNA fragments. Three subsets of DNA fragments are generated during digestion and subsequent ligation: terminated with the same oligonucleotide on both 5' ends of DNA fragments (two subsets) and terminated with two different oligonucleotides. Suppression PCR allows only the third subset of DNA fragments to be amplified exponentially. The method allows bacterial species strain differentiation on the basis of the different DNA band patterns obtained after electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gels stained with ethidium bromide and visualized in UV light.     

Detection of porcine circovirus type 1 in commercial porcine vaccines by loop-mediated isothermal amplification

A loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method with a real-time monitoring system was developed for the detection of porcine circovirus type 1 (PCV1) in commercial swine vaccines. This method was highly specific for PCV1. No cross-reaction to porcine circovirus type 2, porcine parvovirus, pseudorabies virus, classical swine fever virus, and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus was observed. The analytical sensitivity of the LAMP for PCV1 DNA was 10 copies/μl in the case of positive recombinant plasmid comparable to that obtained from the nested polymerase chain reaction (nested PCR). Furthermore, 25 commercial swine vaccines were tested by both the LAMP and the nested PCR, and three of them were tested positive for PCV1 DNA. These results indicate that PCV1 DNA can be real-time detected by the LAMP; the method was highly specific, sensitive, and rapid for the detection of PCV1 DNA, particularly in commercial swine vaccines.