Increased sensitivity for various rotavirus genotypes in stool specimens by amending three mismatched nucleotides in the forward primer of a real-time RT-PCR assay

J Virol Methods. 2011 Mar;172(1-2):85-7. doi: 10.1016/j.jviromet.2010.12.013. Epub 2010 Dec 23.

Abstract

The real-time TaqMan RT-PCR assay (Pang et al., 2004) did not detect 14 clinical samples with rotavirus G2 genotype. Three to five nucleotides (nt) were found to be mismatched between the published forward primer when compared to G2P[4], G2P[8], G3P[4], G9P[4], G8 and G12 sequences. An additional forward primer was designed and included in a modified assay to test the 14 clinical samples and 12 samples with known rotavirus G and P genotypes. The modified assay has improved significantly the sensitivity for specific rotavirus strains without affecting the detection of other genotypes, creating a molecular assay with broad detection of various genotypes of group A rotaviruses.

MeSH terms

  • Base Pair Mismatch*
  • Base Sequence
  • DNA Primers*
  • Feces / virology*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction*
  • Rotavirus / genetics
  • Rotavirus / isolation & purification
  • Rotavirus / physiology*
  • Rotavirus Infections / diagnosis*
  • Rotavirus Infections / virology*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / genetics

Substances

  • DNA Primers
  • NSP3 protein, Rotavirus
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins