reverse transcriptase-loop mediated isothermal amplification reaction (rt-lamp) for sars-cov-2 detection

Using Colorimetric and RT-LAMP Analysis to Detect SARS-CoV-2 

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The World Health Organization declared a public health emergency of international concern on 30 January 2020 and a pandemic on 11 March 2020. The pandemic resulted in over 760 million cases and 6.87 million deaths as of the date this article was written1.
The impact of this virus has highlighted the need for better, more accurate, faster, and more widely available surveillance tools to improve infectious disease detection and control2,3. During the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests were based on detecting nucleic acid, antibodies, and proteins, but RT-PCR detection of nucleic acid is the gold standard4. However, RT-PCR has some limitations; it requires specialized equipment, infrastructure, and personnel trained in molecular biology, limiting its application to specialized laboratories. Further, it is time-consuming (4-6 h), not including the time to transport the specimens to the laboratory, which can take days5. These constraints prevent efficient sample processing and obtaining the information required for contingency planning and epidemiological management.
Reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) has several advantages over RT-PCR, making it an appealing strategy for designing future point-of-care diagnostic tests (POCT), particularly in resource-constrained settings6. First, it is greatly specific because it uses between four and six primers that recognize six to eight areas in the target sequence, be it DNA or RNA7,8. Second, because it operates at a constant temperature, it does not require sophisticated equipment such as real-time thermal cyclers to generate the amplification, nor does it necessitate highly trained personnel to operate it. Third, the reaction time is very short (~60 min), and reagents that are not very specialized are employed, which makes it a cost-effective tool6. Given the foregoing and the health emergency caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, this technique can be viewed as an alternative diagnostic method that is quick, inexpensive, and simple to implement in any research laboratory9.
The protocol for standardizing and implementing an RT-LAMP to detect SARS-CoV-2 by colorimetric methods using a thermocycler and a water bath is described in this article (Figure 1). Critical points, their limitations, and alternatives to advance them are discussed.
<img alt="Figure 1" class="xfigimg" src="/files/ftp_upload/65662/65662fig01.jpg" /> 
Figure 1: Scheme of the protocol for amplifying SARS-CoV-2 using the RT-LAMP technique. <a href="https://www.jove.com/files/ftp_upload/65662/65662fig01large.jpg" target="_blank">Please click here to view a larger version of this figure.</a>

Author Spotlight: Advancing Pathogen Diagnostics with Standardized LAMP

Detecting SARS-CoV-2 Virus by Reverse Transcription-Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification

Our research aims to standardize LAMP as a prediagnostic test, suitable for field or primary care settings lacking advanced laboratory infrastructure. We seek to promote the use of locally-producible buffers and alternative dyes, reducing dependence on imported commercial kits. Currently, CRISPR-Cas is an efficient system employed in the development of fast, specific, and sensitive diagnostic methods for pathogens.Now, this system has a broad range of and supplements to detect RNA or DNA targets in different samples of interest. The current experimental challenges involve preventing non-target amplification resulting from amplicon contamination and primary cell especially with lengthy primers prone to dimer formation. Additionally, we aim to determine optimal reaction conditions to achieve a visually distinguishable color change in the dye.Once it's standardized and fully validated, this method can be easily implemented and adapt to any laboratory or point-of-care within 60 minutes, at low cost and using inexpensive equipment, to detect almost any pathogen. Thus, it can potentially be used in primary care centers to carry out timely, epidemiological surveillance. Our multidisciplinary group is focused on the discovery of molecules from native Colombia plants, trying to identify the potential to inhibit the replication of viruses such as dengue, Zika, or SARS-COVID-2.In addition, we are conducting studies to develop molecular diagnostic methods for these viruses.

Reverse Transcriptase-Loop Mediated Isothermal Amplification Reaction (RT-LAMP) for SARS-CoV-2 Detection

To begin, switch on the laminar airflow cabinet, allowing it to stabilize for three minutes. Aseptically clean and sanitize the cabinet's internal surfaces using the following disinfection agents. After disinfecting any material that will enter the cabinet, place napkins and nitrile gloves into the cabinet.Then switch off the cabinet and expose it to ultraviolet light for 15 minutes. After the irradiation, restart the cabinet. Place the primer design reagents in an ice-filled cooler.After sanitizing it with 70%ethanol, place the container inside the cabinet. Prepare the loop mediated isothermal amplification, or LAMP mix, in a 0.6 milliliter microcentrifuge tube. Pipette the mixture to homogenize it.Next, incubate the closed tubes in a heating block at 95 degrees Celsius for five minutes. Then cool the tubes in an ice-filled polystyrene cooler for five minutes. After cooling, place the tubes in the laminar flow cabinet.To complete the LAMP mix, add four microliters of DNA polymerase, followed by one microliter of reverse transcriptase. To perform colorimetric detection, add the dihydroxynaphthol blue. After reagent addition, pipette each solution to properly mix the LAMP reagents.Next, pipette 22 microliters of the solution into PCR tubes, being careful not to create bubbles. For the negative control, add three microliters of 0.1%diethyl pyrocarbonate water. Keep aside any remaining tubes for the addition of genetic material.Next, remove all materials from the cabinet. After sanitizing the cabinet surfaces with 70%ethanol, shut it off. In a separate area, add three microliters of the sample to each PCR tube and pipette well with a 20 microliter micropipette to thoroughly homogenize.Before initiating the colorimetric reaction, use a high quality camera to take pictures of the PCR tubes. Now, carry out the reaction using a thermal cycler and a water bath. For the thermal cycler, place the tubes into the reaction block and set up thermo profile on the equipment.If using the water bath, securely place the tubes in circular containers, then place these containers in the water bath at 66.3 degrees Celsius for 60 minutes. After the reaction time, remove the tubes and store them at four degrees Celsius until use. If a colorimetric reaction was performed, capture images of the PCR with a high quality camera.A temperature gradient demonstrated that the optimal melting temperature was 66.3 degrees Celsius. The concentration of BST 3.0 enzyme was optimized to 3.2 international units per microliter. To define the colorimetric strategy, phenol red in neutral red dyes were evaluated.However, no color change was observed after amplification. Standardization of different concentrations of hydroxynaphthol blue was performed with the optimum change occurring with 125 micromoles of hydroxynaphthol blue. The amplified samples demonstrated a change in the color in accordance with their concentration.Sample amplification was further confirmed by electrophoresis.

Research

JoVE Journal

Biology

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus has dramatically impacted human health. It continues to be a threat to modern ...