Author:
Huajun Bai1 Xiaolong Cai1, 2* Xiaoyan Zhang1
1. R&D Center, GeneMedi Co.Ltd., Shanghai, P.R. China (www.genemedi.com)
2. Hanbio Research Center, Hanbio Tech Co. Ltd., Shanghai, P.R. China (www.hanbio.net)
Abstract:
The outbreak of COVID-19, caused by 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), has been a global public health threat and caught the worldwide concern. Scientists throughout the world are sparing all efforts to explore strategies for the determination of the 2019-nCoV virus and diagnosis of COVID-19 rapidly. Several assays are developed for COVID-19 test , including RT-PCR, coronavirus antigens-based immunoassays, and CRISPR-based strategies (Cas13a or Cas12a), etc. Different assays have their advantages and drawbacks, and people should choose the most suitable assay according to their demands. Here, we make a brief introduction about these assays and give a simple overview of them, hoping to help doctors and researchers to select the most suitable assay for the Coronavirus Disease 2019 test (COVID-19 test) .
RT-PCR (Real time -PCR) in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) test
1) Principles for diagnostics
2) Advantages and disadvantages
Advantages:
① High sensitivity.
② Easy to be operated on a large scale.
Disadvantages:
① Professional technician and special apparatus are required to perform RT-PCR experiments and analyze the data, which costs so much.
② The standard positive control affects the experimental accuracy, and a false negative result may occur due to improper handling.
3) Optional Targets, primers, and probes from different departments
Different departments have their own systems for the determination of COVID-19 by targeting various open reading frames of SARS-CoV-2, which are shown as follows. Primers and probes of Orf1ab and N (nucleocapsid gene) are commonly used for COVID-19 test in China. Three pairs of primers and probes of N (nucleocapsid gene, N1, N2, N3) are applied in the US CDC for COVID-19. And primers and probes of E (envelope gene) are utilized for COVID-19 test in Europe.
Organisation | Target | Forward primer (5’-3’) | Reverse primer (5’-3’) | Probe (5’-3’) |
University of Hong Kong, Beijing Center for Disease Prevention and Control, Capital Medical University Beijing Research Center for Preventive Medicine | orf1b | TGGGGYTTTACRGGTAACCT (Forward; Y=C/T, R=A/G) | AACRCGCTTAACAAAGCACTC (Reverse; R=A/G) | TAGTTGTGATGCWATCATGACTAG (Probe in 5’-FAM/ZEN/3’-IBFQ format; W=A/T) |
N | TAATCAGACAAGGAACTGATTA | CGAAGGTGTGACTTCCATG | FAM-GCAAATTGTGCAATTTGCGG-IBFQ | |
Charité Virology, Berlin, Germany; Olfert Landt, Tib-Molbiol, Berlin, Germany; Erasmus MC, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; Public Health England, London | RdRP | GTGARATGGTCATGT GTGGCGG | CARATGTTAAASACA CTATTAGCATA | FAM-CAGGTGGA ACCTCATCAGGA GATGCBBQ |
E gene | ACAGGTACGTTAATA GTTAATAGCGT | ATATTGCAGCAGTAC GCACACA | FAM-ACACTAGC CATCCTTACTGC GCTTCGBBQ | |
N | CACATTGGCACCCGC AATC | GAGGAACGAGAAGA GGCTTG | FAM-ACTTCCTCA AGGAACAACATT GCCABBQ | |
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Integrated DNA Technologies | N1 | GACCCCAAAATCAGC GAAAT | TCTGGTTACTGCCAG TTG AATCTG | FAM-ACCCCGCA T TACGTTTGGTGG ACC-BHQ1 |
N2 | TTACAAACATTGGCCGCAAA | GCGCGACATTCCGAAGAA | FAM-ACAATTTGCCCCCAGCGCTTCAG-BHQ1 | |
N3 | GGGAGCCTTGAATACACCAAAA | TGTAGCACGATTGCAGCATTG | FAM-AYCACATTGGCACCCGCAATCCTG-BHQ1 | |
RNAse P | AGATTTGGACCTGCGAGCG | GAGCGGCTGTCTCCACAAGT | FAM–TTCTGACCTGAAGGCTCTGCGCG–BHQ-1 |
Table 1. Optional Targets, primers, and probes from different departments
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