Abstract

ACEVEDO, Ana María; LAZO, Ana María; RELOVA, Damarys  and  PERERA, Carmen Laura. Standarization of a SYBR Green-I based real time RT-PCR assay for the detection of equine influenza virus. Rev Salud Anim. [online]. 2018, vol.40, n.3, e07. ISSN 0253-570X.

Equine influenza is an acute respiratory infection of horses, donkeys, mules and zebras. Nowadays, the reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and real-time RT-PCR (rRT-PCR) assays are being widely used in diagnostic laboratories as a more sensitive alternative to virus isolation for the detection of equine influenza virus. The purpose of this study was to standardize an rRT-PCR, based on SYBR Green-I coupled with melting curve analysis for the detection of equine influenza virus (gene M) and the typing of hemagglutinin gene (HA). Sensitivity and specificity of the assay (gene M) were evaluated. In terms of the matrix gene copy number, the detection limit was 4.5 gene copies/μl of in vitro transcribed RNA. The linear range obtained for the transcript in the assay genered a typical standard curve from 107 until 100 gene copies/µl in terms of RNA copy number. The correlation coefficient (R2) was 0.99 for the RNA copies detected in nuclease free water and the error of standard curve was 0.0139. The rRT-PCR assay showed to be specific for equine influenza virus. No specific amplification curves were obtained with any of the other viruses tested such as equine viral arteritis, equine herpesvirus-1 and equine herpesvirus-4. The assay showed amplification and specific melting curves when the second set of primers against HA gene was evaluated. Thus, the proposed SYBR Green-I based rRT-PCR assay for the detection of equine influenza virus can be used in case of a possible emergency of this agent in Cuba.

Keywords : equine influenza virus; SYBR Green-I based real time RT-PCR assay.

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