LAMP using a disposable pocket warmer for anthrax detection, a highly mobile and reliable method for anti-bioterrorism.
A quick, reliable detection system is necessary to deal with bioterrorism. Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) is a DNA amplification method that can amplify specific DNA fragments in isothermal conditions. We developed a new highly mobile and practical LAMP anthrax detection system that uses a disposable pocket warmer without the need for electricity (pocket-warmer LAMP). In our tests, the detection limit of the pocket-warmer LAMP was 1,000 copies of Bacillus anthracis pag and capB gene fragments per tube. The pocket-warmer LAMP also detected B. anthracis genes from DNA extracted from 0.1 volume of a B. anthracis colony. The lower detection limit of the pocket-warmer LAMP was not significantly different from that of a conventional LAMP using a heat block, and was not changed under cold (4 degrees C) or warm (37 degrees C) conditions in a Styrofoam box. The pocket-warmer LAMP could be useful against bioterrorism, and as a sensitive, reliable detection tool in areas with undependable electricity infrastructures.
Hatano
Ben
B
Department of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan.
Maki
Takayuki
T
Obara
Takeyuki
T
Fukumoto
Hitomi
H
Hagisawa
Kohsuke
K
Matsushita
Yoshitaro
Y
Okutani
Akiko
A
Bazartseren
Boldbaastar
B
Inoue
Satoshi
S
Sata
Tetsutaro
T
Katano
Harutaka
H
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D001408:Bacillus anthracis / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001427:Bacterial Toxins / Q000235:genetics; D001431:Bacteriological Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D023482:Bioterrorism; D004269:DNA, Bacterial / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D021141:Nucleic Acid Amplification Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
D000942:Antigens, Bacterial; D001427:Bacterial Toxins; D004269:DNA, Bacterial; C030325:anthrax toxin