title: An N-targeting real-time PCR strategy for the accurate detection of spring viremia of carp virus.
abstract: Spring viremia of carp virus (SVCV) is a highly pathogenic agent of several economically important Cyprinidae fish species. Currently, there are no effective vaccines or drugs for this virus, and prevention of the disease mostly relies on prompt diagnosis. Previously, nested RT-PCR and RT-qPCR detection methods based on the glycoprotein gene G have been developed. However, the high genetic diversity of the G gene seriously limits the reliability of those methods. Compared with the G gene, phylogenetic analyses indicate that the nucleoprotein gene N is more conserved. Furthermore, studies in other members of the Rhabdoviridae family reveals that their gene transcription level follows the order N>P>M>G>L, indicating that an N gene based RT-PCR should have higher sensitivity. Therefore, two pairs of primers and two corresponding probes targeting the conserved regions of the N gene were designed. RT-qPCR assays demonstrated all primers and probes could detect phylogenetically distant isolates specifically and efficiently. Moreover, in artificially infected fish, the detected copy numbers of the N gene were much higher than those of the G gene in all tissues, and both the N and G gene copy numbers were highest in the kidney and spleen. Testing in 1100 farm-raised fish also showed that the N-targeting strategy was more reliable than the G-targeting methods. The method developed in this study provides a reliable tool for the rapid diagnosis of SVCV.
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Fisheries Research Institute, Shanghai Fisheries Technical Extension Station, Shanghai 200433, China. Electronic address: lingshao405@163.com.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Shao
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Fisheries Research Institute, Shanghai Fisheries Technical Extension Station, Shanghai 200433, China.
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.affiliation: Shanghai Fisheries Research Institute, Shanghai Fisheries Technical Extension Station, Shanghai 200433, China.
authors.forename: Zhengkan
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Shekou Exit & Entry Inspection and Quarantine Bureau, Shenzhen, China.
authors.forename: Longying
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D017931:DNA Primers / Q000235:genetics; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000235:genetics; D005393:Fish Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000821:virology*; D005399:Fishes; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009698:Nucleoproteins / Q000235:genetics*; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods*; D012209:Rhabdoviridae / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D018353:Rhabdoviridae Infections / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000662:veterinary*; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D017931:DNA Primers; D004279:DNA, Viral; D009698:Nucleoproteins
keywords: Diagnosis; RT-qPCR; SVCV; The N gene