ABSTRACT
Reverse transcriptase quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) is the main diagnostic assay used to detect SARS-CoV-2 RNA in respiratory samples. RT-qPCR is performed by specifically targeting the viral genome using complementary oligonucleotides called primers and probes. This approach relies on prior knowledge of the genetic sequence of the target. Viral genetic variants with changes to the primer/probe binding region may reduce the performance of PCR assays and have the potential to cause assay failure. In this work we demonstrate how two single nucleotide variants (SNVs) altered the amplification curve of a diagnostic PCR targeting the Nucleocapsid (N) gene and illustrate how threshold setting can lead to false-negative results even where the variant sequence is amplified. We also describe how in silico analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences available in the COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium (COG-UK) and GISAID databases was performed to predict the impact of sequence variation on the performance of 22 published PCR assays. The vast majority of published primer and probe sequences contain sequence mismatches with at least one SARS-CoV-2 lineage. We recommend that visual observation of amplification curves is included as part of laboratory quality procedures, even in high throughput settings where thresholds are set automatically and that in silico analysis is used to monitor the potential impact of new variants on established assays. Ideally comprehensive in silico analysis should be applied to guide selection of highly conserved genomic regions to target with future SARS-CoV-2 PCR assays.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: This study aimed to evaluate the impact of four different reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) master mixes on the performance of SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic PCRs using three primer/probe assays targeting the N gene (A, B and C). The dynamic range and lowest detected quantity was determined using a SARS-CoV-2 partial N gene RNA transcript dilution series (100,000-1 copy/µl) and verified using 72 nose and throat swabs, 29 of which tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 RNA. RESULTS: Assay C consistently detected the lowest quantity of partial N gene RNA transcript with all mastermixes. The Takara One Step PrimeScript™ III RT-PCR Kit mastermix enabled all primer pairs to detect the entire dynamic range evaluated, with the Qiagen Quantifast and Thermofisher TaqPath 1-Step kits also performing well. Sequences from all three primer/probe sets tested in this study (assay A, B and C) have 100 % homology to ≥97 % of the of SARS-CoV-2 sequences available up to 31st December 2020 (n = 291,483 sequences). CONCLUSIONS: This work demonstrates that specific assays (in this case assay C) can perform well in terms of dynamic range and lowest detected quantity regardless of the mastermix used. However we also show that, by choosing the most appropriate mastermix, poorer performing primer pairs are also able to detect all of the template dilutions investigated. This work increases the potential options when choosing assays for SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis and provides solutions to enable them to work with optimal analytical sensitivity.