First application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays for rapid identification of mating type in the heterothallic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.

First application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays for rapid identification of mating type in the heterothallic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus.

Mycoses. 2019 Jun 18;:

Authors: King KM, Hawkins NJ, Atkins S, Dyer PS, West JS, Fraaije BA

Abstract
BACKGROUND: Loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays, which operate at a single temperature and require no post-reaction processing, have been described for rapid species-specific detection of numerous fungi. The technology has much less commonly been applied to identification of other key genetic traits such as fungicide resistance, and has not yet been applied to mating-type determination in any fungus.
OBJECTIVES: To develop first LAMP assays for mating-type identification in a fungus, in this instance with the saprophytic mould and human opportunistic pathogen Aspergillus fumigatus, a heterothallic ascomycete requiring isolates of opposite mating type (MAT1-1, MAT1-2) for sexual reproduction.
METHODS: New LAMP primer sets, targeted to MAT gene sequences, were screened against 34 A. fumigatus isolates (of known mating type) from diverse clinical, environmental and geographic sources to establish if they could distinguish MAT1-1 or MAT1-2 genotypes.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The new assays, operating at a single temperature of 65°C, correctly identified the mating-type of A. fumigatus isolates in <20 minutes, and thus have numerous research and practical applications. Similar MAT LAMP assays could now be developed for other fungi of agricultural, environmental, industrial and/or medical importance. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

PMID: 31211900 [PubMed – as supplied by publisher]

Source: Industry