Quantification and discovery of PCR inhibitors found in food matrices commonly associated with foodborne viruses

Human norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness globally. Detection and quantification of norovirus commonly involves the use of reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR); however, the presence of inhibitory compounds in foods limit detection and accurate quant...

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Main Authors: Cassandra Suther, Matthew D. Moore
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Tsinghua University Press 2019-12-01
Series:Food Science and Human Wellness
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221345301930062X
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author Cassandra Suther
Matthew D. Moore
author_facet Cassandra Suther
Matthew D. Moore
author_sort Cassandra Suther
collection DOAJ
description Human norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness globally. Detection and quantification of norovirus commonly involves the use of reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR); however, the presence of inhibitory compounds in foods limit detection and accurate quantification. Although some studies have been done on PCR inhibitors from foods, many of them are over a decade old and do not investigate inhibition in contemporary one-step RT-qPCR-based detection chemistries. The purpose of this work was to quantify the degree of inhibition that occurs from inhibitory compounds found in produce (pectin) and mollusks (hemocyanin, glycogen)—foods commonly associated with norovirus outbreaks. RT-qPCR reactions containing different amounts of genomic bacteriophage MS2 RNA, a norovirus surrogate, were spiked with different concentrations of pectin (0.0625%–0.25% w/V), glycogen (1.25%–10%), and hemocyanin (0.0625%–0.25%). Past research has implicated glycogen as an inhibitory compound in oysters; however, even high levels of glycogen (10%) had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on amplification. Conversely, both pectin and hemocyanin caused complete inhibition at 0.25%, with no significant inhibition observed at 0.0625% (P < 0.05). Hemocyanin is abundant in the hemolymph of mollusks and previously untested as a PCR inhibitor. This work demonstrates that pectin and hemocyanin should be considered when testing produce and mollusk samples with PCR-based methods. Keywords: PCR inhibition, PCR false negatives, Norovirus detection, Hemocyanin, Pectin
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spelling doaj-art-2515b9f0a7ae46f199432260834dca1e2025-02-03T06:50:39ZengTsinghua University PressFood Science and Human Wellness2213-45302019-12-0184351355Quantification and discovery of PCR inhibitors found in food matrices commonly associated with foodborne virusesCassandra Suther0Matthew D. Moore1Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United StatesCorresponding author at: 100 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003, United States.; Department of Food Science, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, United StatesHuman norovirus is the leading cause of foodborne illness globally. Detection and quantification of norovirus commonly involves the use of reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR); however, the presence of inhibitory compounds in foods limit detection and accurate quantification. Although some studies have been done on PCR inhibitors from foods, many of them are over a decade old and do not investigate inhibition in contemporary one-step RT-qPCR-based detection chemistries. The purpose of this work was to quantify the degree of inhibition that occurs from inhibitory compounds found in produce (pectin) and mollusks (hemocyanin, glycogen)—foods commonly associated with norovirus outbreaks. RT-qPCR reactions containing different amounts of genomic bacteriophage MS2 RNA, a norovirus surrogate, were spiked with different concentrations of pectin (0.0625%–0.25% w/V), glycogen (1.25%–10%), and hemocyanin (0.0625%–0.25%). Past research has implicated glycogen as an inhibitory compound in oysters; however, even high levels of glycogen (10%) had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on amplification. Conversely, both pectin and hemocyanin caused complete inhibition at 0.25%, with no significant inhibition observed at 0.0625% (P < 0.05). Hemocyanin is abundant in the hemolymph of mollusks and previously untested as a PCR inhibitor. This work demonstrates that pectin and hemocyanin should be considered when testing produce and mollusk samples with PCR-based methods. Keywords: PCR inhibition, PCR false negatives, Norovirus detection, Hemocyanin, Pectinhttp://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221345301930062X
spellingShingle Cassandra Suther
Matthew D. Moore
Quantification and discovery of PCR inhibitors found in food matrices commonly associated with foodborne viruses
Food Science and Human Wellness
title Quantification and discovery of PCR inhibitors found in food matrices commonly associated with foodborne viruses
title_full Quantification and discovery of PCR inhibitors found in food matrices commonly associated with foodborne viruses
title_fullStr Quantification and discovery of PCR inhibitors found in food matrices commonly associated with foodborne viruses
title_full_unstemmed Quantification and discovery of PCR inhibitors found in food matrices commonly associated with foodborne viruses
title_short Quantification and discovery of PCR inhibitors found in food matrices commonly associated with foodborne viruses
title_sort quantification and discovery of pcr inhibitors found in food matrices commonly associated with foodborne viruses
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221345301930062X
work_keys_str_mv AT cassandrasuther quantificationanddiscoveryofpcrinhibitorsfoundinfoodmatricescommonlyassociatedwithfoodborneviruses
AT matthewdmoore quantificationanddiscoveryofpcrinhibitorsfoundinfoodmatricescommonlyassociatedwithfoodborneviruses