Rapid and simple detection of Candida albicans using closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification

IntroductionCandida albicans, a human fungal pathogen, multiplies to invade body cells and causes fungal diseases in the condition of insufficient body's immune function. Early detection of C. albicans is required to guide appropriate prevention and treatment.MethodsThe purpose of this study wa...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Yanli Zhang, Xuhan Chen, Yeling Zhong, Fei Guo, Guifang Ouyang, Rui Mao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1484089/full
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1832548300760285184
author Yanli Zhang
Xuhan Chen
Yeling Zhong
Fei Guo
Guifang Ouyang
Rui Mao
author_facet Yanli Zhang
Xuhan Chen
Yeling Zhong
Fei Guo
Guifang Ouyang
Rui Mao
author_sort Yanli Zhang
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionCandida albicans, a human fungal pathogen, multiplies to invade body cells and causes fungal diseases in the condition of insufficient body's immune function. Early detection of C. albicans is required to guide appropriate prevention and treatment.MethodsThe purpose of this study was to establish a C. albicans assay based on newly developed closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification (CDA) to achieve rapid and simple point of care diagnostic. The CDA technique was carried out by specific primers targeting at the conserved C. albicans ITS2 gene. All primers were selected and evaluated by real-time fluorescence monitoring and endpoint visual judgement indicated by hydroxy naphthol blue (HNB). Optimal primers and accelerate primers (out primers and loop primers) were designed and selected after confirmation of the fundamental CDA primers to achieve more efficient CDA reaction for C. albicans detection (CA-OL-CDA).ResultsAfter establishment of the assay, 9 non-Candida albicans strains, including 3 Candida species were tested to negative by adopting the established CA-OL-CDA assay, indicated high specificity. The limit of detection of Candida albicans DNA by CA-OL-CDA assay was 6.2×10-6 ng/μL of DNA (10 copies/μL), 10-fold more sensitive than real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR).DiscussionThe CA-OL-CDA assay exhibited advantages of high specificity, sensitivity, simpler and more efficient operation. In addition, the CA-OL-CDA method holds potential in on-site detection for C. albicans using color shift by adopting the reaction mixture based on HNB.
format Article
id doaj-art-e9fa5571d8fe4dc3b0735deea1552cf6
institution Kabale University
issn 2235-2988
language English
publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Frontiers Media S.A.
record_format Article
series Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
spelling doaj-art-e9fa5571d8fe4dc3b0735deea1552cf62025-02-03T06:33:19ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology2235-29882025-02-011510.3389/fcimb.2025.14840891484089Rapid and simple detection of Candida albicans using closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplificationYanli Zhang0Xuhan Chen1Yeling Zhong2Fei Guo3Guifang Ouyang4Rui Mao5Department of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, ChinaNingbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, ChinaDepartment of General Surgery (Hepatic, Anal-canal, Gastrointestinal), Ningbo Zhenhai People’s Hospital, Ningbo, Zhejiang, ChinaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, ChinaDepartment of Hematology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Ningbo University, Ningbo, Zhejiang, ChinaNingbo Institute of Life and Health Industry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Ningbo, ChinaIntroductionCandida albicans, a human fungal pathogen, multiplies to invade body cells and causes fungal diseases in the condition of insufficient body's immune function. Early detection of C. albicans is required to guide appropriate prevention and treatment.MethodsThe purpose of this study was to establish a C. albicans assay based on newly developed closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification (CDA) to achieve rapid and simple point of care diagnostic. The CDA technique was carried out by specific primers targeting at the conserved C. albicans ITS2 gene. All primers were selected and evaluated by real-time fluorescence monitoring and endpoint visual judgement indicated by hydroxy naphthol blue (HNB). Optimal primers and accelerate primers (out primers and loop primers) were designed and selected after confirmation of the fundamental CDA primers to achieve more efficient CDA reaction for C. albicans detection (CA-OL-CDA).ResultsAfter establishment of the assay, 9 non-Candida albicans strains, including 3 Candida species were tested to negative by adopting the established CA-OL-CDA assay, indicated high specificity. The limit of detection of Candida albicans DNA by CA-OL-CDA assay was 6.2×10-6 ng/μL of DNA (10 copies/μL), 10-fold more sensitive than real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR).DiscussionThe CA-OL-CDA assay exhibited advantages of high specificity, sensitivity, simpler and more efficient operation. In addition, the CA-OL-CDA method holds potential in on-site detection for C. albicans using color shift by adopting the reaction mixture based on HNB.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1484089/fullCandida albicanspoint-of-care diagnosticclosed dumbbell mediated isothermal amplificationreal-time fluorescence CDAvisual CDAsensitivity
spellingShingle Yanli Zhang
Xuhan Chen
Yeling Zhong
Fei Guo
Guifang Ouyang
Rui Mao
Rapid and simple detection of Candida albicans using closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification
Frontiers in Cellular and Infection Microbiology
Candida albicans
point-of-care diagnostic
closed dumbbell mediated isothermal amplification
real-time fluorescence CDA
visual CDA
sensitivity
title Rapid and simple detection of Candida albicans using closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification
title_full Rapid and simple detection of Candida albicans using closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification
title_fullStr Rapid and simple detection of Candida albicans using closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification
title_full_unstemmed Rapid and simple detection of Candida albicans using closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification
title_short Rapid and simple detection of Candida albicans using closed dumbbell-mediated isothermal amplification
title_sort rapid and simple detection of candida albicans using closed dumbbell mediated isothermal amplification
topic Candida albicans
point-of-care diagnostic
closed dumbbell mediated isothermal amplification
real-time fluorescence CDA
visual CDA
sensitivity
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcimb.2025.1484089/full
work_keys_str_mv AT yanlizhang rapidandsimpledetectionofcandidaalbicansusingcloseddumbbellmediatedisothermalamplification
AT xuhanchen rapidandsimpledetectionofcandidaalbicansusingcloseddumbbellmediatedisothermalamplification
AT yelingzhong rapidandsimpledetectionofcandidaalbicansusingcloseddumbbellmediatedisothermalamplification
AT feiguo rapidandsimpledetectionofcandidaalbicansusingcloseddumbbellmediatedisothermalamplification
AT guifangouyang rapidandsimpledetectionofcandidaalbicansusingcloseddumbbellmediatedisothermalamplification
AT ruimao rapidandsimpledetectionofcandidaalbicansusingcloseddumbbellmediatedisothermalamplification