Targeting a highly repetitive genomic sequence for sensitive and specific molecular detection of the filarial parasite Mansonella perstans from human blood and mosquitoes.
Background Mansonella perstans is among the most neglected of the neglected tropical diseases and is believed to cause more human infections than any other filarial pathogen in Africa. Based largely upon assumptions of limited infection-associated morbidity, this pathogen remains understudied, and m...
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:5c58eaacaeda4c24aeda4eb52d02d6da 2023-05-15T15:16:30+02:00 Targeting a highly repetitive genomic sequence for sensitive and specific molecular detection of the filarial parasite Mansonella perstans from human blood and mosquitoes. Nils Pilotte Tamara Thomas Michael F Zulch Allison R Sirois Corrado Minetti Lisa J Reimer Steven A Williams Lori J Saunders 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010615 https://doaj.org/article/5c58eaacaeda4c24aeda4eb52d02d6da EN eng Public Library of Science (PLoS) https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010615 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0010615 https://doaj.org/article/5c58eaacaeda4c24aeda4eb52d02d6da PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 16, Iss 12, p e0010615 (2022) Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010615 2023-02-12T01:27:53Z Background Mansonella perstans is among the most neglected of the neglected tropical diseases and is believed to cause more human infections than any other filarial pathogen in Africa. Based largely upon assumptions of limited infection-associated morbidity, this pathogen remains understudied, and many basic questions pertaining to its pathogenicity, distribution, prevalence, and vector-host relationships remain unanswered. However, in recent years, mounting evidence of the potential for increased Mansonella infection-associated disease has sparked a renewal in research interest. This, in turn, has produced a need for improved diagnostics, capable of providing more accurate pictures of infection prevalence, pathogen distribution, and vector-host interactions. Methodology/principal findings Utilizing a previously described pipeline for the discovery of optimal molecular diagnostic targets, we identified a repetitive DNA sequence, and developed a corresponding assay, which allows for the sensitive and species-specific identification of M. perstans in human blood samples. Testing also demonstrated the ability to utilize this assay for the detection of M. perstans in field-collected mosquito samples. When testing both sample types, our repeat-targeting index assay outperformed a ribosomal sequence-targeting reference assay, facilitating the identification of additional M. perstans-positive samples falsely characterized as "negative" using the less sensitive detection method. Conclusions/significance Through the development of an assay based upon the systematic identification of an optimal DNA target sequence, our novel diagnostic assay will provide programmatic efforts with a sensitive and specific testing platform that is capable of accurately mapping M. perstans infection and determining prevalence. Furthermore, with the added ability to identify the presence of M. perstans in mosquito samples, this assay will help to define our knowledge of the relationships that exist between this pathogen and the various ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Arctic PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases 16 12 e0010615 |
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Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 Nils Pilotte Tamara Thomas Michael F Zulch Allison R Sirois Corrado Minetti Lisa J Reimer Steven A Williams Lori J Saunders Targeting a highly repetitive genomic sequence for sensitive and specific molecular detection of the filarial parasite Mansonella perstans from human blood and mosquitoes. |
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Arctic medicine. Tropical medicine RC955-962 Public aspects of medicine RA1-1270 |
description |
Background Mansonella perstans is among the most neglected of the neglected tropical diseases and is believed to cause more human infections than any other filarial pathogen in Africa. Based largely upon assumptions of limited infection-associated morbidity, this pathogen remains understudied, and many basic questions pertaining to its pathogenicity, distribution, prevalence, and vector-host relationships remain unanswered. However, in recent years, mounting evidence of the potential for increased Mansonella infection-associated disease has sparked a renewal in research interest. This, in turn, has produced a need for improved diagnostics, capable of providing more accurate pictures of infection prevalence, pathogen distribution, and vector-host interactions. Methodology/principal findings Utilizing a previously described pipeline for the discovery of optimal molecular diagnostic targets, we identified a repetitive DNA sequence, and developed a corresponding assay, which allows for the sensitive and species-specific identification of M. perstans in human blood samples. Testing also demonstrated the ability to utilize this assay for the detection of M. perstans in field-collected mosquito samples. When testing both sample types, our repeat-targeting index assay outperformed a ribosomal sequence-targeting reference assay, facilitating the identification of additional M. perstans-positive samples falsely characterized as "negative" using the less sensitive detection method. Conclusions/significance Through the development of an assay based upon the systematic identification of an optimal DNA target sequence, our novel diagnostic assay will provide programmatic efforts with a sensitive and specific testing platform that is capable of accurately mapping M. perstans infection and determining prevalence. Furthermore, with the added ability to identify the presence of M. perstans in mosquito samples, this assay will help to define our knowledge of the relationships that exist between this pathogen and the various ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Nils Pilotte Tamara Thomas Michael F Zulch Allison R Sirois Corrado Minetti Lisa J Reimer Steven A Williams Lori J Saunders |
author_facet |
Nils Pilotte Tamara Thomas Michael F Zulch Allison R Sirois Corrado Minetti Lisa J Reimer Steven A Williams Lori J Saunders |
author_sort |
Nils Pilotte |
title |
Targeting a highly repetitive genomic sequence for sensitive and specific molecular detection of the filarial parasite Mansonella perstans from human blood and mosquitoes. |
title_short |
Targeting a highly repetitive genomic sequence for sensitive and specific molecular detection of the filarial parasite Mansonella perstans from human blood and mosquitoes. |
title_full |
Targeting a highly repetitive genomic sequence for sensitive and specific molecular detection of the filarial parasite Mansonella perstans from human blood and mosquitoes. |
title_fullStr |
Targeting a highly repetitive genomic sequence for sensitive and specific molecular detection of the filarial parasite Mansonella perstans from human blood and mosquitoes. |
title_full_unstemmed |
Targeting a highly repetitive genomic sequence for sensitive and specific molecular detection of the filarial parasite Mansonella perstans from human blood and mosquitoes. |
title_sort |
targeting a highly repetitive genomic sequence for sensitive and specific molecular detection of the filarial parasite mansonella perstans from human blood and mosquitoes. |
publisher |
Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010615 https://doaj.org/article/5c58eaacaeda4c24aeda4eb52d02d6da |
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Arctic |
geographic_facet |
Arctic |
genre |
Arctic |
genre_facet |
Arctic |
op_source |
PLoS Neglected Tropical Diseases, Vol 16, Iss 12, p e0010615 (2022) |
op_relation |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010615 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2727 https://doaj.org/toc/1935-2735 1935-2727 1935-2735 doi:10.1371/journal.pntd.0010615 https://doaj.org/article/5c58eaacaeda4c24aeda4eb52d02d6da |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0010615 |
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PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases |
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16 |
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12 |
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e0010615 |
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