Research spotlight - Detection of Mycoplasma hyophneumoniae viability using a PCR-based assay

Reprinted as posted on Swine in Minnesota blog April 9, 2024

What if a PCR test could give us some information regarding the viability of the pathogen targeted? This new publication from the MycoLab led by Drs. Albert Canturri and Maria Pieters, is sharing the development of a new mRNA-PCR to answer this question.

Results:

• This new PCR targets the M. hyopneumoniae gene mhp165.
• Limit of Detection: 1 bacterial genome copy equivalent per μL was the lowest amount of genome reliably detected. This corresponds to 8 bacterial genome copy equivalents per assay.
• No other Mycoplasma species was detected by the assay.
• The assay was found to be highly repeatable with very low inter and intra-essay variation.
• RNA-based PCR was negative in cells inactivated via formaldehyde addition or autoclaving. In cells kept room temperature or standard incubation conditions, RNA detection remained consistent for up to 20 days (end of the study).
• In the formaldehyde-inactivated culture, Ct values increased over time until 25 min post-inactivation, at which point mRNA was no longer detected.

Continue to read about this research on the Swine in Minnesota blog post.