Event-specific analytical methods for six genetically modified maize events using visual and real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification

• Visual and real-time LAMP assays targeting six GM maize events were developed.
• Specificity of LAMP assays was confirmed using fourteen GM maize events.
• Limit of detection of developed LAMP assays was up to 0.01%.
• Practical utility was verified using stacked events and proficiency test samples.
• Reported LAMP assays can be used to detect GM maize events in food/supply chain.

Currently 138 genetically modified (GM) maize events have been authorized for commercial cultivation, comprising more than 65 per cent stacked events. With the increase in number of GM maize events globally, cost- and time-efficient diagnostics with on-site applicability are required to check for authorized GM events. Six GM maize events, namely, Bt11, GA21, MON810, MON89034, NK603 and TC1507, also present in 89 stacked events, are being widely commercialized in more than 17 countries. Visual and real-time loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assays targeting these six GM maize events are being reported in the present study. Specificity of the developed LAMP assays was confirmed using fourteen commercialized GM maize events. Limit of detection of visual and real-time LAMP assays targeting Bt11, GA21, MON810, MON89034 and TC1507, was up to 0.01%, detecting 8 target copies, and for NK603 event-specific assays, was up to 0.1% detecting 73 target copies. Practical applicability of developed LAMP assays was verified using a set of five stacked GM maize events, namely, Bt11 × GA21, MON89034 × NK603, MON89034 × NK603 × TC1507, TC1507 × NK603 and TC1507 × MON810; and six powdered maize samples of proficiency testing. The reported LAMP assays can be efficiently employed for screening for presence of selected GM maize events in single or stacked form.