Reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for detecting tomato chlorosis virus

A betaine-free reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay was developed and optimised for detecting tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV), one of the most important viruses that infect tomato crops worldwide. A set of four specific primers was designed against the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) gene. The betaine-free RT-LAMP procedure could be completed within 40 min under isothermal conditions at 60 °C without a thermal cycler, and no cross-reactivity was seen with other tomato viral pathogens. Sensitivity analysis showed that RT-LAMP could detect viral dilutions up to 2.0 × 10−7 ng, which is 100-times more sensitive than reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). In addition, naked-eye observation after staining in-tube RT-LAMP products with SYBR Green I facilitated detection of ToCV by avoiding the requirement for ethidium staining following gel electrophoresis. These results suggest that ToCV RT-LAMP is a rapid, sensitive, and affordable diagnostic tool that is more suitable than RT-PCR for the detection and surveillance of ToCV in field samples.