A new nanoPCR molecular assay for detection of porcine bocavirus

Nanoparticle-assisted polymerase chain reaction (nanoPCR) is a novel method for the rapid amplification of DNA and has been used for the detection of virus. For detection of porcine bocavirus (PBoV), a sensitive and specific nanoPCR assay was developed with a pair of primers that were designed based on NS1 gene sequences available in GenBank. Under the optimized conditions of the PBoV nanoPCR assay, the nanoPCR assay was 100-fold more sensitive than a conventional PCR assay. The lower detection limit of the nanoPCR assay was about 6.70×10(1) copies. The nanoPCR assay amplified the specific 482-bp fragment of the PBoV NS1 recombinant plasmid but did not produce any product with genomic DNA or cDNA of porcine parvovirus, porcine circovirus type II, porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus, pseudorabies virus, classic swine fever virus, Encephalomyocarditis virus, Porcine Teschovirus or African swine fever virus plasmid. Of 65 clinical samples collected from diseased pigs, 73.8% and 86.2% were determined to be PBoV positive by PBoV conventional PCR and PBoV nanoPCR assay, respectively. Of 36 clinical samples from healthy pigs, 27.8% and 44.4% were PBoV positive by PBoV conventional PCR and PBoV nanoPCR assay, respectively. The nanoPCR assay will be useful for diagnosing PBoV and for studying its epidemiology and pathology.