SARS-CoV-2 testing in the community: Testing positive samples with the TaqMan SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Panel to find variants in real-time

Genome sequencing is a powerful tool for identifying SARS-CoV-2 variant lineages, however there can be limitations due to sequence drop-out when used to identify specific key mutations. Recently, Thermo Fisher Scientific have developed genotyping assays to help bridge the gap between testing capacity and sequencing capability to generate real-time genotyping results based on specific variants. Over a 6-week period during the months of April and May 2021, we set out to assess the Thermo Fisher TaqMan Mutation Panel Genotyping Assay, initially for three mutations of concern and then an additional two mutations of concern, against SARS-CoV-2 positive clinical samples and the corresponding COG-UK sequencing data. We demonstrate that genotyping is a powerful in-depth technique for identifying specific mutations, an excellent complement to genome sequencing and has real clinical health value potential allowing laboratories to report and action variants of concern much quicker.

Allele frequencies of single nucleotide polymorphisms of clinically important drug-metabolizing enzymes CYP2C9, CYP2C19, and CYP3A4 in a Thai population

Prior knowledge of allele frequencies of cytochrome P450 polymorphisms in a population is crucial for the revision and optimization of existing medication choices and doses. In the current study, the frequency of the CYP2C9*2, CYP2C9*3, CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, CYP2C19*6, CYP2C19*17, and CYP3A4 (rs4646437) alleles in a Thai population across different regions of Thailand was examined. Tests for polymorphisms of CYP2C9 and CYP3A4 were performed using TaqMan SNP genotyping assay and CYP2C19 was performed using two different methods; TaqMan SNP genotyping assay and Luminex x Tag V3. The blood samples were collected from 1205 unrelated healthy individuals across different regions within Thailand. Polymorphisms of CYP2C9 and CYP2C19 were transformed into phenotypes, which included normal metabolizer (NM), intermediate metabolizer (IM), poor metabolizer (PM), and rapid metabolizers (RM). The CYP2C9 allele frequencies among the Thai population were 0.08% and 5.27% for the CYP2C9*2 and CYP2C9*3 alleles, respectively. The CYP2C19 allele frequencies among the Thai population were 25.60%, 2.50%, 0.10%, and 1.80% for the CYP2C19*2, CYP2C19*3, CYP2C19*6, and CYP2C19*17 alleles, respectively. The allele frequency of the CYP3A4 (rs4646437) variant allele was 28.50% in the Thai population. The frequency of the CYP2C9*3 allele was significantly lower among the Northern Thai population (P < 0.001). The frequency of the CYP2C19*17 allele was significantly higher in the Southern Thai population (P < 0.001). Our results may provide an understanding of the ethnic differences in drug responses and support for the utilization of pharmacogenomics testing in clinical practice.

A new mouse SNP genotyping assay for speed congenics: combining flexibility, affordability, and power

Background Speed congenics is an important tool for creating congenic mice to investigate gene functions, but current SNP genotyping methods for speed congenics are expensive. These methods usually rely on chip or array technologies, and a different assay must be developed for each backcross strain combination. “Next generation” high throughput DNA sequencing technologies have the potential to decrease cost and increase flexibility and power of speed congenics, but thus far have not been utilized for this purpose. Results We took advantage of the power of high throughput sequencing technologies to develop a cost-effective, high-density SNP genotyping assay that can be used across many combinations of backcross strains. The assay surveys 1640 genome-wide SNPs known to be polymorphic across > 100 mouse strains, with an expected average of 549 ± 136 SD diagnostic SNPs between each pair of strains. We demonstrated that the assay has a high density of diagnostic SNPs for backcrossing the BALB/c strain into the C57BL/6J strain (807–819 SNPs), and a sufficient density of diagnostic SNPs for backcrossing the closely related substrains C57BL/6N and C57BL/6J (123–139 SNPs). Furthermore, the assay can easily be modified to include additional diagnostic SNPs for backcrossing other closely related substrains. We also developed a bioinformatic pipeline for SNP genotyping and calculating the percentage of alleles that match the backcross recipient strain for each sample; this information can be used to guide the selection of individuals for the next backcross, and to assess whether individuals have become congenic. We demonstrated the effectiveness of the assay and bioinformatic pipeline with a backcross experiment of BALB/c-IL4/IL13 into C57BL/6J; after six generations of backcrosses, offspring were up to 99.8% congenic. Conclusions The SNP genotyping assay and bioinformatic pipeline developed here present a valuable tool for increasing the power and decreasing the cost of many studies that depend on speed congenics. The assay is highly flexible and can be used for combinations of strains that are commonly used for speed congenics. The assay could also be used for other techniques including QTL mapping, standard F2 crosses, ancestry analysis, and forensics.

A Rapid Genotyping Panel for Detection of Primary Central Nervous System Lymphoma

Diagnosing primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL) frequently requires neurosurgical biopsy due to nonspecific radiologic features and the low yield of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) studies. We characterized the clinical evaluation of suspected PCNSL (N=1007 patients) and designed a rapid multiplexed genotyping assay for MYD88, TERT promoter, IDH1/2, H3F3A, and BRAF mutations to facilitate the diagnosis of PCNSL from CSF and detect other neoplasms in the differential diagnosis. Among 159 patients with confirmed PCNSL, the median time to secure a diagnosis of PCNSL was 10 days, with a range of 0-617 days. Permanent histopathology confirmed PCNSL in 142/152 biopsies (93.4%), whereas CSF analyses were diagnostic in only 15/113 samplings (13.3%). Among 86 archived clinical specimens, our targeted genotyping assay accurately detected hematologic malignancies with 57.6% sensitivity and 100% specificity (95% CI: 44.1-70.4% and 87.2-100%, respectively). MYD88 and TERT promoter mutations were prospectively identified in DNA extracts of CSF obtained from patients with PCNSL and glioblastoma, respectively, within 80 minutes. Across 132 specimens, hallmark mutations indicating the presence of malignancy were detected with 65.8% sensitivity and 100% specificity (95% CI: 56.2-74.5% and 83.9-100%, respectively). This targeted genotyping approach offers a rapid, scalable adjunct to reduce diagnostic and treatment delays in PCNSL.

Computational Functional Genomics-Based AmpliSeq™ Panel for Next-Generation Sequencing of Key Genes of Pain

The genetic background of pain is becoming increasingly well understood, which opens up possibilities for predicting the individual risk of persistent pain and the use of tailored therapies adapted to the variant pattern of the patient’s pain-relevant genes. The individual variant pattern of pain-relevant genes is accessible via next-generation sequencing, although the analysis of all “pain genes” would be expensive. Here, we report on the development of a cost-effective next generation sequencing-based pain-genotyping assay comprising the development of a customized AmpliSeq™ panel and bioinformatics approaches that condensate the genetic information of pain by identifying the most representative genes. The panel includes 29 key genes that have been shown to cover 70% of the biological functions exerted by a list of 540 so-called “pain genes” derived from transgenic mice experiments. These were supplemented by 43 additional genes that had been independently proposed as relevant for persistent pain. The functional genomics covered by the resulting 72 genes is particularly represented by mitogen-activated protein kinase of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and cytokine production and secretion. The present genotyping assay was established in 61 subjects of Caucasian ethnicity and investigates the functional role of the selected genes in the context of the known genetic architecture of pain without seeking functional associations for pain. The assay identified a total of 691 genetic variants, of which many have reports for a clinical relevance for pain or in another context. The assay is applicable for small to large-scale experimental setups at contemporary genotyping costs.

Development and validation of a 4-color multiplexing spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) genotyping assay on a novel integrated digital PCR instrument

Digital PCR (dPCR) technology has been proven to be highly sensitive and accurate in detecting copy number variations (CNV). However, a higher-order multiplexing dPCR assay for measuring SMN1 and SMN2 copy numbers in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) samples has not been reported. Described here is a rapid multiplex SMA dPCR genotyping assay run on a fully integrated dPCR instrument with five optical channels. The hydrolysis probe-based multiplex dPCR assay quantifies SMN1, SMN2, and the total SMN (SMN1 + SMN2) while using RPPH1 gene as an internal reference control. The quadruplex assay was evaluated with characterized control DNA samples and validated with 15 blinded clinical samples from a previously published study. SMN1 and SMN2 copy numbers were completely concordant with previous results for both the control and blinded samples. The dPCR-based SMA copy number determination was accomplished in 90 min with a walk-away workflow identical to real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR). In summary, presented here is a simple higher-order multiplexing solution on a novel digital PCR platform to meet the growing demand for SMA genotyping and prognostics.