Development of a Duplex RT-PCR Assay for the Simultaneous Detection and Discrimination of Avirulent and Virulent Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV)

본 연구에서 NDV의 L유전자와 F유전자를 표적 부위로 각각 제작한 primer 세트를 사용함으로써 하나의 PCR 튜브에서 NDV 검출(386 bp의 증폭 크기)과 함께 병원성 NDV(229 bp의 증폭 크기)를 동시에 감별 증폭할 수 있는 dRT-PCR 검사법을 개발하였다. 개발된 dRT-PCR검사법은 NDV를 특이적으로 검출하고, 병원성을 감별하였다. 특히 국내 병성감정 실시기관에서 적용 중인 기존의 RT-PCR 상용키트에서는 검출하지 못하는 class I NDV과 PPMV(class II 유전형 VI형)을 NDV를 검출함과 동시에 병원성 NDV도 감별가능하였다. 개발된 dRT-PCR 검사법의 검출 민감도는 약 $10^{3.0}EID_{50}/0.1mL$로 평가되었다. 또한 ND발생국의 야외 시료에 적용했을 때, NDV 공통항원 검출율은 94.4%였으며, 병원성 NDV 검출율은 100%이었다. 그러므로 본 연구에서 개발한 dRT-PCR 검사법은 의심축 사례에서 ND를 신속 정확하게 진단하는 데 유용할 진단 방법을 제공할 수 있을 것으로 판단된다. A duplex RT-PCR (dRT-PCR) assay was developed for the simultaneous detection and discrimination of non-virulent and virulent Newcastle disease virus (NDV) in a single PCR tube. Primers targeting the large polymerase protein (L) gene and the fusion protein (F) gene of NDV were designed to detect all NDVs (by common type PCR primers) and virulent NDVs (by pathotype PCR primers), respectively and evaluated experimentally with reference NDV strains and other poultry viral pathogens. PCR products of the expected size of 386 bp were amplified from all NDV samples whereas PCR products of the expected size of 229 bp were amplified from virulent NDV samples alone. Cross reaction was not observed with other avian viral pathogens. The detection limit of NDV by the dRT-PCR was estimated to be $10^3$ 50% egg infectious dose/0.1 mL. In the dRT-PCR using field isolates of NDV, the pathotype PCR primers detected specifically all of virulent field isolates of NDV from Malaysia, Pakistan and China whereas common type PCR primers detected 94.4% (51/54) of field isolates of NDV from China. Three Chinese NDV isolates with false negative result were non-virulent viruses. Our results indicate that the dRT-PCR might provide a rapid and simple tool for rapid simultaneous detection and discrimination of non-virulent and virulent NDVs. Therefore the developed dRT-PCR assay provides a powerful novel means for the rapid diagnosis of Newcastle disease.