Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials
Open Access

Abstract

Tomato yellow leaf curl virus (TYLCV) is one of the most destructive viruses of tomato that causes serious economic losses to tomato crops in tropical and subtropical regions. Current techniques, such as PCR, RT-PCR, and ELISA used for detection of plant viruses, mostly require multistep procedures that are time-consuming, labor-intensive and rely on sophisticated equipment. In this study, a novel colorimetric nano-biosensing system has been developed to detect unamplified genomic DNA of TYLCV in the context of plant genomic DNA. The localized surface plasmon resonance (LSPR) is an important optical characteristic of gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) that have been recently proposed as promising tools for development of the next generation diagnostic assays. The frequency and intensity of the LSPR peak generally depend on the shape, size and the surrounding medium of the AuNPs. This feature has been used in development of colorimetric assay methods. In this study, unmodified AuNPs has been used to detect the unamplified TYLCV genome. In brief, a specific DNA probe was designed complementary to CP region of the virus genome. The extracted genomic DNA (of intact and infected plants) was mixed with hybridization buffer and the probe. The mixture was denatured, annealed and then cooled to room temperature followed by AuNPs addition. The color change of the samples was analyzed after addition of salt visually and confirmed by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results showed that this strategy allows for fast and sensitive detection of TYLCV genome and eliminates the need for PCR amplification and detection instruments.

Biography

Maryam Nikkhah has completed her PhD in Biophysics from University of Tehran, Iran. She is currently an Assistant Professor in Department of Nanobiotechnology, Tarbait Modares University. Her research interests include developing of nano-systems for sensing and diagnostic applications and modulating self-assembly of amyloidogenic proteins in neurodegenerative diseases.

Email: m_nikkhah@modares.ac.ir