Eprobe mediated RT-qPCR for the detection of leukemia-associated fusion genes

PLoS One. 2018 Oct 3;13(10):e0202429. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0202429. eCollection 2018.

Abstract

The detection and quantification of leukemia-associated fusion gene transcripts play important roles in the diagnosis and follow-up of leukemias. To establish a standardized method without interlaboratory discrepancies, we developed a novel one-step reverse transcription quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) assay, called "the Eprobe leukemia assay," for major and minor BCR-ABL1, RUNX1-RUNX1T1, and various isoforms of PML-RARA. This assay is comprised of Eprobes that are exciton-controlled hybridization-sensitive fluorescent oligonucleotides. Melting curve analyses were performed on synthetic quantitative standard RNAs with strict quality control. Quantification capacity was evaluated by comparison with TaqMan RT-qPCR using 67 primary leukemia patient samples. The lower limit of detection and the limit of quantification of this assay were less than 31.3 copies/reaction and 62.5 copies/reaction, respectively. This assay correctly detected the fusion genes in samples with 100% sensitivity and specificity. The specificity of the reactions was confirmed by melting curve analyses. The assay detected low-level expression of minor BCR-ABL1 co-expressed with major BCR-ABL1. These results illustrate the feasibility and high accuracy of the Eprobe leukemia assay, even for minimal residual disease monitoring.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit / genetics
  • Female
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl / genetics*
  • Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic
  • HL-60 Cells
  • Humans
  • Leukemia / diagnosis*
  • Leukemia / genetics*
  • Leukemia / pathology
  • Male
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / genetics*
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion / isolation & purification
  • Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • RNA / chemistry
  • RNA / genetics
  • RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein / genetics
  • Transition Temperature

Substances

  • AML1-ETO fusion protein, human
  • BCR-ABL1 fusion protein, human
  • Core Binding Factor Alpha 2 Subunit
  • Oncogene Proteins, Fusion
  • PML-RARa bcr1 fusion protein, human
  • RUNX1 Translocation Partner 1 Protein
  • RNA
  • Fusion Proteins, bcr-abl

Grants and funding

This work was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C15K08653, C16K08984), Japan, a Grant-in-Aid (S1311011) from the Foundation of Strategic Research Projects in Private Universities from the MEXT, Japan (to Y.T.).