Development of CODEHOP RT-PCR to detect Flavivirus

Objective To develop a rapid method of detecting Flavivirus by RT-PCR using consensus-degenerate hybrid oligonucleotide primers(CODEHOPs). Methods In accordance with the amino acid sequences of polyproteins of different flaviviruses in GenBank,apair of primers was designed using CODEHOP,and then CODEHOP RT-PCR was developed to rapidly detect all types of flaviviruses.The specificity and sensitivity of this technique were evaluated using 3 different virus strains. Results CODEHOP RT-PCR specifically amplified flavivirus.The size of the target fragment and the sequence coincided with the anticipated result(400-500bp).The minimum detection of flavivirus RNA was 8pg. Conclusion CODEHOP RT-PCR has the advantages of a high specificity and sensitivity and can be used to detect flaviviruses.