Stability of MERS-CoV RNA on spin columns of RNA extraction kit at room temperature

• Published in: Diagnostic microbiology and infectious disease Vol. 98; no. 4; p. 115182
• Main Authors: Abdallah, Nermeen M.A., Zaki, Ali M., Abdel-Salam, Shimaa A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01-12-2020
• Subjects: Coronavirus; Coronavirus Infections - diagnosis; Humans; MERS-CoV; Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus - genetics; Mutation Rate; Preservation, Biological - methods; Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction - methods; RNA preservation; RNA Stability - genetics; RNA, Viral - analysis; Spin columns; Virology; Spin columns; MERS-CoV; Coronavirus; RNA preservation
• ISSN: 0732-8893; 1879-0070
• DOI: 10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2020.115182

Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) is an emerging virus causing a highly fatal respiratory disease in humans. Confirmation of MERS-CoV infection and molecular study on the virus may require transportation of samples to specialized laboratories. While freezing at −80 °C is the gold standard method for RNA preservation, maintaining the integrity of viral RNA during transport will require additional precautions and, as a result, increase transport costs. We aimed at testing the stability of MERS-CoV RNA on spin columns of RNA extraction kit at room temperature for 16 weeks. Respiratory samples spiked with stock culture of MERS-CoV were extracted and loaded on QIAamp Viral RNA Mini Kit spin columns and preserved at room temperature. Amount of viral RNA was evaluated periodically by real-time quantitative reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction. Minimal changes in cycle threshold values over the study period were noted, suggesting stability of viral RNA by this preservation method.