Gel: gel electrophoresis. LFD: lateral flow dipstick. +: Positive reaction. -: Negative reaction. The selleckchem combination of LAMP with a LFD amplicon detection system, allows for detection of Las at a speed not previously reported, taking just 45 minutes from the start of the amplification to the evaluation of the results. This characteristic combined with the capability to be carried out in a low resource

setting makes the method presented here a powerful diagnostic tool for HLB. Conclusions In this work, we targeted a sequence on the gene CLIBASIA_05175 to develop and validate a LAMP methodology for detection of Las in both host plants and vector insects. To the best of our knowledge, this study constitutes the first report of an isothermal-lateral flow dipstick coupled detection system for diagnosis of HLB with the potential for “in field” applications. This alternative approach was demonstrated to be fast, sensitive and specific in different kinds of samples including leaf material or psyllids.

The results of this study provide evidence find more that this LAMP-based method can be reliably integrated into the HLB management as a tool for faster diagnostics. Methods Biological samples Citrus leaf samples were collected from Las symptomatic and asymptomatic sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) trees in orchards from Sao Paulo state, Brazil, during summer and transported at room temperature in a sealed container. The samples were maintained a 4°C until they were used for DNA purification, typically 1–2 days after collection. Psyllids were collected and stored submerged in 75% ethanol until DNA

extraction, typically 1–2 days after collection. DNA extraction Midribs were separated from leaf samples and cut into smaller pieces. DNA was extracted using the Wizard® Farnesyltransferase Genomic DNA purification Kit, Promega, Madison, WI, USA, according the manufacturer’s instructions and resuspended in 100 μL of ultrapure water. The presence of Las in the samples was confirmed by real time PCR as described previously [3]. DNA samples from selleck Diaphorina citri were prepared as follows, a single infected insect was homogenized by vortexing in presence of 200 μL of InstaGene™ resin (BIORAD®), incubated at 56°C for 20 minutes to activate the resin chelating groups and then incubated for 8 minutes at 100°C in order to destroy cellular structures and release the nucleic acids. Five microliters of this preparation were added to the Las-LAMP reaction mix as template. Computational analysis In order to find a suitable DNA region on the genome of Candidatus Liberibacter asiaticus allowing a specific detection of the microorganism, we manually selected hypothetical protein coding regions from the genome for BLASTn searches [24].