Biosensor technology and surface plasmon resonance for real-time detection of HIV-1 genomic sequences amplified by polymerase chain reaction

Background: The recent development of biosensor technologies for biospecific interaction analysis enables the monitoring of a variety of molecular reactions in real time by surface plasmon resonance (SPR). If the ligand is a biotinylated single stranded DNA, this technology could monitor DNA-DNA hybridization. This approach could be of great interest in virology, since the hybridization step is oftenly required to confirm specificity of molecular diagnosis. Objectives: To determine whether real-time molecular diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus type I (HIV-1) could be performed using biosensors and SPR technology. Study design: Specific hybridization of a biotinylated HIV-I oligonucleotide probe immobilized on a sensor chip to single stranded DNA obtained by asymmetric polymerase-chain reaction (PCR) was determined using the BIAcore biosensor. Results: Direct injection of asymmetric PCR to a sensor chip carrying an internal HIV-I oligonucleotide probe allows detection of hybridization by SPR using biosensor technology. This enabled us to apply a real-time, one-step, non-radioactive protocol to demonstrate the specificity of amplification of HIV-1 genomic sequences by PCR. Conclusion: The procedure described in this study for HIV-1 detection is simple, fast (PCR and SPR analyses take 30 min), reproducible and could be proposed as an integral part of automated diagnostic systems based on the use of laboratory workstations and biosensors for DNA isolation, preparation of PCR reactions and analysis of PCR products. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.