A small library crRNA-enhanced CRISPR-Cas12a system for ultrasensitive point-of-care test of hantavirus M gene

The integration of CRISPR-Cas systems with isothermal nucleic acid amplification (INA) holds transformative potential for point-of-care diagnostics, yet technical challenges such as limited sensitivity, cross-contamination risks, and incompatibility between amplification and detection phases hinder...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jian Zhou, Xue-mei Ren, Xin Wang, Pu Xu, Zhuo Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-06-01
Series:Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214180425000777
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850103427150905344
author Jian Zhou
Xue-mei Ren
Xin Wang
Pu Xu
Zhuo Li
author_facet Jian Zhou
Xue-mei Ren
Xin Wang
Pu Xu
Zhuo Li
author_sort Jian Zhou
collection DOAJ
description The integration of CRISPR-Cas systems with isothermal nucleic acid amplification (INA) holds transformative potential for point-of-care diagnostics, yet technical challenges such as limited sensitivity, cross-contamination risks, and incompatibility between amplification and detection phases hinder their clinical adoption. Here, we present a novel small library CRISPR/Cas12a crRNA (SLCC) platform for ultrasensitive detection of the hantavirus M gene, a conserved target critical for diagnosing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). The SLCC platform incorporates three key innovations: machine learning-guided crRNA design to target highly conserved viral regions; multi-crRNA collaborative signal amplification to enhance Cas12a's collateral cleavage activity, and a single-tube workflow integrating reverse transcription, recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA), and CRISPR detection. Experimental validation demonstrated that the combinatorial six-crRNA strategy achieved an 85-fold improvement in sensitivity over single-crRNA systems (limit of detection (LoD): 0.086 pM vs. 7.31 pM for DNA of amplification). The optimized one-step RT-RPA/CRISPR-Cas12a workflow reduced assay time, while maintaining high specificity, as evidenced by concordant results with clinical samples and negligible cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV-2, HBV, and mycoplasma pneumoniae. Notably, the platform achieved a 42.29-fold lower LoD for RNA detection compared to single-crRNA CRISPR-Cas system, with fluorescence signal amplification plateauing within 45 min. The SLCCA platform integration of RNA reverse transcription amplification and Cas12a enzymatic cleavage within a single-tube workflow, combined with lateral flow strip-based signal readout, which achieves a sensitivity of 500 pM for RNA detection, demonstrating a 10–20-fold enhancement in the LoD compared to single-crRNA systems CRISPR-Cas diagnostic approaches. The advancements in the small library crRNA strategy address critical barriers in CRISPR-based diagnostics by offering a convenient and field-deployable solution for rapid, highly sensitive pathogen detection in resource-limited settings. This study establishes SLCC as a versatile framework that can adapt to emerging infectious disease surveillance and point-of-care applications.
format Article
id doaj-art-7d81e6d9d7634ceca4d3ecf1c2fa6427
institution DOAJ
issn 2214-1804
language English
publishDate 2025-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research
spelling doaj-art-7d81e6d9d7634ceca4d3ecf1c2fa64272025-08-20T02:39:33ZengElsevierSensing and Bio-Sensing Research2214-18042025-06-014810081110.1016/j.sbsr.2025.100811A small library crRNA-enhanced CRISPR-Cas12a system for ultrasensitive point-of-care test of hantavirus M geneJian Zhou0Xue-mei Ren1Xin Wang2Pu Xu3Zhuo Li4Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an 710077, ChinaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an 710077, ChinaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an 710077, ChinaDepartment of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an 710077, ChinaCorresponding author.; Department of Laboratory Medicine, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Medical University, Xi'an 710077, ChinaThe integration of CRISPR-Cas systems with isothermal nucleic acid amplification (INA) holds transformative potential for point-of-care diagnostics, yet technical challenges such as limited sensitivity, cross-contamination risks, and incompatibility between amplification and detection phases hinder their clinical adoption. Here, we present a novel small library CRISPR/Cas12a crRNA (SLCC) platform for ultrasensitive detection of the hantavirus M gene, a conserved target critical for diagnosing hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS). The SLCC platform incorporates three key innovations: machine learning-guided crRNA design to target highly conserved viral regions; multi-crRNA collaborative signal amplification to enhance Cas12a's collateral cleavage activity, and a single-tube workflow integrating reverse transcription, recombinase polymerase amplification (RT-RPA), and CRISPR detection. Experimental validation demonstrated that the combinatorial six-crRNA strategy achieved an 85-fold improvement in sensitivity over single-crRNA systems (limit of detection (LoD): 0.086 pM vs. 7.31 pM for DNA of amplification). The optimized one-step RT-RPA/CRISPR-Cas12a workflow reduced assay time, while maintaining high specificity, as evidenced by concordant results with clinical samples and negligible cross-reactivity against SARS-CoV-2, HBV, and mycoplasma pneumoniae. Notably, the platform achieved a 42.29-fold lower LoD for RNA detection compared to single-crRNA CRISPR-Cas system, with fluorescence signal amplification plateauing within 45 min. The SLCCA platform integration of RNA reverse transcription amplification and Cas12a enzymatic cleavage within a single-tube workflow, combined with lateral flow strip-based signal readout, which achieves a sensitivity of 500 pM for RNA detection, demonstrating a 10–20-fold enhancement in the LoD compared to single-crRNA systems CRISPR-Cas diagnostic approaches. The advancements in the small library crRNA strategy address critical barriers in CRISPR-based diagnostics by offering a convenient and field-deployable solution for rapid, highly sensitive pathogen detection in resource-limited settings. This study establishes SLCC as a versatile framework that can adapt to emerging infectious disease surveillance and point-of-care applications.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214180425000777CRISPR-Cas12aHantavirus M geneIsothermal amplificationMulti-crRNA strategyPoint-of-care testingUltrasensitive detection
spellingShingle Jian Zhou
Xue-mei Ren
Xin Wang
Pu Xu
Zhuo Li
A small library crRNA-enhanced CRISPR-Cas12a system for ultrasensitive point-of-care test of hantavirus M gene
Sensing and Bio-Sensing Research
CRISPR-Cas12a
Hantavirus M gene
Isothermal amplification
Multi-crRNA strategy
Point-of-care testing
Ultrasensitive detection
title A small library crRNA-enhanced CRISPR-Cas12a system for ultrasensitive point-of-care test of hantavirus M gene
title_full A small library crRNA-enhanced CRISPR-Cas12a system for ultrasensitive point-of-care test of hantavirus M gene
title_fullStr A small library crRNA-enhanced CRISPR-Cas12a system for ultrasensitive point-of-care test of hantavirus M gene
title_full_unstemmed A small library crRNA-enhanced CRISPR-Cas12a system for ultrasensitive point-of-care test of hantavirus M gene
title_short A small library crRNA-enhanced CRISPR-Cas12a system for ultrasensitive point-of-care test of hantavirus M gene
title_sort small library crrna enhanced crispr cas12a system for ultrasensitive point of care test of hantavirus m gene
topic CRISPR-Cas12a
Hantavirus M gene
Isothermal amplification
Multi-crRNA strategy
Point-of-care testing
Ultrasensitive detection
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214180425000777
work_keys_str_mv AT jianzhou asmalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene
AT xuemeiren asmalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene
AT xinwang asmalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene
AT puxu asmalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene
AT zhuoli asmalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene
AT jianzhou smalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene
AT xuemeiren smalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene
AT xinwang smalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene
AT puxu smalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene
AT zhuoli smalllibrarycrrnaenhancedcrisprcas12asystemforultrasensitivepointofcaretestofhantavirusmgene