Journal of Applied Microbiology, Vol.115, No.1, 290-297, 2013
Assessment of poly-l-lysine dendrigrafts for virus concentration in water: use of MS2 bacteriophage as proof of concept
Aims Virus detection has often been difficult due to a low concentration in water. In this study, we developed a new procedure based on concentration of virus particles on an innovative support: poly-l-lysine dendrigrafts (DGL), coupled with directed nucleic acid extraction and real-time PCR quantification. Methods and Results This method was evaluated using the bacteriophage MS2 as a model virus. This virus exhibited the size and structural properties of human pathogenic enteric viruses and has often been used to assess new supports of concentration. Moreover, this bacteriophage is also a faecal contamination indicator. In this study, many water filtration conditions were tested (volume of water, concentration, etc.), and more than 80% of bacteriophage were recovered after filtration on polymer, in most conditions. We demonstrated that the method was linear (slope=0 center dot 99 +/- 0 center dot 04 and Y intercept when x=-0 center dot 02 +/- 0 center dot 28), valid (as manipulators, tested concentrations, volumes of sample and batch of polymer did not have any influence on concentration) and sensitive (allowing to concentrate up to 16600-fold 1l of sample and to detect and quantify down to 750GC l-1 and 7500GC l-1, respectively). Conclusions To conclude, this support exhibits high interest to retain viruses and to allow to detect low concentration of virus in water. Significance and Impact of the Study This study gives valuable advance in the methods of concentration and diagnosis of virus in water.