A probe directed recombinase amplification assay for detection of MTHFR A1298C polymorphism associated with congenital heart disease

Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) play an important role in susceptibility to complex diseases, treatment efficacy and adverse drug responses. Conventional methods to detect SNPs are usually based on PCR or DNA sequencing, which are typically time-consuming and require sophisticated equipment. In this proof-of-concept study, a probe-directed recombinase amplification (PDRA) assay was developed to detect the A1298C polymorphism of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR). The PDRA assay included two real-time reactions to detect the A and C nucleotides of A1298C polymorphism. Each reaction contained only one primer and one probe and was finished at 39°C within 35 min. The results of genotyping of 150 clinical samples using PDRA were completely consistent with those by direct sequencing. Additionally, when the 1000 Genomes Project HCB frequencies were used as the control group, MTHFR A1298C was found to be associated with congenital heart disease. In conclusion, the proposed novel PDRA assay is a valuable tool for the detection of SNPs and demonstrates significant potential to be widely applicable in both research and clinical settings.