A panel of optimized primers and positive-control DNAs for PCR detection of common biological contaminants in mouse cell lines and tissue samples.

Ayral, Anne-Marie; Clarkson, Sarah; Cheeseman, Michael; Wells, Sara; Dear, T Neil

PCR-based testing for infectious agents in mouse cell lines and tissues has recently been developed as an alternative to the traditional MAP test. One drawback to currently available PCR-based assays is the lack of appropriate positive controls for PCR detection of the infectious agents. When negative samples are the norm and positive controls are absent, it is very difficult to feel confident detecting infectious agents. To alleviate this problem, the authors developed a panel of primers and positive-control DNA plasmids that enable rapid testing of biological samples, such as cell lines, tissues, or animal sera, for presence of the infectious agents most damaging to mouse colonies.