{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T12:11:49Z","timestamp":1780920709000,"version":"3.54.1"},"reference-count":0,"publisher":"Knowledge E DMCC","content-domain":{"domain":["knepublishing.com"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["AJMB"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background: Mycobacterium simiae (M. simiae) is a non-tuberculous mycobacterium (NTM) that closely resembles Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) in clinical and biochemical characteristics, notably its niacin-positive phenotype. This similarity frequently leads to misdiagnosis and inappropriate treatment with first-line anti-tuberculosis drugs, to which M. simiae is frequently resistant. Current diagnostic methods are expensive or need complex equipment, highlighting the urgent need for a rapid, specific, and accessible molecular target to identify M. simiae accurately.\r\nMethods: In this study, a modified genome comparison method was applied to the complete reference genome of M. simiae (AP022568.1) in order to identify a putative species-specific nucleotide sequence. A conventional PCR assay was designed to amplify a 168-bp fragment within this target, designated MST601 (M. simiae Target, 601 bp). The analytical sensitivity [Limit of Detection (LOD)] was determined using serial dilutions of genomic DNA. The pilot evaluation of the assay was assessed using 10 well-characterized clinical isolates of M. simiae.\r\nResults: The MST601-PCR assay demonstrated high analytical sensitivity, with a limit of detection of ~10 fg (\u22482 genome equivalents per reaction) of M. simiae genomic DNA. No cross-reactivity among the tested species was observed with any of the 10 non-target mycobacterial species tested. The assay successfully amplified the target sequence from all 10 clinical isolates. Sequencing of the amplicons revealed \u226599% identity to reference M. simiae strains in the GenBank database, validating the assay's accuracy.\r\nConclusion: A species-specific nucleic acid target, MST601, facilitating the rapid and accurate detection of M. simiae via conventional PCR was presented. This assay provides a low-cost and accessible option for diagnostic laboratories.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.18502\/ajmb.v18i2.21508","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]],"date-time":"2026-05-12T11:28:41Z","timestamp":1778585321000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18502\/knecrossmarkpolicy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Identification of a Novel Nucleic Acid Target for the Rapid and Specific Detection  of Mycobacterium Simiae Using Comparative Genomic Analysis"],"prefix":"10.18502","author":[{"given":"Reza Kamali","family":"Kakhki","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mohammad","family":"Abavisani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Kiarash","family":"Ghazvini","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Hosna","family":"Zare","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Noshin","family":"Hojatpanah","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jamal","family":"Falahi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Alireza","family":"Neshani","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"7770","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"container-title":["Avicenna Journal of Medical Biotechnology"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/publish.kne-publishing.com\/index.php\/AJMB\/article\/download\/21508\/20104","content-type":"application\/pdf","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"text-mining"},{"URL":"https:\/\/publish.kne-publishing.com\/index.php\/AJMB\/article\/download\/21508\/20104","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,6,8]],"date-time":"2026-06-08T11:49:11Z","timestamp":1780919351000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/publish.kne-publishing.com\/index.php\/AJMB\/article\/view\/21508"},"secondary":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.ajmb.org\/Article.aspx?id=70652","label":"UNIVERSITY"}]},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]},"references-count":0,"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.18502\/ajmb.v18i2.21508","relation":{},"ISSN":["2008-4625","2008-2835"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2008-4625","type":"electronic"},{"value":"2008-2835","type":"print"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,12]]}}}