Tuberculosis (TB) continues to be a major cause of mortality globally and presents an ongoing public health challenge, especially in low- and middle-income countries1,2. Despite initiatives aimed at enhancing TB control measures, advancements have been slow, partly due to difficulties in achieving rapid, accurate, cost-effective, and comprehensive diagnostic techniques3,4,5. While molecular diagnostic methods like line probe assays (LPAs) and automated nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) have sped up the identification of TB and drug-resistant TB (DR-TB), their limited mutation detection restricts thorough drug susceptibility testing (DST). This limitation is particularly significant in TB high-burden countries6,7,8,9.
To address these limitations, the World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended the use of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, which have emerged as powerful tools for TB surveillance and resistance detection10,11. Both whole genome sequencing (WGS) and targeted NGS (tNGS) approaches offer broader mutation coverage, enabling the identification of resistance-associated variants across multiple drugs8,12,13,14,15. While whole genome sequencing (WGS) provides a comprehensive DST report, its reliance on culture makes it unsuitable for rapid diagnostics, as culture can take up to six weeks15,16,17. Targeted NGS offers a better alternative since it does not depend on culture; sequencing can be performed directly from clinical specimens18. As a result, the WHO has recommended the use of three tNGS assays for DST: Deeplex Myc-TB assay: This assay detects resistance to rifampicin, isoniazid, fluoroquinolones, aminoglycosides (amikacin, kanamycin, capreomycin), ethambutol, pyrazinamide, and ethionamide19,20,21. Sentinel TB assay: This targets resistance to rifampicin, isoniazid, fluoroquinolones, and second-line injectable drugs18,20. AQ-TB assay: This identifies resistance to rifampicin, isoniazid, fluoroquinolones, and second-line injectable drugs. These assays have been optimized for use on the short-read platform due to its high accuracy20. ONT MinION long-read platforms, on the other hand, provide real-time data, portability, and the potential for cost-effective implementation22,23. However, the widespread use of NGS is limited by the demands of infrastructure and cost, especially with short-read systems10.
The Deeplex assay is the most comprehensive of the three recommended assays. The assay was originally designed to perform multiplex PCR on 18 regions associated with resistance to 13 anti-TB drugs. However, the WHO recommended it for 10 anti-TB drugs, indicating sufficient sensitivity and specificity. This study optimized it for use with the ONT MK1B MinION, a long-read sequencing platform. The portable and reusable flow-cell system of this platform reduces both infrastructure and potentially sequencing costs per sample4,22,23. While other long-read-compatible assays have been developed, they tend to have a limited DST scope, typically targeting only a narrow range of resistance genes. In contrast, the assay offers broad target coverage, making it a more comprehensive diagnostic tool for decentralized DST24,25. A detailed list of the genomic targets amplified by the assay and their corresponding drug associations is provided in Table 1, highlighting the assay's diagnostic capabilities25.
Prior to DNA extraction, samples must be decontaminated and inactivated under Biosafety Level 3 (BSL-3) conditions, following the necessary safety precautions25,26,27. Internal amplification and external controls should be incorporated in each run, with contamination tracked through negative controls and routine laboratory evaluations25. Important quality metrics, including read depth, coverage breadth, and amplification success, should be assessed after sequencing. For targeted sequencing, the WHO advises a minimum read depth of 100x for each amplicon and adequate coverage of all targeted drug-resistance regions to allow for the detection of minor variants that are present at ≥5%28. The World Health Organization endorses these targeted sequencing methods for identifying resistance to first- and second-line drugs, assuming that quality assurance systems are established and that all target regions are sufficiently covered28.