Enhancing sensitivity of qPCR assays targeting Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae by using a mutant Taq DNA polymerase.

Aims: Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitidis and Haemophilus influenzae are important causes of bacterial meningitis. In this study, the DNA binding site of the wild type Taq DNA polymerase was modified to produce a mutant enzyme with enhanced DNA affinity and PCR performance. The engineered and the wild type enzymes were integrated into qPCR-based assays for molecular detection of S.