Development of parallel reaction monitoring mass spectrometry assay for the detection of human norovirus major capsid protein

Human Norwalk virus (HuNoVs), the most common etiological agents of acute gastroenteritis, are genetically diverse RNA viruses that frequently cause mass food poisoning internationally. In this study, we developed a parallel reaction monitoring (PRM) assay to simultaneously detect and identify representative peptides derived from VP1 in six different HuNoV genotypes using a high-resolution mass spectrometer. An optimized protocol was also used to detect and quantify VP1 protein in human stool specimens. This method is expected to become a new tool for studying the molecular epidemiology of HuNoV and to shed new light on targeted proteomics in clinical practice.