Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review
Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift/Konferencebidrag i tidsskrift /Bidrag til avis › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › peer review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - A serum-stable RNA aptamer specific for SARS-CoV-2 neutralizes viral entry
AU - Valero, Julian
AU - Civit, Laia
AU - Dupont, Daniel M.
AU - Selnihhin, Denis
AU - Reinert, Line S.
AU - Idorn, Manja
AU - Israels, Brett A.
AU - Bednarz, Aleksandra M.
AU - Bus, Claus
AU - Asbach, Benedikt
AU - Peterhoff, David
AU - Pedersen, Finn S.
AU - Birkedal, Victoria
AU - Wagner, Ralf
AU - Paludan, Søren R.
AU - Kjems, Jørgen
N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2021 National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.
PY - 2021/12
Y1 - 2021/12
N2 - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created an urgent need for new technologies to treat COVID-19. Here we report a 20-fluoro protected RNA aptamer that binds with high affinity to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, thereby preventing its interaction with the host receptor ACE2. A trimerized version of the RNA aptamer matching the three RBDs in each spike complex enhances binding affinity down to the low picomolar range. Binding mode and specificity for the aptamer–spike interaction is supported by biolayer interferometry, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, and flow-induced dispersion analysis in vitro. Cell culture experiments using virus-like particles and live SARS-CoV-2 show that the aptamer and, to a larger extent, the trimeric aptamer can efficiently block viral infection at low concentration. Finally, the aptamer maintains its high binding affinity to spike from other circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains, suggesting that it could find widespread use for the detection and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants.
AB - The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has created an urgent need for new technologies to treat COVID-19. Here we report a 20-fluoro protected RNA aptamer that binds with high affinity to the receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, thereby preventing its interaction with the host receptor ACE2. A trimerized version of the RNA aptamer matching the three RBDs in each spike complex enhances binding affinity down to the low picomolar range. Binding mode and specificity for the aptamer–spike interaction is supported by biolayer interferometry, single-molecule fluorescence microscopy, and flow-induced dispersion analysis in vitro. Cell culture experiments using virus-like particles and live SARS-CoV-2 show that the aptamer and, to a larger extent, the trimeric aptamer can efficiently block viral infection at low concentration. Finally, the aptamer maintains its high binding affinity to spike from other circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains, suggesting that it could find widespread use for the detection and treatment of SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants.
KW - Aptamer multimerization
KW - Aptamer selection
KW - SARS-CoV-2 targeting
KW - Spike protein
KW - Viral neutralization
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85121034006&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1073/pnas.2112942118
DO - 10.1073/pnas.2112942118
M3 - Journal article
C2 - 34876524
AN - SCOPUS:85121034006
VL - 118
JO - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
JF - Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences
SN - 0027-8424
IS - 50
M1 - e2112942118
ER -