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Lv H, Shi F, Yin H, Jiao Y, Wei P. Development of a double-antibody sandwich ELISA for detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants based on nucleocapsid protein-specific antibodies. Microbiol Immunol 2024. [PMID: 39287179 DOI: 10.1111/1348-0421.13173] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2024] [Revised: 09/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/04/2024] [Indexed: 09/19/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, driven by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, has posed a severe threat to global public health. Rapid, reliable, and easy-to-use detection methods for SARS-CoV-2 variants are critical for effective epidemic prevention and control. The N protein of SARS-CoV-2 serves as an ideal target for antigen detection. In this study, we achieved soluble expression of the recombinant SARS-CoV-2 N protein using an Escherichia coli expression system and generated specific monoclonal antibodies by immunizing BALB/c mice. We successfully developed 10 monoclonal antibodies against the N protein, designated 5B7, 5F2-C11, 5E2-E8, 6C3-D8, 7C8, 9F2-E9, 12H5-D11, 13G2-C10, 14E9-F6, and 15H3-E10. Using these antibodies, we established a sandwich ELISA with 6C3-D8 as the capture antibody and 5F2-C11 as the detection antibody. The assay demonstrated a sensitivity of 0.78 ng/mL and showed no cross-reactivity with MERS-CoV, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, and HCoV-229E. Furthermore, this method successfully detected both wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, including Alpha, Beta, Delta, and Omicron. These findings indicate that our sandwich ELISA exhibits excellent sensitivity, specificity, and broad-spectrum applicability, providing a robust tool for detecting SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hai Lv
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Fengjuan Shi
- NHC Key Laboratory of Enteric Pathogenic Microbiology, Jiangsu Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China
| | - Huimin Yin
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yongjun Jiao
- NHC Key Laboratory of Enteric Pathogenic Microbiology, Jiangsu Province Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China
| | - Pingmin Wei
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, Ministry of Education, School of Public Health, Southeast University, Nanjing, China
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2
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Yin W, Li L, Yang Y, Yang Y, Liang R, Ma L, Dai J, Mao G, Ma Y. Ultra-Sensitive Detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein via a Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeat/Cas12a-Mediated Immunoassay. ACS Sens 2024; 9:3150-3157. [PMID: 38717584 DOI: 10.1021/acssensors.4c00432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/29/2024]
Abstract
Tracking trace protein analytes in precision diagnostics is an ongoing challenge. Here, we developed an ultrasensitive detection method for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein by combining enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeat/CRISPR-associated protein (CRISPR/Cas) system. First, the SARS-CoV-2 N protein bound by the capture antibody adsorbed on the well plate was sequentially coupled with the primary antibody, biotinylated secondary antibody, and streptavidin (SA), followed by biotin primer binding to SA. Subsequently, rolling circle amplification was initiated to generate ssDNA strands, which were targeted by CRISPR/Cas12a to cleave the FAM-ssDNA-BHQ1 probe in trans to generate fluorescence signals. We observed a linear relationship between fluorescence intensity and the logarithm of N protein concentration ranging from 3 fg/mL to 3 × 107 fg/mL. The limit of detection (LOD) was 1 fg/mL, with approximately nine molecules in 1 μL of the sample. This detection sensitivity was 4 orders magnitude higher than that of commercially available ELISA kits (LOD: 5.7 × 104 fg/mL). This method was highly specific and sensitive and could accurately detect SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus and clinical samples, providing a new approach for ultrasensitive immunoassay of protein biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen Yin
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Leyao Li
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Yang Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Immunity, National Clinical Research Center for Infectious Disease, State Key Discipline of Infectious Disease, Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Second Hospital Affiliated to Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen 518112, China
| | - Yuxin Yang
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Ruijing Liang
- Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, CAS-HK Joint Lab of Biomaterials, Institute of Biomedicine and Biotechnology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Lixin Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, Hubei Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan 430062, China
| | - Junbiao Dai
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Shenzhen Branch, Guangdong Laboratory of Lingnan Modern Agriculture, Key Laboratory of Synthetic Biology, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Guobin Mao
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
| | - Yingxin Ma
- Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Synthetic Genomics, Key Laboratory of Quantitative Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
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Brudenell EL, Pohare MB, Zafred D, Phipps J, Hornsby HR, Darby JF, Dai J, Liggett E, Cain KM, Barran PE, de Silva TI, Sayers JR. Efficient overexpression and purification of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 nucleocapsid proteins in Escherichia coli. Biochem J 2024; 481:669-682. [PMID: 38713013 PMCID: PMC11346444 DOI: 10.1042/bcj20240019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2024] [Revised: 04/30/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 05/08/2024]
Abstract
The fundamental biology of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid protein (Ncap), its use in diagnostic assays and its potential application as a vaccine component have received considerable attention since the outbreak of the Covid19 pandemic in late 2019. Here we report the scalable expression and purification of soluble, immunologically active, SARS-CoV-2 Ncap in Escherichia coli. Codon-optimised synthetic genes encoding the original Ncap sequence and four common variants with an N-terminal 6His affinity tag (sequence MHHHHHHG) were cloned into an inducible expression vector carrying a regulated bacteriophage T5 synthetic promoter controlled by lac operator binding sites. The constructs were used to express Ncap proteins and protocols developed which allow efficient production of purified Ncap with yields of over 200 mg per litre of culture media. These proteins were deployed in ELISA assays to allow comparison of their responses to human sera. Our results suggest that there was no detectable difference between the 6His-tagged and untagged original Ncap proteins but there may be a slight loss of sensitivity of sera to other Ncap isolates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L. Brudenell
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Manoj B. Pohare
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Domen Zafred
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Janine Phipps
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Hailey R. Hornsby
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - John F. Darby
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Junxiao Dai
- Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Ellen Liggett
- Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Kathleen M. Cain
- Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Perdita E. Barran
- Michael Barber Centre for Collaborative Mass Spectrometry, Department of Chemistry, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, 131 Princess Street, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Thushan I. de Silva
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
| | - Jon R. Sayers
- Sheffield Institute for Nucleic Acids and Florey Institute, Section of Infection and Immunity, Division of Clinical Medicine, School of Medicine and Population Health, The University of Sheffield, Beech Hill Road, Sheffield S10 2RX, U.K
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Mladenovic Stokanic M, Simovic A, Jovanovic V, Radomirovic M, Udovicki B, Krstic Ristivojevic M, Djukic T, Vasovic T, Acimovic J, Sabljic L, Lukic I, Kovacevic A, Cujic D, Gnjatovic M, Smiljanic K, Stojadinovic M, Radosavljevic J, Stanic-Vucinic D, Stojanovic M, Rajkovic A, Cirkovic Velickovic T. Sandwich ELISA for the Quantification of Nucleocapsid Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Based on Polyclonal Antibodies from Two Different Species. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 25:333. [PMID: 38203504 PMCID: PMC10778659 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25010333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 12/21/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
In this study, a cost-effective sandwich ELISA test, based on polyclonal antibodies, for routine quantification SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein was developed. The recombinant N protein was produced and used for the production of mice and rabbit antisera. Polyclonal N protein-specific antibodies served as capture and detection antibodies. The prototype ELISA has LOD 0.93 ng/mL and LOQ 5.3 ng/mL, with a linear range of 1.52-48.83 ng/mL. N protein heat pretreatment (56 °C, 1 h) decreased, while pretreatment with 1% Triton X-100 increased analytical ELISA sensitivity. The diagnostic specificity of ELISA was 100% (95% CI, 91.19-100.00%) and sensitivity was 52.94% (95% CI, 35.13-70.22%) compared to rtRT-PCR (Ct < 40). Profoundly higher sensitivity was obtained using patient samples mostly containing Wuhan-similar variants (Wuhan, alpha, and delta), 62.50% (95% CI, 40.59 to 81.20%), in comparison to samples mostly containing Wuhan-distant variants (Omicron) 30.00% (6.67-65.25%). The developed product has relatively high diagnostic sensitivity in relation to its analytical sensitivity due to the usage of polyclonal antibodies from two species, providing a wide repertoire of antibodies against multiple N protein epitopes. Moreover, the fast, simple, and inexpensive production of polyclonal antibodies, as the most expensive assay components, would result in affordable antigen tests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maja Mladenovic Stokanic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ana Simovic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Vesna Jovanovic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Mirjana Radomirovic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Bozidar Udovicki
- Department of Food Safety and Quality Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, Zemun, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Maja Krstic Ristivojevic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Teodora Djukic
- Institute of Medical Chemistry, Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, Višegradska 26, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Tamara Vasovic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jelena Acimovic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ljiljana Sabljic
- Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy—INEP, University of Belgrade, Banatska 31b, Zemun, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ivana Lukic
- Institute of Virology, Vaccines, and Sera–TORLAK, Vojvode Stepe 458, 11152 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Ana Kovacevic
- Institute of Virology, Vaccines, and Sera–TORLAK, Vojvode Stepe 458, 11152 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Danica Cujic
- Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy—INEP, University of Belgrade, Banatska 31b, Zemun, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija Gnjatovic
- Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy—INEP, University of Belgrade, Banatska 31b, Zemun, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Katarina Smiljanic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marija Stojadinovic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Jelena Radosavljevic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Dragana Stanic-Vucinic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Marijana Stojanovic
- Department of Molecular Biology, Institute for Biological Research “Siniša Stanković”, University of Belgrade, 142 Despot Stefan Blvd., 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
| | - Andreja Rajkovic
- Department of Food Safety and Quality Management, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, Nemanjina 6, Zemun, 11080 Belgrade, Serbia
- Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, geb. A, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
| | - Tanja Cirkovic Velickovic
- Centre of Excellence for Molecular Food Sciences, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, Studentski trg 12-16, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Faculty of Bioscience Engineering, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, geb. A, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium
- Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, Kneza Mihaila 35, 11000 Belgrade, Serbia
- Global Campus, Ghent University, 119-5 Songdomunwha-ro, Yeonsu-gu, Incheon 21985, Republic of Korea
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5
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Lopes-Luz L, Fogaça MBT, Bentivoglio-Silva BG, Saavedra DP, Alves LM, Franca LV, Crispim GJB, de Andrade IA, Ribeiro BM, Nagata T, Bührer-Sékula S. A novel highly specific biotinylated MAC-ELISA for detection of anti-SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid antigen IgM antibodies during the acute phase of COVID-19. Braz J Microbiol 2023; 54:2893-2901. [PMID: 37930615 PMCID: PMC10689632 DOI: 10.1007/s42770-023-01160-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2023] [Accepted: 10/19/2023] [Indexed: 11/07/2023] Open
Abstract
The gold standard for diagnosing COVID-19 in the acute phase is RT-qPCR. However, this molecular technique can yield false-negative results when nasopharyngeal swab collection is not conducted during viremia. To mitigate this challenge, the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) identifies anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgM antibodies in the initial weeks after symptom onset, facilitating early COVID-19 diagnosis. This study introduces a novel and highly specific IgM antibody capture ELISA (MAC-ELISA), which utilizes biotinylated recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) antigen produced in plants. Our biotinylated approach streamlines the procedure by eliminating the requirement for an anti-N-conjugated antibody, circumventing the need for peroxidase-labeled antigens, and preventing cross-reactivity with IgM autoantibodies such as rheumatoid factor. Performance evaluation of the assay involved assessing sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and accuracy using 682 RT-qPCR-positive samples, categorized by weeks relative to symptoms onset. Negative controls included 205 pre-pandemic serum samples and 46 serum samples from patients diagnosed with other diseases. Based on a cut-off of 0.087 and ROC curve analysis, the highest sensitivity of 81.2% was observed in the 8-14 days post-symptom (dps) group (2nd week), followed by sensitivities of 73.8% and 68.37% for the 1-7 dps (1st week) and 15-21 dps groups (3rd week), respectively. Specificity was consistently 100% across all groups. This newly developed biotinylated N-MAC-ELISA offers a more streamlined and cost-effective alternative to molecular diagnostics. It enables simultaneous testing of multiple samples and effectively identifies individuals with false-negative results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo Lopes-Luz
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Centro Multiusuário de Pesquisa de Bioinsumos e Tecnologias em Saúde, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, Universidade Federal de Goiás-Merck S/A Alliance, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil
| | - Matheus Bernardes Torres Fogaça
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Centro Multiusuário de Pesquisa de Bioinsumos e Tecnologias em Saúde, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, Universidade Federal de Goiás-Merck S/A Alliance, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil
| | | | - Djairo Pastor Saavedra
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Centro Multiusuário de Pesquisa de Bioinsumos e Tecnologias em Saúde, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, Universidade Federal de Goiás-Merck S/A Alliance, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil
| | - Luana Michele Alves
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Centro Multiusuário de Pesquisa de Bioinsumos e Tecnologias em Saúde, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, Universidade Federal de Goiás-Merck S/A Alliance, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil
| | - Luísa Valério Franca
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | | | - Ikaro Alves de Andrade
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Bergmann Morais Ribeiro
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Tatsuya Nagata
- Departamento de Biologia Celular, Campus Darcy Ribeiro, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, DF, 70910-900, Brazil
| | - Samira Bührer-Sékula
- Laboratório de Desenvolvimento e Produção de Testes Rápidos, Centro Multiusuário de Pesquisa de Bioinsumos e Tecnologias em Saúde, Instituto de Patologia Tropical e Saúde Pública, Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil.
- Innovation Hub in Point of Care Technologies, Universidade Federal de Goiás-Merck S/A Alliance, Goiânia, GO, 74605-050, Brazil.
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Lao T, Farnos O, Bueno A, Alvarez A, Rodríguez E, Palacios J, de la Luz KR, Kamen A, Carpio Y, Estrada MP. Transient Expression in HEK-293 Cells in Suspension Culture as a Rapid and Powerful Tool: SARS-CoV-2 N and Chimeric SARS-CoV-2N-CD154 Proteins as a Case Study. Biomedicines 2023; 11:3050. [PMID: 38002050 PMCID: PMC10669214 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11113050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 11/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
In a previous work, we proposed a vaccine chimeric antigen based on the fusion of the SARS-CoV-2 N protein to the extracellular domain of the human CD40 ligand (CD154). This vaccine antigen was named N-CD protein and its expression was carried out in HEK-293 stably transfected cells, grown in adherent conditions and serum-supplemented medium. The chimeric protein obtained in these conditions presented a consistent pattern of degradation. The immunization of mice and monkeys with this chimeric protein was able to induce a high N-specific IgG response with only two doses in pre-clinical experiments. In order to explore ways to diminish protein degradation, in the present work, the N and N-CD proteins were produced in suspension cultures and serum-free media following transient transfection of the HEK-293 clone 3F6, at different scales, including stirred-tank controlled bioreactors. The results showed negligible or no degradation of the target proteins. Further, clones stably expressing N-CD were obtained and adapted to suspension culture, obtaining similar results to those observed in the transient expression experiments in HEK-293-3F6. The evidence supports transient protein expression in suspension cultures and serum-free media as a powerful tool to produce in a short period of time high levels of complex proteins susceptible to degradation, such as the SARS-CoV-2 N protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thailin Lao
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
| | - Omar Farnos
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0E9, Canada; (O.F.); (A.K.)
| | - Alexi Bueno
- Process Development Department, Center of Molecular Immunology, Havana 11600, Cuba (J.P.); (K.R.d.l.L.)
| | - Anays Alvarez
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
| | - Elsa Rodríguez
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
| | - Julio Palacios
- Process Development Department, Center of Molecular Immunology, Havana 11600, Cuba (J.P.); (K.R.d.l.L.)
| | - Kathya Rashida de la Luz
- Process Development Department, Center of Molecular Immunology, Havana 11600, Cuba (J.P.); (K.R.d.l.L.)
| | - Amine Kamen
- Department of Bioengineering, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0E9, Canada; (O.F.); (A.K.)
| | - Yamila Carpio
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
| | - Mario Pablo Estrada
- Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Animal Biotechnology Department, Havana 10600, Cuba; (T.L.)
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7
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Tapela K, Opurum PC, Nuokpem FY, Tetteh B, Siaw GK, Humbert MV, Tawiah-Eshun S, Barakisu AI, Asiedu K, Arhin SK, Manu AA, Appiedu-Addo SNA, Obbeng L, Quansah D, Languon S, Anyigba C, Dosoo D, Edu NKO, Oduro-Mensah D, Ampofo W, Tagoe E, Quaye O, Donkor IO, Akorli J, Aniweh Y, Christodoulides M, Mutungi J, Bediako Y, Rayner JC, Awandare GA, McCormick CJ, Quashie PK. Development of an Affordable ELISA Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid and Its Application to Samples from the Ongoing COVID-19 Epidemic in Ghana. Mol Diagn Ther 2023; 27:583-592. [PMID: 37462793 PMCID: PMC10435612 DOI: 10.1007/s40291-023-00655-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/07/2023] [Indexed: 08/18/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The true nature of the population spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in populations is often not fully known as most cases, particularly in Africa, are asymptomatic. Finding the true magnitude of SARS-CoV-2 spread is crucial to provide actionable data about the epidemiological progress of the disease for researchers and policymakers. This study developed and optimized an antibody enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using recombinant nucleocapsid antigen expressed in-house using a simple bacterial expression system. METHODS Nucleocapsid protein from SARS-CoV-2 was expressed and purified from Escherichia coli. Plasma samples used for the assay development were obtained from Ghanaian SARS-CoV-2 seropositive individuals during the pandemic, while seronegative controls were plasma samples collected from blood donors before the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Another set of seronegative controls was collected during the COVID-19 pandemic. Antibody detection and levels within the samples were validated using commercial kits and Luminex. Analyses were performed using GraphPad Prism, and the sensitivity, specificity and background cut-off were calculated. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION This low-cost ELISA (£0.96/test) assay has a high prediction of 98.9%, and sensitivity and specificity of 97% and 99%, respectively. The assay was subsequently used to screen plasma from SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR-positive Ghanaians. The assay showed no significant difference in nucleocapsid antibody levels between symptomatic and asymptomatic, with an increase of the levels over time. This is in line with our previous publication. CONCLUSION This study developed a low-cost and transferable assay that enables highly sensitive and specific detection of human anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. This assay can be modified to include additional antigens and used for continuous monitoring of sero-exposure to SARS-CoV-2 in West Africa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kesego Tapela
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Precious C Opurum
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Franklin Y Nuokpem
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Becky Tetteh
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Godfred K Siaw
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Maria V Humbert
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Sylvia Tawiah-Eshun
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Anna Ibrahim Barakisu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Kwame Asiedu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Samuel Kojo Arhin
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Aaron A Manu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Sekyibea N A Appiedu-Addo
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Louisa Obbeng
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Darius Quansah
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Sylvester Languon
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Claudia Anyigba
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Daniel Dosoo
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Nelson K O Edu
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Daniel Oduro-Mensah
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - William Ampofo
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Emmanuel Tagoe
- Department of Medical Laboratory Sciences, School of Biomedical and Allied Health, College of Health Sciences, University of Ghana, Accra, Ghana
| | - Osbourne Quaye
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Irene Owusu Donkor
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Jewelna Akorli
- Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Yaw Aniweh
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London, NW1 1AT, UK
| | - Myron Christodoulides
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Joe Mutungi
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Yaw Bediako
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London, NW1 1AT, UK
- Yemaachi Biotech Inc., 222 Swaniker St, Accra, Ghana
| | - Julian C Rayner
- Cambridge Institute for Medical Research, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gordon A Awandare
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
- Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana
| | - Christopher J McCormick
- School of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Southampton, Southampton, SO16 6YD, UK
| | - Peter Kojo Quashie
- West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens, College of Basic and Applied Sciences, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra, Ghana.
- The Francis Crick Institute, 1 Midland Rd, London, NW1 1AT, UK.
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8
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Yadegari H, Mohammadi M, Maghsood F, Ghorbani A, Bahadori T, Golsaz-Shirazi F, Zarnani AH, Salimi V, Jeddi-Tehrani M, Amiri MM, Shokri F. Diagnostic performance of a novel antigen-capture ELISA for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Anal Biochem 2023; 666:115079. [PMID: 36754135 PMCID: PMC9902293 DOI: 10.1016/j.ab.2023.115079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2022] [Revised: 01/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/05/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND AIMS The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a serious health problem worldwide. Early virus detection is essential for disease control and management. Viral antigen detection by ELISA is a cost-effective, rapid, and accurate antigen diagnostic assay which could facilitate early viral detection. METHOD An antigen-capture sandwich ELISA was developed using novel nucleocapsid (NP)-specific mouse monoclonal antibodies (MAbs). The clinical performance of the assay was assessed using 403 positive and 150 negative respiratory samples collected during different SARS-CoV-2 variants outbreaks in Iran. RESULTS The limit of detection of our ELISA assay was found to be 43.3 pg/ml for recombinant NP. The overall sensitivity and specificity of this assay were 70.72% (95% CI: 66.01-75.12) and 100% (95% CI: 97.57-100), respectively, regardless of Ct values and SARS-CoV-2 variants. There was no significant difference in our assay sensitivity for the detection of Omicron subvariants compared to Delta variant. Assay sensitivity for the BA.5 Omicron subvariant was calculated as 91.89% (95% CI: 85.17-96.23) for samples with Ct values < 25 and 82.70% (95% CI: 75.19-88.71) for samples with Ct values < 30. CONCLUSION Our newly developed ELISA method is reasonably sensitive and highly specific for detection of SARS-CoV-2 regardless of the variants and subvariants of the virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamidreza Yadegari
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehdi Mohammadi
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Faezeh Maghsood
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ahmad Ghorbani
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Tannaz Bahadori
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Forough Golsaz-Shirazi
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Amir-Hassan Zarnani
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Vahid Salimi
- Department of Virology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mahmood Jeddi-Tehrani
- Monoclonal Antibody Research Center, Avicenna Research Institute, Academic Center for Education, Culture and Research (ACECR), Tehran, Iran
| | - Mohammad Mehdi Amiri
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Fazel Shokri
- Department of Immunology, School of Public Health, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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