Publications
VaccinesSep 2021 |
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DOI:
10.3390/vaccines9090986

Multiepitope Proteins for the Differential Detection of IgG Antibodies against RBD of the Spike Protein and Non-RBD Regions of SARS-CoV-2

Gomes, Larissa R; Durans, Andressa M; Napoleão-Pêgo, Paloma; Waterman, Jessica A; Freitas, Mariana S; De Sá, Nathalia B R; Pereira, Lilian V; Furtado, Jéssica S; Aquino, Romário G; Machado, Mario C R; Fintelman-Rodrigues, Natalia; Souza, Thiago M L; Morel, Carlos M; Provance, David W; De-Simone, Salvatore G
Product Used
Genes
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the extent of global connectivity and collective vulnerability to emerging diseases. From its suspected origins in Wuhan, China, it spread to all corners of the world in a matter of months. The absence of high-performance, rapid diagnostic methods that could identify asymptomatic carriers contributed to its worldwide transmission. Serological tests offer numerous benefits compared to other assay platforms to screen large populations. First-generation assays contain targets that represent proteins from SARS-CoV-2. While they could be quickly produced, each actually has a mixture of specific and non-specific epitopes that vary in their reactivity for antibodies. To generate the next generation of the assay, epitopes were identified in three SARS-Cov-2 proteins (S, N, and Orf3a) by SPOT synthesis analysis. After their similarity to other pathogen sequences was analyzed, 11 epitopes outside of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein that showed high reactivity and uniqueness to the virus. These were incorporated into a ß-barrel protein core to create a highly chimeric protein. Another de novo protein was designed that contained only epitopes in the RBD. In-house ELISAs suggest that both multiepitope proteins can serve as targets for high-performance diagnostic tests. Our approach to bioengineer chimeric proteins is highly amenable to other pathogens and immunological uses.
Product Used
Genes

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