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Updated: May 11, 2026

A Fluorogenic Peptide Cleavage Assay to Screen for Proteolytic Activity: Applications for coronavirus spike protein activation
Published on: January 9, 2019
Phages bearing affinity peptides to severe acute respiratory syndromes-associated coronavirus differentiate this
Chao Wang1, Xuejiao Sun, Siqingaowa Suo
1Department of Preventive Veterinary Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.
Background:
Transmission of SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is now well controlled, nevertheless, it is important to develop effective methods to identify this virus from other pathogens.
Objectives:
The purpose of this study was to identify potential ligands and develop a novel diagnostic test to SARS-CoV using phage display technology.
Study Design:
The SARS-CoV spike 1 (S1) protein containing the receptor binding region (RBD) was used as an immobilized target followed by incubation with a 12-mer phage display random peptide library. After four rounds of biopanning, 10 monoclonal phages with specific binding activity to the S1-RBD protein were obtained and subjected to binding and diagnostic assays.
Results:
DNA sequencing showed that two phage displayed peptides HHKTWHPPVMHL (phage-H) and SQWHPRSASYPM (phage-S) that were specific ligands to the S1 protein. Moreover, the selected phage-H and phage-S were capable of differentiating SARS-CoV from other coronaviruses in indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays.
Conclusion:
The peptides identified in this study are useful reagents for detection of SARS-CoV.
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