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Targeting Yellow-Fever Virus: Development of a specific aptamer to NS1 protein
Mariane Izabella Abreu de Melo1, Alessandra Nunes Duarte Miranda1, Antero Silva Ribeiro de Andrade1
1Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear (CDTN), Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciência e Tecnologia das Radiações, Minerais e Materiais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.
Journal of Virological Methods
|December 19, 2025
Summary
A new DNA aptamer, Flav5, shows high specificity and affinity for Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) NS1 protein. This development offers a promising tool for accurate YFV diagnostics, especially where other flaviviruses circulate.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Yellow Fever Virus (YFV) poses a significant public health threat, complicated by diagnostic challenges due to cross-reactivity with similar flaviviruses.
- Current serological assays lack specificity, hindering accurate differential diagnosis of YFV infections.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a highly specific DNA aptamer targeting the YFV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1).
- To evaluate the aptamer's diagnostic potential for Yellow Fever Virus.
Main Methods:
- Capillary electrophoresis-based SELEX (CE-SELEX) was employed to select DNA aptamers against YFV NS1.
- Specificity and binding affinity assays were performed, alongside molecular docking simulations.
Main Results:
- A DNA aptamer, Flav5, was successfully developed with high specificity for YFV NS1, showing minimal cross-reactivity with Dengue and Zika virus NS1 proteins.
- Flav5 demonstrated high binding affinity (Kd = 34.5 ± 8.2 nM) and a stable binding interface with YFV NS1, as confirmed by molecular modeling.
Conclusions:
- The Flav5 aptamer is a promising candidate for developing specific diagnostic tools for Yellow Fever Virus.
- Its characteristics support its potential application in point-of-care diagnostics, particularly in co-endemic flavivirus regions.
