J Med Virol . Preparation of highly specific monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein and the preliminary development of antigen detection test strips

[tetano]

J Med Virol


. 2021 Dec 13.
doi: 10.1002/jmv.27520. Online ahead of print.
Preparation of highly specific monoclonal antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein and the preliminary development of antigen detection test strips


Chengzuo Xie ¹ , Haojie Ding ¹ , Jianzu Ding ¹ , Yangji Xue ² , Shaohong Lu ¹ , Hangjun Lv ¹



Affiliations

• PMID: 34904253
• DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27520

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are outbreaking all over the world. To help fight this disease, it is necessary to establish an effective and rapid detection method. The nucleocapsid (N) protein of Severe Acute Respiratory syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is involved in viral replication, assembly and immune regulation and plays an important role in the viral life cycle. Moreover, the N protein also could be a diagnostic factor and potential drag target. Therefore, by synthesizing the N gene sequence of SARS-CoV-2, constructing the pET-28a (+)-N recombinant plasmid, we expressed the N protein in E.coli and obtained 15 mAbs against SARS-CoV-2-N protein by the hybridomas and ascites, then an immunochromatographic test strip method detecting N antigen was established. In this study, we obtained 14 high-titer and high-specificity monoclonal antibodies, and the test strips exclusively react with the SARS-CoV-2-N protein and no cross-reactivity with other coronavirus and also recognize the recombinant N protein of Delta (B.1.617.2) variant. These mAbs can be used for the early and rapid diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection through serological antigen. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Delta (B.1.617.2) variant; SARS-CoV-2; colloidal gold immunochromatography; recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein; the monoclonal antibodies.