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Nascimento ED, Fonseca WT, de Oliveira TR, de Correia CRSTB, Faça VM, de Morais BP, Silvestrini VC, Pott-Junior H, Teixeira FR, Faria RC. COVID-19 diagnosis by SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein detection in saliva using an ultrasensitive magneto-assay based on disposable electrochemical sensor. SENSORS AND ACTUATORS. B, CHEMICAL 2022; 353:131128. [PMID: 34866796 DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2021.131148] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome of Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has fueled the search for diagnostic tests aiming at the control and reduction of the viral transmission. The main technique used for diagnosing the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. However, considering the high number of cases and the underlying limitations of the RT-PCR technique, especially with regard to accessibility and cost of the test, one does not need to overemphasize the need to develop new and less expensive testing techniques that can aid the early diagnosis of the disease. With that in mind, we developed an ultrasensitive magneto-assay using magnetic beads and gold nanoparticles conjugated to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) peptide (Gln24-Gln42) for the capturing and detection of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein in human saliva. The technique applied involved the use of a disposable electrochemical device containing eight screen-printed carbon electrodes which allow the simultaneous analysis of eight samples. The magneto-assay exhibited an ultralow limit of detection of 0.35 ag mL-1 for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein in saliva. The magneto-assay was tested in saliva samples from healthy and SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. In terms of efficiency, the proposed technique - which presented a sensitivity of 100.0% and specificity of 93.7% for SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein-exhibited great similarity with the RT-PCR technique. The results obtained point to the application potential of this simple, low-cost magneto-assay for saliva-based point-of-care COVID-19 diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evair D Nascimento
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luís km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Wilson T Fonseca
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luís km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Tássia R de Oliveira
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luís km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Camila R S T B de Correia
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of Sao Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Vitor M Faça
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo-USP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz P de Morais
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo-USP, Brazil
| | - Virginia C Silvestrini
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo-USP, Brazil
| | - Henrique Pott-Junior
- Department of Medicine, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Felipe R Teixeira
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of Sao Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo C Faria
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luís km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
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Nascimento ED, Fonseca WT, de Oliveira TR, de Correia CRSTB, Faça VM, de Morais BP, Silvestrini VC, Pott-Junior H, Teixeira FR, Faria RC. COVID-19 diagnosis by SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein detection in saliva using an ultrasensitive magneto-assay based on disposable electrochemical sensor. SENSORS AND ACTUATORS. B, CHEMICAL 2022; 353:131128. [PMID: 34866796 PMCID: PMC8626148 DOI: 10.1016/j.snb.2021.131128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2021] [Revised: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome of Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has fueled the search for diagnostic tests aiming at the control and reduction of the viral transmission. The main technique used for diagnosing the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technique. However, considering the high number of cases and the underlying limitations of the RT-PCR technique, especially with regard to accessibility and cost of the test, one does not need to overemphasize the need to develop new and less expensive testing techniques that can aid the early diagnosis of the disease. With that in mind, we developed an ultrasensitive magneto-assay using magnetic beads and gold nanoparticles conjugated to human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) peptide (Gln24-Gln42) for the capturing and detection of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein in human saliva. The technique applied involved the use of a disposable electrochemical device containing eight screen-printed carbon electrodes which allow the simultaneous analysis of eight samples. The magneto-assay exhibited an ultralow limit of detection of 0.35 ag mL-1 for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein in saliva. The magneto-assay was tested in saliva samples from healthy and SARS-CoV-2-infected individuals. In terms of efficiency, the proposed technique - which presented a sensitivity of 100.0% and specificity of 93.7% for SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein-exhibited great similarity with the RT-PCR technique. The results obtained point to the application potential of this simple, low-cost magneto-assay for saliva-based point-of-care COVID-19 diagnosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evair D Nascimento
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luís km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Wilson T Fonseca
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luís km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Tássia R de Oliveira
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luís km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Camila R S T B de Correia
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of Sao Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Vitor M Faça
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo-USP, Brazil
| | - Beatriz P de Morais
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo-USP, Brazil
| | - Virginia C Silvestrini
- Department of Biochemistry and Immunology, Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo-USP, Brazil
| | - Henrique Pott-Junior
- Department of Medicine, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Felipe R Teixeira
- Department of Genetics and Evolution, Federal University of Sao Carlos-UFSCar, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo C Faria
- Department of Chemistry, Federal University of São Carlos-UFSCar, Rod. Washington Luís km 235, São Carlos, SP, 13565-905, Brazil
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Byun WS, Heo SW, Jo G, Kim JW, Kim S, Lee S, Park HE, Baek JH. Is coronavirus disease (COVID-19) seasonal? A critical analysis of empirical and epidemiological studies at global and local scales. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2021; 196:110972. [PMID: 33705770 PMCID: PMC7941024 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.110972] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected more than 50 million people and killed more than one million, worldwide, during less than a year course. COVID-19, which has already become the worst pandemic in the last 100 years, is still spreading worldwide. Since the beginning of the outbreak, it has been of particular interest to understand whether COVID-19 is seasonal; the finding might help for better planning and preparation for the fight against the disease. Over the past 12 months, numerous empirical and epidemiological studies have been performed to define the distinct diffusion patterns of COVID-19. Thereby, a wealth of data has accumulated on the relationship between various seasonal meteorological factors and COVID-19 transmissibility at global and local scales. In this review, we aimed to discuss whether COVID-19 exhibits any seasonal features in a global and local perspective by collecting and providing summaries of the findings from empirical and epidemiological studies on the COVID-19 pandemic during its first seasonal cycle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Woo Seok Byun
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Sin Woo Heo
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Gunhee Jo
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Jae Won Kim
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Sarang Kim
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Sujie Lee
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye Eun Park
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37554, Republic of Korea
| | - Jea-Hyun Baek
- School of Life Science, Handong Global University, Pohang, Gyeongbuk, 37554, Republic of Korea.
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Abstract
This study utilizes the non-linear least squares method to estimate the impact of temperature on COVID-19 cases per million in forty-three countries, divided into three groups as follows: the first group is composed of thirteen countries that announced the first COVID-19 cases in January 2020, while the second and third groups contain thirteen and seventeen countries, respectively, that witnessed the pandemic for the first time in February and March of the same year. This relationship was measured after four time periods from the date of reporting the first case until April 1, April 15, May 15, and July 8, 2020. The results show an inverse relationship between COVID-19 cases per million and the temperature in the studies of the four-time periods for the three-country groups. These results were only significant statistically (p < 0.1) after 110.8, 164.8 days on average from the beginning of the pandemic in the case of "January" countries.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aly Zein Elabdeen Kassem
- Agricultural Marketing and Information Systems Department, Center of Agricultural Planning and Development, Institute of National Planning, Cairo, Egypt
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Rath SL, Kumar K. Investigation of the Effect of Temperature on the Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Front Mol Biosci 2020; 7:583523. [PMID: 33195427 PMCID: PMC7596554 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2020.583523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Statistical and epidemiological data imply temperature sensitivity of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. However, the molecular level understanding of the virus structure at different temperature is still not clear. Spike protein is the outermost structural protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which interacts with the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), a human receptor, and enters the respiratory system. In this study, we performed an all atom molecular dynamics simulation to study the effect of temperature on the structure of the Spike protein. After 200 ns of simulation at different temperatures, we came across some interesting phenomena exhibited by the protein. We found that the solvent exposed domain of Spike protein, namely S1, is more mobile than the transmembrane domain, S2. Structural studies implied the presence of several charged residues on the surface of N-terminal Domain of S1 which are optimally oriented at 10-30°C. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that it is capable of binding to other human receptors and should not be disregarded. Additionally, we found that receptor binding motif (RBM), present on the receptor binding domain (RBD) of S1, begins to close around temperature of 40°C and attains a completely closed conformation at 50°C. We also found that the presence of glycan moieties did not influence the observed protein dynamics. Nevertheless, the closed conformation disables its ability to bind to ACE2, due to the burying of its receptor binding residues. Our results clearly show that there are active and inactive states of the protein at different temperatures. This would not only prove beneficial for understanding the fundamental nature of the virus, but would be also useful in the development of vaccines and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Lipsa Rath
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal, India
| | - Kishant Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal, India
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Rath SL, Kumar K. Investigation of the Effect of Temperature on the Structure of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein by Molecular Dynamics Simulations. Front Mol Biosci 2020. [PMID: 33195427 DOI: 10.1101/2020.06.10.145086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Statistical and epidemiological data imply temperature sensitivity of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. However, the molecular level understanding of the virus structure at different temperature is still not clear. Spike protein is the outermost structural protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus which interacts with the Angiotensin Converting Enzyme 2 (ACE2), a human receptor, and enters the respiratory system. In this study, we performed an all atom molecular dynamics simulation to study the effect of temperature on the structure of the Spike protein. After 200 ns of simulation at different temperatures, we came across some interesting phenomena exhibited by the protein. We found that the solvent exposed domain of Spike protein, namely S1, is more mobile than the transmembrane domain, S2. Structural studies implied the presence of several charged residues on the surface of N-terminal Domain of S1 which are optimally oriented at 10-30°C. Bioinformatics analyses indicated that it is capable of binding to other human receptors and should not be disregarded. Additionally, we found that receptor binding motif (RBM), present on the receptor binding domain (RBD) of S1, begins to close around temperature of 40°C and attains a completely closed conformation at 50°C. We also found that the presence of glycan moieties did not influence the observed protein dynamics. Nevertheless, the closed conformation disables its ability to bind to ACE2, due to the burying of its receptor binding residues. Our results clearly show that there are active and inactive states of the protein at different temperatures. This would not only prove beneficial for understanding the fundamental nature of the virus, but would be also useful in the development of vaccines and therapeutics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soumya Lipsa Rath
- Department of Biotechnology, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal, India
| | - Kishant Kumar
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Institute of Technology Warangal, Warangal, India
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