Engineered Receptor Capture Combined with Mass Spectrometry Enables High-Throughput Detection and Quantitation of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein.

ABSTRACT: Mass spectrometry (MS) is a potentially powerful approach for the diagnostic detection of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses. However, MS detection is compromised when viral antigens are present at low concentrations, especially in complex biological media. We hypothesized that viral receptors could be used for viral target capture to enable detection by MS under such conditions. This was tested using the extracellular domain of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor ACE2. To maximize recovery of the target protein, directed protein evolution was first used to increase the affinity of ACE2 for spike protein. This generated an evolved ACE2 with increased binding affinity for the spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD). However, as with other affinity-enhanced evolved forms of ACE2, binding was sensitive to

SUBMITTER: Bate N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11862925 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature