Development of a high-throughput homogeneous AlphaLISA drug screening assay for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid

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Abstract

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is in urgent need of therapeutic options. High-throughput screening (HTS) offers the research field an opportunity to rapidly identify such compounds. In this work, we have developed a homogeneous cell-based HTS system using AlphaLISA detection technology for the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (NP). Our assay measures both recombinant NP and endogenous NP from viral lysates and tissue culture supernatants (TCS) in a sandwich-based format using two monoclonal antibodies against the NP analyte. Viral NP was detected and quantified in both tissue culture supernatants and cell lysates, with large differences observed between 24 hours and 48 hours of infection. We simulated the viral infection by spiking in recombinant NP into 384-well plates with live Vero-E6 cells and were able to detect the NP with high sensitivity and a large dynamic range. Anti-viral agents that inhibit either viral cell entry or replication will decrease the AlphaLISA NP signal. Thus, this assay can be used for high-throughput screening of small molecules and biologics in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

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  1. SciScore for 10.1101/2020.08.20.258129: (What is this?)

    Please note, not all rigor criteria are appropriate for all manuscripts.

    Table 1: Rigor

    Institutional Review Board Statementnot detected.
    Randomizationnot detected.
    Blindingnot detected.
    Power Analysisnot detected.
    Sex as a biological variablenot detected.
    Cell Line Authenticationnot detected.

    Table 2: Resources

    Experimental Models: Cell Lines
    SentencesResources
    Reagents and Materials: The following item was purchased from ATCC: Vero-E6 (CRL-1586, RRID:CVCL_0574).
    Vero-E6
    detected: (IZSLER Cat# BS CL 87, RRID:CVCL_0574)
    Vero-E6 cell culture: Vero-E6 (grown in EMEM, 10% FBS, and 1% Penicillin/Streptomycin), were cultured in T175 flasks and passaged at 95% confluency.
    Vero-E6
    suggested: None
    Vero E6 cells were plated at 20,000 and 50,000 cells/well in 384-well plate (TC) and incubated overnight.
    Vero E6
    suggested: RRID:CVCL_XD71)
    Experimental Models: Organisms/Strains
    SentencesResources
    Vero-E6 cell culture: Vero-E6 (grown in EMEM, 10% FBS, and 1% Penicillin/Streptomycin), were cultured in T175 flasks and passaged at 95% confluency.
    Vero-E6
    suggested: None
    Software and Algorithms
    SentencesResources
    Statistical analysis and illustrations: Concentration-response curves were fit using non-linear regression, standard curve interpolation, and graphs were generated in Graphpad Prism V8.43.
    Graphpad Prism
    suggested: (GraphPad Prism, RRID:SCR_002798)

    Results from OddPub: We did not detect open data. We also did not detect open code. Researchers are encouraged to share open data when possible (see Nature blog).


    Results from LimitationRecognizer: An explicit section about the limitations of the techniques employed in this study was not found. We encourage authors to address study limitations.

    Results from TrialIdentifier: No clinical trial numbers were referenced.


    Results from Barzooka: We did not find any issues relating to the usage of bar graphs.


    Results from JetFighter: We did not find any issues relating to colormaps.


    Results from rtransparent:
    • Thank you for including a conflict of interest statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • Thank you for including a funding statement. Authors are encouraged to include this statement when submitting to a journal.
    • No protocol registration statement was detected.

    About SciScore

    SciScore is an automated tool that is designed to assist expert reviewers by finding and presenting formulaic information scattered throughout a paper in a standard, easy to digest format. SciScore checks for the presence and correctness of RRIDs (research resource identifiers), and for rigor criteria such as sex and investigator blinding. For details on the theoretical underpinning of rigor criteria and the tools shown here, including references cited, please follow this link.