title: Characterization of DNA aptamers generated against the soft-shelled turtle iridovirus with antiviral effects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Soft-shelled turtle iridovirus (STIV) causes severe systemic disease in farmed soft-shelled turtles (Trionyx sinensis). More efficient methods of controlling and detecting STIV infections are urgently needed.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this study, we generated eight single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers against STIV using systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The aptamers formed representative stem-loop secondary structures. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays and fluorescent localization showed that the selected aptamers had high binding affinity for STIV. Aptamer QA-36 had the highest calculated binding affinity (K d ) of 53.8 nM. Flow cytometry and fluorescence microscopy of cell-aptamer interactions demonstrated that QA-12 was able to recognize both STIV-infected cells and tissues with a high level of specificity. Moreover, the selected aptamers inhibited STIV infection in vitro and in vivo, with aptamer QA-36 demonstrating the greatest protective effect against STIV and inhibiting STIV infection in a dose-dependent manner.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We generated DNA aptamers that bound STIV with a high level of specificity, providing an alternative means for investigating STIV pathogenesis, drug development, and medical therapies for STIV infection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These DNA aptamers may thus be suitable antiviral candidates for the control of STIV infections.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Pengfei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Lingli
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Yepin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China.
authors.forename: Songwei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ni
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China. weisn@scsio.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Shina
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Tropical Marine Bio-resources and Ecology, South China Sea Institute of Oceanology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 164 West Xingang Road, Guangzhou, 510301, China. qinqw@scsio.ac.cn.|University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 19 Yuquan Road, Beijing, 100049, China. qinqw@scsio.ac.cn.
authors.forename: Qiwei
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002460:Cell Line; D002470:Cell Survival; D005399:Fishes; D017994:Iridovirus / Q000145:classification*; D011485:Protein Binding; D014426:Turtles / Q000821:virology*
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide