title: A DNA Aptamer Against Influenza A Virus: An Effective Inhibitor to the Hemagglutinin-Glycan Interactions.
abstract: Most therapeutical nucleic acid aptamers tend to inhibit protein-protein interactions and thereby function as antagonists. Attachment of the influenza virus surface glycoprotein hemagglutinin (HA) to sialic acid-containing host cell receptors (glycan) facilitates the initial stage of viral infection. Inhibition of the attachment may result in an antiviral effect on the proliferation of the influenza virus. To develop therapeutically interesting agents, we selected two single-stranded DNA (ssDNA) aptamers specific to the HA protein of H1N1 influenza virus (A/Puerto Rico/8/1934) through a procedure of systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment. As it showed a higher binding affinity for HA protein (Kd = 78 ± 1 nM), aptamer 1 was tested for its ability to interfere with HA-glycan interactions using chicken red blood cell hemagglutination and microneutralization assays, which demonstrated that it significantly suppressed the viral infection in host cells. These results indicate that the isolated ssDNA aptamer may be developed as an antiviral agent against influenza through appropriate therapeutic formulation.
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University , Changsha, China .|2 Department of Biochemistry, the State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics and School of Life Science, Central South University , Changsha, China .
authors.forename: Wenkai
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University , Changsha, China .|3 The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University , Changsha, China .
authors.forename: Xinru
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University , Changsha, China .
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University , Changsha, China .
authors.forename: Keyi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: 1 Department of Microbiology, College of Life Science, Hunan Normal University , Changsha, China .
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Deng
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D002645:Chickens; D006388:Hemagglutinins / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D053118:Influenza A Virus, H1N1 Subtype / Q000187:drug effects / Q000472:pathogenicity; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000235:genetics / Q000628:therapy* / Q000821:virology; D008024:Ligands; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011485:Protein Binding / Q000187:drug effects; D054730:Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs / Q000187:drug effects*; D052156:SELEX Aptamer Technique / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D000998:Antiviral Agents; D052157:Aptamers, Nucleotide; D006388:Hemagglutinins; D008024:Ligands; D011134:Polysaccharides