SARS-CoV-2 Targeted Assay Kits: 3 Promising Routes of Study
Researchers are turning to new areas of interest where SARS-CoV-2-related enzymes contribute to the pathogenicity and transmission of COVID-19 and learning how derived antibody inhibitors of these enzymes could play a role in developing novel treatments. EpigenTek is proud to offer an enhanced catalog of kits to investigate these potential routes in the ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
Click on an image below to learn more about each kit category:
SARS-CoV-2 Proprotein Convertase (PC) Activity and Inhibition Assay Kits
SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein harbors a furin/PC cleavage site at the boundary between the S1/S2 subunits, which could be cleaved by furin and/or furin-like PCs secreted from host cells and bacteria in the airway epithelium. Unlike SARS-CoV, cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 is pre-activated by furin and/or furin-like PCs, reducing its dependence on target cell proteases for entry. The cleavage activation of S-protein is well demonstrated to be essential for SARS-CoV-2 spike-mediated viral binding to ACE2, cell-cell fusion, and viral entry into human lung cells.
Fig 1. SARS-Cov-2 spike protein cleavage by proprotein convertases and other proteases during entry into cells.
Why It Matters:
Furin and/or PC-based SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 cleavage increases SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells and replication, eventually developing higher pathogenicity of COVID-19.
Thus, detection of SARS-CoV-2 targeted furin/PC cleavage activity would help to identify why the severity of susceptibility and pathogenicity of COVID-19 are different in different individuals. The inhibitor screening would help to create effective drugs for COVID-19 therapy by blocking SARS-CoV-2 cleavage at S1/S2 boundary site.
EpiGentek offers two new kits to look at different angles of proprotein cleavage activation inhibition. Our CoviDrop SARS-CoV-2 Targeted Preprotein Convertase Inhibitor Screening Fast Kit provides all the necessary reagents for screening for the various inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2-targeted cleavage protein convertases and facilitating proteases. And our CoviDrop SARS-CoV-2 Targeted Proprotein Convertase Activity/Inhibition Assay Kit analyzes SARS-CoV-2 proprotein convertase cleavage activity and inhibition from biological samples to ensure whichever way your lab chooses to research this potentially crucial function of proprotein convertases including furin in the viral infection and inhibition, you are able to do so rapidly and with ease.
Kit Type
Kit Details
Furin/PC Inhibitor Screening
Catalog #: D-1006 SARS-CoV-2-targeted protease cleavage activity and inhibition detected using the CoviDrop™ SARS-CoV-2 Targeted Proprotein Convertase Inhibitor Screening Fast Kit. Concentration (ng/well): Furin: 10 ng; Plasmin: 50 ng; Trypsin: 50 ng; Protease Inhibitor: 500 ng.
Fast Colorimetric Screening: Straightforward 2-hour procedure
Sensitive: Activity can be detected from as low as 2 ng of PC (ex: furin) or facilitated serine protease (ex: HAT)
Specific: Substrate contains entire SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 cleavage sequence and is provden to be the same as real spike protein with tertiary structure in PC cleavage tests. This means the assay is uniquely specific for detecting SARS-CoV-2-S1/S2 cleavage and is suitable for measuring inhibitory effects of various inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2-targeted cleavage PCs
Flexible: Strip-well microplate format for manual or high throughput analysis
Furin/PC Cleavage Activity and Inhibition Measurement Using Biological Samples
Catalog #: D-1007 Illustrated dose-response of Positive Control Enzyme cleavage activity assayed with the CoviDrop™ SARS-CoV-2 Targeted Proprotein Convertase Activity/Inhibition Assay Kit.
Rapid Measurement Process: Procedure can be finished withing 50 mintues
Sensitive: Activity can be detected from as low as 2 ng of PC (ex: furin) or facilitated serine protease
Specific for Cleavage: Substrate contains entire SARS-CoV-2 S1/S2 cleavage sequence and is provden to be the same as real spike protein with tertiary structure in PC cleavage tests. This means the assay is uniquely specific for detecting SARS-CoV-2-S1/S2 cleavage and is suitable for measuring inhibitory effects of various inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2-targeted cleavage PCs
Flexible: Strip-well microplate format for manual or high throughput analysis
Also for researchers interested in further study of the furing cleavage site, see our newest SARS-CoV-2 antibody:
Antibody Type
Antibody Details
Furin Site Blocking Antibody
Catalog #: A-1810 Immunoprecipitation of the SARS-CoV-2 protein containing the S1/S2 boundary furin site by fbAB. SARS-CoV-2 protein containing the S1/S2 boundary furin site or peptide containing the SARS-CoV-2-specific furin motif were added at the indicated amounts to fbAB-coated wells (200 ng/well). 1: SARS-CoV-2 protein containing the S1/S2 boundary furin site; 2: Peptide containing the SARS-CoV-2 specific furin motif.
SARS-CoV-2 Furin Site Blocking Polyclonal Antibody A revolutionary polyclonal antibody targeting the SARS-CoV-2-specific furin motif or cleavage site of SARS-CoV2, instead of directly inhibiting the enzymes.
SARS-CoV-2 Total IgG/IgM and Neutralizing Antibody Measurement Kits
SARS-CoV-2 infection typically induces antibody response. The antibody is able to bind to SARS-CoV-2 spike and only small part of the antibody is with neutralizing function. Only neutralizing antibody is capable of blocking the action of SARS-CoV-2 spike, and inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 virus to infect new cells.
Fig 2.Inhibition of SARS-Cov-2 by neutralizing antibody.
Why It Matters:
Measurement of total SARS-CoV-2 specific IgG/IgM would help to determine if an individual was infected with SARS-Cov-2. However it is more important to detect SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody in a quantitative and high throughput format:
1.) It can help to identify whether the infected individuals with or without symptoms have acquired protective immunity from COVID-19 and how long the neutralizing antibodies persist after infection
2.) It can help to accurately evaluate the therapeutic antibodies against SARS-CoV-2
3.) It would greatly benefit the development of the effective vaccine.
EpiGentek offers two different types of kits to quantitatively measure the amount of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies present in human samples. The first, the SeroFlash SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM ELISA Fast Kit, rapidly measures for the IgG and IgM antibodies of SARS-CoV-2 from plasma or serum sample input. The other, the SeroFlash SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Assay Fast Kit, quickly quantitates the amount of specific SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody from samples including serum, plasma, and various body fluids.
Kit Type
Kit Details
IgG/IgM Antibody Quantification
Catalog #: D-1002 High sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 IgG. Humanized anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG was spike to human serum at different concentration and then detected with SeroFlash™ SARS-CoV-2 IgG ELISA Fast Kit.
Fast: Entire procedure can be completed in less than 45 minutes
High Sensitivity:Detection limit (LoD) can be as low as 0.002 µg/ml SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibody
Specific: Specific for SARS-CoV-2 IgG and IgM, with no cross-reactivity to many other viruses.
Flexible: Strip-well microplate format for manual or high throughput analysis
Neutralizing Antibody Quantification
Catalog #: D-1008 Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2-ACE2 binding by positive neutralizing antibody detected with the SeroFlash™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Assay Fast Kit.
Conveniently Fast: Easy-to-follow procedure can be finished within 50 minutes
Sensitive & Specific: Neutralizing antibody level can be detected from as low as 1 ng and is specific for SARS-CoV-2, which is suitable for identifying whether neutralizing antibody is present in infected individuals and distinguishing SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibody from other antibodies.
Quantitative: Assay standard is included, which allows the neutralizing antibody titer or concentration to be quantified for EC50 calculation.
Flexible: Strip-well microplate format for manual or high throughput analysis
SARS-CoV-2 Spike-ACE2 Binding Activity and Inhibition Assay Kits
Entry of SARS-CoV-2 into human host cells occurs through binding of surface unit S1 of its spike protein to the cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). ACE2 is ubiquitous and widely expressed in the lung, heart, kidney, vessels, brain, gut, and testis at different levels. ACE2 is also mostly bound to cell membranes and normally less present in circulation. It was found that increased ACE2 expression in nasal epithelium and lung is associated with higher rates of SARS-CoV-2 infection and severity of COVID-19, respectively. A new observation indicates that increased ACE2 concentration in circulation may be associated with increased incidence and fatality rate of COVID-19. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 invasion degrades ACE2 on cell membranes and may increase soluble ACE2 concentration in circulation.
Fig 3. SARS-CoV-2 spike-ACE2 receptor binding vs. inhibition and their effect on cell entry.
Why It Matters:
SARS-CoV-2-ACE2 binding activity assay would truly reflect functional ACE2 level in binding to SARS-CoV-2. Such an assay will not only detect the ACE2 binding activity under healthy and diseased conditions but also provide a measurement of ACE2 level change under various experimental interventions, including in vivo ACE2 epigenetic regulation, in vivo and in vitro ACE2 activity inhibition (ex: antibody and small molecule inhibitors) and environmental impact (ex: smoking).
Also due to the complicated SARS-CoV-2-ACE2 interaction under normal (healthy) and abnormal (pre-existing diseases and viral infection) conditions as well as the current COVID-19 pandemic, and its possible resurgence. The inhibitor screening would be highly necessary to help in the development of effective drugs, vaccine, and therapeutic antibodies targeting COVID-19.
Catalog #: D-1004 Illustrated dose-response of SARS-CoV-2-ACE2 binding assayed with the CoviDrop SARS-CoV-2 Spike-ACE2 Binding Inhibitor Screening Fast Kit.
Sensitive & Specific: activity can be detected from as low as 0.1 ng of ACE2 binding and only specific for ACE2
Convenient: Biological samples, including plasma, serum, swab samples, other body fluids, and purified proteins, can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2-ACE2 binding activity/inhibition in vivo and in vitro.
Flexible: Strip-well microplate format for manual or high throughput analysis
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