The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is currently spreading and mutating with increasing speed worldwide. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a simple, sensitive, and high-throughput (HTP) assay to quantify virus–host interactions in order to quickly evaluate the infectious ability of mutant viruses and to develop or validate virus-inhibiting drugs. Here, we developed an ultrasensitive bioluminescent biosensor to evaluate virus–cell interactions by quantifying the interaction between the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD) and its cellular receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) both in living cells and in vitro. We have successfully used this novel biosensor to analyze SARS-CoV-2 RBD mutants and evaluated candidate small molecules (SMs), antibodies, and peptides that may block RBD:ACE2 interaction. This simple, rapid, and HTP biosensor tool will significantly expedite the detection of viral mutants and the anti-COVID-19 drug discovery process.
【저자키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, ACE2, therapeutic drugs, RBD, NanoBiT, bioluminescent biosensor, 【초록키워드】 antibodies, Drug discovery, peptide, drugs, in vitro, angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, Receptor binding domain, small molecule, mutant, Coronavirus-2, Interaction, mutant virus, SARS-CoV-2 RBD, acute respiratory syndrome, cellular receptor, develop, evaluate, significantly, evaluated, living cell, bioluminescent, the SARS-CoV-2, virus–host interaction, 【제목키워드】 biosensor,