With the SensoLyte series of WNV protease assay kits, AnaSpec has introduced the industry's first commercially available assay kits for the detection of West Nile Virus (WNV) protease NS3 inhibitors
While West Nile Virus (WNV) has had significant outbreaks throughout the world since it was first identified, commercially available assay kits for the detection of WNV protease inhibitors had not been developed until now.
West Nile Virus (WNV), from the family Flaviviridae, was first identified in the West Nile district of Uganda in 1937.
WNV outbreaks have been reported in Israel in the 1950s, France in the 1960s and South Africa in the 1970s.
In 1999, the first documented WNV infection in the USA was reported in New York.
The main route of human infection is through infected mosquito bites.
WNV infection can cause severe neurological disease and fatalities in both human and animal hosts.
WNV contains a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA genome, which encodes three structural proteins (capsid (C), membrane (M), envelope (E)), and seven non-structural proteins (NS1, NS2A, NS2B, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5).
NS3 protease is essential (along with viral-encoded cofactor NS2B) for post-translational processing of a viral polypeptide precursor in infected host cells.
This polypeptide provides the structural and functional viral proteins.
Inhibition of its processing could represent a potential treatment for viral infections.
With no effective vaccine or antiviral drug to protect against WNV infection, this protease represents a potentially key target for developing anti-WNV drugs.
The SensoLyte AMC West Nile Virus protease assay kit provides a homogeneous assay for high throughput screening of West Nile Virus protease NS3 inhibitors.
Utilising a fluorogenic peptide, it provides continuous measurement and quantification of protease activity.
Depending on the kit, the peptide generates the AMC (7-amino-4-methylcoumarin) or Tamra fluorophore upon NS3 protease cleavage.
AMC has bright blue fluorescence that can be detected with excitation at 354nm and emission at 442nm.
Tamra has red fluorescence that can be detected with excitation at 541nm and emission at 568nm.
R+D manager Rich Meyer, noted: "AnaSpec is committed to being a leader in the development of novel assay kits for our customers.
"The introduction of our SensoLyte WNV protease assay kits is representative of this dedication to innovation".
There are two available versions of the SensoLyte West Nile Virus Protease Assay Kits: the SensoLyte 440 West Nile Virus protease assay kit, and the SensoLyte 570 West Nile Virus protease assay.
