Specific detection of Shigella sonnei by enzyme-linked aptamer sedimentation assay

Development of potent new anti-Shigella agents for rapid and specific detection and treatment is of great importance. Aptamers, nucleic acid oligomers capable of specific binding to a wide range of non-nucleic acid targets, may be of value for this purpose. In the present study, we used a Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential enrichment (SELEX) process to select DNA aptamers that bind to whole S. sonnei cells. The resulting aptamers exhibited specificity in binding only to S. sonnei cells. Five unique DNA sequences were isolated from the aptamer cocktail by cloning, among which ASA4 showed the highest affinity.