Scientists have recently discovered a new avenue to understand better the virology of Monkeypox Virus(MPV) and discover new diagnostic tools and potential treatments. MPV, commonly known as Mpox Virus, has caused multiple public health emergencies in the last few years due to its unexpected global spread. Despite this, the modes of transmission as well as symptoms of this virus have remained not fully understood, therefore underlining the need to conduct further research on its virology and more effective diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.

MPV is a double-stranded DNA(dsDNA) virus. Traditional diagnostic methods, like PCR, amplify dsDNA sequences as a means of detecting MPV. However, although PCR can measure amplification with the aid of fluorescent probes, the probes typically cannot distinguish between specific and nonspecific DNA products. This has spurred research into noncanonical nucleic acid structures that are not double helices to be applied in diagnostics.

One such structure is the G-quadruplex (GQ), which forms in guanine (G)-rich DNA sequences. Such GQ structures, consisting of guanine bases that form hydrogen bonds to create planar G-tetrads, are stable and distinct from the usual DNA helix. Scientists from the Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research (JNCASR) have identified highly conserved GQ-forming DNA sequences within the MPV genome. Such sequences, not present in other pox viruses or in the human genome, therefore may offer an interesting target for diagnostics.

Using a BBJL fluorescent small-molecule probe developed by Sumon Pratihar, Ramjayakumar Venkatesh, Mohamed Nabeel Mattath, and Thimmaiah Govindaraju, researchers detected a particular GQ sequence in the MPV genome. The fluorescence of this probe greatly increases upon binding to MPV's GQ sequences, providing an amplification of more than 250 fold in the signal. This is the first time a GQ targeted diagnostic approach has been applied to detect MPV, while prospects of highly reliable diagnostics have improved significantly.

The BBJL probe does not emit fluorescence unless it is bound to the MPV-specific GQ-DNA, making it a highly selective detection approach. It is one significant step forward in the diagnostic platforms and an extension of the researchers' previous work with GQ-targeted techniques for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. In addition, the GQ sequences identified in the MPV genome also represent the virus-specific and novel potential antiviral targets for therapeutic interventions.

The identification and characterization of such GQs hold promise not only for the discovery of accurate detection of MPV but also to help discover potential antiviral therapies. Further, in the process of the ongoing mapping of the MPV genome, it is expected that new GQ targets will be identified for possible use in the treatment process. These developments signify a rapidly rising scope for GQ-targeted diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, which might overcome some of the drawbacks of amplification-based conventional methods and deliver much more accurate information.