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Jia J, Garbarino E, Wang Y, Li J, Song M, Zhang X, Wang X, Li L, Chi J, Cui L, Tang H. Generation of SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain mutants and functional screening for immune evaders using a novel lentivirus-based system. J Med Virol 2024; 96:e29425. [PMID: 38258313 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/12/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
The emergence of rapid and continuous mutations of severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike glycoprotein that increased with the Omicron variant points out the necessity to anticipate such mutations for conceiving specific and adaptable therapies to avoid another pandemic. The crucial target for the antibody treatment and vaccine design is the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike. It is also the site where the virus has shown its high ability to mutate and consequently escape immune response. We developed a robust and simple method for generating a large number of functional SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD mutants by error-prone PCR and a novel nonreplicative lentivirus-based system. We prepared anti-RBD wild type (WT) polyclonal antibodies and used them to screen and select for mutant libraries that escape inhibition of virion entry into recipient cells expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and transmembrane serine protease 2. We isolated, cloned, and sequenced six mutants totally bearing nine mutation sites. Eight mutations were found in successive WT variants, including Omicron and other recombinants, whereas one is novel. These results, together with the detailed functional analyses of two mutants provided the proof of concept for our approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junli Jia
- Department of Immunology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Emanuela Garbarino
- Department of Immunology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yuhang Wang
- Department of Immunology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- Department of Blood Transfusion, Children's Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jiaming Li
- Department of Immunology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Minmin Song
- Department of Immunology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xin Zhang
- Department of Immunology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xinjie Wang
- Department of Immunology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Lingyun Li
- Department of Medical Genetics, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jing Chi
- Department of Microbiological Laboratory, Baoan District Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Shenzhen, China
| | - Lunbiao Cui
- National Health Commission (NHC) Key Laboratory of Enteric Pathogenic Microbiology, Jiangsu Provincial Medical Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology in Emerging Major Infectious Diseases, Jiangsu Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Nanjing, China
| | - Huamin Tang
- Department of Immunology, National Vaccine Innovation Platform, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
- The Laboratory Center for Basic Medical Sciences, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Subramoney K, Mtileni N, Davis A, Giandhari J, Tegally H, Wilkinson E, Naidoo Y, Ramphal Y, Pillay S, Ramphal U, Simane A, Reddy B, Mashishi B, Mbenenge N, de Oliveira T, Fielding BC, Treurnicht FK. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein diversity at an intra-host level, among SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals in South Africa, 2020 to 2022. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0286373. [PMID: 37253027 PMCID: PMC10228762 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Intra-host diversity studies are used to characterise the mutational heterogeneity of SARS-CoV-2 infections in order to understand the impact of virus-host adaptations. This study investigated the frequency and diversity of the spike (S) protein mutations within SARS-CoV-2 infected South African individuals. The study included SARS-CoV-2 respiratory samples, from individuals of all ages, received at the National Health Laboratory Service at Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic hospital, Gauteng, South Africa, from June 2020 to May 2022. Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assays and whole genome sequencing were performed on a random selection of SARS-CoV-2 positive samples. The allele frequency (AF) was determined using TaqMan Genotyper software for SNP PCR analysis and galaxy.eu for analysis of FASTQ reads from sequencing. The SNP assays identified 5.3% (50/948) of Delta cases with heterogeneity at delY144 (4%; 2/50), E484Q (6%; 3/50), N501Y (2%; 1/50) and P681H (88%; 44/50), however only heterogeneity for E484Q and delY144 were confirmed by sequencing. From sequencing we identified 9% (210/2381) of cases with Beta, Delta, Omicron BA.1, BA.2.15, and BA.4 lineages that had heterogeneity in the S protein. Heterogeneity was primarily identified at positions 19 (1.4%) with T19IR (AF 0.2-0.7), 371 (92.3%) with S371FP (AF 0.1-1.0), and 484 (1.9%) with E484AK (0.2-0.7), E484AQ (AF 0.4-0.5) and E484KQ (AF 0.1-0.4). Mutations at heterozygous amino acid positions 19, 371 and 484 are known antibody escape mutations, however the impact of the combination of multiple substitutions identified at the same position is unknown. Therefore, we hypothesise that intra-host SARS-CoV-2 quasispecies with heterogeneity in the S protein facilitate competitive advantage of variants that can completely/partially evade host's natural and vaccine-induced immune responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathleen Subramoney
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nkhensani Mtileni
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Ashlyn Davis
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Jennifer Giandhari
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Houriiyah Tegally
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Eduan Wilkinson
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Yeshnee Naidoo
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Yajna Ramphal
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Sureshnee Pillay
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Upasana Ramphal
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
| | - Andiswa Simane
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Bhaveshan Reddy
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Bonolo Mashishi
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Nonhlanhla Mbenenge
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Tulio de Oliveira
- KwaZulu-Natal Research Innovation and Sequencing Platform (KRISP), Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
- Centre for Epidemic Response and Innovation (CERI), School of Data Science and Computational Thinking, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa
| | - Burtram C. Fielding
- Molecular Biology and Virology Research Laboratory, Department of Medical BioSciences, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Florette K. Treurnicht
- School of Pathology, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Virology, National Health Laboratory Service, Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa
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Akaishi T, Fujiwara K. Insertion and deletion mutations preserved in SARS-CoV-2 variants. Arch Microbiol 2023; 205:154. [PMID: 37000302 PMCID: PMC10064622 DOI: 10.1007/s00203-023-03493-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/24/2023] [Revised: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 03/18/2023] [Indexed: 04/01/2023]
Abstract
The insertion/deletion (indel) mutation profiles of SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Omicron, remain unclear. We compared whole-genome sequences from various lineages and used preserved indels to infer the ancestral relationships between different lineages. Thirteen indel patterns from twelve sites were seen in ≥ 2 sequences; six of these sites were located in the N-terminal domain of the viral spike gene. Preserved indels in the coding regions were also identified in the non-structural protein 3 (Nsp3), Nsp6, and nucleocapsid genes. Seven of the thirteen indel patterns were specific to the Omicron variants, four of which were observed in BA.1, making it the most mutated variant. Other preserved indels observed in the Omicron variants were also seen in Alpha and/or Gamma, but not Delta, suggesting that Omicron is phylogenetically more proximal to Alpha. We demonstrated distinct profiles of preserved indels among SARS-CoV-2 variants and sublineages, suggesting the importance of indels in viral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tetsuya Akaishi
- Department of Education and Support for Regional Medicine, Tohoku University, Seiryo-Machi 1-1, Aoba-Ku, Sendai, Miyagi, 980-8574, Japan.
- COVID-19 Testing Center, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
| | - Kei Fujiwara
- Department of Gastroenterology and Metabolism, Nagoya City University, Nagoya, Japan
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Tomaszewski T, Ali MA, Caetano-Anollés K, Caetano-Anollés G. Seasonal effects decouple SARS-CoV-2 haplotypes worldwide. F1000Res 2023; 12:267. [PMID: 37069849 PMCID: PMC10105261 DOI: 10.12688/f1000research.131522.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Variants of concern (VOCs) have been replacing each other during the still rampant COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, SARS-CoV-2 populations have evolved increasingly intricate constellations of mutations that often enhance transmissibility, disease severity, and other epidemiological characteristics. The origin and evolution of these constellations remain puzzling. Methods: Here we study the evolution of VOCs at the proteome level by analyzing about 12 million genomic sequences retrieved from GISAID on July 23, 2022. A total 183,276 mutations were identified and filtered with a relevancy heuristic. The prevalence of haplotypes and free-standing mutations was then tracked monthly in various latitude corridors of the world. Results: A chronology of 22 haplotypes defined three phases driven by protein flexibility-rigidity, environmental sensing, and immune escape. A network of haplotypes illustrated the recruitment and coalescence of mutations into major VOC constellations and seasonal effects of decoupling and loss. Protein interaction networks mediated by haplotypes predicted communications impacting the structure and function of proteins, showing the increasingly central role of molecular interactions involving the spike (S), nucleocapsid (N), and membrane (M) proteins. Haplotype markers either affected fusogenic regions while spreading along the sequence of the S-protein or clustered around binding domains. Modeling of protein structure with AlphaFold2 showed that VOC Omicron and one of its haplotypes were major contributors to the distortion of the M-protein endodomain, which behaves as a receptor of other structural proteins during virion assembly. Remarkably, VOC constellations acted cooperatively to balance the more extreme effects of individual haplotypes. Conclusions: Our study uncovers seasonal patterns of emergence and diversification occurring amid a highly dynamic evolutionary landscape of bursts and waves. The mapping of genetically-linked mutations to structures that sense environmental change with powerful ab initio modeling tools demonstrates the potential of deep-learning for COVID-19 predictive intelligence and therapeutic intervention.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tre Tomaszewski
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | - Muhammad Asif Ali
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
| | | | - Gustavo Caetano-Anollés
- Department of Crop Sciences, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
- C. R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, Illinois, 61801, USA
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Immune Escape Associated with RBD Omicron Mutations and SARS-CoV-2 Evolution Dynamics. Viruses 2022; 14:v14081603. [PMID: 35893668 PMCID: PMC9394476 DOI: 10.3390/v14081603] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Revised: 07/19/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution and the emergence of new mutations of viruses affect their transmissibility and/or pathogenicity features, depending on different evolutionary scenarios of virus adaptation to the host. A typical trade-off scenario of SARS-CoV-2 evolution has been proposed, which leads to the appearance of an Omicron strain with lowered lethality, yet enhanced transmissibility. This direction of evolution might be partly explained by virus adaptation to therapeutic agents and enhanced escape from vaccine-induced and natural immunity formed by other SARS-CoV-2 strains. Omicron’s high mutation rate in the Spike protein, as well as its previously described high genome mutation rate (Kandeel et al., 2021), revealed a gap between it and other SARS-CoV-2 strains, indicating the absence of a transitional evolutionary form to the Omicron strain. Therefore, Omicron has emerged as a new serotype divergent from the evolutionary lineage of other SARS-CoV-2 strains. Omicron is a rapidly evolving variant of high concern, whose new subvariants continue to manifest. Its further understanding and the further monitoring of key mutations that provide virus immune escape and/or high affinity towards the receptor could be useful for vaccine and therapeutic development in order to control the evolutionary direction of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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