1
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Pan S, Mou C, Chen Z. Red recombination enables a wide variety of markerless manipulation of porcine epidemic diarrhea virus genome to generate recombinant virus. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 13:1338740. [PMID: 38317792 PMCID: PMC10839022 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2023.1338740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024] Open
Abstract
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a member of the genera Alphacoronavirus that has been associated with acute watery diarrhea and vomiting in swine. Unfortunately, no effective vaccines and antiviral drugs for PEDV are currently available. Reverse genetics systems are crucial tools for these researches. Here, a PEDV full-length cDNA clone was constructed. Furtherly, three PEDV reporter virus plasmids containing red fluorescent protein (RFP), Nano luciferase (Nluc), or green fluorescence protein (GFP) were generated using Red recombination with the GS1783 E. coli strain. These reporter-expressing recombinant (r) PEDVs showed similar growth properties to the rPEDV, and the foreign genes were stable to culture up to P9 in Vero cells. Using the Nluc-expressing rPEDV, the replication of PEDV was easily quantified, and a platform for rapid anti-PEDV drug screening was constructed. Among the three drugs, Bergenin, Umifenovir hydrochloride (Arbidol), and Ganoderma lucidum triterpenoids (GLTs), we found that GLTs inhibited PEDV replication mainly after the stage of virus "Entry". Overall, this study will broaden insight into the method for manipulating the PEDV genome and provide a powerful tool for screening anti-PEDV agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuonan Pan
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Chunxiao Mou
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Zoonosis, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
| | - Zhenhai Chen
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Jiangsu Co-Innovation Center for Prevention and Control of Important Animal Infectious Diseases and Zoonoses, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
- Joint International Research Laboratory of Agriculture and Agri-Product Safety, the Ministry of Education of China, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou, China
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2
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Chiem K, Nogales A, Almazán F, Ye C, Martínez-Sobrido L. Bacterial Artificial Chromosome Reverse Genetics Approaches for SARS-CoV-2. Methods Mol Biol 2024; 2733:133-153. [PMID: 38064031 DOI: 10.1007/978-1-0716-3533-9_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new member of the Coronaviridae family responsible for the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) pandemic. To date, SARS-CoV-2 has been accountable for over 624 million infection cases and more than 6.5 million human deaths. The development and implementation of SARS-CoV-2 reverse genetics approaches have allowed researchers to genetically engineer infectious recombinant (r)SARS-CoV-2 to answer important questions in the biology of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Reverse genetics techniques have also facilitated the generation of rSARS-CoV-2 expressing reporter genes to expedite the identification of compounds with antiviral activity in vivo and in vitro. Likewise, reverse genetics has been used to generate attenuated forms of the virus for their potential implementation as live-attenuated vaccines (LAV) for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Here we describe the experimental procedures for the generation of rSARS-CoV-2 using a well-established and robust bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based reverse genetics system. The protocol allows to produce wild-type and mutant rSARS-CoV-2 that can be used to understand the contribution of viral proteins and/or amino acid residues in viral replication and transcription, pathogenesis and transmission, and interaction with cellular host factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Chiem
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA
| | - Aitor Nogales
- Centro de Investigación en Sanidad Animal (CISA-INIA/CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | - Fernando Almazán
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB), CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Chengjin Ye
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, USA.
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3
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Cai HL, Huang YW. Reverse genetics systems for SARS-CoV-2: Development and applications. Virol Sin 2023; 38:837-850. [PMID: 37832720 PMCID: PMC10786661 DOI: 10.1016/j.virs.2023.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 10/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused serious harm to human health and struck a blow to global economic development. Research on SARS-CoV-2 has greatly benefited from the use of reverse genetics systems, which have been established to artificially manipulate the viral genome, generating recombinant and reporter infectious viruses or biosafety level 2 (BSL-2)-adapted non-infectious replicons with desired modifications. These tools have been instrumental in studying the molecular biological characteristics of the virus, investigating antiviral therapeutics, and facilitating the development of attenuated vaccine candidates. Here, we review the construction strategies, development, and applications of reverse genetics systems for SARS-CoV-2, which may be applied to other CoVs as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hou-Li Cai
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China
| | - Yao-Wei Huang
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058, China; State Key Laboratory for Animal Disease Control and Prevention, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China; Guangdong Laboratory for Lingnan Modern Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, 510642, China.
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4
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Davies KA, Welch SR, Jain S, Sorvillo TE, Coleman-McCray JD, Montgomery JM, Spiropoulou CF, Albariño C, Spengler JR. Fluorescent and Bioluminescent Reporter Mouse-Adapted Ebola Viruses Maintain Pathogenicity and Can Be Visualized in Vivo. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:S536-S547. [PMID: 37145895 PMCID: PMC11014640 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad136] [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: 03/04/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/29/2023] [Indexed: 05/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Ebola virus (EBOV) causes lethal disease in humans but not in mice. Here, we generated recombinant mouse-adapted (MA) EBOVs, including 1 based on the previously reported serially adapted strain (rMA-EBOV), along with single-reporter rMA-EBOVs expressing either fluorescent (ZsGreen1 [ZsG]) or bioluminescent (nano-luciferase [nLuc]) reporters, and dual-reporter rMA-EBOVs expressing both ZsG and nLuc. No detriment to viral growth in vitro was seen with inclusion of MA-associated mutations or reporter proteins. In CD-1 mice, infection with MA-EBOV, rMA-EBOV, and single-reporter rMA-EBOVs conferred 100% lethality; infection with dual-reporter rMA-EBOV resulted in 73% lethality. Bioluminescent signal from rMA-EBOV expressing nLuc was detected in vivo and ex vivo using the IVIS Spectrum CT. Fluorescent signal from rMA-EBOV expressing ZsG was detected in situ using handheld blue-light transillumination and ex vivo through epi-illumination with the IVIS Spectrum CT. These data support the use of reporter MA-EBOV for studies of Ebola virus in animal disease models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine A Davies
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Stephen R Welch
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Shilpi Jain
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Teresa E Sorvillo
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - JoAnn D Coleman-McCray
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Joel M Montgomery
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Christina F Spiropoulou
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - César Albariño
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
| | - Jessica R Spengler
- Viral Special Pathogens Branch, Division of High-Consequence Pathogens and Pathology, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Georgia
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5
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Ye C, Park JG, Chiem K, Dravid P, Allué-Guardia A, Garcia-Vilanova A, Pino Tamayo P, Shivanna V, Kapoor A, Walter MR, Kobie JJ, Plemper RK, Torrelles JB, Martinez-Sobrido L. Immunization with Recombinant Accessory Protein-Deficient SARS-CoV-2 Protects against Lethal Challenge and Viral Transmission. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0065323. [PMID: 37191507 PMCID: PMC10269623 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00653-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite the high efficacy of the authorized vaccines, there may be uncertain and unknown side effects or disadvantages associated with current vaccination approaches. Live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) have been shown to elicit robust and long-term protection by the induction of host innate and adaptive immune responses. In this study, we sought to verify an attenuation strategy by generating 3 double open reading frame (ORF)-deficient recombinant SARS-CoV-2s (rSARS-CoV-2s) simultaneously lacking two accessory ORF proteins (ORF3a/ORF6, ORF3a/ORF7a, and ORF3a/ORF7b). We report that these double ORF-deficient rSARS-CoV-2s have slower replication kinetics and reduced fitness in cultured cells compared with their parental wild-type (WT) counterpart. Importantly, these double ORF-deficient rSARS-CoV-2s showed attenuation in both K18 hACE2 transgenic mice and golden Syrian hamsters. A single intranasal dose vaccination induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 and some variants of concern and activated viral component-specific T cell responses. Notably, double ORF-deficient rSARS-CoV-2s were able to protect, as determined by the inhibition of viral replication, shedding, and transmission, against challenge with SARS-CoV-2 in both K18 hACE2 mice and golden Syrian hamsters. Collectively, our results demonstrate the feasibility of implementing the double ORF-deficient strategy to develop safe, immunogenic, and protective LAVs to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated COVID-19. IMPORTANCE Live-attenuated vaccines (LAVs) are able to induce robust immune responses, including both humoral and cellular immunity, representing a very promising option to provide broad and long-term immunity. To develop LAVs for SARS-CoV-2, we engineered attenuated recombinant SARS-CoV-2 (rSARS-CoV-2) that simultaneously lacks the viral open reading frame 3a (ORF3a) in combination with either ORF6, ORF7a, or ORF7b (Δ3a/Δ6, Δ3a/Δ7a, and Δ3a/Δ7b, respectively) proteins. Among them, the rSARS-CoV-2 Δ3a/Δ7b was completely attenuated and able to provide 100% protection against an otherwise lethal challenge in K18 hACE2 transgenic mice. Moreover, the rSARS-CoV-2 Δ3a/Δ7b conferred protection against viral transmission between golden Syrian hamsters.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengjin Ye
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, and Population Health Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Jun-Gyu Park
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, and Population Health Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Kevin Chiem
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, and Population Health Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Piyush Dravid
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Anna Allué-Guardia
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, and Population Health Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Andreu Garcia-Vilanova
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, and Population Health Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Paula Pino Tamayo
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, and Population Health Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Vinay Shivanna
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, and Population Health Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Amit Kapoor
- Center for Vaccines and Immunity, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio, USA
| | - Mark R. Walter
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - James J. Kobie
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Richard K. Plemper
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Jordi B. Torrelles
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, and Population Health Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Luis Martinez-Sobrido
- Disease Intervention and Prevention, and Population Health Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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6
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Gattinger P, Ohradanova-Repic A, Valenta R. Importance, Applications and Features of Assays Measuring SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibodies. Int J Mol Sci 2023; 24:ijms24065352. [PMID: 36982424 PMCID: PMC10048970 DOI: 10.3390/ijms24065352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
More than three years ago, the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) caused the unforeseen COVID-19 pandemic with millions of deaths. In the meantime, SARS-CoV-2 has become endemic and is now part of the repertoire of viruses causing seasonal severe respiratory infections. Due to several factors, among them the development of SARS-CoV-2 immunity through natural infection, vaccination and the current dominance of seemingly less pathogenic strains belonging to the omicron lineage, the COVID-19 situation has stabilized. However, several challenges remain and the possible new occurrence of highly pathogenic variants remains a threat. Here we review the development, features and importance of assays measuring SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (NAbs). In particular we focus on in vitro infection assays and molecular interaction assays studying the binding of the receptor binding domain (RBD) with its cognate cellular receptor ACE2. These assays, but not the measurement of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies per se, can inform us of whether antibodies produced by convalescent or vaccinated subjects may protect against the infection and thus have the potential to predict the risk of becoming newly infected. This information is extremely important given the fact that a considerable number of subjects, in particular vulnerable persons, respond poorly to the vaccination with the production of neutralizing antibodies. Furthermore, these assays allow to determine and evaluate the virus-neutralizing capacity of antibodies induced by vaccines and administration of plasma-, immunoglobulin preparations, monoclonal antibodies, ACE2 variants or synthetic compounds to be used for therapy of COVID-19 and assist in the preclinical evaluation of vaccines. Both types of assays can be relatively quickly adapted to newly emerging virus variants to inform us about the magnitude of cross-neutralization, which may even allow us to estimate the risk of becoming infected by newly appearing virus variants. Given the paramount importance of the infection and interaction assays we discuss their specific features, possible advantages and disadvantages, technical aspects and not yet fully resolved issues, such as cut-off levels predicting the degree of in vivo protection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pia Gattinger
- Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Ohradanova-Repic
- Institute for Hygiene and Applied Immunology, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudolf Valenta
- Department of Pathophysiology and Allergy Research, Center for Pathophysiology, Infectiology and Immunology, Medical University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Karl Landsteiner University, 3500 Krems an der Donau, Austria
- Laboratory for Immunopathology, Department of Clinical Immunology and Allergology, Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, 119435 Moscow, Russia
- NRC Institute of Immunology FMBA of Russia, 115478 Moscow, Russia
- Correspondence:
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7
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Ye C, Martinez-Sobrido L. Use of a Bacterial Artificial Chromosome to Generate Recombinant SARS-CoV-2 Expressing Robust Levels of Reporter Genes. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0273222. [PMID: 36342302 PMCID: PMC9769592 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02732-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Reporter-expressing recombinant virus represents an excellent option and a powerful tool to investigate, among others, viral infection, pathogenicity, and transmission, as well as to identify therapeutic compounds that inhibit viral infection and prophylactic vaccines. To combat the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, we have established a robust bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based reverse genetics (RG) system to rapidly generate recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (rSARS-CoV-2) to study the contribution of viral proteins in viral pathogenesis. In addition, we have engineered reporter-expressing recombinant viruses in which we placed the reporter genes upstream of the viral nucleocapsid (N) gene to promote high levels of reporter gene expression, which facilitates the study of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in vivo. To date, we have shared our BAC-based RG system with more than 100 laboratories around the world, which has helped to expedite investigations with SARS-CoV-2. However, genetic manipulation of the BAC containing the entire SARS-CoV-2 genome (~30,000 nt) is challenging. Herein, we provide the technical details to engineer rSARS-CoV-2 using the BAC-based RG approach. We describe (i) assembly of the full-length (FL) SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences into the empty pBeloBAC, (ii) verification of pBeloBAC-FL, (iii) cloning of a Venus reporter gene into pBeloBAC-FL, and (iv) recovery of the Venus-expressing rSARS-CoV-2. By following this protocol, researchers with knowledge of basic molecular biology and gene engineering techniques will be able to generate wild-type (WT) and reporter-expressing rSARS-CoV-2. IMPORTANCE We have established a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC)-based RG system to generate recombinant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (rSARS-CoV-2) and to engineer reporter-expressing recombinant viruses to assess viral infection in vitro and in vivo. To date, we have shared our BAC-based RG system with more than 100 laboratories around the world, which has helped to expedite investigations with SARS-CoV-2. However, genetic manipulation of the BAC containing the full-length SARS-CoV-2 genome of ~30,000 nucleotides is challenging. Here, we provide all the detailed experimental steps required for the successful generation of wild-type (WT) recombinant SARS-CoV-2 (rSARS-CoV-2). Likewise, we provide a comprehensive protocol on how to generate and rescue rSARS-CoV-2 expressing high levels of a Venus fluorescent reporter gene from the locus of the viral nucleocapsid (N) protein. By following these protocols, researchers with basic knowledge in molecular biology will be able to generate WT and Venus-expressing rSARS-CoV-2 within 40 days.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengjin Ye
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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8
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Chiem K, Park JG, Morales Vasquez D, Plemper RK, Torrelles JB, Kobie JJ, Walter MR, Ye C, Martinez-Sobrido L. Monitoring SARS-CoV-2 Infection Using a Double Reporter-Expressing Virus. Microbiol Spectr 2022; 10:e0237922. [PMID: 35980204 PMCID: PMC9603146 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02379-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/02/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the highly contagious agent responsible for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. An essential requirement for understanding SARS-CoV-2 biology and the impact of antiviral therapeutics is a robust method to detect the presence of the virus in infected cells or animal models. Despite the development and successful generation of recombinant (r)SARS-CoV-2-expressing fluorescent or luciferase reporter genes, knowledge acquired from their use in in vitro assays and/or in live animals is limited to the properties of the fluorescent or luciferase reporter genes. Herein, for the first time, we engineered a replication-competent rSARS-CoV-2 that expresses both fluorescent (mCherry) and luciferase (Nluc) reporter genes (rSARS-CoV-2/mCherry-Nluc) to overcome limitations associated with the use of a single reporter gene. In cultured cells, rSARS-CoV-2/mCherry-Nluc displayed similar viral fitness as rSARS-CoV-2 expressing single reporter fluorescent and luciferase genes (rSARS-CoV-2/mCherry and rSARS-CoV-2/Nluc, respectively) or wild-type (WT) rSARS-CoV-2, while maintaining comparable expression levels of both reporter genes. In vivo, rSARS-CoV-2/mCherry-Nluc has similar pathogenicity in K18 human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) transgenic mice than rSARS-CoV-2 expressing individual reporter genes or WT rSARS-CoV-2. Importantly, rSARS-CoV-2/mCherry-Nluc facilitates the assessment of viral infection and transmission in golden Syrian hamsters using in vivo imaging systems (IVIS). Altogether, this study demonstrates the feasibility of using this novel bioreporter-expressing rSARS-CoV-2 for the study of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and in vivo. IMPORTANCE Despite the availability of vaccines and antivirals, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to ravage health care institutions worldwide. Previously, we generated replication-competent recombinant (r)SARS-CoV-2 expressing fluorescent or luciferase reporter proteins to track viral infection in vitro and/or in vivo. However, these rSARS-CoV-2 are restricted to express only a single fluorescent or a luciferase reporter gene, limiting or preventing their use in specific in vitro assays and/or in vivo studies. To overcome this limitation, we have engineered a rSARS-CoV-2 expressing both fluorescent (mCherry) and luciferase (Nluc) genes and demonstrated its feasibility to study the biology of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and/or in vivo, including the identification and characterization of neutralizing antibodies and/or antivirals. Using rodent models, we visualized SARS-CoV-2 infection and transmission through in vivo imaging systems (IVIS).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin Chiem
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Jun-Gyu Park
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | | | - Richard K. Plemper
- Center for Translational Antiviral Research, Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | | | - James J. Kobie
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Mark R. Walter
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Chengjin Ye
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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9
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Piepenbrink MS, Park JG, Deshpande A, Loos A, Ye C, Basu M, Sarkar S, Khalil AM, Chauvin D, Woo J, Lovalenti P, Erdmann NB, Goepfert PA, Truong VL, Bowen RA, Walter MR, Martinez-Sobrido L, Kobie JJ. Potent universal beta-coronavirus therapeutic activity mediated by direct respiratory administration of a Spike S2 domain-specific human neutralizing monoclonal antibody. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010691. [PMID: 35862475 PMCID: PMC9302814 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010691] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) marks the third novel β-coronavirus to cause significant human mortality in the last two decades. Although vaccines are available, too few have been administered worldwide to keep the virus in check and to prevent mutations leading to immune escape. To determine if antibodies could be identified with universal coronavirus activity, plasma from convalescent subjects was screened for IgG against a stabilized pre-fusion SARS-CoV-2 spike S2 domain, which is highly conserved between human β-coronavirus. From these subjects, several S2-specific human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs) were developed that neutralized SARS-CoV-2 with recognition of all variants of concern (VoC) tested (Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Omicron). The hmAb 1249A8 emerged as the most potent and broad hmAb, able to recognize all human β-coronavirus and neutralize SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. 1249A8 demonstrated significant prophylactic activity in K18 hACE2 mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 lineage A and lineage B Beta, and Omicron VoC. 1249A8 delivered as a single 4 mg/kg intranasal (i.n.) dose to hamsters 12 hours following infection with SARS-CoV-2 Delta protected them from weight loss, with therapeutic activity further enhanced when combined with 1213H7, an S1-specific neutralizing hmAb. As little as 2 mg/kg of 1249A8 i.n. dose 12 hours following infection with SARS-CoV Urbani strain, protected hamsters from weight loss and significantly reduced upper and lower respiratory viral burden. These results indicate in vivo cooperativity between S1 and S2 specific neutralizing hmAbs and that potent universal coronavirus neutralizing mAbs with therapeutic potential can be induced in humans and can guide universal coronavirus vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael S. Piepenbrink
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Jun-Gyu Park
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Ashlesha Deshpande
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Andreas Loos
- Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Los Gatos, California, United States of America
| | - Chengjin Ye
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - Madhubanti Basu
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Sanghita Sarkar
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Ahmed Magdy Khalil
- Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, Texas, United States of America
| | - David Chauvin
- Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Los Gatos, California, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Woo
- Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Los Gatos, California, United States of America
| | - Philip Lovalenti
- Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Los Gatos, California, United States of America
| | - Nathaniel B. Erdmann
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Paul A. Goepfert
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | - Vu L. Truong
- Aridis Pharmaceuticals Inc., Los Gatos, California, United States of America
| | - Richard A. Bowen
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Mark R. Walter
- Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
| | | | - James J. Kobie
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama, United States of America
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10
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Ye C, Park JG, Chiem K, Dravid P, Allué-Guardia A, Garcia-Vilanova A, Kapoor A, Walter MR, Kobie JJ, Plemper RK, Torrelles JB, Martinez-Sobrido L. Immunization with recombinant accessory protein-deficient SARS-CoV-2 protects against lethal challenge and viral transmission. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.03.13.484172. [PMID: 35313573 PMCID: PMC8936109 DOI: 10.1101/2022.03.13.484172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/27/2023]
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to a worldwide Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. Despite high efficacy of the authorized vaccines, protection against the surging variants of concern (VoC) was less robust. Live-attenuated vaccines (LAV) have been shown to elicit robust and long-term protection by induction of host innate and adaptive immune responses. We sought to develop a COVID-19 LAV by generating 3 double open reading frame (ORF)-deficient recombinant (r)SARS-CoV-2 simultaneously lacking two accessory open reading frame (ORF) proteins (ORF3a/ORF6, ORF3a/ORF7a, and ORF3a/ORF7b). Here, we report that these double ORF-deficient rSARS-CoV-2 have slower replication kinetics and reduced fitness in cultured cells as compared to their parental wild-type (WT) counterpart. Importantly, these double ORF-deficient rSARS-CoV-2 showed attenuation in both K18 hACE2 transgenic mice and golden Syrian hamsters. A single intranasal dose vaccination induced high levels of neutralizing antibodies against different SARS-CoV-2 VoC, and also activated viral component-specific T-cell responses. Notably, the double ORF-deficient rSARS-CoV-2 were able to protect, as determined by inhibition of viral replication, shedding, and transmission, against challenge with SARS-CoV-2. Collectively, our results demonstrate the feasibility to implement these double ORF-deficient rSARS-CoV-2 as safe, stable, immunogenic and protective LAV for the prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated COVID-19 disease.
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Piepenbrink MS, Park JG, Desphande A, Loos A, Ye C, Basu M, Sarkar S, Chauvin D, Woo J, Lovalenti P, Erdmann NB, Goepfert PA, Truong VL, Bowen RA, Walter MR, Martinez-Sobrido L, Kobie JJ. Potent universal-coronavirus therapeutic activity mediated by direct respiratory administration of a Spike S2 domain-specific human neutralizing monoclonal antibody. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022. [PMID: 35291292 DOI: 10.1101/2022.03.05.483133] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) marks the third novel β-coronavirus to cause significant human mortality in the last two decades. Although vaccines are available, too few have been administered worldwide to keep the virus in check and to prevent mutations leading to immune escape. To determine if antibodies could be identified with universal coronavirus activity, plasma from convalescent subjects was screened for IgG against a stabilized pre-fusion SARS-CoV-2 spike S2 domain, which is highly conserved between human β-coronavirus. From these subjects, several S2-specific human monoclonal antibodies (hmAbs) were developed that neutralized SARS-CoV-2 with recognition of all variants of concern (VoC) tested (Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, and Omicron). The hmAb 1249A8 emerged as the most potent and broad hmAb, able to recognize all human β-coronavirus and neutralize SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV. 1249A8 demonstrated significant prophylactic activity in K18 hACE2 mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 lineage A and lineage B Beta, and Omicron VoC. 1249A8 delivered as a single 4 mg/kg intranasal (i.n.) dose to hamsters 12 hours following infection with SARS-CoV-2 Delta protected them from weight loss, with therapeutic activity further enhanced when combined with 1213H7, an S1-specific neutralizing hmAb. As little as 2 mg/kg of 1249A8 i.n. dose 12 hours following infection with SARS-CoV Urbani strain, protected hamsters from weight loss and significantly reduced upper and lower respiratory viral burden. These results indicate in vivo cooperativity between S1 and S2 specific neutralizing hmAbs and that potent universal coronavirus neutralizing mAbs with therapeutic potential can be induced in humans and can guide universal coronavirus vaccine development.
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