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Castanha PMS, McEnaney PJ, Park Y, Bouwer A, Chaves EJF, Lins RD, Paciaroni NG, Dickson P, Carlson G, Cordeiro MT, Magalhaes T, Craigo J, Marques ETA, Kodadek T, Burke DS. Identification and characterization of a nonbiological small-molecular mimic of a Zika virus conformational neutralizing epitope. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2312755121. [PMID: 38743628 PMCID: PMC11127016 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2312755121] [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: 08/19/2023] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024] Open
Abstract
Antigenic similarities between Zika virus (ZIKV) and other flaviviruses pose challenges to the development of virus-specific diagnostic tools and effective vaccines. Starting with a DNA-encoded one-bead-one-compound combinatorial library of 508,032 synthetic, non-natural oligomers, we selected and characterized small molecules that mimic ZIKV epitopes. High-throughput fluorescence-activated cell sorter-based bead screening was used to select molecules that bound IgG from ZIKV-immune but not from dengue-immune sera. Deep sequencing of the DNA from the "Zika-only" beads identified 40 candidate molecular structures. A lead candidate small molecule "CZV1-1" was selected that correctly identifies serum specimens from Zika-experienced patients with good sensitivity and specificity (85.3% and 98.4%, respectively). Binding competition studies of purified anti-CZV1-1 IgG against known ZIKV-specific monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) showed that CZV1-1 mimics a nonlinear, neutralizing conformational epitope in the domain III of the ZIKV envelope. Purified anti-CZV1-1 IgG neutralized infection of ZIKV in cell cultures with potencies comparable to highly specific ZIKV-neutralizing mAbs. This study demonstrates an innovative approach for identification of synthetic non-natural molecular mimics of conformational virus epitopes. Such molecular mimics may have value in the development of accurate diagnostic assays for Zika, as well as for other viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priscila M. S. Castanha
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15261
| | - Patrick J. McEnaney
- Department of Chemistry, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL33458
| | - Yongseok Park
- Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15261
| | - Anthea Bouwer
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15219
| | - Elton J. F. Chaves
- Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhaes Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Cidade Universitearia, Recife, Pernambuco50740-465, Brazil
| | - Roberto D. Lins
- Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhaes Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Cidade Universitearia, Recife, Pernambuco50740-465, Brazil
| | | | - Paige Dickson
- Department of Chemistry, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL33458
| | | | - Marli T. Cordeiro
- Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhaes Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Cidade Universitearia, Recife, Pernambuco50740-465, Brazil
| | - Tereza Magalhaes
- Department of Entomology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX77843
- Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, School of Medicine, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Bahia40026-010, Brazil
| | - Jodi Craigo
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, School of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15219
| | - Ernesto T. A. Marques
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15261
- Department of Virology, Aggeu Magalhaes Institute, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, Cidade Universitearia, Recife, Pernambuco50740-465, Brazil
| | - Thomas Kodadek
- Department of Chemistry, The Herbert Wertheim University of Florida Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation and Technology, Jupiter, FL33458
| | - Donald S. Burke
- Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA15261
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Salamango DJ. Finally neutralizing the threat? A novel SARS-CoV-2 vaccine platform that elicits enhanced neutralizing antibody responses. mBio 2024; 15:e0006724. [PMID: 38407097 PMCID: PMC11005347 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.00067-24] [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] [Indexed: 02/27/2024] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak took the world by storm due to its rapid global spread and unpredictable disease outcomes. The extraordinary ascension of SARS-CoV-2 to pandemic status motivated a world-wide effort to rapidly develop vaccines that could effectively suppress virus spread and mitigate severe disease. These efforts culminated in the development and deployment of several highly effective vaccines that were heralded as the beginning-of-the-end of the pandemic. However, these successes were short lived due to the unexpected and continuous emergence of more transmissible and immune-evasive SARS-CoV-2 variants. Thus, attention has shifted toward developing novel vaccine platforms that elicit more robust and sustained neutralizing antibody responses. Recent findings by Muñoz-Alía and colleagues address this by combining a live recombinant measles vaccine platform with novel biochemical approaches to generate vaccine candidates that bolster the potency of neutralizing antibody responses against diverse SARS-CoV-2 spike proteins (M. Á. Muñoz-Alía, R. A. Nace, B. Balakrishnan, L. Zhang, et al., mBio 9:e02928-23, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02928-23).
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J. Salamango
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio, Texas, USA
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Muñoz-Alía MÁ, Nace RA, Balakrishnan B, Zhang L, Packiriswamy N, Singh G, Warang P, Mena I, Narjari R, Vandergaast R, Peng KW, García-Sastre A, Schotsaert M, Russell SJ. Surface-modified measles vaccines encoding oligomeric, prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins boost neutralizing antibody responses to Omicron and historical variants, independent of measles seropositivity. mBio 2024; 15:e0292823. [PMID: 38193729 PMCID: PMC10865805 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.02928-23] [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: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/04/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Serum titers of SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) correlate well with protection from symptomatic COVID-19 but decay rapidly in the months following vaccination or infection. In contrast, measles-protective nAb titers are lifelong after measles vaccination, possibly due to persistence of the live-attenuated virus in lymphoid tissues. We, therefore, sought to generate a live recombinant measles vaccine capable of driving high SARS-CoV-2 nAb responses. Since previous clinical testing of a live measles vaccine encoding a SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein resulted in suboptimal anti-spike antibody titers, our new vectors were designed to encode prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins, trimerized via an inserted peptide domain, and displayed on a dodecahedral miniferritin scaffold. Additionally, to circumvent the blunting of vaccine efficacy by preformed anti-measles antibodies, we extensively modified the measles surface glycoproteins. Comprehensive in vivo mouse testing demonstrated the potent induction of high titer nAbs in measles-immune mice and confirmed the significant contributions to overall potency afforded by prefusion stabilization, trimerization, and miniferritin display of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. In animals primed and boosted with a measles virus (MeV) vaccine encoding the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike, high-titer nAb responses against ancestral virus strains were only weakly cross-reactive with the Omicron variant. However, in primed animals that were boosted with a MeV vaccine encoding the Omicron BA.1 spike, antibody titers to both ancestral and Omicron strains were robustly elevated, and the passive transfer of serum from these animals protected K18-ACE2 mice from infection and morbidity after exposure to BA.1 and WA1/2020 strains. Our results demonstrate that by engineering the antigen, we can develop potent measles-based vaccine candidates against SARS-CoV-2.IMPORTANCEAlthough the live-attenuated measles virus (MeV) is one of the safest and most efficacious human vaccines, a measles-vectored COVID-19 vaccine candidate expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike failed to elicit neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses in a phase-1 clinical trial, especially in measles-immune individuals. Here, we constructed a comprehensive panel of MeV-based COVID-19 vaccine candidates using a MeV with extensive modifications on the envelope glycoproteins (MeV-MR). We show that artificial trimerization of the spike is critical for the induction of nAbs and that their magnitude can be significantly augmented when the spike protein is synchronously fused to a dodecahedral scaffold. Furthermore, preexisting measles immunity did not abolish heterologous immunity elicited by our vector. Our results highlight the importance of antigen optimization in the development of spike-based COVID-19 vaccines and therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á. Muñoz-Alía
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Nace
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Lianwen Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | | | - Gagandeep Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Prajakta Warang
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Ignacio Mena
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | | | | | - Kah-Whye Peng
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michael Schotsaert
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, New York, USA
| | - Stephen J. Russell
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota, USA
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4
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Smith TC, Espinoza DO, Zhu Y, Cardona-Ospina JA, Bowman NM, Becker-Dreps S, Rouphael N, Rodriguez-Morales AJ, Bucardo F, Edupuganti S, Premkumar L, Mulligan MJ, de Silva AM, Collins MH. Natural infection by Zika virus but not DNA vaccination consistently elicits antibodies that compete with two potently neutralising monoclonal antibodies targeting distinct epitopes. EBioMedicine 2023; 98:104875. [PMID: 37983984 PMCID: PMC10694573 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104875] [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: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/31/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Autochthonous transmission of Zika virus (ZIKV) has been reported in 87 countries since 2015. Although most infections are mild, there is risk of Guillain-Barré syndrome and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Vaccines are urgently needed to prevent Zika, but sufficient understanding of humoral responses and tools to assess ZIKV-specific immunity are lacking. METHODS We developed a blockade-of-binding (BOB) ELISA using A9E and G9E, two strongly neutralising ZIKV-specific monoclonal antibodies, which do not react with dengue virus. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis assessed A9E and G9E BOB serodiagnostic performance. BOB was then applied to samples from a surveillance cohort in Risaralda, Colombia, and phase 1 ZIKV vaccine trial samples, comparing results against traditional serologic tests. FINDINGS In the validation sample set (n = 120), A9E BOB has a sensitivity of 93.5% (95% CI: 79.3, 98.9) and specificity 97.8 (95% CI: 92.2, 99.6). G9E BOB had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 89.0, 100.0) and specificity 100% (95% CI: 95.9, 100). Serum from natural infections consistently tested positive in these assays for up to one year, and reactivity tracks well with ZIKV infection status among sera from endemic areas with complicated flavivirus exposures. Interestingly, a leading ZIKV vaccine candidate elicited minimal BOB reactivity despite generating neutralising antibody responses. INTERPRETATION In conclusion, A9E and G9E BOB assays are sensitive and specific assays for detecting antibodies elicited by recent or remote ZIKV infections. Given the additional ability of these BOB assays to detect immune responses that target different epitopes, further development of these assays is well justified for applications including flavivirus surveillance, translational vaccinology research and as potential serologic correlates of protective immunity against Zika. FUNDING R21 AI129532 (PI: S. Becker-Dreps), CDCBAA 2017-N-18041 (PI: A. M. de Silva), Thrasher Fund (PI: M. H. Collins), K22 AI137306 (PI: M. H. Collins).
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Affiliation(s)
- Teresa C Smith
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Daniel O Espinoza
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Yerun Zhu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Jaime A Cardona-Ospina
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas-Institución Universitaria Visión de las Américas, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia; Emerging Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine Research Group, Instituto para la Investigación en Ciencias Biomédicas - Sci-Help, Pereira, Colombia
| | - Natalie M Bowman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Sylvia Becker-Dreps
- Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Nadine Rouphael
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Alfonso J Rodriguez-Morales
- Grupo de Investigación Biomedicina, Faculty of Medicine, Fundación Universitaria Autónoma de las Américas-Institución Universitaria Visión de las Américas, Pereira, Risaralda, Colombia; Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Científica del Sur, Lima, Peru; Gilbert and Rose-Marie Chagoury School of Medicine, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon
| | - Filemon Bucardo
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua-León, León, Nicaragua
| | - Srilatha Edupuganti
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Lakshmanane Premkumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | | | - Aravinda M de Silva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Matthew H Collins
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA.
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5
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Ormundo LF, Barreto CT, Tsuruta LR. Development of Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies for Emerging Arbovirus Infections. Viruses 2023; 15:2177. [PMID: 38005854 PMCID: PMC10675117 DOI: 10.3390/v15112177] [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: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Antibody-based passive immunotherapy has been used effectively in the treatment and prophylaxis of infectious diseases. Outbreaks of emerging viral infections from arthropod-borne viruses (arboviruses) represent a global public health problem due to their rapid spread, urging measures and the treatment of infected individuals to combat them. Preparedness in advances in developing antivirals and relevant epidemiological studies protect us from damage and losses. Immunotherapy based on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) has been shown to be very specific in combating infectious diseases and various other illnesses. Recent advances in mAb discovery techniques have allowed the development and approval of a wide number of therapeutic mAbs. This review focuses on the technological approaches available to select neutralizing mAbs for emerging arbovirus infections and the next-generation strategies to obtain highly effective and potent mAbs. The characteristics of mAbs developed as prophylactic and therapeutic antiviral agents for dengue, Zika, chikungunya, West Nile and tick-borne encephalitis virus are presented, as well as the protective effect demonstrated in animal model studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Leonardo F. Ormundo
- Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (L.F.O.); (C.T.B.)
- The Interunits Graduate Program in Biotechnology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Carolina T. Barreto
- Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (L.F.O.); (C.T.B.)
- The Interunits Graduate Program in Biotechnology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil
| | - Lilian R. Tsuruta
- Biopharmaceuticals Laboratory, Instituto Butantan, São Paulo 05503-900, Brazil; (L.F.O.); (C.T.B.)
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Kuhn RJ, Barrett ADT, Desilva AM, Harris E, Kramer LD, Montgomery RR, Pierson TC, Sette A, Diamond MS. A Prototype-Pathogen Approach for the Development of Flavivirus Countermeasures. J Infect Dis 2023; 228:S398-S413. [PMID: 37849402 PMCID: PMC10582523 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad193] [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: 02/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses are a genus within the Flaviviridae family of positive-strand RNA viruses and are transmitted principally through mosquito and tick vectors. These viruses are responsible for hundreds of millions of human infections worldwide per year that result in a range of illnesses from self-limiting febrile syndromes to severe neurotropic and viscerotropic diseases and, in some cases, death. A vaccine against the prototype flavivirus, yellow fever virus, has been deployed for 85 years and is highly effective. While vaccines against some medically important flaviviruses are available, others have proven challenging to develop. The emergence and spread of flaviviruses, including dengue virus and Zika virus, demonstrate their pandemic potential. This review highlights the gaps in knowledge that need to be addressed to allow for the rapid development of vaccines against emerging flaviviruses in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard J Kuhn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
- Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, Indiana, USA
| | - Alan D T Barrett
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, USA
| | - Aravinda M Desilva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Eva Harris
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, California, USA
| | - Laura D Kramer
- School of Public Health, State University of New York at Albany, Albany, New York, USA
| | - Ruth R Montgomery
- Department of Internal Medicine, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA
| | - Theodore C Pierson
- Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, California, USA
- Department of Medicine, University of California in San Diego, San Diego, California, USA
| | - Michael S Diamond
- Department of Medicine, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Pathology and Immunology, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Missouri, USA
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7
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Krabbe NP, Razo E, Abraham HJ, Spanton RV, Shi Y, Bhattacharya S, Bohm EK, Pritchard JC, Weiler AM, Mitzey AM, Eickhoff JC, Sullivan E, Tan JC, Aliota MT, Friedrich TC, O’Connor DH, Golos TG, Mohr EL. Control of maternal Zika virus infection during pregnancy is associated with lower antibody titers in a macaque model. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1267638. [PMID: 37809089 PMCID: PMC10556460 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1267638] [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: 07/26/2023] [Accepted: 09/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Zika virus (ZIKV) infection during pregnancy results in a spectrum of birth defects and neurodevelopmental deficits in prenatally exposed infants, with no clear understanding of why some pregnancies are more severely affected. Differential control of maternal ZIKV infection may explain the spectrum of adverse outcomes. Methods Here, we investigated whether the magnitude and breadth of the maternal ZIKV-specific antibody response is associated with better virologic control using a rhesus macaque model of prenatal ZIKV infection. We inoculated 18 dams with an Asian-lineage ZIKV isolate (PRVABC59) at 30-45 gestational days. Plasma vRNA and infectious virus kinetics were determined over the course of pregnancy, as well as vRNA burden in the maternal-fetal interface (MFI) at delivery. Binding and neutralizing antibody assays were performed to determine the magnitude of the ZIKV-specific IgM and IgG antibody responses throughout pregnancy, along with peptide microarray assays to define the breadth of linear ZIKV epitopes recognized. Results Dams with better virologic control (n= 9) cleared detectable infectious virus and vRNA from the plasma by 7 days post-infection (DPI) and had a lower vRNA burden in the MFI at delivery. In comparison, dams with worse virologic control (n= 9) still cleared detectable infectious virus from the plasma by 7 DPI but had vRNA that persisted longer, and had higher vRNA burden in the MFI at delivery. The magnitudes of the ZIKV-specific antibody responses were significantly lower in the dams with better virologic control, suggesting that higher antibody titers are not associated with better control of ZIKV infection. Additionally, the breadth of the ZIKV linear epitopes recognized did not differ between the dams with better and worse control of ZIKV infection. Discussion Thus, the magnitude and breadth of the maternal antibody responses do not seem to impact maternal virologic control. This may be because control of maternal infection is determined in the first 7 DPI, when detectable infectious virus is present and before robust antibody responses are generated. However, the presence of higher ZIKV-specific antibody titers in dams with worse virologic control suggests that these could be used as a biomarker of poor maternal control of infection and should be explored further.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas P. Krabbe
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Elaina Razo
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Hunter J. Abraham
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Rachel V. Spanton
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Yujia Shi
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Saswati Bhattacharya
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Ellie K. Bohm
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Julia C. Pritchard
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Andrea M. Weiler
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Ann M. Mitzey
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Jens C. Eickhoff
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, School of Medicine and Public Healthy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Eric Sullivan
- Nimble Therapeutics, Inc, Madison, WI, United States
| | - John C. Tan
- Nimble Therapeutics, Inc, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Matthew T. Aliota
- Department of Veterinary and Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, United States
| | - Thomas C. Friedrich
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - David H. O’Connor
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Thaddeus G. Golos
- Wisconsin National Primate Research Center, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Comparative Biosciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Emma L. Mohr
- Department of Pediatrics, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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8
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Eickhoff CS, Meza KA, Terry FE, Colbert CG, Blazevic A, Gutiérrez AH, Stone ET, Brien JD, Pinto AK, El Sahly HM, Mulligan MJ, Rouphael N, Alcaide ML, Tomashek KM, Focht C, Martin WD, Moise L, De Groot AS, Hoft DF. Identification of immunodominant T cell epitopes induced by natural Zika virus infection. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1247876. [PMID: 37705976 PMCID: PMC10497216 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1247876] [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: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus primarily transmitted by Aedes species mosquitoes, first discovered in Africa in 1947, that disseminated through Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands in the 2000s. The first ZIKV infections in the Americas were identified in 2014, and infections exploded through populations in Brazil and other countries in 2015/16. ZIKV infection during pregnancy can cause severe brain and eye defects in offspring, and infection in adults has been associated with higher risks of Guillain-Barré syndrome. We initiated a study to describe the natural history of Zika (the disease) and the immune response to infection, for which some results have been reported. In this paper, we identify ZIKV-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell epitopes that induce responses during infection. Two screening approaches were utilized: an untargeted approach with overlapping peptide arrays spanning the entire viral genome, and a targeted approach utilizing peptides predicted to bind human MHC molecules. Immunoinformatic tools were used to identify conserved MHC class I supertype binders and promiscuous class II binding peptide clusters predicted to bind 9 common class II alleles. T cell responses were evaluated in overnight IFN-γ ELISPOT assays. We found that MHC supertype binding predictions outperformed the bulk overlapping peptide approach. Diverse CD4+ T cell responses were observed in most ZIKV-infected participants, while responses to CD8+ T cell epitopes were more limited. Most individuals developed a robust T cell response against epitopes restricted to a single MHC class I supertype and only a single or few CD8+ T cell epitopes overall, suggesting a strong immunodominance phenomenon. Noteworthy is that many epitopes were commonly immunodominant across persons expressing the same class I supertype. Nearly all of the identified epitopes are unique to ZIKV and are not present in Dengue viruses. Collectively, we identified 31 immunogenic peptides restricted by the 6 major class I supertypes and 27 promiscuous class II epitopes. These sequences are highly relevant for design of T cell-targeted ZIKV vaccines and monitoring T cell responses to Zika virus infection and vaccination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S. Eickhoff
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy, and Immunology, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Krystal A. Meza
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy, and Immunology, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | | | - Chase G. Colbert
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy, and Immunology, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Azra Blazevic
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy, and Immunology, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | | | - E. Taylor Stone
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - James D. Brien
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Amelia K. Pinto
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, United States
| | - Hana M. El Sahly
- Department of Molecular Virology and Microbiology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, United States
| | - Mark J. Mulligan
- New York University Grossman School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Immunology, New York, NY, United States
| | - Nadine Rouphael
- Emory University School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Maria L. Alcaide
- University of Miami, Division of Infectious Diseases, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL, United States
| | - Kay M. Tomashek
- Division of Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Chris Focht
- The Emmes Company, LLC., Rockville, MD, United States
| | | | | | - Anne S. De Groot
- EpiVax, Inc., Providence, RI, United States
- University of Georgia Center for Vaccines and Immunology, Athens, GA, United States
| | - Daniel F. Hoft
- Department of Internal Medicine, Saint Louis University, Division of Infectious Diseases, Allergy, and Immunology, Saint Louis, MO, United States
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, Saint Louis, MO, United States
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9
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Strother CA, Brewer-Jensen PD, Becker-Dreps S, Zepeda O, May S, Gonzalez F, Reyes Y, McElvany BD, Averill AM, Mallory ML, Montmayeur AM, Costantini VP, Vinjé J, Baric RS, Bucardo F, Lindesmith LC, Diehl SA. Infant antibody and B-cell responses following confirmed pediatric GII.17 norovirus infections functionally distinguish GII.17 genetic clusters. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1229724. [PMID: 37662930 PMCID: PMC10471973 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1229724] [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: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Genogroup II (GII) noroviruses are a major cause of diarrheal disease burden in children in both high- and low-income countries. GII.17 noroviruses are composed of distinct genetic clusters (I, II, IIIa, and IIIb) and have shown potential for replacing historically more prevalent GII.4 strains, but the serological basis for GII.17 antigenic diversity has not been studied in children. Utilizing samples from a birth cohort, we investigated antibody and B-cell responses to GII.17 cluster variants in confirmed GII.17 infections in young children as well as demonstrated that the distinct genetic clusters co-circulate. Polyclonal serum antibodies bound multiple clusters but showed cluster-specific blockade activity in a surrogate virus neutralization assay. Antibodies secreted by immortalized memory B cells (MBCs) from an infant GII.17 case were highly specific to GII.17 and exhibited blockade activity against this genotype. We isolated an MBC-derived GII.17-specific Immunoglobulin A (IgA) monoclonal antibody called NVA.1 that potently and selectively blocked GII.17 cluster IIIb and recognized an epitope targeted in serum from cluster IIIb-infected children. These data indicate that multiple antigenically distinct GII.17 variants co-circulate in young children, suggesting retention of cluster diversity alongside potential for immune escape given the existence of antibody-defined cluster-specific epitopes elicited during infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camilla A. Strother
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
- Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
- Translational Global Infectious Disease Research Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Paul D. Brewer-Jensen
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Sylvia Becker-Dreps
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
- Department of Family Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Omar Zepeda
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León, Nicaragua
| | - Samantha May
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Fredman Gonzalez
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León, Nicaragua
| | - Yaoska Reyes
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León, Nicaragua
| | - Benjamin D. McElvany
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - April M. Averill
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
| | - Michael L. Mallory
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Anna M. Montmayeur
- National Calicivirus Laboratory, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Verónica P. Costantini
- National Calicivirus Laboratory, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Jan Vinjé
- National Calicivirus Laboratory, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Ralph S. Baric
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Filemon Bucardo
- Department of Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Medical Sciences, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León, Nicaragua
| | - Lisa C. Lindesmith
- Department of Epidemiology, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, United States
| | - Sean A. Diehl
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
- Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
- Translational Global Infectious Disease Research Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, United States
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10
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Keelapang P, Kraivong R, Pulmanausahakul R, Sriburi R, Prompetchara E, Kaewmaneephong J, Charoensri N, Pakchotanon P, Duangchinda T, Suparattanagool P, Luangaram P, Masrinoul P, Mongkolsapaya J, Screaton G, Ruxrungtham K, Auewarakul P, Yoksan S, Malasit P, Puttikhunt C, Ketloy C, Sittisombut N. Blockade-of-Binding Activities toward Envelope-Associated, Type-Specific Epitopes as a Correlative Marker for Dengue Virus-Neutralizing Antibody. Microbiol Spectr 2023; 11:e0091823. [PMID: 37409936 PMCID: PMC10433959 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.00918-23] [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: 03/02/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Humans infected with dengue virus (DENV) acquire long-term protection against the infecting serotype, whereas cross-protection against other serotypes is short-lived. Long-term protection induced by low levels of type-specific neutralizing antibodies can be assessed using the virus-neutralizing antibody test. However, this test is laborious and time-consuming. In this study, a blockade-of-binding enzyme-linked immunoassay was developed to assess antibody activity by using a set of neutralizing anti-E monoclonal antibodies and blood samples from dengue virus-infected or -immunized macaques. Diluted blood samples were incubated with plate-bound dengue virus particles before the addition of an enzyme-conjugated antibody specific to the epitope of interest. Based on blocking reference curves constructed using autologous purified antibodies, sample blocking activity was determined as the relative concentration of unconjugated antibody that resulted in the same percent signal reduction. In separate DENV-1-, -2-, -3-, and -4-related sets of samples, moderate to strong correlations of the blocking activity with neutralizing antibody titers were found with the four type-specific antibodies 1F4, 3H5, 8A1, and 5H2, respectively. Significant correlations were observed for single samples taken 1 month after infection as well as samples drawn before and at various time points after infection/immunization. Similar testing using a cross-reactive EDE-1 antibody revealed a moderate correlation between the blocking activity and the neutralizing antibody titer only for the DENV-2-related set. The potential usefulness of the blockade-of-binding activity as a correlative marker of neutralizing antibodies against dengue viruses needs to be validated in humans. IMPORTANCE This study describes a blockade-of-binding assay for the determination of antibodies that recognize a selected set of serotype-specific or group-reactive epitopes in the envelope of dengue virus. By employing blood samples collected from dengue virus-infected or -immunized macaques, moderate to strong correlations of the epitope-blocking activities with the virus-neutralizing antibody titers were observed with serotype-specific blocking activities for each of the four dengue serotypes. This simple, rapid, and less laborious method should be useful for the evaluation of antibody responses to dengue virus infection and may serve as, or be a component of, an in vitro correlate of protection against dengue in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Poonsook Keelapang
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, BIOTEC, NSTDA, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Romchat Kraivong
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, BIOTEC, NSTDA, Bangkok, Thailand
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Rungtawan Sriburi
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, BIOTEC, NSTDA, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Eakachai Prompetchara
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula-VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Jutamart Kaewmaneephong
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
| | - Nicha Charoensri
- Center for Research and Development of Medical Diagnostic Laboratories, Faculty of Associated Medical Sciences, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand
| | - Pattarakul Pakchotanon
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, BIOTEC, NSTDA, Bangkok, Thailand
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Thaneeya Duangchinda
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, BIOTEC, NSTDA, Bangkok, Thailand
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | | | - Prasit Luangaram
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, BIOTEC, NSTDA, Bangkok, Thailand
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
| | - Promsin Masrinoul
- Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Juthathip Mongkolsapaya
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Gavin Screaton
- Wellcome Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
- Chinese Academy of Medical Science (CAMS), Oxford Institute (COI), University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Kiat Ruxrungtham
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula-VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Prasert Auewarakul
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Sutee Yoksan
- Center for Vaccine Development, Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University at Salaya, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand
| | - Prida Malasit
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, BIOTEC, NSTDA, Bangkok, Thailand
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chunya Puttikhunt
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, BIOTEC, NSTDA, Bangkok, Thailand
- Molecular Biology of Dengue and Flaviviruses Research Team, Medical Molecular Biotechnology Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Pathumthani, Thailand
- Division of Dengue Hemorrhagic Fever Research, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Siriraj Center of Research Excellence in Dengue and Emerging Pathogens, Faculty of Medicine, Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Chutitorn Ketloy
- Center of Excellence in Vaccine Research and Development (Chula-VRC), Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Nopporn Sittisombut
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai, Thailand
- Medical Biotechnology Research Unit, BIOTEC, NSTDA, Bangkok, Thailand
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11
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Zepeda O, Espinoza DO, Martinez E, Cross KA, Becker-Dreps S, de Silva AM, Bowman NM, Premkumar L, Stringer EM, Bucardo F, Collins MH. Antibody Immunity to Zika Virus among Young Children in a Flavivirus-Endemic Area in Nicaragua. Viruses 2023; 15:v15030796. [PMID: 36992504 PMCID: PMC10052059 DOI: 10.3390/v15030796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2023] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/11/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Objective: To understand the dynamics of Zika virus (ZIKV)-specific antibody immunity in children born to mothers in a flavivirus-endemic region during and after the emergence of ZIKV in the Americas. Methods: We performed serologic testing for ZIKV cross-reactive and type-specific IgG in two longitudinal cohorts, which enrolled pregnant women and their children (PW1 and PW2) after the beginning of the ZIKV epidemic in Nicaragua. Quarterly samples from children over their first two years of life and maternal blood samples at birth and at the end of the two-year follow-up period were studied. Results: Most mothers in this dengue-endemic area were flavivirus-immune at enrollment. ZIKV-specific IgG (anti-ZIKV EDIII IgG) was detected in 82 of 102 (80.4%) mothers in cohort PW1 and 89 of 134 (66.4%) mothers in cohort PW2, consistent with extensive transmission observed in Nicaragua during 2016. ZIKV-reactive IgG decayed to undetectable levels by 6-9 months in infants, whereas these antibodies were maintained in mothers at the year two time point. Interestingly, a greater contribution to ZIKV immunity by IgG3 was observed in babies born soon after ZIKV transmission. Finally, 43 of 343 (13%) children exhibited persistent or increasing ZIKV-reactive IgG at ≥9 months, with 10 of 30 (33%) tested demonstrating serologic evidence of incident dengue infection. Conclusions: These data inform our understanding of protective and pathogenic immunity to potential flavivirus infections in early life in areas where multiple flaviviruses co-circulate, particularly considering the immune interactions between ZIKV and dengue and the future possibility of ZIKV vaccination in women of childbearing potential. This study also shows the benefits of cord blood sampling for serologic surveillance of infectious diseases in resource-limited settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Omar Zepeda
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Science, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León 21000, Nicaragua
| | - Daniel O Espinoza
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
| | - Evelin Martinez
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Science, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León 21000, Nicaragua
| | - Kaitlyn A Cross
- Department of Biostatistics, Gillings School of Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sylvia Becker-Dreps
- Department of Family Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Aravinda M de Silva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Natalie M Bowman
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Lakshmanane Premkumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Elizabeth M Stringer
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Filemón Bucardo
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medical Science, National Autonomous University of Nicaragua, León 21000, Nicaragua
| | - Matthew H Collins
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA
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12
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Lunardelli VAS, Almeida BDS, Apostolico JDS, Rezende T, Yamamoto MM, Pereira SS, Bueno MFC, Pereira LR, Carvalho KI, Slhessarenko RD, de Souza Ferreira LC, Boscardin SB, Rosa DS. Diagnostic and vaccine potential of Zika virus envelope protein (E) derivates produced in bacterial and insect cells. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1071041. [PMID: 37006270 PMCID: PMC10060818 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1071041] [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: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
IntroductionIn the present study we evaluated the features of different recombinant forms of Zika virus (ZIKV) proteins produced in either bacterial (Eschericha coli) or insect cells (Drosophila melanogaster). The ZIKV-envelope glycoprotein (EZIKV) is responsible for virus entry into host cells, is the main target of neutralizing antibodies and has been used as a target antigen either for serological tests or for the development of subunit vaccines. The EZIKV is composed of three structural and functional domains (EDI, EDII, and EDIII), which share extensive sequence conservation with the corresponding counterparts expressed by other flaviviruses, particularly the different dengue virus (DENV) subtypes.MethodsIn this study, we carried out a systematic comparison of the antigenicity and immunogenicity of recombinant EZIKV, EDI/IIZIKV and EDIIIZIKV produced in E. coli BL21 and Drosophila S2 cells. For the antigenicity analysis we collected 88 serum samples from ZIKV-infected participants and 57 serum samples from DENV-infected. For immunogenicity, C57BL/6 mice were immunized with two doses of EZIKV, EDI/IIZIKV and EDIIIZIKV produced in E. coli BL21 and Drosophila S2 cells to evaluate humoral and cellular immune response. In addition, AG129 mice were immunized with EZIKV and then challenge with ZIKV.ResultsTesting of samples collected from ZIKV-infected and DENV-infected participants demonstrated that the EZIKV and EDIIIZIKV produced in BL21 cells presented better sensitivity and specificity compared to proteins produced in S2 cells. In vivo analyses were carried out with C57BL/6 mice and the results indicated that, despite similar immunogenicity, antigens produced in S2 cells, particularly EZIKV and EDIIIZIKV, induced higher ZIKV-neutralizing antibody levels in vaccinated mice. In addition, immunization with EZIKV expressed in S2 cells delayed the onset of symptoms and increased survival rates in immunocompromised mice. All recombinant antigens, either produced in bacteria or insect cells, induced antigen-specific CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses.ConclusionIn conclusion, the present study highlights the differences in antigenicity and immunogenicity of recombinant ZIKV antigens produced in two heterologous protein expression systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victória Alves Santos Lunardelli
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo- Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bianca da Silva Almeida
- Departmento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana de Souza Apostolico
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo- Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Thais Rezende
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo- Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Marcio Massao Yamamoto
- Departmento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Samuel Santos Pereira
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Fernanda Campagnari Bueno
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo- Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lennon Ramos Pereira
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Karina Inacio Carvalho
- Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, São Paulo, Brazil
- Case Comprehensive Cancer Center, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, United States
| | | | - Luis Carlos de Souza Ferreira
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Plataforma Científica Pasteur- Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Silvia Beatriz Boscardin
- Departmento de Parasitologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade de São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia (INCT) de Investigação em Imunologia (iii), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela Santoro Rosa
- Departmento de Microbiologia, Imunologia e Parasitologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo- Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
- Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia (INCT) de Investigação em Imunologia (iii), São Paulo, Brazil
- *Correspondence: Daniela Santoro Rosa,
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13
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Adams C, Carbaugh DL, Shu B, Ng TS, Castillo IN, Bhowmik R, Segovia-Chumbez B, Puhl AC, Graham S, Diehl SA, Lazear HM, Lok SM, de Silva AM, Premkumar L. Structure and neutralization mechanism of a human antibody targeting a complex Epitope on Zika virus. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1010814. [PMID: 36626401 PMCID: PMC9870165 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 01/23/2023] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
We currently have an incomplete understanding of why only a fraction of human antibodies that bind to flaviviruses block infection of cells. Here we define the footprint of a strongly neutralizing human monoclonal antibody (mAb G9E) with Zika virus (ZIKV) by both X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. Flavivirus envelope (E) glycoproteins are present as homodimers on the virion surface, and G9E bound to a quaternary structure epitope spanning both E protomers forming a homodimer. As G9E mainly neutralized ZIKV by blocking a step after viral attachment to cells, we tested if the neutralization mechanism of G9E was dependent on the mAb cross-linking E molecules and blocking low-pH triggered conformational changes required for viral membrane fusion. We introduced targeted mutations to the G9E paratope to create recombinant antibodies that bound to the ZIKV envelope without cross-linking E protomers. The G9E paratope mutants that bound to a restricted epitope on one protomer poorly neutralized ZIKV compared to the wild-type mAb, demonstrating that the neutralization mechanism depended on the ability of G9E to cross-link E proteins. In cell-free low pH triggered viral fusion assay, both wild-type G9E, and epitope restricted paratope mutant G9E bound to ZIKV but only the wild-type G9E blocked fusion. We propose that, beyond antibody binding strength, the ability of human antibodies to cross-link E-proteins is a critical determinant of flavivirus neutralization potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cameron Adams
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Derek L. Carbaugh
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Bo Shu
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Bio-Imaging Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Thiam-Seng Ng
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Bio-Imaging Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Izabella N. Castillo
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ryan Bhowmik
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Bruno Segovia-Chumbez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Ana C. Puhl
- Center for Integrative Chemical Biology and Drug Discovery, Chemical Biology and Medicinal Chemistry, Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Stephen Graham
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Sean A. Diehl
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine, Burlington, Vermont, United States of America
| | - Helen M. Lazear
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Shee-mei Lok
- Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore
- Centre for Bio-Imaging Sciences, Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Aravinda M. de Silva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Lakshmanane Premkumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
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14
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Pedroza-Escobar D, Castillo-Maldonado I, González-Cortés T, Delgadillo-Guzmán D, Ruíz-Flores P, Cruz JHS, Espino-Silva PK, Flores-Loyola E, Ramirez-Moreno A, Avalos-Soto J, Téllez-López MÁ, Velázquez-Gauna SE, García-Garza R, Vertti RDAP, Torres-León C. Molecular Bases of Protein Antigenicity and Determinants of Immunogenicity, Anergy, and Mitogenicity. Protein Pept Lett 2023; 30:719-733. [PMID: 37691216 DOI: 10.2174/0929866530666230907093339] [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: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 08/03/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The immune system is able to recognize substances that originate from inside or outside the body and are potentially harmful. Foreign substances that bind to immune system components exhibit antigenicity and are defined as antigens. The antigens exhibiting immunogenicity can induce innate or adaptive immune responses and give rise to humoral or cell-mediated immunity. The antigens exhibiting mitogenicity can cross-link cell membrane receptors on B and T lymphocytes leading to cell proliferation. All antigens vary greatly in physicochemical features such as biochemical nature, structural complexity, molecular size, foreignness, solubility, and so on. OBJECTIVE Thus, this review aims to describe the molecular bases of protein-antigenicity and those molecular bases that lead to an immune response, lymphocyte proliferation, or unresponsiveness. CONCLUSION The epitopes of an antigen are located in surface areas; they are about 880-3,300 Da in size. They are protein, carbohydrate, or lipid in nature. Soluble antigens are smaller than 1 nm and are endocytosed less efficiently than particulate antigens. The more the structural complexity of an antigen increases, the more the antigenicity increases due to the number and variety of epitopes. The smallest immunogens are about 4,000-10,000 Da in size. The more phylogenetically distant immunogens are from the immunogen-recipient, the more immunogenicity increases. Antigens that are immunogens can trigger an innate or adaptive immune response. The innate response is induced by antigens that are pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Exogenous antigens, T Dependent or T Independent, induce humoral immunogenicity. TD protein-antigens require two epitopes, one sequential and one conformational to induce antibodies, whereas, TI non-protein-antigens require only one conformational epitope to induce low-affinity antibodies. Endogenous protein antigens require only one sequential epitope to induce cell-mediated immunogenicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Pedroza-Escobar
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Irais Castillo-Maldonado
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Tania González-Cortés
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Dealmy Delgadillo-Guzmán
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Pablo Ruíz-Flores
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Jorge Haro Santa Cruz
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Perla-Karina Espino-Silva
- Centro de Investigacion Biomedica, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | - Erika Flores-Loyola
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27276, Mexico
| | - Agustina Ramirez-Moreno
- Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27276, Mexico
| | - Joaquín Avalos-Soto
- Cuerpo Academico Farmacia y Productos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango, Gomez Palacio, Mexico
| | - Miguel-Ángel Téllez-López
- Cuerpo Academico Farmacia y Productos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias Quimicas, Universidad Juarez del Estado de Durango, Gomez Palacio, Mexico
| | | | - Rubén García-Garza
- Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Unidad Torreon, Torreon, Coahuila, 27000, Mexico
| | | | - Cristian Torres-León
- Centro de Investigacion y Jardin Etnobiologico, Universidad Autonoma de Coahuila, Viesca, Coahuila, 27480, Mexico
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15
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Muñoz-Alía MÁ, Nace RA, Balakrishnan B, Zhang L, Packiriswamy N, Singh G, Warang P, Mena I, Narjari R, Vandergaast R, García-Sastre A, Schotsaert M, Russell SJ. Surface-modified measles vaccines encoding oligomeric, fusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins bypass measles seropositivity, boosting neutralizing antibody responses to omicron and historical variants. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.12.16.520799. [PMID: 36561187 PMCID: PMC9774211 DOI: 10.1101/2022.12.16.520799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2023]
Abstract
Serum titers of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies (nAb) correlate well with protection from symptomatic COVID-19, but decay rapidly in the months following vaccination or infection. In contrast, measles-protective nAb titers are life-long after measles vaccination, possibly due to persistence of the live-attenuated virus in lymphoid tissues. We therefore sought to generate a live recombinant measles vaccine capable of driving high SARS-CoV-2 nAb responses. Since previous clinical testing of a live measles vaccine encoding a SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein resulted in suboptimal anti-spike antibody titers, our new vectors were designed to encode prefusion-stabilized SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins, trimerized via an inserted peptide domain and displayed on a dodecahedral miniferritin scaffold. Additionally, to circumvent the blunting of vaccine efficacy by preformed anti-measles antibodies, we extensively modified the measles surface glycoproteins. Comprehensive in vivo mouse testing demonstrated potent induction of high titer nAb in measles-immune mice and confirmed the significant incremental contributions to overall potency afforded by prefusion stabilization, trimerization, and miniferritin-display of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein, and vaccine resurfacing. In animals primed and boosted with a MeV vaccine encoding the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike, high titer nAb responses against ancestral virus strains were only weakly cross-reactive with the omicron variant. However, in primed animals that were boosted with a MeV vaccine encoding the omicron BA.1 spike, antibody titers to both ancestral and omicron strains were robustly elevated and the passive transfer of serum from these animals protected K18-ACE2 mice from infection and morbidity after exposure to BA.1 and WA1/2020 strains. Our results demonstrate that antigen engineering can enable the development of potent measles-based SARS-CoV-2 vaccine candidates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miguel Á. Muñoz-Alía
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Rebecca A. Nace
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Lianwen Zhang
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Gagandeep Singh
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Prajakta Warang
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Ignacio Mena
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- The Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell-Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Michael Schotsaert
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Stephen J. Russell
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Vyriad Inc, Rochester, MN, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Imanis Life Sciences, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Hematology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
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16
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Singh T, Hwang KK, Miller AS, Jones RL, Lopez CA, Dulson SJ, Giuberti C, Gladden MA, Miller I, Webster HS, Eudailey JA, Luo K, Von Holle T, Edwards RJ, Valencia S, Burgomaster KE, Zhang S, Mangold JF, Tu JJ, Dennis M, Alam SM, Premkumar L, Dietze R, Pierson TC, Eong Ooi E, Lazear HM, Kuhn RJ, Permar SR, Bonsignori M. A Zika virus-specific IgM elicited in pregnancy exhibits ultrapotent neutralization. Cell 2022; 185:4826-4840.e17. [PMID: 36402135 PMCID: PMC9742325 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2022.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Congenital Zika virus (ZIKV) infection results in neurodevelopmental deficits in up to 14% of infants born to ZIKV-infected mothers. Neutralizing antibodies are a critical component of protective immunity. Here, we demonstrate that plasma IgM contributes to ZIKV immunity in pregnancy, mediating neutralization up to 3 months post-symptoms. From a ZIKV-infected pregnant woman, we isolated a pentameric ZIKV-specific IgM (DH1017.IgM) that exhibited ultrapotent ZIKV neutralization dependent on the IgM isotype. DH1017.IgM targets an envelope dimer epitope within domain II. The epitope arrangement on the virion is compatible with concurrent engagement of all ten antigen-binding sites of DH1017.IgM, a solution not available to IgG. DH1017.IgM protected mice against viremia upon lethal ZIKV challenge more efficiently than when expressed as an IgG. Our findings identify a role for antibodies of the IgM isotype in protection against ZIKV and posit DH1017.IgM as a safe and effective candidate immunotherapeutic, particularly during pregnancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tulika Singh
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA,Division of Infectious Diseases and Vaccinology, School of Public Health, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94709, USA
| | - Kwan-Ki Hwang
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Andrew S. Miller
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Rebecca L. Jones
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Cesar A. Lopez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sarah J. Dulson
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Camila Giuberti
- Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas—Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitoria, Espírito Santo 29075-910, Brazil
| | - Morgan A. Gladden
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Itzayana Miller
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY 10065, USA
| | - Helen S. Webster
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Joshua A. Eudailey
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA,Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY 10065, USA
| | - Kan Luo
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Tarra Von Holle
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Robert J. Edwards
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Sarah Valencia
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Katherine E. Burgomaster
- Viral Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Summer Zhang
- Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, 169857, Singapore
| | - Jesse F. Mangold
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Joshua J. Tu
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Maria Dennis
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - S. Munir Alam
- Duke Human Vaccine Institute, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Lakshmanane Premkumar
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Reynaldo Dietze
- Núcleo de Doenças Infecciosas—Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo, Vitoria, Espírito Santo 29075-910, Brazil,Global Health & Tropical Medicine, Instituto de Higiene e Medicina Tropical, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon 1349-008, Portugal
| | - Theodore C. Pierson
- Viral Pathogenesis Section, Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892 USA
| | - Eng Eong Ooi
- Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, 169857, Singapore
| | - Helen M. Lazear
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Richard J. Kuhn
- Department of Biological Sciences, Purdue Institute of Inflammation, Immunology, and Infectious Disease, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
| | - Sallie R. Permar
- Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York City, NY 10065, USA,Senior author. These authors contributed equally,Correspondence: (S.R.P.), (M.B.)
| | - Mattia Bonsignori
- Translational Immunobiology Unit, Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA.
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17
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Ali IM, Tchuenkam VPK, Colton M, Stittleburg V, Mitchell C, Gaither C, Thwai K, Espinoza DO, Zhu Y, Jamal H, Key A, Juliano JJ, Christopher TB, Piantadosi A, Waggoner JJ, Collins MH. Arboviruses as an unappreciated cause of non-malarial acute febrile illness in the Dschang Health District of western Cameroon. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010790. [PMID: 36223421 PMCID: PMC9591055 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2022] [Revised: 10/24/2022] [Accepted: 09/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Acute febrile illness is a common problem managed by clinicians and health systems globally, particularly in the Tropics. In many regions, malaria is a leading and potentially deadly cause of fever; however, myriad alternative etiologies exist. Identifying the cause of fever allows optimal management, but this depends on many factors including thorough knowledge of circulating infections. Arboviruses such as dengue (DENV) cause fever and may be underdiagnosed in sub-Saharan Africa where malaria is a major focus. We examined cases of fever in western Cameroon that tested negative for malaria and found 13.5% (13/96) were due to DENV, with 75% (9/12) of these being DENV serotype 2 infections. Two complete DENV2 genomes were obtained and clustered closely to recent isolates from Senegal and Burkina Faso. The seroprevalence of DENV in this region was 24.8% (96/387). Neutralizing antibodies to DENV2 were detected in all (15/15) seropositive samples tested. Chikungunya (CHIKV) is an arthritogenic alphavirus that is transmitted by Aedes mosquitoes, the same principal vector as DENV. The seroprevalence for CHIKV was 15.7% (67/427); however, CHIKV did not cause a single case of fever in the 96 subjects tested. Of note, being seropositive for one arbovirus was associated with being seropositive for the other (Χ2 = 16.8, p<0.001). Taken together, these data indicate that Aedes-transmitted arboviruses are endemic in western Cameroon and are likely a common but underappreciated cause of febrile illness. This work supports the need for additional study of arboviruses in sub-Saharan Africa and efforts to improve diagnostic capacity, surveillance systems, and arbovirus prevention strategies. Acute illness with fever is common but can be challenging for clinicians to manage, particularly in resource-limited settings. In sub-Saharan Africa, malaria is a major cause of fever, but other causes of fever are poorly documented or monitored, which impairs optimal medical care to patients and implementation of public health interventions to control leading causes of disease. Viruses transmitted by mosquitoes are a prevalent and expanding problem throughout the tropics and beyond; however, there is concern that these infections frequently go undetected in sub-Saharan Africa. We discovered a previously unrecognized outbreak of dengue virus in western Cameroon by testing remnant samples from over 400 patients that presented with fever. Our results indicate that dengue has circulated in this region for decades with little recognition. This study adds important information about causes of fever in sub-Saharan Africa and advocates for increasing investment in surveillance systems and prevention strategies for mosquito-borne viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Innocent M. Ali
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, West Region of Cameroon, Cameroon
| | - Valery P. K. Tchuenkam
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, West Region of Cameroon, Cameroon
| | - Mia Colton
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Victoria Stittleburg
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Cedar Mitchell
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Claudia Gaither
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Kyaw Thwai
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Daniel O. Espinoza
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Yerun Zhu
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Haaris Jamal
- Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Autum Key
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jonathan J. Juliano
- Division of Infectious Diseases, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Tume B. Christopher
- Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Dschang, Dschang, West Region of Cameroon, Cameroon
| | - Anne Piantadosi
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Jesse J. Waggoner
- Rollins School of Public Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
| | - Matthew H. Collins
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, Georgia, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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18
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Yang B, Meng R, Feng C, Huang J, Li Q, Wang X, Zhang D. An Antibody Neutralization Determinant on Domain III and the First α-Helical Domain in the Stem-Anchor Region of Tembusu Virus Envelope Protein. THE JOURNAL OF IMMUNOLOGY 2022; 209:684-695. [DOI: 10.4049/jimmunol.2200226] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 06/06/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Previous studies identified three neutralizing epitopes on domains I, II, and III of the Tembusu virus (TMUV) envelope (E). More evidence is needed to understand the molecular basis of Ab-mediated neutralization and protection against TMUV. In this study, we observed a neutralizing mAb, 6C8, that neutralized TMUV infection primarily by inhibiting cell attachment. In immunofluorescence assays, 6C8 recognized the premembrane and E proteins coexpressed in HEK-293T cells, but failed to react with premembrane or E expressed individually. Epitope mapping identified nine E protein residues positioned on BC/EF loops and F/G strands in domain III and the first α-helical domain in the stem region. Further investigation with mutant viruses showed that 6C8 pressure resulted in mutations at residues 330 of BC loop and 409 of the first α-helical domain, although 6C8 only exhibited a moderate neutralizing activity in BHK-21 cells and a weak protective activity in BALB/c mice and Shaoxing duck models. Mutations A330S and T409M conferred high- and low-level 6C8 resistance, respectively, whereas the combination of A330S and T409M mutations conferred moderate-level 6C8 resistance. As a result, a quasispecies comprising three groups of antigenic variants appeared in BHK-21 cell–derived viral stocks after repeated passages of TMUV strain Y in the presence of 6C8 treatment. Taken together, these findings have raised a concern about Ab-induced antigenic variations in vivo, and they have revealed information concerning the conformational structure of the 6C8 epitope and its role in constraint on antigenic variations. The present work contributes to a better understanding of the complexity of the TMUV immunogen.
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Affiliation(s)
- Baolin Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Runze Meng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Chonglun Feng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Jingjing Huang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Qiong Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaoyan Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
| | - Dabing Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Epidemiology of the Ministry of Agriculture, College of Veterinary Medicine, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
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19
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Susceptibility to endemic Aedes-borne viruses among pregnant women in Risaralda, Colombia. Int J Infect Dis 2022; 122:832-840. [PMID: 35817285 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2022] [Revised: 07/03/2022] [Accepted: 07/04/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Aedes-borne viruses (ABV) affect humans on every inhabited continent and frequently cause epidemics. Recent epidemics of chikungunya and Zika viruses highlight that preparedness for future epidemics requires assessment of susceptibility, particularly among high-risk groups. We sought to determine immunity against the three major circulating ABV among pregnant women in an ABV-endemic area of Colombia. METHODS A cross-sectional seroprevalence study was performed, enrolling women presenting to Labor and Delivery. Cord blood and maternal peripheral blood was obtained. IgG seroprevalence to flaviviruses and chikungunya was determined by ELISA. An abbreviated neutralization test was used to estimate the frequency and magnitude of immunity to Zika and four dengue serotypes. Cluster analyses explored epidemiologic factors associated with seroprevalence. RESULTS Most women exhibited high levels of neutralizing antibodies to one or more ABV; however, nearly 20% were seronegative for flaviviruses. Our research took place after the epidemic peak of the ZIKV outbreak in Colombia in 2016, but only 20% of pregnant women had high levels of Zika-neutralizing antibodies consistent with likely protective immunity to ZIKV. CONCLUSIONS Hence, a high proportion pregnant women in Risaralda remain susceptible to one or more ABV including the teratogenic ZIKV, indicating risk for future epidemics in this region.
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20
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Phan TTN, Hvasta MG, Kudlacek ST, Thiono DJ, Tripathy A, Nicely NI, de Silva AM, Kuhlman B. A conserved set of mutations for stabilizing soluble envelope protein dimers from dengue and Zika viruses to advance the development of subunit vaccines. J Biol Chem 2022; 298:102079. [PMID: 35643320 PMCID: PMC9249817 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbc.2022.102079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Revised: 05/23/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue viruses (DENV serotypes 1-4) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are related flaviviruses that continue to be a public health concern, infecting hundreds of millions of people annually. The traditional live-attenuated virus vaccine approach has been challenging for the four DENV serotypes because of the need to achieve balanced replication of four independent vaccine components. Subunit vaccines represent an alternative approach that may circumvent problems inherent with live-attenuated DENV vaccines. In mature virus particles, the envelope (E) protein forms a homodimer that covers the surface of the virus and is the major target of neutralizing antibodies. Many neutralizing antibodies bind to quaternary epitopes that span across both E proteins in the homodimer. For soluble E (sE) protein to be a viable subunit vaccine, the antigens should be easy to produce and retain quaternary epitopes recognized by neutralizing antibodies. However, WT sE proteins are primarily monomeric at conditions relevant for vaccination and exhibit low expression yields. Previously, we identified amino acid mutations that stabilize the sE homodimer from DENV2 and dramatically raise expression yields. Here, we tested whether these same mutations raise the stability of sE from other DENV serotypes and ZIKV. We show that the mutations raise thermostability for sE from all the viruses, increase production yields from 4-fold to 250-fold, stabilize the homodimer, and promote binding to dimer-specific neutralizing antibodies. Our findings suggest that these sE variants could be valuable resources in the efforts to develop effective subunit vaccines for DENV serotypes 1 to 4 and ZIKV.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thanh T N Phan
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew G Hvasta
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stephan T Kudlacek
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Devina J Thiono
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ashutosh Tripathy
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Nathan I Nicely
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aravinda M de Silva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Brian Kuhlman
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
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21
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Miller NL, Raman R, Clark T, Sasisekharan R. Complexity of Viral Epitope Surfaces as Evasive Targets for Vaccines and Therapeutic Antibodies. Front Immunol 2022; 13:904609. [PMID: 35784339 PMCID: PMC9247215 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.904609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamic interplay between virus and host plays out across many interacting surfaces as virus and host evolve continually in response to one another. In particular, epitope-paratope interactions (EPIs) between viral antigen and host antibodies drive much of this evolutionary race. In this review, we describe a series of recent studies examining aspects of epitope complexity that go beyond two interacting protein surfaces as EPIs are typically understood. To structure our discussion, we present a framework for understanding epitope complexity as a spectrum along a series of axes, focusing primarily on 1) epitope biochemical complexity (e.g., epitopes involving N-glycans) and 2) antigen conformational/dynamic complexity (e.g., epitopes with differential properties depending on antigen state or fold-axis). We highlight additional epitope complexity factors including epitope tertiary/quaternary structure, which contribute to epistatic relationships between epitope residues within- or adjacent-to a given epitope, as well as epitope overlap resulting from polyclonal antibody responses, which is relevant when assessing antigenic pressure against a given epitope. Finally, we discuss how these different forms of epitope complexity can limit EPI analyses and therapeutic antibody development, as well as recent efforts to overcome these limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel L. Miller
- Harvard Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Rahul Raman
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Thomas Clark
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
| | - Ram Sasisekharan
- Koch Institute for Integrative Cancer Research, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
- Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, United States
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22
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Somatic Hypermutation and Framework Mutations of Variable Region Contribute to Anti-Zika Virus-Specific Monoclonal Antibody Binding and Function. J Virol 2022; 96:e0007122. [PMID: 35575481 PMCID: PMC9175631 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00071-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a global public health concern due to its ability to cause congenital Zika syndrome and lack of approved vaccine, therapeutic, or other control measures. We discovered eight novel rabbit monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) that bind to distinct ZIKV envelope protein epitopes. The majority of the MAbs were ZIKV specific and targeted the lateral ridge of the envelope (E) protein domain III, while the MAb with the highest neutralizing activity recognized a putative quaternary epitope spanning E protein domains I and III. One of the non-neutralizing MAbs specifically recognized ZIKV precursor membrane protein (prM). Somatic hypermutation of immunoglobulin variable regions increases antibody affinity maturation and triggers antibody class switching. Negative correlations were observed between the somatic hypermutation rate of the immunoglobulin heavy-chain variable region and antibody binding parameters such as equilibrium dissociation constant, dissociation constant, and half-maximal effective concentration value of MAb binding to ZIKV virus-like particles. Complementarity-determining regions recognize the antigen epitopes and are scaffolded by canonical framework regions. Reversion of framework region amino acids to the rabbit germ line sequence decreased anti-ZIKV MAb binding activity of some MAbs. Thus, antibody affinity maturation, including somatic hypermutation and framework region mutations, contributed to the binding and function of these anti-ZIKV MAbs. IMPORTANCE ZIKV is a global health concern against which no vaccine or therapeutics are available. We characterized eight novel rabbit monoclonal antibodies recognizing ZIKV envelope and prM proteins and studied the relationship between somatic hypermutation of complementarity-determining regions, framework regions, mutations, antibody specificity, binding, and neutralizing activity. The results contribute to understanding structural features and somatic mutation pathways by which potent Zika virus-neutralizing antibodies can evolve, including the role of antibody framework regions.
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23
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Analysis of B cell receptor repertoires reveals key signatures of systemic B cell response after SARS-CoV-2 infection. J Virol 2021; 96:e0160021. [PMID: 34878902 PMCID: PMC8865482 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01600-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
A comprehensive study of the B cell response against SARS-CoV-2 could be significant for understanding the immune response and developing therapeutical antibodies and vaccines. To define the dynamics and characteristics of the antibody repertoire following SARS-CoV-2 infection, we analyzed the mRNA transcripts of immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) repertoires of 24 peripheral blood samples collected between 3 and 111 days after symptom onset from 10 COVID-19 patients. Massive clonal expansion of naive B cells with limited somatic hypermutation (SHM) was observed in the second week after symptom onset. The proportion of low-SHM IgG clones strongly correlated with spike-specific IgG antibody titers, highlighting the significant activation of naive B cells in response to a novel virus infection. The antibody isotype switching landscape showed a transient IgA surge in the first week after symptom onset, followed by a sustained IgG elevation that lasted for at least 3 months. SARS-CoV-2 infection elicited poly-germ line reactive antibody responses. Interestingly, 17 different IGHV germ line genes recombined with IGHJ6 showed significant clonal expansion. By comparing the IgH repertoires that we sequenced with the 774 reported SARS-CoV-2–reactive monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), 13 shared spike-specific IgH clusters were found. These shared spike-specific IgH clusters are derived from the same lineage of several recently published neutralizing MAbs, including CC12.1, CC12.3, C102, REGN10977, and 4A8. Furthermore, identical spike-specific IgH sequences were found in different COVID-19 patients, suggesting a highly convergent antibody response to SARS-CoV-2. Our analysis based on sequencing antibody repertoires from different individuals revealed key signatures of the systemic B cell response induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection. IMPORTANCE Although the canonical delineation of serum antibody responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection has been well established, the dynamics of antibody repertoire at the mRNA transcriptional level has not been well understood, especially the correlation between serum antibody titers and the antibody mRNA transcripts. In this study, we analyzed the IgH transcripts and characterized the B cell clonal expansion and differentiation, isotype switching, and somatic hypermutation in COVID-19 patients. This study provided insights at the repertoire level for the B cell response after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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24
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Dengue Virus Serotype 1 Conformational Dynamics Confers Virus Strain-Dependent Patterns of Neutralization by Polyclonal Sera. J Virol 2021; 95:e0095621. [PMID: 34549976 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00956-21] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus cocirculates globally as four serotypes (DENV1 to -4) that vary up to 40% at the amino acid level. Viral strains within a serotype further cluster into multiple genotypes. Eliciting a protective tetravalent neutralizing antibody response is a major goal of vaccine design, and efforts to characterize epitopes targeted by polyclonal mixtures of antibodies are ongoing. Previously, we identified two E protein residues (126 and 157) that defined the serotype-specific antibody response to DENV1 genotype 4 strain West Pac-74. DENV1 and DENV2 human vaccine sera neutralized DENV1 viruses incorporating these substitutions equivalently. In this study, we explored the contribution of these residues to the neutralization of DENV1 strains representing distinct genotypes. While neutralization of the genotype 1 strain TVP2130 was similarly impacted by mutation at E residues 126 and 157, mutation of these residues in the genotype 2 strain 16007 did not markedly change neutralization sensitivity, indicating the existence of additional DENV1 type-specific antibody targets. The accessibility of antibody epitopes can be strongly influenced by the conformational dynamics of virions and modified allosterically by amino acid variation. We found that changes at E domain II residue 204, shown previously to impact access to a poorly accessible E domain III epitope, impacted sensitivity of DENV1 16007 to neutralization by vaccine immune sera. Our data identify a role for minor sequence variation in changes to the antigenic structure that impacts antibody recognition by polyclonal immune sera. Understanding how the many structures sampled by flaviviruses influence antibody recognition will inform the design and evaluation of DENV immunogens. IMPORTANCE Dengue virus (DENV) is an important human pathogen that cocirculates globally as four serotypes. Because sequential infection by different DENV serotypes is associated with more severe disease, eliciting a protective neutralizing antibody response against all four serotypes is a major goal of vaccine efforts. Here, we report that neutralization of DENV serotype 1 by polyclonal antibody is impacted by minor sequence variation among virus strains. Our data suggest that mechanisms that control neutralization sensitivity extend beyond variation within antibody epitopes but also include the influence of single amino acids on the ensemble of structural states sampled by structurally dynamic virions. A more detailed understanding of the antibody targets of DENV-specific polyclonal sera and factors that govern their access to antibody has important implications for flavivirus antigen design and evaluation.
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25
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Barros MT, Veletić M, Kanada M, Pierobon M, Vainio S, Balasingham I, Balasubramaniam S. Molecular Communications in Viral Infections Research: Modeling, Experimental Data, and Future Directions. IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON MOLECULAR, BIOLOGICAL, AND MULTI-SCALE COMMUNICATIONS 2021; 7:121-141. [PMID: 35782714 PMCID: PMC8544950 DOI: 10.1109/tmbmc.2021.3071780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2020] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Hundreds of millions of people worldwide are affected by viral infections each year, and yet, several of them neither have vaccines nor effective treatment during and post-infection. This challenge has been highlighted by the COVID-19 pandemic, showing how viruses can quickly spread and impact society as a whole. Novel interdisciplinary techniques must emerge to provide forward-looking strategies to combat viral infections, as well as possible future pandemics. In the past decade, an interdisciplinary area involving bioengineering, nanotechnology and information and communication technology (ICT) has been developed, known as Molecular Communications. This new emerging area uses elements of classical communication systems to molecular signalling and communication found inside and outside biological systems, characterizing the signalling processes between cells and viruses. In this paper, we provide an extensive and detailed discussion on how molecular communications can be integrated into the viral infectious diseases research, and how possible treatment and vaccines can be developed considering molecules as information carriers. We provide a literature review on molecular communications models for viral infection (intra-body and extra-body), a deep analysis on their effects on immune response, how experimental can be used by the molecular communications community, as well as open issues and future directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Taynnan Barros
- CBIG/BioMediTechTampere University33014TampereFinland
- School of Computer Science and Electronic EngineeringUniversity of EssexColchesterCO4 3SQU.K.
| | - Mladen Veletić
- Intervention CentreOslo University Hospital0424OsloNorway
- Department of Electronic SystemsNorwegian University of Science and Technology7491TrondheimNorway
| | - Masamitsu Kanada
- Department of Pharmacology and ToxicologyInstitute for Quantitative Health Science and Engineering, Michigan State UniversityEast LansingMI48824USA
| | - Massimiliano Pierobon
- Department of Computer Science and EngineeringUniversity of Nebraska–LincolnLincolnNE68588USA
| | - Seppo Vainio
- InfoTech OuluKvantum Institute, Faculty of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, Laboratory of Developmental Biology, Oulu University90570OuluFinland
| | - Ilangko Balasingham
- Intervention CentreOslo University Hospital0424OsloNorway
- Department of Electronic SystemsNorwegian University of Science and Technology7491TrondheimNorway
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26
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A Novel Antigenic Site Spanning Domains I and III of the Zika Virus Envelope Glycoprotein Is the Target of Strongly Neutralizing Human Monoclonal Antibodies. J Virol 2021; 95:JVI.02423-20. [PMID: 33597214 PMCID: PMC8104094 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.02423-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 02/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
People infected with Zika virus develop durable neutralizing antibodies that prevent repeat infections. In the current study, we characterize a ZIKV-neutralizing human monoclonal antibody isolated from a patient after recovery. Our studies establish a novel site on the viral envelope that is targeted by human neutralizing antibodies. Our results are relevant to understanding how antibodies block infection and to guiding the design and evaluation of candidate vaccines. Zika virus (ZIKV), a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus, caused a large epidemic in Latin America between 2015 and 2017. Effective ZIKV vaccines and treatments are urgently needed to prevent future epidemics and severe disease sequelae. People infected with ZIKV develop strongly neutralizing antibodies linked to viral clearance and durable protective immunity. To understand the mechanisms of protective immunity and to support the development of ZIKV vaccines, we characterize here a strongly neutralizing antibody, B11F, isolated from a patient who recovered from ZIKV. Our results indicate that B11F targets a complex epitope on the virus that spans domains I and III of the envelope glycoprotein. While previous studies point to quaternary epitopes centered on domain II of the ZIKV E glycoprotein as targets of strongly neutralizing and protective human antibodies, we uncover a new site spanning domains I and III as a target of strongly neutralizing human antibodies. IMPORTANCE People infected with Zika virus develop durable neutralizing antibodies that prevent repeat infections. In the current study, we characterize a ZIKV-neutralizing human monoclonal antibody isolated from a patient after recovery. Our studies establish a novel site on the viral envelope that is targeted by human neutralizing antibodies. Our results are relevant to understanding how antibodies block infection and to guiding the design and evaluation of candidate vaccines.
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27
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Dussupt V, Modjarrad K, Krebs SJ. Landscape of Monoclonal Antibodies Targeting Zika and Dengue: Therapeutic Solutions and Critical Insights for Vaccine Development. Front Immunol 2021; 11:621043. [PMID: 33664734 PMCID: PMC7921836 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.621043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2020] [Accepted: 12/14/2020] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented 2015-2016 Zika outbreak in the Americas sparked global concern and drove the rapid deployment of vaccine and therapeutic countermeasures against this re-emerging pathogen. Alongside vaccine development, a number of potent neutralizing antibodies against Zika and related flaviviruses have been identified in recent years. High-throughput antibody isolation approaches have contributed to a better understanding of the B cell responses elicited following infection and/or vaccination. Structure-based approaches have illuminated species-specific and cross-protective epitopes of therapeutic value. This review will highlight previously described monoclonal antibodies with the best therapeutic potential against ZIKV and related flaviviruses, and discuss their implications for the rational design of better vaccine strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent Dussupt
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Kayvon Modjarrad
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
| | - Shelly J. Krebs
- Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- U.S. Military HIV Research Program, Walter Reed Army Institute of Research, Silver Spring, MD, United States
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Bethesda, MD, United States
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28
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Adam A, Cuellar S, Wang T. Memory B cell and antibody responses to flavivirus infection and vaccination. Fac Rev 2021; 10:5. [PMID: 33659923 PMCID: PMC7894259 DOI: 10.12703/r/10-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses are a group of mosquito- or tick-borne single-stranded RNA viruses that can cause a wide range of clinical manifestations in humans and animals, including asymptomatic, flu-like febrile illness, hemorrhagic fever, encephalitis, birth defects, and death. Many of them have no licensed vaccines available for human use. Memory B cell development and induction of neutralizing antibody responses, which are important for the control of flavivirus infection and dissemination, have been used as biomarkers for vaccine efficacy. In this review, we will discuss recent findings on memory B cells and antibody responses from studies in clinical specimen and animal models of flavivirus infection and vaccination with a focus on several clinically important flaviviruses, including dengue, West Nile, yellow fever, and Zika viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Awadalkareem Adam
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Servando Cuellar
- School of Medicine, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
| | - Tian Wang
- Department of Microbiology & Immunology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
- Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
- Sealy Institute for Vaccine Sciences, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX, 77555, USA
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29
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Tu HA, Nivarthi UK, Graham NR, Eisenhauer P, Delacruz MJ, Pierce KK, Whitehead SS, Boyson JE, Botten JW, Kirkpatrick BD, Durbin AP, deSilva AM, Diehl SA. Stimulation of B Cell Immunity in Flavivirus-Naive Individuals by the Tetravalent Live Attenuated Dengue Vaccine TV003. Cell Rep Med 2020; 1:100155. [PMID: 33377126 PMCID: PMC7762770 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2020.100155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Revised: 09/09/2020] [Accepted: 11/18/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The tetravalent live attenuated dengue vaccine candidate TV003 induces neutralizing antibodies against all four dengue virus serotypes (DENV1-DENV4) and protects against experimental challenge with DENV2 in humans. Here, we track vaccine viremia and B and T cell responses to this vaccination/challenge model to understand how vaccine viremia links adaptive immunity and development of protective antibody responses. TV003 viremia triggers an acute plasmablast response that, in combination with DENV-specific CD4+ T cells, correlates with serum neutralizing antibodies. TV003 vaccinees develop DENV2-reactive memory B cells, including serotype-specific and multivalent specificities in line with the composition of serum antibodies. There is no post-challenge plasmablast response in vaccinees, although stronger and earlier post-TV003 plasmablast responses associate with sterile humoral protection from DENV2 challenge. TV003 vaccine triggers plasmablasts and memory B cells, which, with support from CD4+ T cells, functionally link early vaccine viremia and the serum antibody responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huy A. Tu
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Vaccine Testing Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Usha K. Nivarthi
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Nancy R. Graham
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Vaccine Testing Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Philip Eisenhauer
- Department of Medicine, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Matthew J. Delacruz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Kristen K. Pierce
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Vaccine Testing Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Department of Medicine, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Stephen S. Whitehead
- Laboratory of Viral Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jonathan E. Boyson
- Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Department of Surgery, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Jason W. Botten
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Vaccine Testing Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Department of Medicine, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Beth D. Kirkpatrick
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Vaccine Testing Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Department of Medicine, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
| | - Anna P. Durbin
- Department of International Health, Center for Immunization Research, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Aravinda M. deSilva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - Sean A. Diehl
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Vaccine Testing Center, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
- Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Sciences Graduate Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT 05405, USA
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30
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Whitbeck JC, Thomas A, Kadash-Edmondson K, Grinyo-Escuer A, Stafford LJ, Cheng C, Liao GC, Holtsberg FW, Aman MJ, Simmons G, Davidson E, Doranz BJ. Antigenicity, stability, and reproducibility of Zika reporter virus particles for long-term applications. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2020; 14:e0008730. [PMID: 33206639 PMCID: PMC7673510 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0008730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
The development of vaccines against flaviviruses, including Zika virus (ZIKV) and dengue virus (DENV), continues to be a major challenge, hindered by the lack of efficient and reliable methods for screening neutralizing activity of sera or antibodies. To address this need, we previously developed a plasmid-based, replication-incompetent DENV reporter virus particle (RVP) production system as an efficient and safe alternative to the Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT). As part of the response to the 2015-2016 ZIKV outbreak, we developed pseudo-infectious ZIKV RVPs by modifying our DENV RVP system. The use of ZIKV RVPs as critical reagents in human clinical trials requires their further validation using stability and reproducibility metrics for large-scale applications. In the current study, we validated ZIKV RVPs using infectivity, neutralization, and enhancement assays with monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) and human ZIKV-positive patient serum. ZIKV RVPs are antigenically equivalent to live virus based on binding ELISA and neutralization results and are nonreplicating based on the results of live virus replication assays. We demonstrate reproducible neutralization titer data (NT50 values) across different RVP production lots, volumes, time frames, and laboratories. We also show RVP stability across experimentally relevant time intervals and temperatures. Our results demonstrate that ZIKV RVPs provide a safe, high-throughput, and reproducible reagent for large-scale, long-term studies of neutralizing antibodies and sera, which can facilitate large-scale screening and epidemiological studies to help expedite ZIKV vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anu Thomas
- Integral Molecular, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | | | | | - Lewis J. Stafford
- Integral Molecular, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
| | - Celine Cheng
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Grant C. Liao
- Integrated Biotherapeutics, 4 Research Court, Rockville, MD, United States of America
| | | | - M. Javad Aman
- Integrated Biotherapeutics, 4 Research Court, Rockville, MD, United States of America
| | - Graham Simmons
- Vitalant Research Institute, San Francisco, CA, United States of America
| | - Edgar Davidson
- Integral Molecular, Inc., Philadelphia, PA, United States of America
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31
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Human Monoclonal Antibody Derived from Transchromosomic Cattle Neutralizes Multiple H1 Clades of Influenza A Virus by Recognizing a Novel Conformational Epitope in the Hemagglutinin Head Domain. J Virol 2020; 94:JVI.00945-20. [PMID: 32847862 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00945-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Influenza remains a global health risk and challenge. Currently, neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors are extensively used to treat influenza, but their efficacy is compromised by the emergence of drug-resistant variants. Neutralizing antibodies targeting influenza A virus surface glycoproteins are critical components of influenza therapeutic agents and may provide alternative strategies to the existing countermeasures. However, the major hurdle for the extensive application of antibody therapies lies in the difficulty of generating nonimmunogenic antibodies in large quantities rapidly. Here, we report that one human monoclonal antibody (MAb), 53C10, isolated from transchromosomic (Tc) cattle exhibits potent neutralization and hemagglutination inhibition titers against different clades of H1N1 subtype influenza A viruses. In vitro selection of antibody escape mutants revealed that 53C10 recognizes a novel noncontinuous epitope in the hemagglutinin (HA) head domain involving three amino acid residues, glycine (G), serine (S), and glutamic acid (E) at positions 172, 207, and 212, respectively. The results of our experiments supported a critical role for substitution of arginine at position 207 (S207R) in mediating resistance to 53C10, while substitutions at either G172E or E212A did not alter antibody recognition and neutralization. The E212A mutation may provide structural stability for the epitope, while the substitution G172E probably compensates for loss of fitness introduced by S207R. Our results offer novel insights into the mechanism of action of MAb 53C10 and indicate its potential role in therapeutic treatment of H1 influenza virus infection in humans.IMPORTANCE Respiratory diseases caused by influenza viruses still pose a serious concern to global health, and neutralizing antibodies constitute a promising area of antiviral therapeutics. However, the potential application of antibodies is often hampered by the challenge in generating nonimmunogenic antibodies in large scale. In the present study, transchromosomic (Tc) cattle were used for the generation of nonimmunogenic monoclonal antibodies (MAbs), and characterization of such MAbs revealed one monoclonal antibody, 53C10, exhibiting a potent neutralization activity against H1N1 influenza viruses. Further characterization of the neutralization escape mutant generated using this MAb showed that three amino acid substitutions in the HA head domain contributed to the resistance. These findings emphasize the importance of Tc cattle in the production of nonimmunogenic MAbs and highlight the potential of MAb 53C10 in the therapeutic application against H1 influenza virus infection in humans.
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Ezzemani W, Windisch MP, Kettani A, Altawalah H, Nourlil J, Benjelloun S, Ezzikouri S. Immuno-informatics-based identification of novel potential B cell and T cell epitopes to fight Zika virus infections. Infect Disord Drug Targets 2020; 21:572-581. [PMID: 32778040 DOI: 10.2174/1871526520666200810153657] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2020] [Revised: 05/23/2020] [Accepted: 06/23/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Globally, the recent outbreak of Zika virus (ZIKV) in Brazil, Asia Pacific, and other countries highlighted the unmet medical needs. Currently, there are neither effective vaccines nor therapeutics available to prevent or treat ZIKV infection. OBJECTIVE In this study, we aimed to design an epitope-based vaccine for ZIKV using an in silico approach to predict and analyze B- and T-cell epitopes. METHODS The prediction of the most antigenic epitopes has targeted the capsid and the envelope proteins as well as nonstructural proteins NS5 and NS3 using immune-informatics tools PROTPARAM, CFSSP, PSIPRED, and Vaxijen v2.0. B and T-cell epitopes were predicted using ABCpred, IEDB, TepiTool, and their toxicity were evaluated using ToxinPred. The 3-dimensional epitope structures were generated by PEP-FOLD. Energy minimization was performed using Swiss-Pdb Viewer, and molecular docking was conducted using PatchDock and FireDock server. RESULTS As a result, we predicted 307 epitopes of MHCI (major histocompatibility complex class I) and 102 epitopes of MHCII (major histocompatibility complex class II). Based on immunogenicity and antigenicity scores, we identified the four most antigenic MHC I epitopes: MVLAILAFLR (HLA-A*68 :01), ETLHGTVTV (HLA-A*68 :02), DENHPYRTW (HLA-B*44 :02),QEGVFHTMW (HLA-B*44 :03) and TASGRVIEEW (HLA-B*58:01), and MHC II epitopes: IIKKFKKDLAAMLRI (HLA-DRB3*02 :02), ENSKMMLELDPPFGD (HLA-DRB3*01:01), HAETWFFDENHPYRT (HLA-DRB3*01:01), TDGVYRVMTRRLLGS (HLA-DRB1*11 :01), and DGCWYGMEIRPRKEP (HLA-DRB5*01:01). CONCLUSION This study provides novel potential B cell and T cell epitopes to fight Zika virus infections and may prompt further development of vaccines against ZIKV and other emerging infectious diseases. However, further investigations for protective immune response by in vitro and in vivo studies to ratify the immunogenicity, safety of the predicted structure, and ultimately the vaccine properties to prevent ZIKV infections are warranted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wahiba Ezzemani
- Virology Unit, Viral Hepatitis Laboratory, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca. Morocco
| | - Marc P Windisch
- Applied Molecular Virology Laboratory, Discovery Biology Department, Institut Pasteur Korea, Seongnamsi, Gyeonggi-do. South Korea
| | - Anass Kettani
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Santé (URAC34), Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences Ben Msik, Hassan II University Of Casablanca. Morocco
| | - Haya Altawalah
- Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Kuwait University. Kuwait
| | - Jalal Nourlil
- Medical Virology and BSL3 Laboratory, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca. Morocco
| | - Soumaya Benjelloun
- Virology Unit, Viral Hepatitis Laboratory, Institut Pasteur du Maroc, Casablanca. Morocco
| | - Sayeh Ezzikouri
- Laboratoire de Biologie et Santé (URAC34), Département de Biologie, Faculté des Sciences Ben Msik, Hassan II University Of Casablanca. Morocco
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Steffen T, Hassert M, Hoft SG, Stone ET, Zhang J, Geerling E, Grimberg BT, Roberts MS, Pinto AK, Brien JD. Immunogenicity and Efficacy of a Recombinant Human Adenovirus Type 5 Vaccine against Zika Virus. Vaccines (Basel) 2020; 8:vaccines8020170. [PMID: 32272595 PMCID: PMC7349816 DOI: 10.3390/vaccines8020170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a significant public health concern due to the pathogen's ability to be transmitted by either mosquito bite or sexual transmission, allowing spread to occur throughout the world. The potential consequences of ZIKV infection to human health, specifically neonates, necessitates the development of a safe and effective Zika virus vaccine. Here, we developed an intranasal Zika vaccine based upon the replication-deficient human adenovirus serotype 5 (hAd5) expressing ZIKV pre-membrane and envelope protein (hAd5-ZKV). The hAd5-ZKV vaccine is able to induce both cell-mediated and humoral immune responses to ZIKV epitopes. Importantly, this vaccine generated CD8+ T cells specific for a dominant ZIKV T cell epitope and is shown to be protective against a ZIKV challenge by using a pre-clinical model of ZIKV disease. We also demonstrate that the vaccine expresses pre-membrane and envelope protein in a confirmation recognized by ZIKV experienced individuals. Our studies demonstrate that this adenovirus-based vaccine expressing ZIKV proteins is immunogenic and protective in mice, and it encodes ZIKV proteins in a conformation recognized by the human antibody repertoire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tara Steffen
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA; (T.S.); (M.H.); (S.G.H.); (E.T.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Mariah Hassert
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA; (T.S.); (M.H.); (S.G.H.); (E.T.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Stella G. Hoft
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA; (T.S.); (M.H.); (S.G.H.); (E.T.S.); (E.G.)
| | - E. Taylor Stone
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA; (T.S.); (M.H.); (S.G.H.); (E.T.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Jianfeng Zhang
- Altimmune, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (J.Z.); (M.S.R.)
| | - Elizabeth Geerling
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA; (T.S.); (M.H.); (S.G.H.); (E.T.S.); (E.G.)
| | - Brian T. Grimberg
- Center for Global Health and Diseases, Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA;
| | - M. Scot Roberts
- Altimmune, Inc., Gaithersburg, MD 20878, USA; (J.Z.); (M.S.R.)
| | - Amelia K. Pinto
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA; (T.S.); (M.H.); (S.G.H.); (E.T.S.); (E.G.)
- Correspondence: (A.K.P.); (J.D.B.)
| | - James D. Brien
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Saint Louis University, St Louis, MO 63103, USA; (T.S.); (M.H.); (S.G.H.); (E.T.S.); (E.G.)
- Correspondence: (A.K.P.); (J.D.B.)
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Amaral MP, Apostolico JDS, Tomita N, Coirada FC, Lunardelli VAS, Fernandes ER, Souza HFS, Astray RM, Boscardin SB, Rosa DS. Homologous prime-boost with Zika virus envelope protein and poly (I:C) induces robust specific humoral and cellular immune responses. Vaccine 2020; 38:3653-3664. [PMID: 32247567 DOI: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2020.03.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2019] [Revised: 03/18/2020] [Accepted: 03/19/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
The recent outbreaks of Zika virus (ZIKV) infection and the potential association with Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults and with congenital abnormalities have highlighted the urgency for an effective vaccine. The ZIKV Envelope glycoprotein (EZIKV) is the most abundant protein on the virus surface, and has been evaluated together with the pre-membrane protein (prM) of the viral coat as a vaccine candidate in clinical trials. In this study, we performed a head-to-head comparison of the immune response induced by different EZIKV-based vaccine candidates in mice. We compared different platforms (DNA, recombinant protein), adjuvants (poly (I:C), CpG ODN 1826) and immunization strategies (homologous, heterologous). The hierarchy of adjuvant potency showed that poly (I:C) was a superior adjuvant than CpG ODN. While poly (I:C) assisted immunization reached a plateau in antibody titers after two doses, the CpG ODN group required an extra immunization dose. Besides, the administration of poly (I:C) induced higher EZIKV-specific cellular immune responses than CpG ODN. We also show that immunization with homologous prime-boost EZIKV protein + poly (I:C) regimen induced a more robust humoral response than homologous DNA (pVAX-EZIKV) or heterologous regimens (DNA/protein or protein/DNA). A detailed analysis of cellular immune responses revealed that homologous (EZIKV + poly (I:C)) and heterologous (pVAX-EZIKV/EZIKV + poly (I:C)) prime-boost regimens induced the highest magnitude of IFN-γ secreting cells and cytokine-producing CD4+ T cells. Overall, our data demonstrate that homologous EZIKV + poly (I:C) prime-boost immunization is sufficient to induce more robust specific-EZIKV humoral and cellular immune responses than the other strategies that contemplate homologous DNA (pVAX-EZIKV) or heterologous (pVAX-EZIKV/EZIKV + poly (I:C), and vice-versa) immunizations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcelo Pires Amaral
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Juliana de Souza Apostolico
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil; Institute for Investigation in Immunology (iii), INCT, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Nádia Tomita
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Fernanda Caroline Coirada
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Victória Alves Santos Lunardelli
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil; Institute for Investigation in Immunology (iii), INCT, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Edgar Ruz Fernandes
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Higo Fernando Santos Souza
- Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Silvia Beatriz Boscardin
- Institute for Investigation in Immunology (iii), INCT, São Paulo, Brazil; Department of Parasitology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniela Santoro Rosa
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP/EPM), São Paulo, Brazil; Institute for Investigation in Immunology (iii), INCT, São Paulo, Brazil.
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Sun J, Du S, Zheng Z, Cheng G, Jin X. Defeat Dengue and Zika Viruses With a One-Two Punch of Vaccine and Vector Blockade. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:362. [PMID: 32265852 PMCID: PMC7100368 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.00362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2019] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) and Zika virus (ZIKV) are two mosquito-borne flaviviruses afflicting nearly half of the world population. Human infection by these viruses can either be asymptomatic or manifest as clinical diseases from mild to severe. Despite more cases are presented as self-limiting febrile illness, severe dengue disease can be manifested as hemorrhagic fever and hemorrhagic shock syndrome, and ZIKV infection has been linked to increased incidence of peripheral neuropathy Guillain-Barre syndrome and central neural disease such as microcephaly. The current prevention and treatment of these infectious diseases are either non-satisfactory or entirely lacking. Because DENV and ZIKV have much similarities in genomic and structural features, almost identical mode of mosquito-mediated transmission, and probably the same pattern of host innate and adaptive immunity toward them, it is reasonable and often desirable to investigate these two viruses side-by-side, and thereby devise common countermeasures against both. Here, we review the existing knowledge on DENV and ZIKV regarding epidemiology, molecular virology, protective immunity and vaccine development, discuss recent new discoveries on the functions of flavivirus NS1 protein in viral pathogenesis and transmission, and propose a one-two punch strategy using vaccine and vector blockade to overcome antibody-dependent enhancement and defeat Dengue and Zika viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin Sun
- Viral Disease and Vaccine Translational Research Unit, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Senyan Du
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Zhihang Zheng
- Viral Disease and Vaccine Translational Research Unit, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China,Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Gong Cheng
- Tsinghua-Peking Center for Life Sciences, School of Medicine, Tsinghua University, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Jin
- Viral Disease and Vaccine Translational Research Unit, CAS Key Laboratory of Molecular Virology and Immunology, Institut Pasteur of Shanghai, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China,Shanghai Public Health Clinical Center, Fudan University, Shanghai, China,*Correspondence: Xia Jin, ;
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Rathore APS, St John AL. Cross-Reactive Immunity Among Flaviviruses. Front Immunol 2020; 11:334. [PMID: 32174923 PMCID: PMC7054434 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2020.00334] [Citation(s) in RCA: 96] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses consist of significant human pathogens responsible for hundreds of millions of infections each year. Their antigenic relationships generate immune responses that are cross-reactive to multiple flaviviruses and their widespread and overlapping geographical distributions, coupled with increases in vaccination coverage, increase the likelihood of exposure to multiple flaviviruses. Depending on the antigenic properties of the viruses to which a person is exposed, flavivirus cross-reactivity can be beneficial or could promote immune pathologies. In this review we describe our knowledge of the functional immune outcomes that arise from varied flaviviral immune statuses. The cross-reactive antibody and T cell immune responses that are protective versus pathological are also addressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhay P S Rathore
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States
| | - Ashley L St John
- Department of Pathology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, United States.,Program in Emerging Infectious Diseases, Duke-National University of Singapore Medical School, Singapore, Singapore.,Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore.,SingHealth Duke-National University of Singapore Global Health Institute, Singapore, Singapore
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37
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Zimmerman MG, Wrammert J, Suthar MS. Cross-Reactive Antibodies during Zika Virus Infection: Protection, Pathogenesis, and Placental Seeding. Cell Host Microbe 2020; 27:14-24. [PMID: 31917957 PMCID: PMC7802743 DOI: 10.1016/j.chom.2019.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Humoral immunity is an essential component of the protective immune response to flavivirus infection. Typically, primary infection generates a robust neutralizing antibody response that mediates viral control and protection. It is becoming increasingly apparent that secondary infection with a closely related flavivirus strain can result in immunological cross-reactivity; however, the consequences to infection outcome remain controversial. Since its introduction to Brazil in 2015, Zika virus (ZIKV) has caused an epidemic of fetal congenital malformations within the Americas. Because ZIKV is a mosquito-borne flavivirus with a high degree of sequence and structural homology to Dengue virus (DENV), the role of immunological cross-reactivity in ZIKV and DENV infections has become a great concern. In this review, we highlight contemporary findings that implicate a role for flavivirus antibodies in mediating protection, contributing to pathogenesis, and seeding the human placenta.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew G Zimmerman
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Jens Wrammert
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Mehul S Suthar
- Department of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Disease, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA; Emory Vaccine Center, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA.
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Metz SW, Thomas A, Brackbill A, Forsberg J, Miley MJ, Lopez CA, Lazear HM, Tian S, de Silva AM. Oligomeric state of the ZIKV E protein defines protective immune responses. Nat Commun 2019; 10:4606. [PMID: 31601808 PMCID: PMC6787251 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-019-12677-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Accepted: 09/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The current leading Zika vaccine candidates in clinical testing are based on live or killed virus platforms, which have safety issues, especially in pregnant women. Zika subunit vaccines, however, have shown poor performance in preclinical studies, most likely because the antigens tested do not display critical quaternary structure epitopes present on Zika E protein homodimers that cover the surface of the virus. Here, we produce stable recombinant E protein homodimers that are recognized by strongly neutralizing Zika specific monoclonal antibodies. In mice, the dimeric antigen stimulate strongly neutralizing antibodies that target epitopes that are similar to epitopes recognized by human antibodies following natural Zika virus infection. The monomer antigen stimulates low levels of E-domain III targeting neutralizing antibodies. In a Zika challenge model, only E dimer antigen stimulates protective antibodies, not the monomer. These results highlight the importance of mimicking the highly structured flavivirus surface when designing subunit vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan W Metz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
| | - Ashlie Thomas
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alex Brackbill
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - John Forsberg
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Michael J Miley
- Department of Pharmacology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Cesar A Lopez
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Helen M Lazear
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Shaomin Tian
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Aravinda M de Silva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA.
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Gallichotte EN, Young EF, Baric TJ, Yount BL, Metz SW, Begley MC, de Silva AM, Baric RS. Role of Zika Virus Envelope Protein Domain III as a Target of Human Neutralizing Antibodies. mBio 2019; 10:e01485-19. [PMID: 31530669 PMCID: PMC6751055 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01485-19] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/26/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) is a flavivirus that is structurally highly similar to the related viruses, dengue virus (DENV), West Nile virus, and yellow fever virus. ZIKV causes an acute infection that often results in mild symptoms but that can cause severe disease in rare instances. Following infection, individuals mount an adaptive immune response, composed of antibodies (Abs) that target the envelope (E) glycoprotein of ZIKV, which covers the surface of the virus. Groups have studied monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal immune sera isolated from individuals who recovered from natural ZIKV infections. Some of these antibodies bind to domain III of E (EDIII), but the functional importance of these antibodies is unknown. In this study, we aimed to determine if EDIII is a major target of the potent serum neutralizing antibodies present in people after ZIKV infection. By generating a chimeric virus containing ZIKV EDIII in a DENV4 virus backbone, our data show a minor role of EDIII-targeting antibodies in human polyclonal neutralization. These results reveal that while monoclonal antibody (MAb) studies are informative in identifying individual antibody epitopes, they can overestimate the importance of epitopes contained within EDIII as targets of serum neutralizing antibodies. Additionally, these results argue that the major target of human ZIKV neutralizing antibodies resides elsewhere in E; however, further studies are needed to assess the epitope specificity of the neutralizing response at the population level. Identification of the major epitopes on the envelope of ZIKV recognized by serum neutralizing antibodies is critical for understanding protective immunity following natural infection and for guiding the design and evaluation of vaccines.IMPORTANCE Zika virus is a flavivirus that was recently introduced to Latin America, where it caused a massive epidemic. Individuals infected with ZIKV generate an immune response composed of antibodies which bind to the envelope (E) protein. These anti-E antibodies are critical in protecting individuals from subsequent infection. Multiple groups have found that many ZIKV antibodies bind to domain III of E (EDIII), suggesting that this region is an important target of neutralizing antibodies. Here, we generated a chimeric virus containing ZIKV EDIII in a dengue virus backbone to measure ZIKV EDIII-specific antibody responses. We found that while polyclonal ZIKV immune serum contains antibodies targeting EDIII, they constitute only a small fraction of the total population of antibodies that neutralize ZIKV. Further studies are needed to define the main targets on the viral envelope recognized by human neutralizing antibodies, which is critical for guiding the development of ZIKV vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily N Gallichotte
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ellen F Young
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Thomas J Baric
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Boyd L Yount
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Stefan W Metz
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Matthew C Begley
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Aravinda M de Silva
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ralph S Baric
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
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