1
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Rader NA, Lee KS, Loes AN, Miller-Stump OA, Cooper M, Wong TY, Boehm DT, Barbier M, Bevere JR, Heath Damron F. Influenza virus strains expressing SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain protein confer immunity in K18-hACE2 mice. Vaccine X 2024; 20:100543. [PMID: 39221180 PMCID: PMC11364132 DOI: 10.1016/j.jvacx.2024.100543] [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] [Received: 05/07/2024] [Accepted: 08/01/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), rapidly spread across the globe in 2019. With the emergence of the Omicron variant, COVID-19 shifted into an endemic phase. Given the anticipated rise in cases during the fall and winter seasons, the strategy of implementing seasonal booster vaccines for COVID-19 is becoming increasingly valuable to protect public health. This practice already exists for seasonal influenza vaccines to combat annual influenza seasons. Our goal was to investigate an easily modifiable vaccine platform for seasonal use against SARS-CoV-2. In this study, we evaluated the genetically modified influenza virus ΔNA(RBD) as an intranasal vaccine candidate for COVID-19. This modified virus was engineered to replace the coding sequence for the neuraminidase (NA) protein with a membrane-anchored form of the receptor binding domain (RBD) protein of SARS-CoV-2. We designed experiments to assess the protection of ΔNA(RBD) in K18-hACE2 mice using lethal (Delta) and non-lethal (Omicron) challenge models. Controls of COVID-19 mRNA vaccine and our lab's previously described intranasal virus like particle vaccine were used as comparisons. Immunization with ΔNA(RBD) expressing ancestral RBD elicited high anti-RBD IgG levels in the serum of mice, high anti-RBD IgA in lung tissue, and improved survival after Delta variant challenge. Modifying ΔNA(RBD) to express Omicron variant RBD shifted variant-specific antibody responses and limited viral burden in the lungs of mice after Omicron variant challenge. Overall, this data suggests that ΔNA(RBD) could be an effective intranasal vaccine platform that generates mucosal and systemic immunity towards SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nathaniel A. Rader
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Vaccine Development Center at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Katherine S. Lee
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Vaccine Development Center at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Andrea N. Loes
- Division of Basic Sciences and Computational Biology Program, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA 98109, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98103, USA
| | - Olivia A. Miller-Stump
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Vaccine Development Center at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Melissa Cooper
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Vaccine Development Center at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Ting Y. Wong
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Vaccine Development Center at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Dylan T. Boehm
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Vaccine Development Center at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Mariette Barbier
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Vaccine Development Center at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - Justin R. Bevere
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Vaccine Development Center at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
| | - F. Heath Damron
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Cell Biology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA
- Vaccine Development Center at West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, Morgantown, WV, USA
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2
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Taylor AL, Starr TN. Deep mutational scanning of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86 and epistatic emergence of the KP.3 variant. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.23.604853. [PMID: 39091888 PMCID: PMC11291116 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.23.604853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Deep mutational scanning experiments aid in the surveillance and forecasting of viral evolution by providing prospective measurements of mutational effects on viral traits, but epistatic shifts in the impacts of mutations can hinder viral forecasting when measurements were made in outdated strain backgrounds. Here, we report measurements of the impact of all single amino acid mutations on ACE2-binding affinity and protein folding and expression in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2.86 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). As with other SARS-CoV-2 variants, we find a plastic and evolvable basis for receptor binding, with many mutations at the ACE2 interface maintaining or even improving ACE2-binding affinity. Despite its large genetic divergence, mutational effects in BA.2.86 have not diverged greatly from those measured in its Omicron BA.2 ancestor. However, we do identify strong positive epistasis among subsequent mutations that have accrued in BA.2.86 descendants. Specifically, the Q493E mutation that decreased ACE2-binding affinity in all previous SARS-CoV-2 backgrounds is reversed in sign to enhance human ACE2-binding affinity when coupled with L455S and F456L in the currently emerging KP.3 variant. Our results point to a modest degree of epistatic drift in mutational effects during recent SARS-CoV-2 evolution but highlight how these small epistatic shifts can have important consequences for the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashley L. Taylor
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
| | - Tyler N. Starr
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah School of Medicine, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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3
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Hendricks GG, Grigoryan L, Navarro MJ, Catanzaro NJ, Hubbard ML, Powers JM, Mattocks M, Treichel C, Walls AC, Lee J, Ellis D, Wang JY(J, Cheng S, Miranda MC, Valdez A, Chao CW, Chan S, Men C, Johnson MR, Hui H, Wu SY, Lujan V, Muramatsu H, Lin PJ, Sung MM, Tam YK, Leaf EM, Pardi N, Baric RS, Pulendran B, Veesler D, Schäfer A, King NP. Computationally designed mRNA-launched protein nanoparticle vaccines. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.07.22.604655. [PMID: 39091730 PMCID: PMC11291046 DOI: 10.1101/2024.07.22.604655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/04/2024]
Abstract
Both protein nanoparticle and mRNA vaccines were clinically de-risked during the COVID-19 pandemic1-6. These vaccine modalities have complementary strengths: antigen display on protein nanoparticles can enhance the magnitude, quality, and durability of antibody responses7-10, while mRNA vaccines can be rapidly manufactured11 and elicit antigen-specific CD4 and CD8 T cells12,13. Here we leverage a computationally designed icosahedral protein nanoparticle that was redesigned for optimal secretion from eukaryotic cells14 to develop an mRNA-launched nanoparticle vaccine for SARS-CoV-2. The nanoparticle, which displays 60 copies of a stabilized variant of the Wuhan-Hu-1 Spike receptor binding domain (RBD)15, formed monodisperse, antigenically intact assemblies upon secretion from transfected cells. An mRNA vaccine encoding the secreted RBD nanoparticle elicited 5- to 28-fold higher levels of neutralizing antibodies than an mRNA vaccine encoding membrane-anchored Spike, induced higher levels of CD8 T cells than the same immunogen when delivered as an adjuvanted protein nanoparticle, and protected mice from vaccine-matched and -mismatched SARS-CoV-2 challenge. Our data establish that delivering protein nanoparticle immunogens via mRNA vaccines can combine the benefits of each modality and, more broadly, highlight the utility of computational protein design in genetic immunization strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grace G. Hendricks
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Lilit Grigoryan
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Mary Jane Navarro
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Nicholas J. Catanzaro
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Miranda L. Hubbard
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - John M. Powers
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Melissa Mattocks
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Catherine Treichel
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Alexandra C. Walls
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jimin Lee
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Daniel Ellis
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Jing Yang (John) Wang
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Suna Cheng
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Marcos C. Miranda
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Adian Valdez
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Cara W. Chao
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Sidney Chan
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Christine Men
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Max R. Johnson
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Harold Hui
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Sheng-Yang Wu
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Victor Lujan
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - Hiromi Muramatsu
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Elizabeth M. Leaf
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Norbert Pardi
- Department of Microbiology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Ralph S. Baric
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Bali Pulendran
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
| | - David Veesler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Alexandra Schäfer
- Department of Epidemiology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, NC, USA
| | - Neil P. King
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Lead contact
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4
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Bruun TU, Do J, Weidenbacher PAB, Kim PS. Engineering a SARS-CoV-2 vaccine targeting the RBD cryptic-face via immunofocusing. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.05.597541. [PMID: 38895327 PMCID: PMC11185595 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.05.597541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
The receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein is the main target of neutralizing antibodies. Although they are infrequently elicited during infection or vaccination, antibodies that bind to the conformation-specific cryptic face of the RBD display remarkable breadth of binding and neutralization across Sarbecoviruses. Here, we employed the immunofocusing technique PMD (protect, modify, deprotect) to create RBD immunogens (PMD-RBD) specifically designed to focus the antibody response towards the cryptic-face epitope recognized by the broadly neutralizing antibody S2X259. Immunization with PMD-RBD antigens induced robust binding titers and broad neutralizing activity against homologous and heterologous Sarbecovirus strains. A serum-depletion assay provided direct evidence that PMD successfully skewed the polyclonal antibody response towards the cryptic face of the RBD. Our work demonstrates the ability of PMD to overcome immunodominance and refocus humoral immunity, with implications for the development of broader and more resilient vaccines against current and emerging viruses with pandemic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Theodora U.J. Bruun
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Jonathan Do
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Payton A.-B. Weidenbacher
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Chemistry, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
| | - Peter S. Kim
- Sarafan ChEM-H, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305
- Department of Biochemistry, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA 94305
- Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, San Francisco, CA 94158
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5
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An K, Yang X, Luo M, Yan J, Xu P, Zhang H, Li Y, Wu S, Warshel A, Bai C. Mechanistic study of the transmission pattern of the SARS-CoV-2 omicron variant. Proteins 2024; 92:705-719. [PMID: 38183172 PMCID: PMC11059747 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26663] [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: 10/18/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/07/2024]
Abstract
The omicron variant of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) characterized by 30 mutations in its spike protein, has rapidly spread worldwide since November 2021, significantly exacerbating the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In order to investigate the relationship between these mutations and the variant's high transmissibility, we conducted a systematic analysis of the mutational effect on spike-angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) interactions and explored the structural/energy correlation of key mutations, utilizing a reliable coarse-grained model. Our study extended beyond the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of spike trimer through comprehensive modeling of the full-length spike trimer rather than just the RBD. Our free-energy calculation revealed that the enhanced binding affinity between the spike protein and the ACE2 receptor is correlated with the increased structural stability of the isolated spike protein, thus explaining the omicron variant's heightened transmissibility. The conclusion was supported by our experimental analyses involving the expression and purification of the full-length spike trimer. Furthermore, the energy decomposition analysis established those electrostatic interactions make major contributions to this effect. We categorized the mutations into four groups and established an analytical framework that can be employed in studying future mutations. Additionally, our calculations rationalized the reduced affinity of the omicron variant towards most available therapeutic neutralizing antibodies, when compared with the wild type. By providing concrete experimental data and offering a solid explanation, this study contributes to a better understanding of the relationship between theories and observations and lays the foundation for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke An
- School of Life and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P. R. China
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology
- Chenzhu (MoMeD) Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310005, P.R. China
| | - Xianzhi Yang
- Institute of Urology, The Third Affiliated Hospital of Shenzhen University (Luohu Hospital Group), Shenzhen 518000, China
| | - Mengqi Luo
- College of Management, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen, 518060, China
| | - Junfang Yan
- School of Life and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P. R. China
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology
| | - Peiyi Xu
- School of Life and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P. R. China
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology
| | - Honghui Zhang
- School of Life and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P. R. China
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology
| | - Yuqing Li
- Department of Urology, South China Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518116, China
| | - Song Wu
- Department of Urology, South China Hospital of Shenzhen University, Shenzhen 518116, China
| | - Arieh Warshel
- Department of Chemistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California 90089-1062, United States
| | - Chen Bai
- School of Life and Health Sciences, School of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangdong 518172, P. R. China
- Warshel Institute for Computational Biology
- Chenzhu (MoMeD) Biotechnology Co., Ltd, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, 310005, P.R. China
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6
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Ellis D, Dosey A, Boyoglu-Barnum S, Park YJ, Gillespie R, Syeda H, Hutchinson GB, Tsybovsky Y, Murphy M, Pettie D, Matheson N, Chan S, Ueda G, Fallas JA, Carter L, Graham BS, Veesler D, Kanekiyo M, King NP. Antigen spacing on protein nanoparticles influences antibody responses to vaccination. Cell Rep 2023; 42:113552. [PMID: 38096058 PMCID: PMC10801709 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113552] [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: 06/20/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Immunogen design approaches aim to control the specificity and quality of antibody responses elicited by next-generation vaccines. Here, we use computational protein design to generate a nanoparticle vaccine platform based on the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of influenza hemagglutinin (HA) that enables precise control of antigen conformation and spacing. HA RBDs are presented as either monomers or native-like closed trimers that are connected to the underlying nanoparticle by a rigid linker that is modularly extended to precisely control antigen spacing. Nanoparticle immunogens with decreased spacing between trimeric RBDs elicit antibodies with improved hemagglutination inhibition and neutralization potency as well as binding breadth across diverse H1 HAs. Our "trihead" nanoparticle immunogen platform provides insights into anti-HA immunity, establishes antigen spacing as an important parameter in structure-based vaccine design, and embodies several design features that could be used in next-generation vaccines against influenza and other viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Ellis
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Annie Dosey
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Seyhan Boyoglu-Barnum
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Young-Jun Park
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rebecca Gillespie
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Hubza Syeda
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Geoffrey B Hutchinson
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Yaroslav Tsybovsky
- Vaccine Research Center Electron Microscopy Unit, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD 21701, USA
| | - Michael Murphy
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Deleah Pettie
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nick Matheson
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Sidney Chan
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - George Ueda
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Jorge A Fallas
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lauren Carter
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Barney S Graham
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - David Veesler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Masaru Kanekiyo
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Neil P King
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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7
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Wang JY(J, Khmelinskaia A, Sheffler W, Miranda MC, Antanasijevic A, Borst AJ, Torres SV, Shu C, Hsia Y, Nattermann U, Ellis D, Walkey C, Ahlrichs M, Chan S, Kang A, Nguyen H, Sydeman C, Sankaran B, Wu M, Bera AK, Carter L, Fiala B, Murphy M, Baker D, Ward AB, King NP. Improving the secretion of designed protein assemblies through negative design of cryptic transmembrane domains. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2214556120. [PMID: 36888664 PMCID: PMC10089191 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214556120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Computationally designed protein nanoparticles have recently emerged as a promising platform for the development of new vaccines and biologics. For many applications, secretion of designed nanoparticles from eukaryotic cells would be advantageous, but in practice, they often secrete poorly. Here we show that designed hydrophobic interfaces that drive nanoparticle assembly are often predicted to form cryptic transmembrane domains, suggesting that interaction with the membrane insertion machinery could limit efficient secretion. We develop a general computational protocol, the Degreaser, to design away cryptic transmembrane domains without sacrificing protein stability. The retroactive application of the Degreaser to previously designed nanoparticle components and nanoparticles considerably improves secretion, and modular integration of the Degreaser into design pipelines results in new nanoparticles that secrete as robustly as naturally occurring protein assemblies. Both the Degreaser protocol and the nanoparticles we describe may be broadly useful in biotechnological applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Yang (John) Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Alena Khmelinskaia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Transdisciplinary Research Area “Building Blocks of Matter and Fundamental Interactions”, University of Bonn, 53113Bonn, Germany
- Life and Medical Sciences Institute, University of Bonn, 53121Bonn, Germany
| | - William Sheffler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Marcos C. Miranda
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Aleksandar Antanasijevic
- Department of Integrative, Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
- Scripps Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Andrew J. Borst
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Susana V. Torres
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Chelsea Shu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Yang Hsia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Una Nattermann
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Graduate Program in Biological Physics, Structure and Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Daniel Ellis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Graduate Program in Molecular and Cellular Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Carl Walkey
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Maggie Ahlrichs
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Sidney Chan
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Alex Kang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Hannah Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Claire Sydeman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Banumathi Sankaran
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA94720
- Berkeley Center for Structural Biology, Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, Berkeley, CA94720
| | - Mengyu Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Asim K. Bera
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Lauren Carter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Brooke Fiala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Michael Murphy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - David Baker
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
| | - Andrew B. Ward
- Department of Integrative, Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
- Scripps Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA92037
| | - Neil P. King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA98195
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8
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Kanjo K, Chattopadhyay G, Malladi SK, Singh R, Jayatheertha S, Varadarajan R. Biophysical Correlates of Enhanced Immunogenicity of a Stabilized Variant of the Receptor Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2. J Phys Chem B 2023; 127:1704-1714. [PMID: 36790910 PMCID: PMC9942533 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.2c07262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/16/2023]
Abstract
The receptor binding domain (RBD) of SARS-CoV-2 is the primary target of neutralizing antibodies. We have previously reported the design and characterization of a mammalian cell expressed RBD derivative, mRBD1-3.2, that has higher thermal stability and greatly enhanced immunogenicity relative to the wild type mRBD. The protein is highly thermotolerant and immunogenic and is being explored for use in room temperature stable Covid-19 vaccine formulations. In the current study, we have investigated the folding pathway of both WT and stabilized RBD. It was found that chemical denaturation of RBD proceeds through a stable equilibrium intermediate. Thermal and chemical denaturation is reversible, as assayed by binding to the receptor ACE2. Unusually, in its native state, RBD binds to the hydrophobic probe ANS, and enhanced ANS binding is observed for the equilibrium intermediate state. Further characterization of the folding of mRBD1-3.2, both in solution and after reconstitution of lyophilized protein stored for a month at 37 °C, revealed a higher stability represented by higher Cm, faster refolding, slower unfolding, and enhanced resistance to proteolytic cleavage relative to WT. In contrast to WT RBD, the mutant showed decreased interaction with the hydrophobic moiety linoleic acid. Collectively, these data suggest that the enhanced immunogenicity results from reduced conformational fluctuations that likely enhance in vivo half-life as well as reduce the exposure of irrelevant non-neutralizing epitopes to the immune system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kawkab Kanjo
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | | | - Sameer Kumar Malladi
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India
| | - Randhir Singh
- Mynvax Private Limited, Fourth Floor, Brigade MLR Center, 50, Vanivilas Rd, Gandhi Bazaar, Basavanagudi, Bangalore, Karnataka 560004, India
| | - Sowrabha Jayatheertha
- Mynvax Private Limited, Fourth Floor, Brigade MLR Center, 50, Vanivilas Rd, Gandhi Bazaar, Basavanagudi, Bangalore, Karnataka 560004, India
| | - Raghavan Varadarajan
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru 560012, India.,Mynvax Private Limited, Fourth Floor, Brigade MLR Center, 50, Vanivilas Rd, Gandhi Bazaar, Basavanagudi, Bangalore, Karnataka 560004, India
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9
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Pedenko B, Sulbaran G, Guilligay D, Effantin G, Weissenhorn W. SARS-CoV-2 S Glycoprotein Stabilization Strategies. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020558. [PMID: 36851772 PMCID: PMC9960574 DOI: 10.3390/v15020558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2023] [Revised: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/14/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has again shown that structural biology plays an important role in understanding biological mechanisms and exploiting structural data for therapeutic interventions. Notably, previous work on SARS-related glycoproteins has paved the way for the rapid structural determination of the SARS-CoV-2 S glycoprotein, which is the main target for neutralizing antibodies. Therefore, all vaccine approaches aimed to employ S as an immunogen to induce neutralizing antibodies. Like all enveloped virus glycoproteins, SARS-CoV-2 S native prefusion trimers are in a metastable conformation, which primes the glycoprotein for the entry process via membrane fusion. S-mediated entry is associated with major conformational changes in S, which can expose many off-target epitopes that deviate vaccination approaches from the major aim of inducing neutralizing antibodies, which mainly target the native prefusion trimer conformation. Here, we review the viral glycoprotein stabilization methods developed prior to SARS-CoV-2, and applied to SARS-CoV-2 S, in order to stabilize S in the prefusion conformation. The importance of structure-based approaches is highlighted by the benefits of employing stabilized S trimers versus non-stabilized S in vaccines with respect to their protective efficacy.
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10
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Lei R, Hernandez Garcia A, Tan TJC, Teo QW, Wang Y, Zhang X, Luo S, Nair SK, Peng J, Wu NC. Mutational fitness landscape of human influenza H3N2 neuraminidase. Cell Rep 2023; 42:111951. [PMID: 36640354 PMCID: PMC9931530 DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.111951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Influenza neuraminidase (NA) has received increasing attention as an effective vaccine target. However, its mutational tolerance is not well characterized. Here, the fitness effects of >6,000 mutations in human H3N2 NA are probed using deep mutational scanning. Our result shows that while its antigenic regions have high mutational tolerance, there are solvent-exposed regions with low mutational tolerance. We also find that protein stability is a major determinant of NA mutational fitness. The deep mutational scanning result correlates well with mutational fitness inferred from natural sequences using a protein language model, substantiating the relevance of our findings to the natural evolution of circulating strains. Additional analysis further suggests that human H3N2 NA is far from running out of mutations despite already evolving for >50 years. Overall, this study advances our understanding of the evolutionary potential of NA and the underlying biophysical constraints, which in turn provide insights into NA-based vaccine design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruipeng Lei
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Andrea Hernandez Garcia
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Timothy J C Tan
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Qi Wen Teo
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Yiquan Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | | | | | - Satish K Nair
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Jian Peng
- HeliXon Limited, Beijing 100084, China; Department of Computer Science, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
| | - Nicholas C Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA; Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA.
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11
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Lacasta A, Kim HC, Kepl E, Gachogo R, Chege N, Ojuok R, Muriuki C, Mwalimu S, Touboul G, Stiber A, Poole EJ, Ndiwa N, Fiala B, King NP, Nene V. Design and immunological evaluation of two-component protein nanoparticle vaccines for East Coast fever. Front Immunol 2023; 13:1015840. [PMID: 36713406 PMCID: PMC9880323 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2022.1015840] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Nanoparticle vaccines usually prime stronger immune responses than soluble antigens. Within this class of subunit vaccines, the recent development of computationally designed self-assembling two-component protein nanoparticle scaffolds provides a powerful and versatile platform for displaying multiple copies of one or more antigens. Here we report the generation of three different nanoparticle immunogens displaying 60 copies of p67C, an 80 amino acid polypeptide from a candidate vaccine antigen of Theileria parva, and their immunogenicity in cattle. p67C is a truncation of p67, the major surface protein of the sporozoite stage of T. parva, an apicomplexan parasite that causes an often-fatal bovine disease called East Coast fever (ECF) in sub-Saharan Africa. Compared to I32-19 and I32-28, we found that I53-50 nanoparticle scaffolds displaying p67C had the best biophysical characteristics. p67C-I53-50 also outperformed the other two nanoparticles in stimulating p67C-specific IgG1 and IgG2 antibodies and CD4+ T-cell responses, as well as sporozoite neutralizing capacity. In experimental cattle vaccine trials, p67C-I53-50 induced significant immunity to ECF, suggesting that the I53-50 scaffold is a promising candidate for developing novel nanoparticle vaccines. To our knowledge this is the first application of computationally designed nanoparticles to the development of livestock vaccines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Lacasta
- Animal and Human Health program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya,*Correspondence: Anna Lacasta, ; Neil P. King,
| | - Hyung Chan Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Kepl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Rachael Gachogo
- Animal and Human Health program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Naomi Chege
- Animal and Human Health program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Rose Ojuok
- Animal and Human Health program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Charity Muriuki
- Animal and Human Health program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Stephen Mwalimu
- Animal and Human Health program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Gilad Touboul
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Ariel Stiber
- Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship Program, Caltech, Pasadena, CA, United States
| | - Elizabeth Jane Poole
- Research Methods Group, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Nicholas Ndiwa
- Research Methods Group, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Brooke Fiala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States
| | - Neil P. King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States,*Correspondence: Anna Lacasta, ; Neil P. King,
| | - Vishvanath Nene
- Animal and Human Health program, International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI), Nairobi, Kenya
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12
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Ouyang WO, Tan TJ, Lei R, Song G, Kieffer C, Andrabi R, Matreyek KA, Wu NC. Probing the biophysical constraints of SARS-CoV-2 spike N-terminal domain using deep mutational scanning. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eadd7221. [PMID: 36417523 PMCID: PMC9683733 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add7221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
Increasing the expression level of the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein has been critical for COVID-19 vaccine development. While previous efforts largely focused on engineering the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and the S2 subunit, the amino-terminal domain (NTD) has been long overlooked because of the limited understanding of its biophysical constraints. In this study, the effects of thousands of NTD single mutations on S protein expression were quantified by deep mutational scanning. Our results revealed that in terms of S protein expression, the mutational tolerability of NTD residues was inversely correlated with their proximity to the RBD and S2. We also identified NTD mutations at the interdomain interface that increased S protein expression without altering its antigenicity. Overall, this study not only advances the understanding of the biophysical constraints of the NTD but also provides invaluable insights into S-based immunogen design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhao O. Ouyang
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Timothy J.C. Tan
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Ruipeng Lei
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Ge Song
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Collin Kieffer
- Department of Microbiology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
| | - Raiees Andrabi
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- IAVI Neutralizing Antibody Center, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Kenneth A. Matreyek
- Department of Pathology, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, Cleveland, OH 44106, USA
| | - Nicholas C. Wu
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Center for Biophysics and Quantitative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
- Carle Illinois College of Medicine, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL 61801, USA
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13
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Antanasijevic A, Schulze AJ, Reddy VS, Ward AB. High-resolution structural analysis of enterovirus-reactive polyclonal antibodies in complex with whole virions. PNAS NEXUS 2022; 1:pgac253. [PMID: 36712368 PMCID: PMC9802058 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgac253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Non-polio enteroviruses (NPEVs) cause serious illnesses in young children and neonates, including aseptic meningitis, encephalitis, and inflammatory muscle disease, among others. While over 100 serotypes have been described to date, vaccine only exists for EV-A71. Efforts toward rationally designed pan-NPEV vaccines would greatly benefit from structural biology methods for rapid and comprehensive evaluation of vaccine candidates and elicited antibody responses. Toward this goal, we introduced a cryo-electron-microscopy-based approach for structural analysis of virus- or vaccine-elicited polyclonal antibodies (pAbs) in complex with whole NPEV virions. We demonstrated the feasibility using coxsackievirus A21 and reconstructed five structurally distinct pAbs bound to the virus. The pAbs targeted two immunodominant epitopes, one overlapping with the receptor binding site. These results demonstrate that our method can be applied to map broad-spectrum polyclonal immune responses against intact virions and define potentially cross-reactive epitopes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aleksandar Antanasijevic
- Department of Integrative, Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA,International AIDS Vaccine Initiative Neutralizing Antibody Center, Collaboration for AIDS Vaccine Discovery (CAVD) and Scripps Consortium for HIV/AIDS Vaccine Development (CHAVD), The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Autumn J Schulze
- Department of Molecular Medicine, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN 55905, USA
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14
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Starr TN, Greaney AJ, Stewart CM, Walls AC, Hannon WW, Veesler D, Bloom JD. Deep mutational scans for ACE2 binding, RBD expression, and antibody escape in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 receptor-binding domains. PLoS Pathog 2022; 18:e1010951. [PMID: 36399443 PMCID: PMC9674177 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1010951] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 44.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Accepted: 10/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 continues to acquire mutations in the spike receptor-binding domain (RBD) that impact ACE2 receptor binding, folding stability, and antibody recognition. Deep mutational scanning prospectively characterizes the impacts of mutations on these biochemical properties, enabling rapid assessment of new mutations seen during viral surveillance. However, the effects of mutations can change as the virus evolves, requiring updated deep mutational scans. We determined the impacts of all single amino acid mutations in the Omicron BA.1 and BA.2 RBDs on ACE2-binding affinity, RBD folding, and escape from binding by the LY-CoV1404 (bebtelovimab) monoclonal antibody. The effects of some mutations in Omicron RBDs differ from those measured in the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 background. These epistatic shifts largely resemble those previously seen in the Alpha variant due to the convergent epistatically modifying N501Y substitution. However, Omicron variants show additional lineage-specific shifts, including examples of the epistatic phenomenon of entrenchment that causes the Q498R and N501Y substitutions present in Omicron to be more favorable in that background than in earlier viral strains. In contrast, the Omicron substitution Q493R exhibits no sign of entrenchment, with the derived state, R493, being as unfavorable for ACE2 binding in Omicron RBDs as in Wuhan-Hu-1. Likely for this reason, the R493Q reversion has occurred in Omicron sub-variants including BA.4/BA.5 and BA.2.75, where the affinity buffer from R493Q reversion may potentiate concurrent antigenic change. Consistent with prior studies, we find that Omicron RBDs have reduced expression, and identify candidate stabilizing mutations that ameliorate this deficit. Last, our maps highlight a broadening of the sites of escape from LY-CoV1404 antibody binding in BA.1 and BA.2 compared to the ancestral Wuhan-Hu-1 background. These BA.1 and BA.2 deep mutational scanning datasets identify shifts in the RBD mutational landscape and inform ongoing efforts in viral surveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler N. Starr
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America
| | - Allison J. Greaney
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Medical Scientist Training Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Cameron M. Stewart
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Alexandra C. Walls
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - William W. Hannon
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Molecular and Cellular Biology Graduate Program, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - David Veesler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
| | - Jesse D. Bloom
- Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, Washington, United States of America
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15
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Kraft JC, Pham MN, Shehata L, Brinkkemper M, Boyoglu-Barnum S, Sprouse KR, Walls AC, Cheng S, Murphy M, Pettie D, Ahlrichs M, Sydeman C, Johnson M, Blackstone A, Ellis D, Ravichandran R, Fiala B, Wrenn S, Miranda M, Sliepen K, Brouwer PJM, Antanasijevic A, Veesler D, Ward AB, Kanekiyo M, Pepper M, Sanders RW, King NP. Antigen- and scaffold-specific antibody responses to protein nanoparticle immunogens. Cell Rep Med 2022; 3:100780. [PMID: 36206752 PMCID: PMC9589121 DOI: 10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100780] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Revised: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Protein nanoparticle scaffolds are increasingly used in next-generation vaccine designs, and several have established records of clinical safety and efficacy. Yet the rules for how immune responses specific to nanoparticle scaffolds affect the immunogenicity of displayed antigens have not been established. Here we define relationships between anti-scaffold and antigen-specific antibody responses elicited by protein nanoparticle immunogens. We report that dampening anti-scaffold responses by physical masking does not enhance antigen-specific antibody responses. In a series of immunogens that all use the same nanoparticle scaffold but display four different antigens, only HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) is subdominant to the scaffold. However, we also demonstrate that scaffold-specific antibody responses can competitively inhibit antigen-specific responses when the scaffold is provided in excess. Overall, our results suggest that anti-scaffold antibody responses are unlikely to suppress antigen-specific antibody responses for protein nanoparticle immunogens in which the antigen is immunodominant over the scaffold.
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Affiliation(s)
- John C Kraft
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Minh N Pham
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Laila Shehata
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Mitch Brinkkemper
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Seyhan Boyoglu-Barnum
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Kaitlin R Sprouse
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alexandra C Walls
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Suna Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Mike Murphy
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Deleah Pettie
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Maggie Ahlrichs
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Claire Sydeman
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Max Johnson
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Alyssa Blackstone
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Daniel Ellis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Brooke Fiala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Samuel Wrenn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Marcos Miranda
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kwinten Sliepen
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Philip J M Brouwer
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands
| | - Aleksandar Antanasijevic
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - David Veesler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Andrew B Ward
- Department of Integrative Structural and Computational Biology, The Scripps Research Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Masaru Kanekiyo
- Vaccine Research Center, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Marion Pepper
- Department of Immunology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rogier W Sanders
- Department of Medical Microbiology, Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam Infection and Immunity Institute, 1105 AZ Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Weill Medical College of Cornell University, New York, NY 10021, USA
| | - Neil P King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA; Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA.
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16
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Choque-Guevara R, Poma-Acevedo A, Montesinos-Millán R, Rios-Matos D, Gutiérrez-Manchay K, Montalvan-Avalos A, Quiñones-Garcia S, Cauti-Mendoza MDG, Agurto-Arteaga A, Ramirez-Ortiz I, Criollo-Orozco M, Huaccachi-Gonzales E, Romero YK, Perez-Martinez N, Isasi-Rivas G, Sernaque-Aguilar Y, Villanueva-Pérez D, Ygnacio F, Vallejos-Sánchez K, Fernández-Sánchez M, Guevara-Sarmiento LA, Fernández-Díaz M, Zimic M. Squalene in oil-based adjuvant improves the immunogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 RBD and confirms safety in animal models. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269823. [PMID: 35998134 PMCID: PMC9397949 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/30/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the development of vaccines against its etiologic agent, SARS-CoV-2. However, the emergence of new variants of the virus lead to the generation of new alternatives to improve the current sub-unit vaccines in development. In the present report, the immunogenicity of the Spike RBD of SARS-CoV-2 formulated with an oil-in-water emulsion and a water-in-oil emulsion with squalene was evaluated in mice and hamsters. The RBD protein was expressed in insect cells and purified by chromatography until >95% purity. The protein was shown to have the appropriate folding as determined by ELISA and flow cytometry binding assays to its receptor, as well as by its detection by hamster immune anti-S1 sera under non-reducing conditions. In immunization assays, although the cellular immune response elicited by both adjuvants were similar, the formulation based in water-in-oil emulsion and squalene generated an earlier humoral response as determined by ELISA. Similarly, this formulation was able to stimulate neutralizing antibodies in hamsters. The vaccine candidate was shown to be safe, as demonstrated by the histopathological analysis in lungs, liver and kidney. These results have shown the potential of this formulation vaccine to be evaluated in a challenge against SARS-CoV-2 and determine its ability to confer protection.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Dora Rios-Matos
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
| | | | | | - Stefany Quiñones-Garcia
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | - Maria de Grecia Cauti-Mendoza
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | | | | | - Yomara K. Romero
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | - Gisela Isasi-Rivas
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
| | | | | | - Freddy Ygnacio
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
| | - Katherine Vallejos-Sánchez
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
| | | | | | | | - Mirko Zimic
- Laboratorios de investigación y desarrollo, FARVET SAC, Chincha, Ica, Perú
- Laboratorio de Bioinformática, Biología Molecular y Desarrollos Tecnológicos, Laboratorios de Investigación y Desarrollo, Facultad de Ciencias y Filosofía, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru
- * E-mail:
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17
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Arunachalam PS, Feng Y, Ashraf U, Hu M, Walls AC, Edara VV, Zarnitsyna VI, Aye PP, Golden N, Miranda MC, Green KWM, Threeton BM, Maness NJ, Beddingfield BJ, Bohm RP, Scheuermann SE, Goff K, Dufour J, Russell-Lodrigue K, Kepl E, Fiala B, Wrenn S, Ravichandran R, Ellis D, Carter L, Rogers K, Shirreff LM, Ferrell DE, Deb Adhikary NR, Fontenot J, Hammond HL, Frieman M, Grifoni A, Sette A, O’Hagan DT, Van Der Most R, Rappuoli R, Villinger F, Kleanthous H, Rappaport J, Suthar MS, Veesler D, Wang TT, King NP, Pulendran B. Durable protection against the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is induced by an adjuvanted subunit vaccine. Sci Transl Med 2022; 14:eabq4130. [PMID: 35976993 PMCID: PMC10466502 DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abq4130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Despite the remarkable efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, waning immunity and the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants such as Omicron represents a global health challenge. Here, we present data from a study in nonhuman primates demonstrating durable protection against the Omicron BA.1 variant induced by a subunit SARS-CoV-2 vaccine comprising the receptor binding domain of the ancestral strain (RBD-Wu) on the I53-50 nanoparticle adjuvanted with AS03, which was recently authorized for use in individuals 18 years or older. Vaccination induced neutralizing antibody (nAb) titers that were maintained at high concentrations for at least 1 year after two doses, with a pseudovirus nAb geometric mean titer (GMT) of 1978 and a live virus nAb GMT of 1331 against the ancestral strain but not against the Omicron BA.1 variant. However, a booster dose at 6 to 12 months with RBD-Wu or RBD-β (RBD from the Beta variant) displayed on I53-50 elicited high neutralizing titers against the ancestral and Omicron variants. In addition, we observed persistent neutralization titers against a panel of sarbecoviruses, including SARS-CoV. Furthermore, there were substantial and persistent memory T and B cell responses reactive to Beta and Omicron variants. Vaccination resulted in protection against Omicron infection in the lung and suppression of viral burden in the nares at 6 weeks after the final booster immunization. Even at 6 months after vaccination, we observed protection in the lung and rapid control of virus in the nares. These results highlight the durable and cross-protective immunity elicited by the AS03-adjuvanted RBD-I53-50 nanoparticle vaccine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Prabhu S. Arunachalam
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Yupeng Feng
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Usama Ashraf
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Mengyun Hu
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Alexandra C. Walls
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Venkata Viswanadh Edara
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory National Primate Research Center, and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | | | - Pyone Pyone Aye
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA
| | - Nadia Golden
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA
| | - Marcos C. Miranda
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | | | | | | | | | - Rudolf P. Bohm
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA
| | | | - Kelly Goff
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA
| | - Jason Dufour
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA
| | | | - Elizabeth Kepl
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Brooke Fiala
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Samuel Wrenn
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Rashmi Ravichandran
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Daniel Ellis
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Lauren Carter
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Kenneth Rogers
- New Iberia Research Center, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, New Iberia, LA 70560, USA
| | - Lisa M. Shirreff
- New Iberia Research Center, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, New Iberia, LA 70560, USA
| | - Douglas E. Ferrell
- New Iberia Research Center, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, New Iberia, LA 70560, USA
| | - Nihar R. Deb Adhikary
- New Iberia Research Center, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, New Iberia, LA 70560, USA
| | - Jane Fontenot
- New Iberia Research Center, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, New Iberia, LA 70560, USA
| | - Holly L. Hammond
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Matthew Frieman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21201, USA
| | - Alba Grifoni
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Alessandro Sette
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
- Center for Infectious Disease and Vaccine Research, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | | | | | | | - Francois Villinger
- New Iberia Research Center, University of Louisiana at Lafayette, New Iberia, LA 70560, USA
| | | | - Jay Rappaport
- Tulane National Primate Research Center, Covington, LA 70433, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, LA 70112, USA
| | - Mehul S. Suthar
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory Vaccine Center, Emory National Primate Research Center, and Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - David Veesler
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Taia T. Wang
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Neil P. King
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Institute for Protein Design, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Bali Pulendran
- Institute for Immunity, Transplantation and Infection, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Pathology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
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18
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Zuzic L, Samsudin F, Shivgan AT, Raghuvamsi PV, Marzinek JK, Boags A, Pedebos C, Tulsian NK, Warwicker J, MacAry P, Crispin M, Khalid S, Anand GS, Bond PJ. Uncovering cryptic pockets in the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. Structure 2022; 30:1062-1074.e4. [PMID: 35660160 PMCID: PMC9164293 DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2022.05.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2021] [Revised: 04/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has prompted a rapid response in vaccine and drug development. Herein, we modeled a complete membrane-embedded SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein and used molecular dynamics simulations with benzene probes designed to enhance discovery of cryptic pockets. This approach recapitulated lipid and host metabolite binding sites previously characterized by cryo-electron microscopy, revealing likely ligand entry routes, and uncovered a novel cryptic pocket with promising druggable properties located underneath the 617-628 loop. A full representation of glycan moieties was essential to accurately describe pocket dynamics. A multi-conformational behavior of the 617-628 loop in simulations was validated using hydrogen-deuterium exchange mass spectrometry experiments, supportive of opening and closing dynamics. The pocket is the site of multiple mutations associated with increased transmissibility found in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern including Omicron. Collectively, this work highlights the utility of the benzene mapping approach in uncovering potential druggable sites on the surface of SARS-CoV-2 targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorena Zuzic
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore; Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Firdaus Samsudin
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Aishwary T Shivgan
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Palur V Raghuvamsi
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore
| | - Jan K Marzinek
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore
| | - Alister Boags
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore; School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Conrado Pedebos
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK
| | - Nikhil K Tulsian
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore; Department of Biochemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546, Singapore
| | - Jim Warwicker
- School of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, The University of Manchester, Manchester M1 7DN, UK
| | - Paul MacAry
- Life Sciences Institute, Centre for Life Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117546, Singapore
| | - Max Crispin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK
| | - Syma Khalid
- School of Chemistry, University of Southampton, Southampton SO17 1BJ, UK; Department of Biochemistry, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QU, UK.
| | - Ganesh S Anand
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore; Department of Chemistry, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA 16802, USA.
| | - Peter J Bond
- Bioinformatics Institute, Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A∗STAR), Singapore 138671, Singapore; Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117543, Singapore.
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19
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Ravindran A, Nirmal D, Jebalin. I. V BK, Pinkymol KP, Prajoon P, Ajayan J. InGaAs based gratings for UV-VIS spectrometer in prospective mRNA vaccine research. OPTICAL AND QUANTUM ELECTRONICS 2022; 54:555. [PMID: 35912403 PMCID: PMC9321284 DOI: 10.1007/s11082-022-04002-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
During the outbreak of the COVID-19 illness, mRNA (messenger RNA) injections proved to be effective vaccination. Among the presently available analytical techniques, UV/VIS spectrophotometry is a trustworthy and practical instrument that may provide information on the chemical components of the vaccine at the molecular level. In this paper, we will present a one-dimensional grating of InGaAs as a prospect grating structure for UV-VIS spectrometer that can be used for mRNA vaccine development. The main parameters and the wavelength region used in mRNA vaccine development lies in the range of 200 nm to 700 nm (UV-VIS Range). The incorporation of new materials that are excellent for cutting-edge semiconductor industry procedures for MEMS manufacture, as well as new optimal parameters, will improve the grating and spectrometer's performance which will enhance the mRNA vaccine development and manufacturing workflows enabled by UV-VIS spectroscopy. Hence we evaluated the feasibility of the materials, Si (Silicon), GaN (Gallium Nitride), InGaAs (Indium Gallium Arsenide) and InP (Indium Phosphide) as a grating material. Reflection spectrum of the proposed structure shows 48% increase compared to the grating made up of Silicon. In order to model wave propagation in one grating unit cell, electromagnetic waves frequency domain interface is used. The periodic constraints of floquet periodicity are used for simulation at both faces of the unit cell. The reflectance of grating with each material as functions of the angle of incidence was plotted. Also we evaluated the effect of grating thickness, groove density, spectral resolution and efficiency over different materials namely Si, GaN, InGaAs and InP. After optimizing geometric parameters, the designed InGaAs based grating achieved a efficiency of 87.45% and can be a reliable prospect for mRNA based vaccine development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajith Ravindran
- Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore and Saintgits College of Engineering, Kottayam, India
| | - D. Nirmal
- Karunya Institute of Technology and Sciences, Coimbatore, India
| | | | - K. P. Pinkymol
- National Institute of Technology, Tiruchirappalli, India
| | - P. Prajoon
- Jyothi Engineering College, Cheruthuruthy, Thrissur, India
| | - J. Ajayan
- SR University, Warangal, Telangana India
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20
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Patrick C, Upadhyay V, Lucas A, Mallela KM. Biophysical Fitness Landscape of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta Variant Receptor Binding Domain. J Mol Biol 2022; 434:167622. [PMID: 35533762 PMCID: PMC9076029 DOI: 10.1016/j.jmb.2022.167622] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/29/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Among the five known SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, Delta is the most virulent leading to severe symptoms and increased mortality among infected people. Our study seeks to examine how the biophysical parameters of the Delta variant correlate to the clinical observations. Receptor binding domain (RBD) is the first point of contact with the human host cells and is the immunodominant form of the spike protein. Delta variant RBD contains two novel mutations L452R and T478K. We examined the effect of single as well as the double mutations on RBD expression in human Expi293 cells, RBD stability using urea and thermal denaturation, and RBD binding to angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and to neutralizing antibodies using isothermal titration calorimetry. Delta variant RBD showed significantly higher expression compared to the wild-type RBD, and the increased expression is due to L452R mutation. Despite their non-conservative nature, none of the mutations significantly affected RBD structure and stability. All mutants showed similar binding affinity to ACE2 and to Class 1 antibodies (CC12.1 and LY-CoV016) as that of the wild-type. Delta double mutant L452R/T478K showed no binding to Class 2 antibodies (P2B-2F6 and LY-CoV555) and a hundred-fold weaker binding to a Class 3 antibody (REGN10987), and the decreased antibody binding is determined by the L452R mutation. These results indicate that the immune escape from neutralizing antibodies, rather than increased receptor binding, is the main biophysical parameter that determined the fitness landscape of the Delta variant RBD.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Krishna M.G. Mallela
- Corresponding author at: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, 12850 E. Montview Blvd, MS C238-V20, Aurora, CO 80045, USA
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21
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Hsieh CL, McLellan JS. Protein engineering responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Curr Opin Struct Biol 2022; 74:102385. [PMID: 35533563 PMCID: PMC9075828 DOI: 10.1016/j.sbi.2022.102385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2021] [Revised: 03/30/2022] [Accepted: 04/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Antigen design guided by high-resolution viral glycoprotein structures has successfully generated diverse vaccine candidates for COVID-19. Using conjugation systems to combine antigen design with computationally optimized nanoparticles, researchers have been able to display multivalent antigens with beneficial substitutions that elicited robust humoral immunity with enhanced neutralization potency and breadth. Here, we discuss strategies that have been used for structure-based design and nanoparticle display to develop COVID-19 vaccine candidates as well as potential next-generation vaccine candidates to protect against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other coronaviruses that emerge into the human population.
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22
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To A, Wong TAS, Lieberman MM, Thompson K, Ball AH, Pessaint L, Greenhouse J, Daham N, Cook A, Narvaez B, Flinchbaugh Z, Van Ry A, Yalley-Ogunro J, Elyard HA, Lai CY, Donini O, Lehrer AT. A Recombinant Subunit Vaccine Induces a Potent, Broadly Neutralizing, and Durable Antibody Response in Macaques against the SARS-CoV-2 P.1 (Gamma) Variant. ACS Infect Dis 2022; 8:825-840. [PMID: 35263081 PMCID: PMC8938837 DOI: 10.1021/acsinfecdis.1c00600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
FDA-approved and emergency use-authorized vaccines using new mRNA and viral-vector technology are highly effective in preventing moderate to severe disease; however, information on their long-term efficacy and protective breadth against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 variants of concern (VOCs) is currently scarce. Here, we describe the durability and broad-spectrum VOC immunity of a prefusion-stabilized spike (S) protein adjuvanted with liquid or lyophilized CoVaccine HT in cynomolgus macaques. This recombinant subunit vaccine is highly immunogenic and induces robust spike-specific and broadly neutralizing antibody responses effective against circulating VOCs (B.1.351 [Beta], P.1 [Gamma], and B.1.617 [Delta]) for at least three months after the final boost. Protective efficacy and postexposure immunity were evaluated using a heterologous P.1 challenge nearly three months after the last immunization. Our results indicate that while immunization with both high and low S doses shorten and reduce viral loads in the upper and lower respiratory tract, a higher antigen dose is required to provide durable protection against disease as vaccine immunity wanes. Histologically, P.1 infection causes similar COVID-19-like lung pathology as seen with early pandemic isolates. Postchallenge IgG concentrations were restored to peak immunity levels, and vaccine-matched and cross-variant neutralizing antibodies were significantly elevated in immunized macaques indicating an efficient anamnestic response. Only low levels of P.1-specific neutralizing antibodies with limited breadth were observed in control (nonvaccinated but challenged) macaques, suggesting that natural infection may not prevent reinfection by other VOCs. Overall, these results demonstrate that a properly dosed and adjuvanted recombinant subunit vaccine can provide protective immunity against circulating VOCs for at least three months.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert To
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Teri Ann S. Wong
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Michael M. Lieberman
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Karen Thompson
- Department of Pathology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Aquena H. Ball
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | | | - Jack Greenhouse
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | | | - Anthony Cook
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Brandon Narvaez
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Zack Flinchbaugh
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Alex Van Ry
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Jake Yalley-Ogunro
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Hanne Andersen Elyard
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | - Chih-Yun Lai
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
| | | | - Axel T. Lehrer
- Department of Tropical Medicine, Medical Microbiology, and Pharmacology, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, Honolulu, HI, 96813, USA
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23
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Leonard AC, Weinstein JJ, Steiner PJ, Erbse AH, Fleishman SJ, Whitehead TA. Stabilization of the SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain by protein core redesign and deep mutational scanning. Protein Eng Des Sel 2022; 35:gzac002. [PMID: 35325236 PMCID: PMC9077414 DOI: 10.1093/protein/gzac002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 01/21/2022] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Stabilizing antigenic proteins as vaccine immunogens or diagnostic reagents is a stringent case of protein engineering and design as the exterior surface must maintain recognition by receptor(s) and antigen-specific antibodies at multiple distinct epitopes. This is a challenge, as stability enhancing mutations must be focused on the protein core, whereas successful computational stabilization algorithms typically select mutations at solvent-facing positions. In this study, we report the stabilization of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan Hu-1 Spike receptor binding domain using a combination of deep mutational scanning and computational design, including the FuncLib algorithm. Our most successful design encodes I358F, Y365W, T430I, and I513L receptor binding domain mutations, maintains recognition by the receptor ACE2 and a panel of different anti-receptor binding domain monoclonal antibodies, is between 1 and 2°C more thermally stable than the original receptor binding domain using a thermal shift assay, and is less proteolytically sensitive to chymotrypsin and thermolysin than the original receptor binding domain. Our approach could be applied to the computational stabilization of a wide range of proteins without requiring detailed knowledge of active sites or binding epitopes. We envision that this strategy may be particularly powerful for cases when there are multiple or unknown binding sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison C Leonard
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Jonathan J Weinstein
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Paul J Steiner
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Annette H Erbse
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
| | - Sarel J Fleishman
- Department of Biomolecular Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 7610001, Israel
| | - Timothy A Whitehead
- Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80303, USA
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24
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Ahmed S, Khan MS, Gayathri S, Singh R, Kumar S, Patel UR, Malladi SK, Rajmani RS, van Vuren PJ, Riddell S, Goldie S, Girish N, Reddy P, Upadhyaya A, Pandey S, Siddiqui S, Tyagi A, Jha S, Pandey R, Khatun O, Narayan R, Tripathi S, McAuley AJ, Singanallur NB, Vasan SS, Ringe RP, Varadarajan R. A Stabilized, Monomeric, Receptor Binding Domain Elicits High-Titer Neutralizing Antibodies Against All SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern. Front Immunol 2021; 12:765211. [PMID: 34956193 PMCID: PMC8695907 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2021.765211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Saturation suppressor mutagenesis was used to generate thermostable mutants of the SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor-binding domain (RBD). A triple mutant with an increase in thermal melting temperature of ~7°C with respect to the wild-type B.1 RBD and was expressed in high yield in both mammalian cells and the microbial host, Pichia pastoris, was downselected for immunogenicity studies. An additional derivative with three additional mutations from the B.1.351 (beta) isolate was also introduced into this background. Lyophilized proteins were resistant to high-temperature exposure and could be stored for over a month at 37°C. In mice and hamsters, squalene-in-water emulsion (SWE) adjuvanted formulations of the B.1-stabilized RBD were considerably more immunogenic than RBD lacking the stabilizing mutations and elicited antibodies that neutralized all four current variants of concern with similar neutralization titers. However, sera from mice immunized with the stabilized B.1.351 derivative showed significantly decreased neutralization titers exclusively against the B.1.617.2 (delta) VOC. A cocktail comprising stabilized B.1 and B.1.351 RBDs elicited antibodies with qualitatively improved neutralization titers and breadth relative to those immunized solely with either immunogen. Immunized hamsters were protected from high-dose viral challenge. Such vaccine formulations can be rapidly and cheaply produced, lack extraneous tags or additional components, and can be stored at room temperature. They are a useful modality to combat COVID-19, especially in remote and low-resource settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahbaz Ahmed
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Savitha Gayathri
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Randhir Singh
- Mynvax Private Limited, ES12, Entrepreneurship Centre, Society for Innovation and Development (SID), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Sahil Kumar
- Virology Unit, Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
| | - Unnatiben Rajeshbhai Patel
- Mynvax Private Limited, ES12, Entrepreneurship Centre, Society for Innovation and Development (SID), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | | | - Raju S. Rajmani
- Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Petrus Jansen van Vuren
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Shane Riddell
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Sarah Goldie
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | - Nidhi Girish
- Mynvax Private Limited, ES12, Entrepreneurship Centre, Society for Innovation and Development (SID), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Poorvi Reddy
- Mynvax Private Limited, ES12, Entrepreneurship Centre, Society for Innovation and Development (SID), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Aditya Upadhyaya
- Mynvax Private Limited, ES12, Entrepreneurship Centre, Society for Innovation and Development (SID), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Suman Pandey
- Mynvax Private Limited, ES12, Entrepreneurship Centre, Society for Innovation and Development (SID), Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Samreen Siddiqui
- Max Super Speciality Hospital (A Unit of Devki Devi Foundation), Max Healthcare, Delhi, India
| | - Akansha Tyagi
- Max Super Speciality Hospital (A Unit of Devki Devi Foundation), Max Healthcare, Delhi, India
| | - Sujeet Jha
- Max Super Speciality Hospital (A Unit of Devki Devi Foundation), Max Healthcare, Delhi, India
| | - Rajesh Pandey
- INtegrative GENomics of HOst-PathogEn (INGEN-HOPE) Laboratory, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology (CSIR-IGIB), Delhi, India
| | - Oyahida Khatun
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Rohan Narayan
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Shashank Tripathi
- Department of Microbiology & Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
- Centre for Infectious Disease Research, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
| | - Alexander J. McAuley
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Geelong, VIC, Australia
| | | | - Seshadri S. Vasan
- Australian Centre for Disease Preparedness (ACDP), Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), Geelong, VIC, Australia
- Department of Health Sciences, University of York, York, United Kingdom
| | - Rajesh P. Ringe
- Virology Unit, Institute of Microbial Technology, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Chandigarh, India
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25
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Leonard AC, Weinstein JJ, Steiner PJ, Erbse AH, Fleishman SJ, Whitehead TA. Stabilization of the SARS-CoV-2 Receptor Binding Domain by Protein Core Redesign and Deep Mutational Scanning.. [PMID: 34845448 PMCID: PMC8629191 DOI: 10.1101/2021.11.22.469552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Stabilizing antigenic proteins as vaccine immunogens or diagnostic reagents is a stringent case of protein engineering and design as the exterior surface must maintain recognition by receptor(s) and antigen—specific antibodies at multiple distinct epitopes. This is a challenge, as stability-enhancing mutations must be focused on the protein core, whereas successful computational stabilization algorithms typically select mutations at solvent-facing positions. In this study we report the stabilization of SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan Hu-1 Spike receptor binding domain (S RBD) using a combination of deep mutational scanning and computational design, including the FuncLib algorithm. Our most successful design encodes I358F, Y365W, T430I, and I513L RBD mutations, maintains recognition by the receptor ACE2 and a panel of different anti-RBD monoclonal antibodies, is between 1–2°C more thermally stable than the original RBD using a thermal shift assay, and is less proteolytically sensitive to chymotrypsin and thermolysin than the original RBD. Our approach could be applied to the computational stabilization of a wide range of proteins without requiring detailed knowledge of active sites or binding epitopes, particularly powerful for cases when there are multiple or unknown binding sites.
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