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Hasan M, He Z, Jia M, Leung ACF, Natarajan K, Xu W, Yap S, Zhou F, Chen S, Su H, Zhu K, Su H. Dynamic expedition of leading mutations in SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoproteins. Comput Struct Biotechnol J 2024; 23:2407-2417. [PMID: 38882678 PMCID: PMC11176665 DOI: 10.1016/j.csbj.2024.05.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/21/2024] [Indexed: 06/18/2024] Open
Abstract
The continuous evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which caused the recent pandemic, has generated countless new variants with varying fitness. Mutations of the spike glycoprotein play a particularly vital role in shaping its evolutionary trajectory, as they have the capability to alter its infectivity and antigenicity. We present a time-resolved statistical method, Dynamic Expedition of Leading Mutations (deLemus), to analyze the evolutionary dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein. The proposed L -index of the deLemus method is effective in quantifying the mutation strength of each amino acid site and outlining evolutionarily significant sites, allowing the comprehensive characterization of the evolutionary mutation pattern of the spike glycoprotein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Hasan
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Zhouyi He
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
| | - Mengqi Jia
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Alvin C F Leung
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | | | - Wentao Xu
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shanqi Yap
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Feng Zhou
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Shihong Chen
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Hailei Su
- Bengbu Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, 4339 Huai-shang Road, Anhui 233080, China
| | - Kaicheng Zhu
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
| | - Haibin Su
- Department of Chemistry, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Hong Kong, China
- Southern Marine Science and Engineering Guangdong Laboratory (Guangzhou), Guangzhou, China
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2
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Sarkar M, Madabhavi I. COVID-19 mutations: An overview. World J Methodol 2024; 14:89761. [DOI: 10.5662/wjm.v14.i3.89761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to the genus Beta coronavirus and the family of Coronaviridae. It is a positive-sense, non-segmented single-strand RNA virus. Four common types of human coronaviruses circulate globally, particularly in the fall and winter seasons. They are responsible for 10%-30% of all mild upper respiratory tract infections in adults. These are 229E, NL63 of the Alfacoronaviridae family, OC43, and HKU1 of the Betacoronaviridae family. However, there are three highly pathogenic human coronaviruses: SARS-CoV-2, Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus, and the latest pandemic caused by the SARS-CoV-2 infection. All viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, have the inherent tendency to evolve. SARS-CoV-2 is still evolving in humans. Additionally, due to the development of herd immunity, prior infection, use of medication, vaccination, and antibodies, the viruses are facing immune pressure. During the replication process and due to immune pressure, the virus may undergo mutations. Several SARS-CoV-2 variants, including the variants of concern (VOCs), such as B.1.1.7 (Alpha), B.1.351 (Beta), B.1.617/B.1.617.2 (Delta), P.1 (Gamma), and B.1.1.529 (Omicron) have been reported from various parts of the world. These VOCs contain several important mutations; some of them are on the spike proteins. These mutations may lead to enhanced infectivity, transmissibility, and decreased neutralization efficacy by monoclonal antibodies, convalescent sera, or vaccines. Mutations may also lead to a failure of detection by molecular diagnostic tests, leading to a delayed diagnosis, increased community spread, and delayed treatment. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Covariant, the Stanford variant Database, and the CINAHL from December 2019 to February 2023 using the following search terms: VOC, SARS-CoV-2, Omicron, mutations in SARS-CoV-2, etc. This review discusses the various mutations and their impact on infectivity, transmissibility, and neutralization efficacy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Malay Sarkar
- Department of Pulmonary Medicine, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla 171001, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Irappa Madabhavi
- Department of Medical and Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, J N Medical College, and KAHER, Belagavi, Karnataka 590010, India
- Department of Medical and Pediatric Oncology and Hematology, Kerudi Cancer Hospital, Bagalkot, Karnataka 587103, India
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3
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Ruotolo L, Silenzi S, Mola B, Ortalli M, Lazzarotto T, Rossini G. Case reports of persistent SARS-CoV-2 infection outline within-host viral evolution in immunocompromised patients. Virol J 2024; 21:210. [PMID: 39227954 PMCID: PMC11373299 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-024-02483-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2024] [Accepted: 08/21/2024] [Indexed: 09/05/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2 is responsible for the ongoing global pandemic, and the continuous emergence of novel variants threatens fragile populations, such as immunocompromised patients. This subgroup of patients seems to be seriously affected by intrahost viral changes, as the pathogens, which are keen to cause replication inefficiency, affect the impaired immune system, preventing efficient clearance of the virus. Therefore, these patients may represent an optimal reservoir for the development of new circulating SARS-CoV-2 variants. The following study aimed to investigate genomic changes in SARS-CoV-2-positive immunocompromised patients over time. METHODS SARS-CoV-2-positive nasopharyngeal swabs were collected at different time points for each patient (patient A and patient B), extracted and then analyzed through next-generation sequencing (NGS). The resulting sequences were examined to determine mutation frequencies, describing viral evolution over time. CASE PRESENTATION Patient A was a 53-year-old patient with onco-hematological disease with prolonged infection lasting for 51 days from May 28th to July 18th, 2022. Three confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive samples were collected on May 28th, June 15th and July 4th. Patient B was 75 years old and had onco-hematological disease with prolonged infection lasting for 146 days. Two confirmed positive SARS-CoV-2 samples were collected at the following time points: May 21st and August 18th. CONCLUSION Heat map construction provided evidence of gain and/or loss of mutations over time for both patients, suggesting within-host genomic evolution of the virus. In addition, mutation polymorphisms and changes in the SARS-CoV-2 lineage were observed in Patient B. Sequence analysis revealed high mutational pattern variability, reflecting the high complexity of viral replication dynamics in fragile patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luca Ruotolo
- Microbiology Unit, DIMEC, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Silvia Silenzi
- Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Beatrice Mola
- Microbiology Unit, DIMEC, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Margherita Ortalli
- Microbiology Unit, DIMEC, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Tiziana Lazzarotto
- Microbiology Unit, DIMEC, Alma Mater Studiorum Università di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
- Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy.
| | - Giada Rossini
- Microbiology Unit, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
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Lee J, Kim B, Woo HM, Kim JW, Jung I, Park SW, Kim YS, Na JH, Jung ST. Enhanced Omicron Variant Neutralization by a Human Antibody Tailored to Wild-Type and Delta-Variant SARS-CoV-2 RBDs. Mol Pharm 2024; 21:4336-4346. [PMID: 39058261 DOI: 10.1021/acs.molpharmaceut.4c00297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
Given the previous SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and the inherent unpredictability of viral antigenic drift and shift, preemptive development of diverse neutralizing antibodies targeting a broad spectrum of epitopes is essential to ensure immediate therapeutic and prophylactic interventions during emerging outbreaks. In this study, we present a monoclonal antibody engineered for cross-reactivity to both wild-type and Delta RBDs, which, surprisingly, demonstrates enhanced neutralizing activity against the Omicron variant despite a significant number of mutations. Using an Escherichia coli inner membrane display of a human naïve antibody library, we identified antibodies specific to the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 receptor binding domain (RBD). Subsequent directed evolution via yeast surface display yielded JS18.1, an antibody with high binding affinity for both the Delta and Kappa RBDs, as well as enhanced binding to other RBDs (wild-type, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Kappa, and Mu). Notably, JS18.1 (engineered for wild-type and Delta RBDs) exhibits enhanced neutralizing capability against the Omicron variant and binds to RBDs noncompetitively with ACE2, distinguishing it from other previously reported antibodies. This underscores the potential of pre-existing antibodies to neutralize emerging SARS-CoV-2 strains and offers insights into strategies to combat emerging viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jisun Lee
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Bomi Kim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Hye-Min Woo
- Division of Emerging Virus and Vector Research, Center for Emerging Virus Research, National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Osong, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea
| | - Jun-Won Kim
- Division of Emerging Virus and Vector Research, Center for Emerging Virus Research, National Institute of Health, Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Agency, Osong, Cheongju 28159, Republic of Korea
| | - Inji Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
| | - Seong-Wook Park
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Yong-Sung Kim
- Department of Molecular Science and Technology, Ajou University, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Republic of Korea
- Department of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Ajou University Medical School, Suwon, Gyeonggi-do 16499, Republic of Korea
| | - Jung-Hyun Na
- School of Biopharmaceutical and Medical Sciences, Sungshin Women's University, Seoul 01133, Republic of Korea
| | - Sang Taek Jung
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Graduate School, Korea University, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- BK21 Graduate Program, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- Biomedical Research Center, Korea University Anam Hospital, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
- Institute of Human Genetics, Korea University College of Medicine, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea
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5
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Wang G, Verma AK, Guan X, Bu F, Odle AE, Li F, Liu B, Perlman S, Du L. Pan-beta-coronavirus subunit vaccine prevents SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV challenge. J Virol 2024:e0037624. [PMID: 39189731 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00376-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 08/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Three highly pathogenic coronaviruses (CoVs), SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV, belonging to the genus beta-CoV, have caused outbreaks or pandemics. SARS-CoV-2 has evolved into many variants with increased resistance to the current vaccines. Spike (S) protein and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) fragment of these CoVs are important vaccine targets; however, the RBD of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant is highly mutated, rending neutralizing antibodies elicited by ancestral-based vaccines targeting this region ineffective, emphasizing the need for effective vaccines with broad-spectrum efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other CoVs with pandemic potential. This study describes a pan-beta-CoV subunit vaccine, Om-S-MERS-RBD, by fusing the conserved and highly potent RBD of MERS-CoV into an RBD-truncated SARS-CoV-2 Omicron S protein, and evaluates its neutralizing immunogenicity and protective efficacy in mouse models. Om-S-MERS-RBD formed a conformational structure, maintained effective functionality and antigenicity, and bind efficiently to MERS-CoV receptor, human dipeptidyl peptidase 4, and MERS-CoV RBD or SARS-CoV-2 S-specific antibodies. Immunization of mice with Om-S-MERS-RBD and adjuvants (Alum plus monophosphoryl lipid A) induced broadly neutralizing antibodies against pseudotyped MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 original strain, as well as T-cell responses specific to RBD-truncated Omicron S protein. Moreover, the neutralizing activity against SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants was effectively improved after priming with an Omicron-S-RBD protein. Adjuvanted Om-S-MERS-RBD protein protected mice against challenge with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV, significantly reducing viral titers in the lungs. Overall, these findings indicated that Om-S-MERS-RBD protein could develop as an effective universal subunit vaccine to prevent infections with MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and its variants. IMPORTANCE Coronaviruses (CoVs), SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV, the respective causative agents of coronavirus disease 2019, SARS, and MERS, continually threaten human health. The spike (S) protein and its receptor-binding domain (RBD) fragment of these CoVs are critical vaccine targets. Nevertheless, the highly mutated RBD of SARS-CoV-2 variants, especially Omicron, significantly reduces the efficacy of current vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Here a protein-based pan-beta-CoV subunit vaccine is designed by fusing the potent and conserved RBD of MERS-CoV into an RBD-truncated Omicron S protein. The resulting vaccine maintained effective functionality and antigenicity, induced broadly neutralizing antibodies against all of these highly pathogenic human CoVs, and elicited Omicron S-specific cellular immune responses, protecting immunized mice from SARS-CoV-2 Omicron, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV infections. Taken together, this study rationally designed a pan-beta-CoV subunit vaccine with broad-spectrum efficacy, which has the potential for development as an effective universal vaccine against SARS-CoV-2 variants and other CoVs with pandemic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Wang
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Abhishek K Verma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, lowa, USA
| | - Xiaoqing Guan
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
| | - Fan Bu
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Center for Coronavirus Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Abby E Odle
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, lowa, USA
| | - Fang Li
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Minnesota Medical School, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
- Center for Coronavirus Research, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Bin Liu
- Hormel Institute, University of Minnesota, Austin, Minnesota, USA
| | - Stanley Perlman
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, lowa, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Lanying Du
- Institute for Biomedical Sciences, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA
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6
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Abbasian MH, Rahimian K, Mahmanzar M, Bayat S, Kuehu DL, Sisakht MM, Moradi B, Deng Y. Comparative Atlas of SARS-CoV-2 Substitution Mutations: A Focus on Iranian Strains Amidst Global Trends. Viruses 2024; 16:1331. [PMID: 39205305 DOI: 10.3390/v16081331] [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: 07/13/2024] [Revised: 08/12/2024] [Accepted: 08/17/2024] [Indexed: 09/04/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a new emerging coronavirus that caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Whole-genome tracking of SARS-CoV-2 enhanced our understanding of the mechanism of the disease, control, and prevention of COVID-19. METHODS we analyzed 3368 SARS-CoV-2 protein sequences from Iran and compared them with 15.6 million global sequences in the GISAID database, using the Wuhan-Hu-1 strain as a reference. RESULTS Our investigation revealed that NSP12-P323L, ORF9c-G50N, NSP14-I42V, membrane-A63T, Q19E, and NSP3-G489S were found to be the most frequent mutations among Iranian SARS-CoV-2 sequences. Furthermore, it was observed that more than 94% of the SARS-CoV-2 genome, including NSP7, NSP8, NSP9, NSP10, NSP11, and ORF8, had no mutations when compared to the Wuhan-Hu-1 strain. Finally, our data indicated that the ORF3a-T24I, NSP3-G489S, NSP5-P132H, NSP14-I42V, envelope-T9I, nucleocapsid-D3L, membrane-Q19E, and membrane-A63T mutations might be responsible factors for the surge in the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant wave in Iran. CONCLUSIONS real-time genomic surveillance is crucial for detecting new SARS-CoV-2 variants, updating diagnostic tools, designing vaccines, and understanding adaptation to new environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad Hadi Abbasian
- Department of Medical Genetics, National Institute for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Tehran 1497716316, Iran
| | - Karim Rahimian
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics (IBB), University of Tehran, Tehran 14174, Iran
| | - Mohammadamin Mahmanzar
- Department of Bioinformatics, Kish International Campus University of Tehran, Kish 7941639982, Iran
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Saleha Bayat
- Department of Biology & Research Center for Animal Development Applied Biology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad 9187147578, Iran
| | - Donna Lee Kuehu
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
| | - Mahsa Mollapour Sisakht
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Biotechnology Research Center, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran 1936893813, Iran
| | - Bahman Moradi
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, Kerman 7616913439, Iran
| | - Youping Deng
- Department of Quantitative Health Sciences, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI 96813, USA
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Kaur A, Krishnan VV. Immunoprofiles of COVID-19 uniquely differentiated from other viruses: A machine learning investigation of multiplex immunoassay data. PNAS NEXUS 2024; 3:pgae327. [PMID: 39157461 PMCID: PMC11327922 DOI: 10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae327] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 08/20/2024]
Abstract
Cytokines and chemokines are vital in maintaining a healthy state by efficiently controlling invading microbes. In addition, the dysregulation of these immune mediators can contribute to viral infection pathology. We comprehensively analyzed the profiles of host immunomodulators in response to infections with members of several virus families, particularly if the SARS-CoV-2 infection produces a unique immune profile compared with other viral infections. Multiplex microbead immunoassay results from 219 datasets with a range of viruses were curated systematically. The curated immunoassay data, obtained using Luminex technology, include 35 different viruses in 18 different viral families; this analysis also incorporated data from studies performed in 7 different cell model systems with 28 different sample types. A multivariate statistical analysis was performed with a specific focus involving many investigations (>10), which include the viral families of Coronaviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Retroviridae, Flaviviridae, and Hantaviridae. A random forest-based classification of the profiles indicates that IL1-RA, C-X-C motif chemokine ligand 9, C-C motif chemokine ligand 4, interferon (IFN)-λ1, IFN-γ-inducing protein 10, and interleukin (IL)-27 are the top immunomodulators among human samples. Similar approaches only between Coronaviridae (COVID-19) and Orthomyxoviridae (influenza A/B) indicated that transforming growth factor-β, IFN-λ1, IL-9, and eotaxin-1 are important features. In particular, the IFN-λ1 protein was implicated as one of the significant immunomodulators differentiating viral family infection. It is evident that Coronaviridae infection, including SARS-CoV-2, induces a unique cytokine-chemokine profile and can lead to specific immunoassays for diagnosing and prognosis of viral diseases based on host immune responses. Alternatively, we can use diagnosing and prognosing. It is also essential to note that meta-analysis-based predictions must be appropriately validated before clinical implementation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashneet Kaur
- Department of Biology, California State University, Fresno, CA 93740, USA
| | - Viswanathan V Krishnan
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, California State University, Fresno, CA 93740, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of California Davis School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA 95817, USA
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8
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Xu J, Gong J, Bo X, Tong Y, Ren Z, Ni M. A benchmark for evaluation of structure-based online tools for antibody-antigen binding affinity. Biophys Chem 2024; 311:107253. [PMID: 38768531 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpc.2024.107253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 04/08/2024] [Accepted: 04/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
The prediction of binding affinity changes caused by missense mutations can elucidate antigen-antibody interactions. A few accessible structure-based online computational tools have been proposed. However, selecting suitable software for particular research is challenging, especially research on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein with antibodies. Therefore, benchmarking of the mutation-diverse SARS-CoV-2 datasets is critical. Here, we collected the datasets including 1216 variants about the changes in binding affinity of antigens from 22 complexes for SARS-CoV-2 S proteins and 22 monoclonal antibodies as well as applied them to evaluate the performance of seven binding affinity prediction tools. The tested tools' Pearson correlations between predicted and measured changes in binding affinity were between -0.158 and 0.657, while accuracy in classification tasks on predicting increasing or decreasing affinity ranged from 0.444 to 0.834. These tools performed relatively better on predicting single mutations, especially at epitope sites, whereas poor performance on extremely decreasing affinity. The tested tools were relatively insensitive to the experimental techniques used to obtain structures of complexes. In summary, we constructed a list of datasets and evaluated a range of structure-based online prediction tools that will explicate relevant processes of antigen-antibody interactions and enhance the computational design of therapeutic monoclonal antibodies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiayi Xu
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China
| | - Jianting Gong
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Xiaochen Bo
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China
| | - Yigang Tong
- College of Life Science and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China; Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Soft Matter Science and Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, China.
| | - Zilin Ren
- School of Information Science and Technology, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130117, China; Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Changchun 130122, China.
| | - Ming Ni
- Institute of Health Service and Transfusion Medicine, Beijing 100850, China.
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9
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Rosales R, McGovern BL, Rodriguez ML, Leiva-Rebollo R, Diaz-Tapia R, Benjamin J, Rai DK, Cardin RD, Anderson AS, Sordillo EM, van Bakel H, Simon V, García-Sastre A, White KM. Nirmatrelvir and molnupiravir maintain potent in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity against circulating SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants. Antiviral Res 2024; 230:105970. [PMID: 39067667 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2024.105970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Revised: 06/27/2024] [Accepted: 07/22/2024] [Indexed: 07/30/2024]
Abstract
Variants of SARS-CoV-2 pose significant challenges in public health due to their increased transmissibility and ability to evade natural immunity, vaccine protection, and monoclonal antibody therapeutics. The emergence of the highly transmissible Omicron variant and subsequent subvariants, characterized by an extensive array of over 32 mutations within the spike protein, intensifies concerns regarding vaccine evasion. In response, multiple antiviral therapeutics have received FDA emergency use approval, targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and main protease (Mpro) regions, known to have relatively fewer mutations across novel variants. In this study, we evaluated the efficacy of nirmatrelvir (PF-07321332) and other clinically significant SARS-CoV-2 antivirals against a diverse panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants, encompassing the newly identified Omicron subvariants XBB1.5 and JN.1, using live-virus antiviral assays. Our findings demonstrate that while the last Omicron subvariants exhibited heightened pathogenicity in our animal model, nirmatrelvir and other clinically relevant antivirals consistently maintained their efficacy against all tested variants, including the XBB1.5 subvariant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romel Rosales
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Briana L McGovern
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - M Luis Rodriguez
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Rocio Leiva-Rebollo
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Randy Diaz-Tapia
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jared Benjamin
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Devendra K Rai
- Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Pearl River, NY, 10965, USA
| | - Rhonda D Cardin
- Worldwide Research and Development, Pfizer Inc., Pearl River, NY, 10965, USA
| | | | - Emilia Mia Sordillo
- Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Harm van Bakel
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Artificial Intelligence And Human Health, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Icahn Genomics Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Viviana Simon
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Center for Vaccine Research and Pandemic Preparedness, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Adolfo García-Sastre
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Tisch Cancer Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Pathology, Molecular and Cell Based Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
| | - Kris M White
- Department of Microbiology, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Global Health Emerging Pathogens Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
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10
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Manteghinejad A, Rasti S, Nasirian M, Javanmard SH. Association of Prior COVID-19 Infection with Risk of Breakthrough Infection Following Vaccination: A Cohort Study in Isfahan, Iran. Int J Prev Med 2024; 15:18. [PMID: 39170924 PMCID: PMC11338365 DOI: 10.4103/ijpvm.ijpvm_173_23] [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: 07/16/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 08/23/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Many people worldwide have developed a combination of natural and vaccine-induced immunity to COVID-19. This study investigated whether exposure to SARS-CoV-2 before full vaccination promotes protection against a breakthrough infection. Methods We studied a total of 2,902,545 people in the Isfahan COVID-19 Registry. All the participants had received two doses of either Sinopharm BIBP, ChAdOx1-nCoV-19, Gam-COVID-Vac, or BIV1-CovIran vaccines. A cohort study examined the association between prior COVID-19 infection and the risk of a breakthrough infection for each vaccine. Cohorts in each pair were matched by gender, age group, calendar week of the first dose, the interval between the first and second doses, and the proportion of healthcare workers. The probable virus variant for the previous infections was also considered. Each individual's follow-up started 14 days after their second vaccine dose until either the end of the study censoring date, occurrence of a COVID-19 infection, or death. The breakthrough infection risk was compared between each cohort pair by using the hazard ratio (HR) and incidence rate ratio (IRR). Results Total breakthrough HRs (95% confidence interval) (previously infected over infection-naïve matched cohort) were 0.36 (0.23-0.55), 0.35 (0.32-0.40), 0.37 (0.30-0.46), and 0.43 (0.32-0.56) for the BIV1-CovIran, Sinopharm BIBP, Gam-COVID-Vac, and ChAdOx1-nCoV-19 vaccine groups, respectively. The breakthrough infection IRRs were approximately similar to the total HRs mentioned above. Conclusion Prior SARS-CoV-2 infection conferred additive immunity against breakthrough after vaccination, no matter which vaccine brand was injected. Such a result could guide health authorities to codify low-cost high-benefit vaccination protocols and protect the community's well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amirreza Manteghinejad
- Cancer Prevention Research Center, Omid Hospital, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Sina Rasti
- Craniofacial and Cleft Research Center, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
| | - Maryam Nasirian
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Health School, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, Isfahan, Iran
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11
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Ferrer-Orta C, Vázquez-Monteagudo S, Ferrero DS, Martínez-González B, Perales C, Domingo E, Verdaguer N. Point mutations at specific sites of the nsp12-nsp8 interface dramatically affect the RNA polymerization activity of SARS-CoV-2. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2024; 121:e2317977121. [PMID: 38990941 PMCID: PMC11260105 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2317977121] [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: 10/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024] Open
Abstract
In a recent characterization of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variability present in 30 diagnostic samples from patients of the first COVID-19 pandemic wave, 41 amino acid substitutions were documented in the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) nsp12. Eight substitutions were selected in this work to determine whether they had an impact on the RdRp activity of the SARS-CoV-2 nsp12-nsp8-nsp7 replication complex. Three of these substitutions were found around the polymerase central cavity, in the template entry channel (D499G and M668V), and within the motif B (V560A), and they showed polymerization rates similar to the wild type RdRp. The remaining five mutations (P323L, L372F, L372P, V373A, and L527H) were placed near the nsp12-nsp8F contact surface; residues L372, V373, and L527 participated in a large hydrophobic cluster involving contacts between two helices in the nsp12 fingers and the long α-helix of nsp8F. The presence of any of these five amino acid substitutions resulted in important alterations in the RNA polymerization activity. Comparative primer elongation assays showed different behavior depending on the hydrophobicity of their side chains. The substitution of L by the bulkier F side chain at position 372 slightly promoted RdRp activity. However, this activity was dramatically reduced with the L372P, and L527H mutations, and to a lesser extent with V373A, all of which weaken the hydrophobic interactions within the cluster. Additional mutations, specifically designed to disrupt the nsp12-nsp8F interactions (nsp12-V330S, nsp12-V341S, and nsp8-R111A/D112A), also resulted in an impaired RdRp activity, further illustrating the importance of this contact interface in the regulation of RNA synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cristina Ferrer-Orta
- Structural and Molecular Biology Department, Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Sergi Vázquez-Monteagudo
- Structural and Molecular Biology Department, Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Diego S. Ferrero
- Structural and Molecular Biology Department, Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona08028, Spain
| | - Brenda Martínez-González
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid28049, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid28040, Spain
| | - Celia Perales
- Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid28049, Spain
- Department of Clinical Microbiology, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria-Fundación Jiménez Díaz University Hospital, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid28040, Spain
| | - Esteban Domingo
- Microbes in Health and Welfare Program, Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa” (CSIC-UAM), Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Madrid28049, Spain
| | - Nuria Verdaguer
- Structural and Molecular Biology Department, Institut de Biologia Molecular de Barcelona, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas, Barcelona08028, Spain
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12
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Tse AL, Acreman CM, Ricardo-Lax I, Berrigan J, Lasso G, Balogun T, Kearns FL, Casalino L, McClain GL, Chandran AM, Lemeunier C, Amaro RE, Rice CM, Jangra RK, McLellan JS, Chandran K, Miller EH. Distinct pathway for evolution of enhanced receptor binding and cell entry in SARS-like bat coronaviruses. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.06.24.600393. [PMID: 38979151 PMCID: PMC11230278 DOI: 10.1101/2024.06.24.600393] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/10/2024]
Abstract
Understanding the zoonotic risks posed by bat coronaviruses (CoVs) is critical for pandemic preparedness. Herein, we generated recombinant vesicular stomatitis viruses (rVSVs) bearing spikes from divergent bat CoVs to investigate their cell entry mechanisms. Unexpectedly, the successful recovery of rVSVs bearing the spike from SHC014, a SARS-like bat CoV, was associated with the acquisition of a novel substitution in the S2 fusion peptide-proximal region (FPPR). This substitution enhanced viral entry in both VSV and coronavirus contexts by increasing the availability of the spike receptor-binding domain to recognize its cellular receptor, ACE2. A second substitution in the spike N-terminal domain, uncovered through forward-genetic selection, interacted epistatically with the FPPR substitution to synergistically enhance spike:ACE2 interaction and viral entry. Our findings identify genetic pathways for adaptation by bat CoVs during spillover and host-to-host transmission, fitness trade-offs inherent to these pathways, and potential Achilles' heels that could be targeted with countermeasures.
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13
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Liang L, Wang B, Zhang Q, Zhang S, Zhang S. Antibody drugs targeting SARS-CoV-2: Time for a rethink? Biomed Pharmacother 2024; 176:116900. [PMID: 38861858 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopha.2024.116900] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2024] [Revised: 04/20/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) heavily burdens human health. Multiple neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) have been issued for emergency use or tested for treating infected patients in the clinic. However, SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOC) carrying mutations reduce the effectiveness of nAbs by preventing neutralization. Uncoding the mutation profile and immune evasion mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 can improve the outcome of Ab-mediated therapies. In this review, we first outline the development status of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ab drugs and provide an overview of SARS-CoV-2 variants and their prevalence. We next focus on the failure causes of anti-SARS-CoV-2 Ab drugs and rethink the design strategy for developing new Ab drugs against COVID-19. This review provides updated information for the development of therapeutic Ab drugs against SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Likeng Liang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Bo Wang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China
| | - Qing Zhang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital, Tianjin 300060, China
| | - Shiwu Zhang
- Department of Pathology, Tianjin Union Medical Center, Nankai University, Tianjin 300121, China
| | - Sihe Zhang
- Department of Cell Biology, School of Medicine, Nankai University, Tianjin 300071, China.
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14
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Cui Z, Wang H, Zou H, Li L, Zhang Y, Chen W. Efficacy and safety of casirivimab and imdevimab for preventing and treating COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Thorac Dis 2024; 16:3606-3622. [PMID: 38983147 PMCID: PMC11228754 DOI: 10.21037/jtd-23-1604] [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: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 04/26/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Background The ongoing global epidemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has created a serious public health problem. The selection of safe and effective therapeutic agents is of paramount importance. This systematic review aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of casirivimab and imdevimab in the treatment of global cases of COVID-19. Methods To identify randomized controlled trials (RCTs) investigating the combined administration of casirivimab and imdevimab for COVID-19 management, a comprehensive search was conducted across multiple databases including PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, and the Cochrane Library from their inception to September 10, 2022. Data on the efficacy and safety of casirivimab and imdevimab were extracted. Subgroup analyses and sensitivity analyses were performed. Results A total of 851 articles were searched. Twelve studies were finally included in the meta-analysis, with 27,179 participants. Dichotomous and continuous variables were presented as odds ratios (ORs) and weighted mean differences (WMDs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CIs), respectively. Compared to placebo or alternative medications, the combination of casirivimab and imdevimab reduced viral load (WMD: -0.73, 95% CI: -1.09 to -0.38, P<0.01), all-cause mortality (OR =0.90, 95% CI: 0.82-0.99, P=0.03), the incidence of any serious adverse events (OR =0.80, 95% CI: 0.67-0.95, P=0.01), the incidence of Grade 3 or more severe adverse events (OR =0.76, 95% CI: 0.62-0.92, P=0.01), the likelihood of contracting COVID-19, the incidence of hospitalization, emergency room visits, and mortality (OR =0.54, 95% CI: 0.32-0.93, P=0.03). Conclusions The monoclonal antibody combination of casirivimab and imdevimab is effective in treating patients infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), as they can reduce viral load, all-cause mortality, infection rates, and the incidence of clinical outcomes of special interest after treatment, while maintaining a favorable safety profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhifang Cui
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Hongwu Wang
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Heng Zou
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Lei Li
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Dongzhimen Hospital, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing, China
| | - Ye Zhang
- Department of General Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
| | - Wenyu Chen
- Department of Respiratory Medicine, Affiliated Hospital of Jiaxing University, Jiaxing, China
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15
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Li X, Mi Z, Liu Z, Rong P. SARS-CoV-2: pathogenesis, therapeutics, variants, and vaccines. Front Microbiol 2024; 15:1334152. [PMID: 38939189 PMCID: PMC11208693 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2024.1334152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2023] [Accepted: 05/29/2024] [Indexed: 06/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), emerged in December 2019 with staggering economic fallout and human suffering. The unique structure of SARS-CoV-2 and its underlying pathogenic mechanism were responsible for the global pandemic. In addition to the direct damage caused by the virus, SARS-CoV-2 triggers an abnormal immune response leading to a cytokine storm, culminating in acute respiratory distress syndrome and other fatal diseases that pose a significant challenge to clinicians. Therefore, potential treatments should focus not only on eliminating the virus but also on alleviating or controlling acute immune/inflammatory responses. Current management strategies for COVID-19 include preventative measures and supportive care, while the role of the host immune/inflammatory response in disease progression has largely been overlooked. Understanding the interaction between SARS-CoV-2 and its receptors, as well as the underlying pathogenesis, has proven to be helpful for disease prevention, early recognition of disease progression, vaccine development, and interventions aimed at reducing immunopathology have been shown to reduce adverse clinical outcomes and improve prognosis. Moreover, several key mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome sequence result in an enhanced binding affinity to the host cell receptor, or produce immune escape, leading to either increased virus transmissibility or virulence of variants that carry these mutations. This review characterizes the structural features of SARS-CoV-2, its variants, and their interaction with the immune system, emphasizing the role of dysfunctional immune responses and cytokine storm in disease progression. Additionally, potential therapeutic options are reviewed, providing critical insights into disease management, exploring effective approaches to deal with the public health crises caused by SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xi Li
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Ze Mi
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhenguo Liu
- Department of Infectious Disease, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Pengfei Rong
- Department of Radiology, The Third Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
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16
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Lin S, Wang X, Tang RWL, Duan R, Leung KW, Dong TTX, Webb SE, Miller AL, Tsim KWK. Computational Docking as a Tool in Guiding the Drug Design of Rutaecarpine Derivatives as Potential SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors. Molecules 2024; 29:2636. [PMID: 38893512 PMCID: PMC11173897 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29112636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2024] [Revised: 05/31/2024] [Accepted: 05/31/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 continues to spread around the world. This is mainly because new variants of the SARS-CoV-2 virus emerge due to genomic mutations, evade the immune system and result in the effectiveness of current therapeutics being reduced. We previously established a series of detection platforms, comprising computational docking analysis, S-protein-based ELISA, pseudovirus entry, and 3CL protease activity assays, which allow us to screen a large library of phytochemicals from natural products and to determine their potential in blocking the entry of SARS-CoV-2. In this new screen, rutaecarpine (an alkaloid from Evodia rutaecarpa) was identified as exhibiting anti-SARS-CoV-2 activity. Therefore, we conducted multiple rounds of structure-activity-relationship (SAR) studies around this phytochemical and generated several rutaecarpine analogs that were subjected to in vitro evaluations. Among these derivatives, RU-75 and RU-184 displayed remarkable inhibitory activity when tested in the 3CL protease assay, S-protein-based ELISA, and pseudovirus entry assay (for both wild-type and omicron variants), and they attenuated the inflammatory response induced by SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, RU-75 and RU-184 both appeared to be more potent than rutaecarpine itself, and this suggests that they might be considered as lead candidates for future pharmacological elaboration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shengying Lin
- Center for Chinese Medicine, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; (S.L.); (X.W.); (R.W.-L.T.); (R.D.); (K.W.L.); (T.T.-X.D.); (S.E.W.); (A.L.M.)
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Xiaoyang Wang
- Center for Chinese Medicine, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; (S.L.); (X.W.); (R.W.-L.T.); (R.D.); (K.W.L.); (T.T.-X.D.); (S.E.W.); (A.L.M.)
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Roy Wai-Lun Tang
- Center for Chinese Medicine, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; (S.L.); (X.W.); (R.W.-L.T.); (R.D.); (K.W.L.); (T.T.-X.D.); (S.E.W.); (A.L.M.)
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ran Duan
- Center for Chinese Medicine, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; (S.L.); (X.W.); (R.W.-L.T.); (R.D.); (K.W.L.); (T.T.-X.D.); (S.E.W.); (A.L.M.)
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ka Wing Leung
- Center for Chinese Medicine, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; (S.L.); (X.W.); (R.W.-L.T.); (R.D.); (K.W.L.); (T.T.-X.D.); (S.E.W.); (A.L.M.)
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Tina Ting-Xia Dong
- Center for Chinese Medicine, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; (S.L.); (X.W.); (R.W.-L.T.); (R.D.); (K.W.L.); (T.T.-X.D.); (S.E.W.); (A.L.M.)
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Sarah E. Webb
- Center for Chinese Medicine, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; (S.L.); (X.W.); (R.W.-L.T.); (R.D.); (K.W.L.); (T.T.-X.D.); (S.E.W.); (A.L.M.)
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Andrew L. Miller
- Center for Chinese Medicine, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; (S.L.); (X.W.); (R.W.-L.T.); (R.D.); (K.W.L.); (T.T.-X.D.); (S.E.W.); (A.L.M.)
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
| | - Karl Wah-Keung Tsim
- Center for Chinese Medicine, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China; (S.L.); (X.W.); (R.W.-L.T.); (R.D.); (K.W.L.); (T.T.-X.D.); (S.E.W.); (A.L.M.)
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular Neuroscience, Division of Life Science, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Clear Water Bay, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China
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Khairnar K, Tomar SS. COVID-19 genome surveillance: A geographical landscape and mutational mapping of SARS-CoV-2 variants in central India over two years. Virus Res 2024; 344:199365. [PMID: 38527669 PMCID: PMC10998191 DOI: 10.1016/j.virusres.2024.199365] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Reading the viral genome through whole genome sequencing (WGS) enables the detection of changes in the viral genome. The rapid changes in the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome may cause immune escape leading to an increase in the pathogenicity or infectivity. Monitoring mutations through genomic surveillance helps understand the amino acid changes resulting from the mutation. These amino acid changes, especially in the spike glycoprotein, may have implications on the pathogenicity of the virus by rendering it immune-escape. The region of Vidarbha in Maharashtra represents 31.6 % of the state's total area. It holds 21.3 % of the total population. In total, 7457 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples belonging to 16 Indian States were included in the study, out of which 3002 samples passed the sequencing quality control criteria. The metadata of 7457 SARS-CoV-2 positive samples included in the study was sourced from the Integrated Health Information Platform (IHIP). The metadata of 3002 sequenced samples, including the FASTA sequence, was submitted to the Global Initiative on Sharing Avian Influenza Data (GISAID) and the Indian biological data centre (IBDC). This study identified 104 different SARS-CoV-2 pango-lineages classified into 19 clades. We have also analysed the mutation profiles of the variants found in the study, which showed eight mutations of interest, including L18F, K417N, K417T, L452R, S477N, N501Y, P681H, P681R, and mutation of concern E484K in the spike glycoprotein region. The study was from November 2020 to December 2022, making this study the most comprehensive genomic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 conducted for the region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Krishna Khairnar
- Environmental Epidemiology & Pandemic Management (EE&PM), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, India.
| | - Siddharth Singh Tomar
- Environmental Epidemiology & Pandemic Management (EE&PM), Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (CSIR-NEERI), Nagpur, India; Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research (AcSIR), Ghaziabad, UP, India
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18
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Hattab D, Amer MFA, Al-Alami ZM, Bakhtiar A. SARS-CoV-2 journey: from alpha variant to omicron and its sub-variants. Infection 2024; 52:767-786. [PMID: 38554253 PMCID: PMC11143066 DOI: 10.1007/s15010-024-02223-y] [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: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected hundreds of millions of individuals and caused more than six million deaths. The prolonged pandemic duration and the continual inter-individual transmissibility have contributed to the emergence of a wide variety of SARS-CoV-2 variants. Genomic surveillance and phylogenetic studies have shown that substantial mutations in crucial supersites of spike glycoprotein modulate the binding affinity of the evolved SARS-COV-2 lineages to ACE2 receptors and modify the binding of spike protein with neutralizing antibodies. The immunological spike mutations have been associated with differential transmissibility, infectivity, and therapeutic efficacy of the vaccines and the immunological therapies among the new variants. This review highlights the diverse genetic mutations assimilated in various SARS-CoV-2 variants. The implications of the acquired mutations related to viral transmission, infectivity, and COVID-19 severity are discussed. This review also addresses the effectiveness of human neutralizing antibodies induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection or immunization and the therapeutic antibodies against the ascended variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dima Hattab
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Jordan, Queen Rania Street, Amman, Jordan
| | - Mumen F A Amer
- Faculty of Pharmacy, Applied Science Private University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Zina M Al-Alami
- Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Faculty of Allied Medical Sciences, Al-Ahliyya Amman University, Amman, Jordan
| | - Athirah Bakhtiar
- School of Pharmacy, Monash University Malaysia, Jalan Lagoon Selatan, 47500, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, Malaysia.
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19
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Huang Y, Chen J, Chen S, Huang C, Li B, Li J, Jin Z, Zhang Q, Pan P, Du W, Liu L, Liu Z. Molecular characterization of SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1415885. [PMID: 38846351 PMCID: PMC11153676 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1415885] [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: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/07/2024] [Indexed: 06/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a highly prevalent and potent infectious disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Until now, the world is still endeavoring to develop new ways to diagnose and treat COVID-19. At present, the clinical prevention and treatment of COVID-19 mainly targets the spike protein on the surface of SRAS-CoV-2. However, with the continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 Variants of concern (VOC), targeting the spike protein therapy shows a high degree of limitation. The Nucleocapsid Protein (N protein) of SARS-CoV-2 is highly conserved in virus evolution and is involved in the key process of viral infection and assembly. It is the most expressed viral structural protein after SARS-CoV-2 infection in humans and has high immunogenicity. Therefore, N protein as the key factor of virus infection and replication in basic research and clinical application has great potential research value. This article reviews the research progress on the structure and biological function of SARS-CoV-2 N protein, the diagnosis and drug research of targeting N protein, in order to promote researchers' further understanding of SARS-CoV-2 N protein, and lay a theoretical foundation for the possible outbreak of new and sudden coronavirus infectious diseases in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yanping Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Junkai Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Siwei Chen
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Congcong Huang
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Bei Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Jian Li
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Zhixiong Jin
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Qiwei Zhang
- Central Laboratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Pan Pan
- Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Virology, Institute of Medical Microbiology, Jinan University, Guangzhou, China
| | - Weixing Du
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Long Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
| | - Zhixin Liu
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Renmin Hospital, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Shiyan Key Laboratory of Virology, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
- Hubei Key Laboratory of Embryonic Stem Cell Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China
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20
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Budicini MR, Rodriguez-Irizarry VJ, Maples RW, Pfeiffer JK. Murine norovirus mutants adapted to replicate in human cells reveal a post-entry restriction. J Virol 2024; 98:e0004724. [PMID: 38651898 PMCID: PMC11092334 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00047-24] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024] Open
Abstract
RNA viruses lack proofreading in their RNA polymerases and therefore exist as genetically diverse populations. By exposing these diverse viral populations to selective pressures, viruses with mutations that confer fitness advantages can be enriched. To examine factors important for viral tropism and host restriction, we passaged murine norovirus (MNV) in a human cell line, HeLa cells, to select mutant viruses with increased fitness in non-murine cells. A major determinant of host range is expression of the MNV receptor CD300lf on mouse cells, but additional host factors may limit MNV replication in human cells. We found that viruses passaged six times in HeLa cells had enhanced replication compared with the parental virus. The passaged viruses had several mutations throughout the viral genome, which were primarily located in the viral non-structural coding regions. Although viral attachment was not altered for the passaged viruses, their replication was higher than the parental virus when the entry was bypassed, suggesting that the mutant viruses overcame a post-entry block in human cells. Three mutations in the viral NS1 protein were sufficient for enhanced post-entry replication in human cells. We found that the human cell-adapted MNV variants had reduced fitness in murine BV2 cells and infected mice, with reduced viral titers. These results suggest a fitness tradeoff, where increased fitness in a non-native host cell reduces fitness in a natural host environment. Overall, this work suggests that MNV tropism is determined by the presence of not only the viral receptor but also post-entry factors. IMPORTANCE Viruses infect specific species and cell types, which is dictated by the expression of host factors required for viral entry as well as downstream replication steps. Murine norovirus (MNV) infects mouse cells, but not human cells. However, human cells expressing the murine CD300lf receptor support MNV replication, suggesting that receptor expression is a major determinant of MNV tropism. To determine whether other factors influence MNV tropism, we selected for variants with enhanced replication in human cells. We identified mutations that enhance MNV replication in human cells and demonstrated that these mutations enhance infection at a post-entry replication step. Therefore, MNV infection of human cells is restricted at both entry and post-entry stages. These results shed new light on factors that influence viral tropism and host range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R. Budicini
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Robert W. Maples
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Julie K. Pfeiffer
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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21
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Yu Y, Zhang M, Huang L, Chen Y, Wu X, Li T, Li Y, Wang Y, Huang W. COVID-19 Serum Drives Spike-Mediated SARS-CoV-2 Variation. Viruses 2024; 16:763. [PMID: 38793644 PMCID: PMC11126028 DOI: 10.3390/v16050763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2024] [Revised: 04/26/2024] [Accepted: 05/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Neutralizing antibodies targeting the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2, elicited either by natural infection or vaccination, are crucial for protection against the virus. Nonetheless, the emergence of viral escape mutants presents ongoing challenges by contributing to breakthrough infections. To define the evolution trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 within the immune population, we co-incubated replication-competent rVSV/SARS-CoV-2/GFP chimeric viruses with sera from COVID-19 convalescents. Our findings revealed that the E484D mutation contributes to increased viral resistant against both convalescent and vaccinated sera, while the L1265R/H1271Y double mutation enhanced viral infectivity in 293T-hACE2 and Vero cells. These findings suggest that under the selective pressure of polyclonal antibodies, SARS-CoV-2 has the potential to accumulate mutations that facilitate either immune evasion or greater infectivity, facilitating its adaption to neutralizing antibody responses. Although the mutations identified in this study currently exhibit low prevalence in the circulating SARS-CoV-2 populations, the continuous and meticulous surveillance of viral mutations remains crucial. Moreover, there is an urgent necessity to develop next-generation antibody therapeutics and vaccines that target diverse, less mutation-prone antigenic sites to ensure more comprehensive and durable immune protection against SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuanling Yu
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.)
| | - Mengyi Zhang
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-Transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China; (M.Z.)
- National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, No. 9 Dongdan Santiao, Dongcheng District, Beijing 100730, China
| | - Lan Huang
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.)
| | - Yanhong Chen
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.)
| | - Xi Wu
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-Transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China; (M.Z.)
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Regulatory Science, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China
| | - Tao Li
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-Transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China; (M.Z.)
| | - Yanbo Li
- Beijing Yunling Biotechnology Co., Ltd., Beijing 100176, China
| | - Youchun Wang
- Changping Laboratory, Beijing 102206, China; (Y.Y.); (L.H.)
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Science & Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China
| | - Weijin Huang
- Division of HIV/AIDS and Sex-Transmitted Virus Vaccines, Institute for Biological Product Control, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), Beijing 102629, China; (M.Z.)
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22
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Tekin YS, Kul SM, Sagdic O, Rodthongkum N, Geiss B, Ozer T. Optical biosensors for diagnosis of COVID-19: nanomaterial-enabled particle strategies for post pandemic era. Mikrochim Acta 2024; 191:320. [PMID: 38727849 PMCID: PMC11087243 DOI: 10.1007/s00604-024-06373-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/13/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic underlines the need for effective strategies for controlling virus spread and ensuring sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2. This review presents the potential of nanomaterial-enabled optical biosensors for rapid and low-cost detection of SARS-CoV-2 biomarkers, demonstrating a comprehensive analysis including colorimetric, fluorescence, surface-enhanced Raman scattering, and surface plasmon resonance detection methods. Nanomaterials including metal-based nanomaterials, metal-organic frame-based nanoparticles, nanorods, nanoporous materials, nanoshell materials, and magnetic nanoparticles employed in the production of optical biosensors are presented in detail. This review also discusses the detection principles, fabrication methods, nanomaterial synthesis, and their applications for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in four categories: antibody-based, antigen-based, nucleic acid-based, and aptamer-based biosensors. This critical review includes reports published in the literature between the years 2021 and 2024. In addition, the review offers critical insights into optical nanobiosensors for the diagnosis of COVID-19. The integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies with optical nanomaterial-enabled biosensors is proposed to improve the efficiency of optical diagnostic systems for future pandemic scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yusuf Samil Tekin
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Graduate Education Institute, Malatya Turgut Ozal University, 44210, Battalgazi, Malatya, Turkey
| | - Seyda Mihriban Kul
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Chemical-Metallurgical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University, 34220, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Osman Sagdic
- Department of Food Engineering, Faculty of Chemical-Metallurgical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University, 34220, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Nadnudda Rodthongkum
- Metallurgy and Materials Science Research Institute, Chulalongkorn University, Soi Chula 12, Phayathai Road, Bangkok, 10330, Patumwan, Thailand
| | - Brian Geiss
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, 80523-1019, USA.
| | - Tugba Ozer
- Department of Bioengineering, Faculty of Chemical-Metallurgical Engineering, Yildiz Technical University, 34220, Istanbul, Turkey.
- Health Biotechnology Joint Research and Application Center of Excellence, Esenler, 34220, Istanbul, Turkey.
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23
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Zhao Z, Bashiri S, Ziora ZM, Toth I, Skwarczynski M. COVID-19 Variants and Vaccine Development. Viruses 2024; 16:757. [PMID: 38793638 PMCID: PMC11125726 DOI: 10.3390/v16050757] [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: 04/22/2024] [Revised: 05/08/2024] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the global pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome 2 virus (SARS-CoV-2) infection, has caused millions of infections and fatalities worldwide. Extensive SARS-CoV-2 research has been conducted to develop therapeutic drugs and prophylactic vaccines, and even though some drugs have been approved to treat SARS-CoV-2 infection, treatment efficacy remains limited. Therefore, preventive vaccination has been implemented on a global scale and represents the primary approach to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Approved vaccines vary in composition, although vaccine design has been based on either the key viral structural (spike) protein or viral components carrying this protein. Therefore, mutations of the virus, particularly mutations in the S protein, severely compromise the effectiveness of current vaccines and the ability to control COVID-19 infection. This review begins by describing the SARS-CoV-2 viral composition, the mechanism of infection, the role of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, the host defence responses against infection and the most common vaccine designs. Next, this review summarizes the common mutations of SARS-CoV-2 and how these mutations change viral properties, confer immune escape and influence vaccine efficacy. Finally, this review discusses global strategies that have been employed to mitigate the decreases in vaccine efficacy encountered against new variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ziyao Zhao
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.Z.); (S.B.); (I.T.)
| | - Sahra Bashiri
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.Z.); (S.B.); (I.T.)
| | - Zyta M. Ziora
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia;
| | - Istvan Toth
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.Z.); (S.B.); (I.T.)
- Institute for Molecular Bioscience, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia;
- School of Pharmacy, The University of Queensland, Woolloongabba, QLD 4102, Australia
| | - Mariusz Skwarczynski
- School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072, Australia; (Z.Z.); (S.B.); (I.T.)
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24
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Hartmann JA, Cardoso MR, Talarico MCR, Kenney DJ, Leone MR, Reese DC, Turcinovic J, O'Connell AK, Gertje HP, Marino C, Ojeda PE, De Paula EV, Orsi FA, Velloso LA, Cafiero TR, Connor JH, Ploss A, Hoelzemer A, Carrington M, Barczak AK, Crossland NA, Douam F, Boucau J, Garcia-Beltran WF. Evasion of NKG2D-mediated cytotoxic immunity by sarbecoviruses. Cell 2024; 187:2393-2410.e14. [PMID: 38653235 PMCID: PMC11088510 DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2024.03.026] [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: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/25/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 and other sarbecoviruses continue to threaten humanity, highlighting the need to characterize common mechanisms of viral immune evasion for pandemic preparedness. Cytotoxic lymphocytes are vital for antiviral immunity and express NKG2D, an activating receptor conserved among mammals that recognizes infection-induced stress ligands (e.g., MIC-A/B). We found that SARS-CoV-2 evades NKG2D recognition by surface downregulation of MIC-A/B via shedding, observed in human lung tissue and COVID-19 patient serum. Systematic testing of SARS-CoV-2 proteins revealed that ORF6, an accessory protein uniquely conserved among sarbecoviruses, was responsible for MIC-A/B downregulation via shedding. Further investigation demonstrated that natural killer (NK) cells efficiently killed SARS-CoV-2-infected cells and limited viral spread. However, inhibition of MIC-A/B shedding with a monoclonal antibody, 7C6, further enhanced NK-cell activity toward SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. Our findings unveil a strategy employed by SARS-CoV-2 to evade cytotoxic immunity, identify the culprit immunevasin shared among sarbecoviruses, and suggest a potential novel antiviral immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan A Hartmann
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | | | | | - Devin J Kenney
- Department of Virology, Immunology, and Microbiology, Chobanian and Avedisian Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Madison R Leone
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Dagny C Reese
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jacquelyn Turcinovic
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Aoife K O'Connell
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hans P Gertje
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Caitlin Marino
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Pedro E Ojeda
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Erich V De Paula
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil; Hematology and Hemotherapy Center, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Fernanda A Orsi
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil; Hematology and Hemotherapy Center, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Licio Augusto Velloso
- School of Medical Sciences, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil; Obesity and Comorbidities Research Center, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Thomas R Cafiero
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - John H Connor
- National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Alexander Ploss
- Department of Molecular Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA
| | - Angelique Hoelzemer
- First Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany; Institute for Infection and Vaccine Development (IIRVD), University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE), Hamburg, Germany; Research Department Virus Immunology, Leibniz Institute for Virology, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Mary Carrington
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Basic Science Program, Frederick National Laboratory for Cancer Research, Frederick, MD, USA; Laboratory of Integrative Cancer Immunology, Center for Cancer Research, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA
| | - Amy K Barczak
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Medicine, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Nicholas A Crossland
- Department of Virology, Immunology, and Microbiology, Chobanian and Avedisian Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA; Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Florian Douam
- Department of Virology, Immunology, and Microbiology, Chobanian and Avedisian Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA, USA; National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Julie Boucau
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA.
| | - Wilfredo F Garcia-Beltran
- Ragon Institute of Mass General, MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA; Department of Pathology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
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25
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Serwanga J, Kato L, Oluka GK, Ankunda V, Sembera J, Baine C, Kitabye I, Namuyanja A, Opio S, Katende JS, Ejou P, Kaleebu P. The single-dose Janssen Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine elicited robust and persistent anti-spike IgG antibody responses in a 12-month Ugandan cohort. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1384668. [PMID: 38779677 PMCID: PMC11109398 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1384668] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction The study investigation examined the immune response to the Janssen Ad26.COV2.S COVID-19 vaccine within a Ugandan cohort, specifically targeting antibodies directed against spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins. We aimed to examine the durability and robustness of the induced antibody response while also assessing occurrences of breakthrough infections and previous anti-Spike seropositivity to SARS-CoV-2. Methods The study included 319 specimens collected over 12 months from 60 vaccinees aged 18 to 64. Binding antibodies were quantified using a validated ELISA method to measure SARS-CoV-2-specific IgG, IgM, and IgA levels against the S and N proteins. Results The results showed that baseline seropositivity for S-IgG was high at 67%, increasing to 98% by day 14 and consistently stayed above 95% for up to 12 months. However, S-IgM responses remained suboptimal. A raised S-IgA seropositivity rate was seen that doubled from 40% at baseline to 86% just two weeks following the initial vaccine dose, indicating sustained and robust peripheral immunity. An increase in N-IgG levels at nine months post-vaccination suggested breakthrough infections in eight cases. Baseline cross-reactivity influenced spike-directed antibody responses, with individuals harbouring S-IgG antibodies showing notably higher responses. Discussion Robust and long lasting vaccine and infection-induced immune responses were observed, with significant implications for regions where administering subsequent doses poses logistical challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Serwanga
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
- Viral Pathogens Research Theme, Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Laban Kato
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Gerald Kevin Oluka
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
- Viral Pathogens Research Theme, Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Violet Ankunda
- Viral Pathogens Research Theme, Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Jackson Sembera
- Viral Pathogens Research Theme, Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Claire Baine
- Viral Pathogens Research Theme, Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Isaac Kitabye
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Angela Namuyanja
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Solomon Opio
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Joseph Ssebwana Katende
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
- Viral Pathogens Research Theme, Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Peter Ejou
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - The COVID-19 Immunoprofiling Team
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
- Viral Pathogens Research Theme, Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
| | - Pontiano Kaleebu
- Department of Immunology, Uganda Virus Research Institute, Entebbe, Uganda
- Viral Pathogens Research Theme, Medical Research Council, Uganda Virus Research Institute and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Uganda Research Unit, Entebbe, Uganda
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26
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Ose NJ, Campitelli P, Modi T, Kazan IC, Kumar S, Ozkan SB. Some mechanistic underpinnings of molecular adaptations of SARS-COV-2 spike protein by integrating candidate adaptive polymorphisms with protein dynamics. eLife 2024; 12:RP92063. [PMID: 38713502 PMCID: PMC11076047 DOI: 10.7554/elife.92063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2024] Open
Abstract
We integrate evolutionary predictions based on the neutral theory of molecular evolution with protein dynamics to generate mechanistic insight into the molecular adaptations of the SARS-COV-2 spike (S) protein. With this approach, we first identified candidate adaptive polymorphisms (CAPs) of the SARS-CoV-2 S protein and assessed the impact of these CAPs through dynamics analysis. Not only have we found that CAPs frequently overlap with well-known functional sites, but also, using several different dynamics-based metrics, we reveal the critical allosteric interplay between SARS-CoV-2 CAPs and the S protein binding sites with the human ACE2 (hACE2) protein. CAPs interact far differently with the hACE2 binding site residues in the open conformation of the S protein compared to the closed form. In particular, the CAP sites control the dynamics of binding residues in the open state, suggesting an allosteric control of hACE2 binding. We also explored the characteristic mutations of different SARS-CoV-2 strains to find dynamic hallmarks and potential effects of future mutations. Our analyses reveal that Delta strain-specific variants have non-additive (i.e., epistatic) interactions with CAP sites, whereas the less pathogenic Omicron strains have mostly additive mutations. Finally, our dynamics-based analysis suggests that the novel mutations observed in the Omicron strain epistatically interact with the CAP sites to help escape antibody binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas James Ose
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Paul Campitelli
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Tushar Modi
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - I Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Department of Biology, Temple UniversityPhiladelphiaUnited States
- Center for Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz UniversityJeddahSaudi Arabia
| | - Sefika Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State UniversityTempeUnited States
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27
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Ray P, Ledgerwood-Lee M, Brickner H, Clark AE, Garretson A, Graham R, Van Zant W, Carlin AF, Aronoff-Spencer ES. Design and Development of an Antigen Test for SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein to Validate the Viral Quality Assurance Panels. Viruses 2024; 16:662. [PMID: 38793544 PMCID: PMC11125937 DOI: 10.3390/v16050662] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2024] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/21/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The continuing mutability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus can result in failures of diagnostic assays. To address this, we describe a generalizable bioinformatics-to-biology pipeline developed for the calibration and quality assurance of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 variant panels provided to Radical Acceleration of Diagnostics programs (RADx)-radical program awardees. A heuristic genetic analysis based on variant-defining mutations demonstrated the lowest genetic variance in the Nucleocapsid protein (Np)-C-terminal domain (CTD) across all SARS-CoV-2 variants. We then employed the Shannon entropy method on (Np) sequences collected from the major variants, verifying the CTD with lower entropy (less prone to mutations) than other Np regions. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies were raised against this target CTD antigen and used to develop an Enzyme-linked immunoassay (ELISA) test for SARS-CoV-2. Blinded Viral Quality Assurance (VQA) panels comprised of UV-inactivated SARS-CoV-2 variants (XBB.1.5, BF.7, BA.1, B.1.617.2, and WA1) and distractor respiratory viruses (CoV 229E, CoV OC43, RSV A2, RSV B, IAV H1N1, and IBV) were assembled by the RADx-rad Diagnostics core and tested using the ELISA described here. The assay tested positive for all variants with high sensitivity (limit of detection: 1.72-8.78 ng/mL) and negative for the distractor virus panel. Epitope mapping for the monoclonal antibodies identified a 20 amino acid antigenic peptide on the Np-CTD that an in-silico program also predicted for the highest antigenicity. This work provides a template for a bioinformatics pipeline to select genetic regions with a low propensity for mutation (low Shannon entropy) to develop robust 'pan-variant' antigen-based assays for viruses prone to high mutational rates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Partha Ray
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (P.R.); (M.L.-L.); (H.B.); (A.E.C.); (A.G.); (R.G.); (W.V.Z.); (A.F.C.)
| | - Melissa Ledgerwood-Lee
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (P.R.); (M.L.-L.); (H.B.); (A.E.C.); (A.G.); (R.G.); (W.V.Z.); (A.F.C.)
| | - Howard Brickner
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (P.R.); (M.L.-L.); (H.B.); (A.E.C.); (A.G.); (R.G.); (W.V.Z.); (A.F.C.)
| | - Alex E. Clark
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (P.R.); (M.L.-L.); (H.B.); (A.E.C.); (A.G.); (R.G.); (W.V.Z.); (A.F.C.)
| | - Aaron Garretson
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (P.R.); (M.L.-L.); (H.B.); (A.E.C.); (A.G.); (R.G.); (W.V.Z.); (A.F.C.)
| | - Rishi Graham
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (P.R.); (M.L.-L.); (H.B.); (A.E.C.); (A.G.); (R.G.); (W.V.Z.); (A.F.C.)
| | - Westley Van Zant
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (P.R.); (M.L.-L.); (H.B.); (A.E.C.); (A.G.); (R.G.); (W.V.Z.); (A.F.C.)
| | - Aaron F. Carlin
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (P.R.); (M.L.-L.); (H.B.); (A.E.C.); (A.G.); (R.G.); (W.V.Z.); (A.F.C.)
- Department of Pathology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Eliah S. Aronoff-Spencer
- Department of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Public Health, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA; (P.R.); (M.L.-L.); (H.B.); (A.E.C.); (A.G.); (R.G.); (W.V.Z.); (A.F.C.)
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Guilbaud R, Franco Yusti AM, Leducq V, Zafilaza K, Bridier-Nahmias A, Todesco E, Soulie C, Fauchois A, Le Hingrat Q, Kramer L, Goulenok T, Salpin M, Daugas E, Dorent R, Ottaviani S, Zalcman G, Ghosn J, Choquet S, Cacoub P, Amoura Z, Barroux B, Pourcher V, Spano JP, Louet M, Marcelin AG, Calvez V, Charpentier C, Descamps D, Marot S, Ferré VM, Coppée R. Higher Levels of SARS-CoV-2 Genetic Variation in Immunocompromised Patients: A Retrospective Case-Control Study. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:1041-1049. [PMID: 37956413 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad499] [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: 07/19/2023] [Revised: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/15/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND A severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection lasts longer in immunocompromised hosts than in immunocompetent patients. Prolonged infection is associated with a higher probability of selection for novel SARS-CoV-2 mutations, particularly in the spike protein, a critical target for vaccines and therapeutics. METHODS From December 2020 to September 2022, respiratory samples from 444 immunocompromised patients and 234 health care workers positive for SARS-CoV-2, diagnosed at 2 hospitals in Paris, France, were analyzed using whole-genome sequencing using Nanopore technology. Custom scripts were developed to assess the SARS-CoV-2 genetic diversity between the 2 groups and within the host. RESULTS Most infections were SARS-CoV-2 Delta or Omicron lineages. Viral genetic diversity was significantly higher in infections of immunocompromised patients than those of controls. Minor mutations were identified in viruses sequenced from immunocompromised individuals, which became signature mutations for newer SARS-CoV-2 variants as the epidemic progressed. Two patients were coinfected with Delta and Omicron variants. The follow-up of immunocompromised patients revealed that the SARS-CoV-2 genome evolution differed in the upper and lower respiratory tracts. CONCLUSIONS This study found that SARS-CoV-2 infection in immunocompromised patients is associated with higher genetic diversity, which could lead to the emergence of new SARS-CoV-2 variants with possible immune evasion or different virulence characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Romane Guilbaud
- Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Anna-Maria Franco Yusti
- Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Valentin Leducq
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Karen Zafilaza
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Bridier-Nahmias
- Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Eve Todesco
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Cathia Soulie
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Antoine Fauchois
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Quentin Le Hingrat
- Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Laura Kramer
- Service de Pharmacie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Tiphaine Goulenok
- Service de Médecine Interne, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Mathilde Salpin
- Service de Pneumologie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Eric Daugas
- Service de Néphrologie, Université Paris Cité, Inserm U1149, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Richard Dorent
- Service de Cardiologie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Sébastien Ottaviani
- Service de Rhumatologie, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Gérard Zalcman
- Service d'Oncologie Thoracique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Jade Ghosn
- Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, Paris, France
- Service de Maladies Infectieuses, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Bichat-Claude-Bernard, Paris, France
| | - Sylvain Choquet
- Service d'Hématologie Clinique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Patrice Cacoub
- Service de Médecine Interne et Immunologie Clinique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Zahir Amoura
- Service de Médecine Interne 2, Centre National de Référence des Histiocytoses, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Benoit Barroux
- Service d'Urologie et de Transplantation Rénale, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Valérie Pourcher
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Service de Maladies Infectieuses et Tropicales, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpitaux Universitaires Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Jean-Philippe Spano
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
- Service d'Oncologie Médicale, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Martine Louet
- Service de Santé au Travail, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Anne-Geneviève Marcelin
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Vincent Calvez
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Charlotte Charpentier
- Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Diane Descamps
- Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Stéphane Marot
- Service de Virologie, Sorbonne Université, Inserm, Institut Pierre Louis d'Epidémiologie et de Santé Publique, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Hôpital Pitié-Salpêtrière, Paris, France
| | - Valentine Marie Ferré
- Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, Paris, France
| | - Romain Coppée
- Infection, Antimicrobials, Modelling, Evolution, Université Paris Cité and Sorbonne Paris Nord, Inserm, Paris, France
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29
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Dufloo J, Sanjuán R. Temperature impacts SARS-CoV-2 spike fusogenicity and evolution. mBio 2024; 15:e0336023. [PMID: 38411986 PMCID: PMC11005339 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.03360-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 01/29/2024] [Indexed: 02/28/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infects both the upper and lower respiratory tracts, which are characterized by different temperatures (33°C and 37°C, respectively). In addition, fever is a common COVID-19 symptom. SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to replicate more efficiently at low temperatures, but the effect of temperature on different viral proteins remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate how temperature affects the SARS-CoV-2 spike function and evolution. We first observed that increasing temperature from 33°C to 37°C or 39°C increased spike-mediated cell-cell fusion. We then experimentally evolved a recombinant vesicular stomatitis virus expressing the SARS-CoV-2 spike at these different temperatures. We found that spike-mediated cell-cell fusion was maintained during evolution at 39°C but was lost in a high proportion of viruses that evolved at 33°C or 37°C. Consistently, sequencing of the spikes evolved at 33°C or 37°C revealed the accumulation of mutations around the furin cleavage site, a region that determines cell-cell fusion, whereas this did not occur in spikes evolved at 39°C. Finally, using site-directed mutagenesis, we found that disruption of the furin cleavage site had a temperature-dependent effect on spike-induced cell-cell fusion and viral fitness. Our results suggest that variations in body temperature may affect the activity and diversification of the SARS-CoV-2 spike. IMPORTANCE When it infects humans, SARS-CoV-2 is exposed to different temperatures (e.g., replication site and fever). Temperature has been shown to strongly impact SARS-CoV-2 replication, but how it affects the activity and evolution of the spike protein remains poorly understood. Here, we first show that high temperatures increase the SARS-CoV-2 spike fusogenicity. Then, we demonstrate that the evolution of the spike activity and variants depends on temperature. Finally, we show that the functional effect of specific spike mutations is temperature-dependent. Overall, our results suggest that temperature may be a factor influencing the activity and adaptation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike in vivo, which will help understanding viral tropism, pathogenesis, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jérémy Dufloo
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat de València, Paterna, València, Spain
| | - Rafael Sanjuán
- Institute for Integrative Systems Biology, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas-Universitat de València, Paterna, València, Spain
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30
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Hannula L, Kuivanen S, Lasham J, Kant R, Kareinen L, Bogacheva M, Strandin T, Sironen T, Hepojoki J, Sharma V, Saviranta P, Kipar A, Vapalahti O, Huiskonen JT, Rissanen I. Nanobody engineering for SARS-CoV-2 neutralization and detection. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0419922. [PMID: 38363137 PMCID: PMC10986514 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.04199-22] [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: 10/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/03/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, the quest for coronavirus inhibitors has inspired research on a variety of small proteins beyond conventional antibodies, including robust single-domain antibody fragments, i.e., "nanobodies." Here, we explore the potential of nanobody engineering in the development of antivirals and diagnostic tools. Through fusion of nanobody domains that target distinct binding sites, we engineered multimodular nanobody constructs that neutralize wild-type SARS-CoV-2 and the Alpha and Delta variants at high potency, with IC50 values as low as 50 pM. Despite simultaneous binding to distinct epitopes, Beta and Omicron variants were more resistant to neutralization by the multimodular nanobodies, which highlights the importance of accounting for antigenic drift in the design of biologics. To further explore the applications of nanobody engineering in outbreak management, we present an assay based on fusions of nanobodies with fragments of NanoLuc luciferase that can detect sub-nanomolar quantities of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in a single step. Our work showcases the potential of nanobody engineering to combat emerging infectious diseases. IMPORTANCE Nanobodies, small protein binders derived from the camelid antibody, are highly potent inhibitors of respiratory viruses that offer several advantages over conventional antibodies as candidates for specific therapies, including high stability and low production costs. In this work, we leverage the unique properties of nanobodies and apply them as building blocks for new therapeutic and diagnostic tools. We report ultra-potent SARS-CoV-2 inhibition by engineered nanobodies comprising multiple modules in structure-guided combinations and develop nanobodies that carry signal molecules, allowing rapid detection of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Our results highlight the potential of engineered nanobodies in the development of effective countermeasures, both therapeutic and diagnostic, to manage outbreaks of emerging viruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liina Hannula
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Suvi Kuivanen
- Department of Virology, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jonathan Lasham
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ravi Kant
- Department of Virology, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Tropical Parasitology, Institute of Maritime and Tropical Medicine, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdynia, Poland
| | - Lauri Kareinen
- Department of Virology, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mariia Bogacheva
- Department of Virology, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), Helsinki Institute of Life Sciences (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tomas Strandin
- Department of Virology, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Tarja Sironen
- Department of Virology, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jussi Hepojoki
- Department of Virology, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Vivek Sharma
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Petri Saviranta
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd., Espoo, Finland
| | - Anja Kipar
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Laboratory for Animal Model Pathology, Institute of Veterinary Pathology, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Infection Biology and Microbiomes, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Olli Vapalahti
- Department of Virology, Medicum, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Veterinary Biosciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- HUSLAB, Helsinki University Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Juha T. Huiskonen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ilona Rissanen
- Institute of Biotechnology, Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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31
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Malani A, Aiyar J, Sant A, Kamran N, Mohanan M, Taneja S, Woda B, Zhao W, Acharya A. Comparing population-level humoral and cellular immunity to SARS-Cov-2 in Bangalore, India. Sci Rep 2024; 14:5758. [PMID: 38459035 PMCID: PMC10923858 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-54922-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/18/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Two types of immunity, humoral and cellular, offer protection against COVID. Humoral protection, contributed by circulating neutralizing antibodies, can provide immediate protection but decays more quickly than cellular immunity and can lose effectiveness in the face of mutation and drift in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Therefore, population-level seroprevalence surveys used to estimate population-level immunity may underestimate the degree to which a population is protected against COVID. In early 2021, before India began its vaccination campaign, we tested for humoral and cellular immunity to SARS-Cov-2 in representative samples of slum and non-slum populations in Bangalore, India. We found that 29.7% of samples (unweighted) had IgG antibodies to the spike protein and 15.5% had neutralizing antibodies, but at up to 46% showed evidence of cellular immunity. We also find that prevalence of cellular immunity is significantly higher in slums than in non-slums. These findings suggest (1) that a significantly larger proportion of the population in Bangalore, India, had cellular immunity to SARS-CoV-2 than had humoral immunity, as measured by serological surveys, and (2) that low socio-economic status communities display higher frequency of cellular immunity, likely because of greater exposure to infection due to population density.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Andrea Sant
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | | | - Manoj Mohanan
- Sanford School of Public Policy, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Saloni Taneja
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - Bartek Woda
- University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA
- Amazon, Chicago, IL, USA
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32
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Almubarak HF, Tan W, Hoffmann AD, Wei J, El-Shennawy L, Squires JR, Sun Y, Dashzeveg NK, Simonton B, Jia Y, Iyer R, Xu Y, Nicolaescu V, Elli D, Randall GC, Schipma MJ, Swaminathan S, Ison MG, Liu H, Fang D, Shen Y. Physics-driven structural docking and protein language models accelerate antibody screening and design for broad-spectrum antiviral therapy. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.03.01.582176. [PMID: 38496411 PMCID: PMC10942297 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.01.582176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/19/2024]
Abstract
Therapeutic antibodies have become one of the most influential therapeutics in modern medicine to fight against infectious pathogens, cancer, and many other diseases. However, experimental screening for highly efficacious targeting antibodies is labor-intensive and of high cost, which is exacerbated by evolving antigen targets under selective pressure such as fast-mutating viral variants. As a proof-of-concept, we developed a machine learning-assisted antibody generation pipeline that greatly accelerates the screening and re-design of immunoglobulins G (IgGs) against a broad spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus variant strains. These viruses infect human host cells via the viral spike protein binding to the host cell receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). Using over 1300 IgG sequences derived from convalescent patient B cells that bind with spike's receptor binding domain (RBD), we first established protein structural docking models in assessing the RBD-IgG-ACE2 interaction interfaces and predicting the virus-neutralizing activity of each IgG with a confidence score. Additionally, employing Gaussian process regression (also known as Kriging) in a latent space of an antibody language model, we predicted the landscape of IgGs' activity profiles against individual coronaviral variants of concern. With functional analyses and experimental validations, we efficiently prioritized IgG candidates for neutralizing a broad spectrum of viral variants (wildtype, Delta, and Omicron) to prevent the infection of host cells in vitro and hACE2 transgenic mice in vivo. Furthermore, the computational analyses enabled rational redesigns of selective IgG clones with single amino acid substitutions at the RBD-binding interface to improve the IgG blockade efficacy for one of the severe, therapy-resistant strains - Delta (B.1.617). Our work expedites applications of artificial intelligence in antibody screening and re-design even in low-data regimes combining protein language models and Kriging for antibody sequence analysis, activity prediction, and efficacy improvement, in synergy with physics-driven protein docking models for antibody-antigen interface structure analyses and functional optimization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Faisal Almubarak
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
- Driskill Graduate Program, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Wuwei Tan
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Andrew D. Hoffmann
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Juncheng Wei
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Lamiaa El-Shennawy
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Joshua R. Squires
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Yuanfei Sun
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
| | - Nurmaa K. Dashzeveg
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Brooke Simonton
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Yuzhi Jia
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Radhika Iyer
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Yanan Xu
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Vlad Nicolaescu
- Howard T. Ricketts Laboratory and Department of Microbiology, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Derek Elli
- Howard T. Ricketts Laboratory and Department of Microbiology, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Glenn C. Randall
- Howard T. Ricketts Laboratory and Department of Microbiology, the University of Chicago, Chicago, IL 60637
| | - Matthew J. Schipma
- NUseq Core Facility, Center for Genetic Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Suchitra Swaminathan
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
- Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | | | - Huiping Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
- Division of Hematology and Oncology, Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Deyu Fang
- Department of Pathology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
- Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA 60611
| | - Yang Shen
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843
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Jain A, Negi G, Kaur D, S V, Saxena V. Utility of COVID-19 Seropositive Plasma as Convalescent Plasma: An Immune and Neutralization Antibody Seroprevalence Analysis in Blood Donors for Future Potential Pandemic Readiness. Cureus 2024; 16:e57149. [PMID: 38681329 PMCID: PMC11055615 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.57149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/28/2024] [Indexed: 05/01/2024] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To analyze the seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies in blood donors during the second wave of the pandemic and to explore the utility of COVID-19 seropositive plasma as convalescent plasma. MATERIALS AND METHODS In this study, 696 blood donors were tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies using a chemiluminescence assay. By blinding, 271 samples were chosen randomly for testing of neutralizing antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in duplicate among the 696 blood donors tested for anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, irrespective of the positivity or negativity of the result of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies by chemiluminescence assay. IgG antibody levels were analyzed in signal-to-cutoff (S/Co), while neutralizing antibody levels were analyzed in percentage inhibition. RESULTS The seroprevalence of IgG antibodies based on the S/Co for the positive results ≥ 1.00 was 82.75%, while the seroprevalence of neutralizing antibodies based on the percentage inhibition for the positive results ≥ 30% was 89.59%. Frontline workers (FLWs) and Covishield-vaccinated individuals showed higher levels of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies regarding higher S/Co. In comparison, levels of neutralization antibodies regarding percentage inhibition were higher only in FLWs. Covishield-vaccinated donors elicited a statistically higher seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies compared to the Covaxin-vaccinated, while the seroprevalence of neutralizing antibodies was not statistically different among this group. There was a positive correlation (0.762) between anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies and neutralizing antibodies, and almost all donors' of S/Co ≥ 9.5 had neutralizing antibodies. CONCLUSION This study showed higher seroprevalence in the blood donor population compared to published seroprevalence in India's second wave of the pandemic. In the current study, 328 donors (47.12%) of the 696 screened donors were neither vaccinated nor had previous SARS-CoV-2 infection, but many had antibodies. The seroprevalence of neutralizing antibodies (96.42%) was higher than the seroprevalence of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies (85.71%) in the donors who had previous infection of COVID-19. On the other hand, vaccinated donors showed similar immune responses for neutralizing antibodies and the anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies. Higher IgG immune reactivity in S/Co showed a good correlation with neutralizing antibodies and can be used to screen whole blood donors for convalescent plasma donations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashish Jain
- Transfusion Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Rishikesh, IND
| | - Gita Negi
- Transfusion Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Rishikesh, IND
| | - Daljit Kaur
- Transfusion Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Rishikesh, IND
| | - Vivekanandhan S
- Biochemistry, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Rishikesh, IND
| | - Vartika Saxena
- Community and Family Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Rishikesh, IND
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Yao Z, Zhang L, Duan Y, Tang X, Lu J. Molecular insights into the adaptive evolution of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. J Infect 2024; 88:106121. [PMID: 38367704 DOI: 10.1016/j.jinf.2024.106121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/01/2023] [Revised: 02/02/2024] [Accepted: 02/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/19/2024]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has substantially damaged the global economy and human health. The spike (S) protein of coronaviruses plays a pivotal role in viral entry by binding to host cell receptors. Additionally, it acts as the primary target for neutralizing antibodies in those infected and is the central focus for currently utilized or researched vaccines. During the virus's adaptation to the human host, the S protein of SARS-CoV-2 has undergone significant evolution. As the COVID-19 pandemic has unfolded, new mutations have arisen and vanished, giving rise to distinctive amino acid profiles within variant of concern strains of SARS-CoV-2. Notably, many of these changes in the S protein have been positively selected, leading to substantial alterations in viral characteristics, such as heightened transmissibility and immune evasion capabilities. This review aims to provide an overview of our current understanding of the structural implications associated with key amino acid changes in the S protein of SARS-CoV-2. These research findings shed light on the intricate and dynamic nature of viral evolution, underscoring the importance of continuous monitoring and analysis of viral genomes. Through these molecular-level investigations, we can attain deeper insights into the virus's adaptive evolution, offering valuable guidance for designing vaccines and developing antiviral drugs to combat the ever-evolving viral threats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhuocheng Yao
- College of Marine Life Sciences, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Lin Zhang
- College of Fishery, Ocean University of China, Qingdao 266003, China
| | - Yuange Duan
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Xiaolu Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China
| | - Jian Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Protein and Plant Gene Research, Center for Bioinformatics, School of Life Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
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Gerashchenko GV, Hryshchenko NV, Melnichuk NS, Marchyshak TV, Chernushyn SY, Demchyshina IV, Chernenko LM, Kuzin IV, Tkachuk ZY, Kashuba VI, Tukalo MA. Genetic characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 virus variants observed upon three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine between February 2021-January 2022. Heliyon 2024; 10:e25618. [PMID: 38380034 PMCID: PMC10877268 DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e25618] [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: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
The aim of our study was to identify and characterize the SARS-CoV-2 variants in COVID-19 patients' samples collected from different regions of Ukraine to determine the relationship between SARS-CoV-2 phylogenetics and COVID-19 epidemiology. Patients and methods Samples were collected from COVID-19 patients during 2021 and the beginning of 2022 (401 patients). The SARS-CoV-2 genotyping was performed by parallel whole genome sequencing. Results The obtained SARS-CoV-2 genotypes showed that three waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in Ukraine were represented by three main variants of concern (VOC), named Alpha, Delta and Omicron; each VOC successfully replaced the earlier variant. The VOC Alpha strain was presented by one B.1.1.7 lineage, while VOC Delta showed a spectrum of 25 lineages that had different prevalence in 19 investigated regions of Ukraine. The VOC Omicron in the first half of the pandemic was represented by 13 lines that belonged to two different clades representing B.1 and B.2 Omicron strains. Each of the three epidemic waves (VOC Alpha, Delta, and Omicron) demonstrated their own course of disease, associated with genetic changes in the SARS-CoV-2 genome. The observed epidemiological features are associated with the genetic characteristics of the different VOCs, such as point mutations, deletions and insertions in the viral genome. A phylogenetic and transmission analysis showed the different mutation rates; there were multiple virus sources with a limited distribution between regions. Conclusions The evolution of SARS-CoV-2 virus and high levels of morbidity due to COVID-19 are still registered in the world. Observed multiple virus sourses with the limited distribution between regions indicates the high efficiency of the anti-epidemic policy pursued by the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to prevent the spread of the epidemic, despite the low level of vaccination of the Ukrainian population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Zenovii Yu Tkachuk
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Vladimir I. Kashuba
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
| | - Mykhailo A. Tukalo
- Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of NAS of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine
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Verma A, Manojkumar A, Dhasmana A, Tripathi MK, Jaggi M, Chauhan SC, Chauhan DS, Yallapu MM. Recurring SARS-CoV-2 variants: an update on post-pandemic, co-infections and immune response. Nanotheranostics 2024; 8:247-269. [PMID: 38444741 PMCID: PMC10911975 DOI: 10.7150/ntno.91910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 03/07/2024] Open
Abstract
The post-pandemic era following the global spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has brought about persistent concerns regarding recurring coinfections. While significant strides in genome mapping, diagnostics, and vaccine development have controlled the pandemic and reduced fatalities, ongoing virus mutations necessitate a deeper exploration of the interplay between SARS-CoV-2 mutations and the host's immune response. Various vaccines, including RNA-based ones like Pfizer and Moderna, viral vector vaccines like Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca, and protein subunit vaccines like Novavax, have played critical roles in mitigating the impact of COVID-19. Understanding their strengths and limitations is crucial for tailoring future vaccines to specific variants and individual needs. The intricate relationship between SARS-CoV-2 mutations and the immune response remains a focus of intense research, providing insights into personalized treatment strategies and long-term effects like long-COVID. This article offers an overview of the post-pandemic landscape, highlighting emerging variants, summarizing vaccine platforms, and delving into immunological responses and the phenomenon of long-COVID. By presenting clinical findings, it aims to contribute to the ongoing understanding of COVID-19's progression in the aftermath of the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ashmit Verma
- Divyasampark iHub Roorkee for Devices Materials and Technology Foundation, Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, Uttarakhand, 247667, India
- Samrat Ashok Technological Institute, Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh, 464001, India
| | - Anjali Manojkumar
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
- Department of Biology, College of Science, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
| | - Anupam Dhasmana
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
| | - Manish K. Tripathi
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
| | - Meena Jaggi
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
| | - Subhash C. Chauhan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
| | - Deepak S. Chauhan
- Faculté de Pharmacie, Université de Montréal, Montréal H3C 3J7, QC, Canada
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, NS, Canada
- Department of Pediatrics, IWK Research Center, Halifax, NS, Canada
| | - Murali M. Yallapu
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
- South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research, School of Medicine, University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, McAllen, Texas 78504, USA
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Hillenbrand M, Esslinger C, Seidenberg J, Weber M, Zingg A, Townsend C, Eicher B, Rutkauskaite J, Riese P, Guzman CA, Fischer K, Schmitt S. Fast-Track Discovery of SARS-CoV-2-Neutralizing Antibodies from Human B Cells by Direct Functional Screening. Viruses 2024; 16:339. [PMID: 38543705 PMCID: PMC10975424 DOI: 10.3390/v16030339] [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: 01/30/2024] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/20/2024] [Indexed: 05/23/2024] Open
Abstract
As the COVID-19 pandemic revealed, rapid development of vaccines and therapeutic antibodies are crucial to guarantee a quick return to the status quo of society. In early 2020, we deployed our droplet microfluidic single-cell-based platform DROPZYLLA® for the generation of cognate antibody repertoires of convalescent COVID-19 donors. Discovery of SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies was performed upon display of antibodies on the surface of HEK293T cells by antigen-specific sorting using binding to the SARS-CoV-2 spike and absence of binding to huACE2 as the sort criteria. This efficiently yielded antibodies within 3-6 weeks, of which up to 100% were neutralizing. One of these, MTX-COVAB, displaying low picomolar neutralization IC50 of SARS-CoV-2 and with a neutralization potency on par with the Regeneron antibodies, was selected for GMP manufacturing and clinical development in June 2020. MTX-COVAB showed strong efficacy in vivo and neutralized all identified clinically relevant variants of SARS-CoV-2 at the time of its selection. MTX-COVAB completed GMP manufacturing by the end of 2020, but clinical development was stopped when the Omicron variant emerged, a variant that proved to be detrimental to all monoclonal antibodies already approved. The present study describes the capabilities of the DROPZYLLA® platform to identify antibodies of high virus-neutralizing capacity rapidly and directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias Hillenbrand
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Christoph Esslinger
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Jemima Seidenberg
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Marcel Weber
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Andreas Zingg
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Catherine Townsend
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Barbara Eicher
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Justina Rutkauskaite
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Peggy Riese
- Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; (P.R.); (C.A.G.)
| | - Carlos A. Guzman
- Department of Vaccinology and Applied Microbiology, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, 38124 Braunschweig, Germany; (P.R.); (C.A.G.)
| | - Karsten Fischer
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Simone Schmitt
- Memo Therapeutics AG, 8952 Schlieren, Switzerland; (M.H.); (M.W.); (A.Z.); (B.E.); (J.R.); (K.F.); (S.S.)
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Prakash S, Dhanushkodi NR, Singer M, Quadiri A, Zayou L, Vahed H, Coulon PG, Ibraim IC, Tafoya C, Hitchcock L, Landucci G, Forthal DN, El Babsiri A, Tifrea DF, Figueroa CJ, Nesburn AB, Kuppermann BD, Gil D, Jones TM, Ulmer JB, BenMohamed L. A Broad-Spectrum Multi-Antigen mRNA/LNP-Based Pan-Coronavirus Vaccine Induced Potent Cross-Protective Immunity Against Infection and Disease Caused by Highly Pathogenic and Heavily Spike-Mutated SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern in the Syrian Hamster Model. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.02.14.580225. [PMID: 38405942 PMCID: PMC10888826 DOI: 10.1101/2024.02.14.580225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/27/2024]
Abstract
The first-generation Spike-alone-based COVID-19 vaccines have successfully contributed to reducing the risk of hospitalization, serious illness, and death caused by SARS-CoV-2 infections. However, waning immunity induced by these vaccines failed to prevent immune escape by many variants of concern (VOCs) that emerged from 2020 to 2024, resulting in a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic. We hypothesize that a next-generation Coronavirus (CoV) vaccine incorporating highly conserved non-Spike SARS-CoV-2 antigens would confer stronger and broader cross-protective immunity against multiple VOCs. In the present study, we identified ten non-Spike antigens that are highly conserved in 8.7 million SARS-CoV-2 strains, twenty-one VOCs, SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, Common Cold CoVs, and animal CoVs. Seven of the 10 antigens were preferentially recognized by CD8+ and CD4+ T-cells from unvaccinated asymptomatic COVID-19 patients, irrespective of VOC infection. Three out of the seven conserved non-Spike T cell antigens belong to the early expressed Replication and Transcription Complex (RTC) region, when administered to the golden Syrian hamsters, in combination with Spike, as nucleoside-modified mRNA encapsulated in lipid nanoparticles (LNP) (i.e., combined mRNA/LNP-based pan-CoV vaccine): (i) Induced high frequencies of lung-resident antigen-specific CXCR5+CD4+ T follicular helper (TFH) cells, GzmB+CD4+ and GzmB+CD8+ cytotoxic T cells (TCYT), and CD69+IFN-γ+TNFα+CD4+ and CD69+IFN-γ+TNFα+CD8+ effector T cells (TEFF); and (ii) Reduced viral load and COVID-19-like symptoms caused by various VOCs, including the highly pathogenic B.1.617.2 Delta variant and the highly transmittable heavily Spike-mutated XBB1.5 Omicron sub-variant. The combined mRNA/LNP-based pan-CoV vaccine could be rapidly adapted for clinical use to confer broader cross-protective immunity against emerging highly mutated and pathogenic VOCs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Swayam Prakash
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Nisha R. Dhanushkodi
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Mahmoud Singer
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Afshana Quadiri
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Latifa Zayou
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Hawa Vahed
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
| | - Pierre-Gregoire Coulon
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Izabela Coimbra Ibraim
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
| | - Christine Tafoya
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
| | - Lauren Hitchcock
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
| | - Gary Landucci
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
| | - Donald N. Forthal
- BSL-3 Laboratories, High Containment Core Facility, School of Medicine, University of California, Irvine
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, Irvine, CA, USA
| | - Assia El Babsiri
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Delia F. Tifrea
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Cesar J. Figueroa
- Department of Surgery, Divisions of Trauma, Burns & Critical Care, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Anthony B. Nesburn
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Baruch D. Kuppermann
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
| | - Daniel Gil
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
| | - Trevor M. Jones
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
| | - Jeffrey B. Ulmer
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
| | - Lbachir BenMohamed
- Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Immunology, Gavin Herbert Eye Institute, University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
- Institute for Immunology; University of California Irvine, School of Medicine, Irvine, CA 92697
- Department of Vaccines and Immunotherapies, TechImmune, LLC, University Lab Partners, Irvine, CA 92660, USA
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Zhang F, Schmidt F, Muecksch F, Wang Z, Gazumyan A, Nussenzweig MC, Gaebler C, Caskey M, Hatziioannou T, Bieniasz PD. SARS-CoV-2 spike glycosylation affects function and neutralization sensitivity. mBio 2024; 15:e0167223. [PMID: 38193662 PMCID: PMC10865855 DOI: 10.1128/mbio.01672-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The glycosylation of viral envelope proteins can play important roles in virus biology and immune evasion. The spike (S) glycoprotein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) includes 22 N-linked glycosylation sequons and 17 O-linked glycosites. We investigated the effect of individual glycosylation sites on SARS-CoV-2 S function in pseudotyped virus infection assays and on sensitivity to monoclonal and polyclonal neutralizing antibodies. In most cases, the removal of individual glycosylation sites decreased the infectiousness of the pseudotyped virus. For glycosylation mutants in the N-terminal domain and the receptor-binding domain (RBD), reduction in pseudotype infectivity was predicted by a commensurate reduction in the level of virion-incorporated S protein and reduced S trafficking to the cell surface. Notably, the presence of a glycan at position N343 within the RBD had diverse effects on neutralization by RBD-specific monoclonal antibodies cloned from convalescent individuals. The N343 glycan reduced the overall sensitivity to polyclonal antibodies in plasma from COVID-19 convalescent individuals, suggesting a role for SARS-CoV-2 S glycosylation in immune evasion. However, vaccination of convalescent individuals produced neutralizing activity that was resilient to the inhibitory effect of the N343 glycan.IMPORTANCEThe attachment of glycans to the spike proteins of viruses during their synthesis and movement through the secretory pathway can affect their properties. This study shows that the glycans attached to the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 spike protein enable its movement to the cell surface and incorporation into virus particles. Certain glycans, including one that is attached to asparagine 343 in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein, can also affect virus neutralization by antibodies. This glycan can increase or decrease sensitivity to individual antibodies, likely through direct effects on antibody epitopes and modulation of spike conformation. However, the overall effect of the glycan in the context of the polyclonal mixture of antibodies in convalescent serum is to reduce neutralization sensitivity. Overall, this study highlights the complex effects of glycosylation on spike protein function and immune evasion.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fengwen Zhang
- Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Fabian Schmidt
- Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Frauke Muecksch
- Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Zijun Wang
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Anna Gazumyan
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Michel C. Nussenzweig
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Christian Gaebler
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Marina Caskey
- Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
| | | | - Paul D. Bieniasz
- Laboratory of Retrovirology, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, New York, USA
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40
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Ahmed N, Athavale A, Tripathi AH, Subramaniam A, Upadhyay SK, Pandey AK, Rai RC, Awasthi A. To be remembered: B cell memory response against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants in vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals. Scand J Immunol 2024; 99:e13345. [PMID: 38441373 DOI: 10.1111/sji.13345] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2023] [Revised: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 03/07/2024]
Abstract
COVID-19 disease has plagued the world economy and affected the overall well-being and life of most of the people. Natural infection as well as vaccination leads to the development of an immune response against the pathogen. This involves the production of antibodies, which can neutralize the virus during future challenges. In addition, the development of cellular immune memory with memory B and T cells provides long-lasting protection. The longevity of the immune response has been a subject of intensive research in this field. The extent of immunity conferred by different forms of vaccination or natural infections remained debatable for long. Hence, understanding the effectiveness of these responses among different groups of people can assist government organizations in making informed policy decisions. In this article, based on the publicly available data, we have reviewed the memory response generated by some of the vaccines against SARS-CoV-2 and its variants, particularly B cell memory in different groups of individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nafees Ahmed
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Atharv Athavale
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Ankita H Tripathi
- Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
| | - Adarsh Subramaniam
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Santosh K Upadhyay
- Department of Biotechnology, Kumaun University, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India
| | | | - Ramesh Chandra Rai
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana, India
| | - Amit Awasthi
- Translational Health Science and Technology Institute, Faridabad, Haryana, India
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Zaccaria M, Genovese L, Lawhorn BE, Dawson W, Joyal AS, Hu J, Autissier P, Nakajima T, Johnson WE, Fofana I, Farzan M, Momeni B. Predicting potential SARS-CoV-2 mutations of concern via full quantum mechanical modelling. J R Soc Interface 2024; 21:20230614. [PMID: 38320601 PMCID: PMC10846948 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2023.0614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2023] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/08/2024] Open
Abstract
Ab initio quantum mechanical models can characterize and predict intermolecular binding, but only recently have models including more than a few hundred atoms gained traction. Here, we simulate the electronic structure for approximately 13 000 atoms to predict and characterize binding of SARS-CoV-2 spike variants to the human ACE2 (hACE2) receptor using the quantum mechanics complexity reduction (QM-CR) approach. We compare four spike variants in our analysis: Wuhan, Omicron, and two Omicron-based variants. To assess binding, we mechanistically characterize the energetic contribution of each amino acid involved, and predict the effect of select single amino acid mutations. We validate our computational predictions experimentally by comparing the efficacy of spike variants binding to cells expressing hACE2. At the time we performed our simulations (December 2021), the mutation A484K which our model predicted to be highly beneficial to ACE2 binding had not been identified in epidemiological surveys; only recently (August 2023) has it appeared in variant BA.2.86. We argue that our computational model, QM-CR, can identify mutations critical for intermolecular interactions and inform the engineering of high-specificity interactors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Zaccaria
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Luigi Genovese
- Université Grenoble Alpes, CEA, INAC-MEM, L Sim, Grenoble, France
| | | | | | - Andrew S. Joyal
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Jingqing Hu
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Ismael Fofana
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
| | - Michael Farzan
- Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
- Center for Integrated Solutions for Infectious Diseases, The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, MA, USA
- Division of Infectious Disease, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Babak Momeni
- Department of Biology, Boston College, Chestnut Hill, MA, USA
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Acar DD, Witkowski W, Wejda M, Wei R, Desmet T, Schepens B, De Cae S, Sedeyn K, Eeckhaut H, Fijalkowska D, Roose K, Vanmarcke S, Poupon A, Jochmans D, Zhang X, Abdelnabi R, Foo CS, Weynand B, Reiter D, Callewaert N, Remaut H, Neyts J, Saelens X, Gerlo S, Vandekerckhove L. Integrating artificial intelligence-based epitope prediction in a SARS-CoV-2 antibody discovery pipeline: caution is warranted. EBioMedicine 2024; 100:104960. [PMID: 38232633 PMCID: PMC10803917 DOI: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2023.104960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 12/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND SARS-CoV-2-neutralizing antibodies (nABs) showed great promise in the early phases of the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergence of resistant strains, however, quickly rendered the majority of clinically approved nABs ineffective. This underscored the imperative to develop nAB cocktails targeting non-overlapping epitopes. METHODS Undertaking a nAB discovery program, we employed a classical workflow, while integrating artificial intelligence (AI)-based prediction to select non-competing nABs very early in the pipeline. We identified and in vivo validated (in female Syrian hamsters) two highly potent nABs. FINDINGS Despite the promising results, in depth cryo-EM structural analysis demonstrated that the AI-based prediction employed with the intention to ensure non-overlapping epitopes was inaccurate. The two nABs in fact bound to the same receptor-binding epitope in a remarkably similar manner. INTERPRETATION Our findings indicate that, even in the Alphafold era, AI-based predictions of paratope-epitope interactions are rough and experimental validation of epitopes remains an essential cornerstone of a successful nAB lead selection. FUNDING Full list of funders is provided at the end of the manuscript.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Diana Acar
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Wojciech Witkowski
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Magdalena Wejda
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Ruifang Wei
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Tim Desmet
- Department of Basic and Applied Medical Sciences, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Bert Schepens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent 9052, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Sieglinde De Cae
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent 9052, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Koen Sedeyn
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent 9052, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Hannah Eeckhaut
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent 9052, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Daria Fijalkowska
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent 9052, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Kenny Roose
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent 9052, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Sandrine Vanmarcke
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent 9052, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | | | - Dirk Jochmans
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Xin Zhang
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Rana Abdelnabi
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Caroline S Foo
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Birgit Weynand
- Department of Imaging and Pathology, Translational Cell and Tissue Research, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Dirk Reiter
- Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Nico Callewaert
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent 9052, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Han Remaut
- Department of Bioengineering Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels 1050, Belgium; VIB-VUB Center for Structural Biology, VIB, Brussels 1050, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute for Medical Research, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Xavier Saelens
- VIB-UGent Center for Medical Biotechnology, VIB, Ghent 9052, Belgium; Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Ghent University, Ghent 9052, Belgium
| | - Sarah Gerlo
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium; Department of Biomolecular Medicine, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium
| | - Linos Vandekerckhove
- HIV Cure Research Center, Department of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent University, Ghent 9000, Belgium.
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Lapuente D, Winkler TH, Tenbusch M. B-cell and antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2: infection, vaccination, and hybrid immunity. Cell Mol Immunol 2024; 21:144-158. [PMID: 37945737 PMCID: PMC10805925 DOI: 10.1038/s41423-023-01095-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 11/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in 2019 prompted scientific, medical, and biotech communities to investigate infection- and vaccine-induced immune responses in the context of this pathogen. B-cell and antibody responses are at the center of these investigations, as neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) are an important correlate of protection (COP) from infection and the primary target of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine modalities. In addition to absolute levels, nAb longevity, neutralization breadth, immunoglobulin isotype and subtype composition, and presence at mucosal sites have become important topics for scientists and health policy makers. The recent pandemic was and still is a unique setting in which to study de novo and memory B-cell (MBC) and antibody responses in the dynamic interplay of infection- and vaccine-induced immunity. It also provided an opportunity to explore new vaccine platforms, such as mRNA or adenoviral vector vaccines, in unprecedented cohort sizes. Combined with the technological advances of recent years, this situation has provided detailed mechanistic insights into the development of B-cell and antibody responses but also revealed some unexpected findings. In this review, we summarize the key findings of the last 2.5 years regarding infection- and vaccine-induced B-cell immunity, which we believe are of significant value not only in the context of SARS-CoV-2 but also for future vaccination approaches in endemic and pandemic settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dennis Lapuente
- Institut für klinische und molekulare Virologie, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen und Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schlossgarten 4, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Thomas H Winkler
- Department of Biology, Division of Genetics, Nikolaus-Fiebiger-Center for Molecular Medicine, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Erlangen, Germany.
- Medical Immunology Campus Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schlossplatz 1, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.
| | - Matthias Tenbusch
- Institut für klinische und molekulare Virologie, Universitätsklinikum Erlangen und Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schlossgarten 4, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
- Medical Immunology Campus Erlangen, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg, Schlossplatz 1, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
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Ose NJ, Campitelli P, Modi T, Can Kazan I, Kumar S, Banu Ozkan S. Some mechanistic underpinnings of molecular adaptations of SARS-COV-2 spike protein by integrating candidate adaptive polymorphisms with protein dynamics. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2023.09.14.557827. [PMID: 37745560 PMCID: PMC10515954 DOI: 10.1101/2023.09.14.557827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/26/2023]
Abstract
We integrate evolutionary predictions based on the neutral theory of molecular evolution with protein dynamics to generate mechanistic insight into the molecular adaptations of the SARS-COV-2 Spike (S) protein. With this approach, we first identified Candidate Adaptive Polymorphisms (CAPs) of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein and assessed the impact of these CAPs through dynamics analysis. Not only have we found that CAPs frequently overlap with well-known functional sites, but also, using several different dynamics-based metrics, we reveal the critical allosteric interplay between SARS-CoV-2 CAPs and the S protein binding sites with the human ACE2 (hACE2) protein. CAPs interact far differently with the hACE2 binding site residues in the open conformation of the S protein compared to the closed form. In particular, the CAP sites control the dynamics of binding residues in the open state, suggesting an allosteric control of hACE2 binding. We also explored the characteristic mutations of different SARS-CoV-2 strains to find dynamic hallmarks and potential effects of future mutations. Our analyses reveal that Delta strain-specific variants have non-additive (i.e., epistatic) interactions with CAP sites, whereas the less pathogenic Omicron strains have mostly additive mutations. Finally, our dynamics-based analysis suggests that the novel mutations observed in the Omicron strain epistatically interact with the CAP sites to help escape antibody binding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas J. Ose
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Paul Campitelli
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Tushar Modi
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - I. Can Kazan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
| | - Sudhir Kumar
- Institute for Genomics and Evolutionary Medicine, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Department of Biology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States of America
- Center for Genomic Medicine Research, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | - S. Banu Ozkan
- Department of Physics and Center for Biological Physics, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America
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45
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Avila-Herrera A, Kimbrel JA, Manuel Martí J, Thissen J, Saada EA, Weisenberger T, Arrildt KT, Segelke BW, Allen JE, Zemla A, Borucki MK. Differential laboratory passaging of SARS-CoV-2 viral stocks impacts the in vitro assessment of neutralizing antibodies. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0289198. [PMID: 38271318 PMCID: PMC10810540 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289198] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/27/2024] Open
Abstract
Viral populations in natural infections can have a high degree of sequence diversity, which can directly impact immune escape. However, antibody potency is often tested in vitro with a relatively clonal viral populations, such as laboratory virus or pseudotyped virus stocks, which may not accurately represent the genetic diversity of circulating viral genotypes. This can affect the validity of viral phenotype assays, such as antibody neutralization assays. To address this issue, we tested whether recombinant virus carrying SARS-CoV-2 spike (VSV-SARS-CoV-2-S) stocks could be made more genetically diverse by passage, and if a stock passaged under selective pressure was more capable of escaping monoclonal antibody (mAb) neutralization than unpassaged stock or than viral stock passaged without selective pressures. We passaged VSV-SARS-CoV-2-S four times concurrently in three cell lines and then six times with or without polyclonal antiserum selection pressure. All three of the monoclonal antibodies tested neutralized the viral population present in the unpassaged stock. The viral inoculum derived from serial passage without antiserum selection pressure was neutralized by two of the three mAbs. However, the viral inoculum derived from serial passage under antiserum selection pressure escaped neutralization by all three mAbs. Deep sequencing revealed the rapid acquisition of multiple mutations associated with antibody escape in the VSV-SARS-CoV-2-S that had been passaged in the presence of antiserum, including key mutations present in currently circulating Omicron subvariants. These data indicate that viral stock that was generated under polyclonal antiserum selection pressure better reflects the natural environment of the circulating virus and may yield more biologically relevant outcomes in phenotypic assays. Thus, mAb assessment assays that utilize a more genetically diverse, biologically relevant, virus stock may yield data that are relevant for prediction of mAb efficacy and for enhancing biosurveillance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aram Avila-Herrera
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Computing Directorate, Global Security Computing Applications Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey A. Kimbrel
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Jose Manuel Martí
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Computing Directorate, Global Security Computing Applications Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - James Thissen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Edwin A. Saada
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Tracy Weisenberger
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Kathryn T. Arrildt
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Brent W. Segelke
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Jonathan E. Allen
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Computing Directorate, Global Security Computing Applications Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Adam Zemla
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Computing Directorate, Global Security Computing Applications Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
| | - Monica K. Borucki
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Physical and Life Sciences Directorate, Biosciences and Biotechnology Division, Livermore, California, United States of America
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46
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Li K, Verma A, Li P, Ortiz ME, Hawkins GM, Schnicker NJ, Szachowicz PJ, Pezzulo AA, Wohlford-Lenane CL, Kicmal T, Meyerholz DK, Gallagher T, Perlman S, McCray PB. Adaptation of SARS-CoV-2 to ACE2 H353K mice reveals new spike residues that drive mouse infection. J Virol 2024; 98:e0151023. [PMID: 38168680 PMCID: PMC10804960 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01510-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024] Open
Abstract
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues to cause extraordinary loss of life and economic damage. Animal models of severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection are needed to better understand disease pathogenesis and evaluate preventive measures and therapies. While mice are widely used to model human disease, mouse angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) does not bind the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 spike protein to mediate viral entry. To overcome this limitation, we "humanized" mouse Ace2 using CRISPR gene editing to introduce a single amino acid substitution, H353K, predicted to facilitate S protein binding. While H353K knockin Ace2 (mACE2H353K) mice supported SARS-CoV-2 infection and replication, they exhibited minimal disease manifestations. Following 30 serial passages of ancestral SARS-CoV-2 in mACE2H353K mice, we generated and cloned a more virulent virus. A single isolate (SARS2MA-H353K) was prepared for detailed studies. In 7-11-month-old mACE2H353K mice, a 104 PFU inocula resulted in diffuse alveolar disease manifested as edema, hyaline membrane formation, and interstitial cellular infiltration/thickening. Unexpectedly, the mouse-adapted virus also infected standard BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice and caused severe disease. The mouse-adapted virus acquired five new missense mutations including two in spike (K417E, Q493K), one each in nsp4, nsp9, and M and a single nucleotide change in the 5' untranslated region. The Q493K spike mutation arose early in serial passage and is predicted to provide affinity-enhancing molecular interactions with mACE2 and further increase the stability and affinity to the receptor. This new model and mouse-adapted virus will be useful to evaluate COVID-19 disease and prophylactic and therapeutic interventions.IMPORTANCEWe developed a new mouse model with a humanized angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) locus that preserves native regulatory elements. A single point mutation in mouse ACE2 (H353K) was sufficient to confer in vivo infection with ancestral severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 virus. Through in vivo serial passage, a virulent mouse-adapted strain was obtained. In aged mACE2H353K mice, the mouse-adapted strain caused diffuse alveolar disease. The mouse-adapted virus also infected standard BALB/c and C57BL/6 mice, causing severe disease. The mouse-adapted virus acquired five new missense mutations including two in spike (K417E, Q493K), one each in nsp4, nsp9, and M and a single nucleotide change in the 5' untranslated region. The Q493K spike mutation arose early in serial passage and is predicted to provide affinity-enhancing molecular interactions with mACE2 and further increase the stability and affinity to the receptor. This new model and mouse-adapted virus will be useful to evaluate COVID-19 disease and prophylactic and therapeutic interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kun Li
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Abhishek Verma
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Pengfei Li
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Miguel E. Ortiz
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Grant M. Hawkins
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Peter J. Szachowicz
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | | | | | - Tom Kicmal
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Tom Gallagher
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, Illinois, USA
| | - Stanley Perlman
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
| | - Paul B. McCray
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa, USA
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Budicini MR, Rodriguez-Irizarry VJ, Maples RW, Pfeiffer JK. Murine norovirus mutants adapted to replicate in human cells reveal a post-entry restriction. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2024:2024.01.11.575274. [PMID: 38260699 PMCID: PMC10802625 DOI: 10.1101/2024.01.11.575274] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
RNA viruses lack proofreading in their RNA polymerases and therefore exist as genetically diverse populations. By exposing these diverse viral populations to selective pressures, viruses with mutations that confer fitness advantages can be enriched. To examine factors important for viral tropism and host restriction, we passaged murine norovirus (MNV) in a human cell line, HeLa cells, to select for mutant viruses with increased fitness in non-murine cells. A major determinant of host range is expression of the MNV receptor CD300lf on mouse cells, but additional host factors may limit MNV replication in human cells. We found that viruses passaged six times in HeLa cells had enhanced replication compared with the parental virus. The passaged viruses had several mutations throughout the viral genome, which were primarily located in the viral non-structural coding regions. While viral attachment was not altered for the passaged viruses, their replication was higher than the parental virus when entry was bypassed, suggesting the mutant viruses overcame a post-entry block in human cells. Three mutations in the viral NS1 protein were sufficient for enhanced post-entry replication in human cells. We found that the human cell-adapted MNV variants had reduced fitness in mouse BV2 cells. Although the mutant viruses had increased fitness in HeLa cells, they did not have increased fitness in mice. Overall, this work suggests that MNV tropism is not only determined by the presence of the viral receptor but also post-entry factors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa R. Budicini
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | | | - Robert W. Maples
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Julie K. Pfeiffer
- Department of Microbiology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
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48
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Hsieh MK, Klauda JB. Multiscale Molecular Dynamics Simulations of the Homodimer Accessory Protein ORF7b of SARS-CoV-2. J Phys Chem B 2024; 128:150-162. [PMID: 38147592 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.3c07105] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 ORF7b protein has drawn attention for its potential role in viral pathogenesis, but its structural details and lateral membrane associations remain elusive. In this study, we conducted multiscale molecular dynamics simulations to provide detailed molecular insights of the protein's dimerization, which is crucial for unraveling its structural model of protein-protein interface important to regulating cellular immune response. To gain a deeper understanding of homodimer configurations, we employed a machine learning algorithm for structural-based clustering. Clusters were categorized into three distinct groups for both parallel and antiparallel orientations, highlighting the influence of the initial monomer conformation on dimer configurations. Analysis of hydrogen bonding and π-π and π-cation stacking interactions within clusters revealed variations in interactions between clusters. In parallel dimers, weak stacking interactions in the transmembrane (TM) region were observed. In contrast, antiparallel dimers exhibited strong hydrogen bonding and stacking interactions contributing to tight dimeric packing, both within and outside the TM domain. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive view of the structural dynamics of ORF7b homodimerization in both parallel and antiparallel orientations. These findings shed light on the molecular interactions involved in ORF7b dimerization, which are crucial for understanding its potential roles in SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. This knowledge could inform future research and therapeutic strategies targeting this viral protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min-Kang Hsieh
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
| | - Jeffery B Klauda
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
- Institute for Physical Science and Technology, Biophysics Program, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland 20742, United States
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Jones CH, Androsavich JR, So N, Jenkins MP, MacCormack D, Prigodich A, Welch V, True JM, Dolsten M. Breaking the mold with RNA-a "RNAissance" of life science. NPJ Genom Med 2024; 9:2. [PMID: 38195675 PMCID: PMC10776758 DOI: 10.1038/s41525-023-00387-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 12/07/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
In the past decade, RNA therapeutics have gone from being a promising concept to one of the most exciting frontiers in healthcare and pharmaceuticals. The field is now entering what many call a renaissance or "RNAissance" which is being fueled by advances in genetic engineering and delivery systems to take on more ambitious development efforts. However, this renaissance is occurring at an unprecedented pace, which will require a different way of thinking if the field is to live up to its full potential. Recognizing this need, this article will provide a forward-looking perspective on the field of RNA medical products and the potential long-term innovations and policy shifts enabled by this revolutionary and game-changing technological platform.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nina So
- Pfizer, 66 Hudson Boulevard, New York, NY, 10018, USA
| | | | | | | | - Verna Welch
- Pfizer, 66 Hudson Boulevard, New York, NY, 10018, USA
| | - Jane M True
- Pfizer, 66 Hudson Boulevard, New York, NY, 10018, USA.
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50
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Feng Y, Yi J, Yang L, Wang Y, Wen J, Zhao W, Kim P, Zhou X. COV2Var, a function annotation database of SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation. Nucleic Acids Res 2024; 52:D701-D713. [PMID: 37897356 PMCID: PMC10767816 DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkad958] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2023] [Revised: 09/29/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, has resulted in the loss of millions of lives and severe global economic consequences. Every time SARS-CoV-2 replicates, the viruses acquire new mutations in their genomes. Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genomes led to increased transmissibility, severe disease outcomes, evasion of the immune response, changes in clinical manifestations and reducing the efficacy of vaccines or treatments. To date, the multiple resources provide lists of detected mutations without key functional annotations. There is a lack of research examining the relationship between mutations and various factors such as disease severity, pathogenicity, patient age, patient gender, cross-species transmission, viral immune escape, immune response level, viral transmission capability, viral evolution, host adaptability, viral protein structure, viral protein function, viral protein stability and concurrent mutations. Deep understanding the relationship between mutation sites and these factors is crucial for advancing our knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 and for developing effective responses. To fill this gap, we built COV2Var, a function annotation database of SARS-CoV-2 genetic variation, available at http://biomedbdc.wchscu.cn/COV2Var/. COV2Var aims to identify common mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants and assess their effects, providing a valuable resource for intensive functional annotations of common mutations among SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuzhou Feng
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Jiahao Yi
- School of Big Health, Guizhou Medical University, Guiyang 550025, China
| | - Lin Yang
- Department of Cardiology and Laboratory of Gene Therapy for Heart Diseases, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center for Biotherapy, Chengdu 610041, China
| | - Yanfei Wang
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Jianguo Wen
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Weiling Zhao
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Pora Kim
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Xiaobo Zhou
- Center for Computational Systems Medicine, School of Biomedical Informatics, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- School of Dentistry, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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