1
|
Wang L, Zhao J, Nguyen LNT, Adkins JL, Schank M, Khanal S, Nguyen LN, Dang X, Cao D, Thakuri BKC, Lu Z, Zhang J, Zhang Y, Wu XY, El Gazzar M, Ning S, Moorman JP, Yao ZQ. Blockade of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein-mediated cell-cell fusion using COVID-19 convalescent plasma. Sci Rep 2021; 11:5558. [PMID: 33692386 PMCID: PMC7946952 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-84840-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2020] [Accepted: 02/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The recent COVID-19 pandemic poses a serious threat to global public health, thus there is an urgent need to define the molecular mechanisms involved in SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein-mediated virus entry that is essential for preventing and/or treating this emerging infectious disease. In this study, we examined the blocking activity of human COVID-19 convalescent plasma by cell-cell fusion assays using SARS-CoV-2-S-transfected 293 T as effector cells and ACE2-expressing 293 T as target cells. We demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 S protein exhibits a very high capacity for membrane fusion and is efficient in mediating virus fusion and entry into target cells. Importantly, we find that COVID-19 convalescent plasma with high titers of IgG neutralizing antibodies can block cell-cell fusion and virus entry by interfering with the SARS-CoV-2-S/ACE2 or SARS-CoV-S/ACE2 interactions. These findings suggest that COVID-19 convalescent plasma may not only inhibit SARS-CoV-2-S but also cross-neutralize SARS-CoV-S-mediated membrane fusion and virus entry, supporting its potential as a preventive and/or therapeutic agent against SARS-CoV-2 as well as other SARS-CoV infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ling Wang
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Juan Zhao
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Lam N T Nguyen
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - James L Adkins
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Madison Schank
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Sushant Khanal
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Lam N Nguyen
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Xindi Dang
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Dechao Cao
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Bal Krishna Chand Thakuri
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Zeyuan Lu
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Jinyu Zhang
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Yi Zhang
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Xiao Y Wu
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Mohamed El Gazzar
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Shunbin Ning
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Jonathan P Moorman
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
- Hepatitis (HCV/HBV/HIV) Program, Department of Veterans Affairs, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA
| | - Zhi Q Yao
- Center of Excellence for Inflammation, Infectious Disease and Immunity, James H. Quillen College of Medicine, East Tennessee State University, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA.
- Division of Infectious, Inflammatory and Immunologic Diseases, Department of Internal Medicine, Quillen College of Medicine, ETSU, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA.
- Hepatitis (HCV/HBV/HIV) Program, Department of Veterans Affairs, James H. Quillen VA Medical Center, Johnson City, TN, 37614, USA.
| |
Collapse
|