Cited by 739SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Researchvaccines and immunoinformatics approachesAnimal Virus Infections Studies

Identification of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutations that attenuate monoclonal and serum antibody neutralization

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Liu, Zhuoming, VanBlargan, Laura A., Bloyet, Louis-Marie, Rothlauf, Paul W., Chen, Rita E., Stumpf, Spencer, Zhao, Haiyan, Errico, John M. +8 more·2021·Cell Host & Microbe

Abstract

Neutralizing antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein are a goal of COVID-19 vaccines and have received emergency use authorization as therapeutics. However, viral escape mutants could compromise efficacy. To define immune-selected mutations in the S protein, we exposed a VSV-eGFP-SARS-CoV-2-S chimeric virus, in which the VSV glycoprotein is replaced with the S protein, to 19 neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) and generated 50 different escape mutants. Each mAb had a unique resistance profile, although many shared residues within an epitope of the RBD. Some variants (e.g., S477N) were resistant to neutralization by multiple mAbs, whereas others (e.g., E484K) escaped neutralization by convalescent sera. Additionally, sequential selection identified mutants that escape neutralization by antibody cocktails. Comparing these antibody-mediated mutations with sequence variation in circulating SARS-CoV-2 revealed substitutions that may attenuate neutralizing immune responses in some humans and thus warrant further investigation.

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Crossref · 10.1016/j.chom.2021.01.014

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  • F490S helps Lambda escape convalescent sera and neutralizing antibodies from CoronaVac and reduces in vitro susceptibility to neutralization.

    “F490S mutation helps the Lambda variant to escape convalescent sera and neutralizing antibodies from the CoronaVac vaccine and also reduced in vitro susceptibility to neutralization [54].”

    From Waves and variants of SARS-CoV-2: understanding the causes and effect of the COVID-19 catastrophe (2022) · cites this paper as [54]

    The Results section reports that F490S resisted neutralization by three convalescent sera in a VSV-SARS-CoV-2 assay, supporting reduced in vitro susceptibility for that mutation. The cited paper does not establish this result for the Lambda variant or for antibodies elicited by CoronaVac. (LLM, conf=0.90)

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  • Several Omicron RBD mutations were previously shown to modulate ACE2 binding and/or antibody evasion.

    “several were previously shown to modulate ACE2 binding and/or antibody evasion”
  • E484K substitution is a vulnerability for multiple neutralizing mAbs.

    “Our results establishing the E484K substitution as a vulnerability for multiple neutralizing mAbs are consistent with deep mutational scanning or VSV-SARS-CoV-2-based neutralization escape screening campaigns31,33,34.”
  • E484K has resulted in 3-fold to 10-fold reduced susceptibility to about 30% and >10-fold reduced susceptibility to about 10% of convalescent plasma samples.

    “E484K has resulted in 3-fold to 10-fold reduced susceptibility to about 30% and >10-fold reduced susceptibility to about 10% of convalescent plasma samples”

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Authors
Liu, Z., VanBlargan, L. A., Bloyet, L.-M., Rothlauf, P. W., Chen, R. E., Stumpf, S., Zhao, H., Errico, J. M., Theel, E. S., Liebeskind, M. J., Alford, B., Buchser, W. J., Ellebedy, A. H., Fremont, D. H., Diamond, M. S., & Whelan, S. P. J.
Affiliations
  • Washington University in St. Louis (US)
  • Harvard University (US)
  • Mayo Clinic (US)
Corresponding author
  • Diamond, Michael S.
  • Whelan, Sean P.J.
Venue
Cell Host & Microbe
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2021-03
Volume
29
Issue
3
Pages
477-488.e4
ISSN
1931-3128 (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W3121995178
Cited by
725
References
38
Citations by year
2026: 11 · 2025: 22 · 2024: 57 · 2023: 77 · 2022: 255 · 2021: 302
FWCI
55.27
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • Cell Host & Microbe (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • HAL (submittedVersion)
Funders
  • Washington University in St. Louis
  • University of Washington
  • Saint Louis University
  • National Institutes of Health (75N93019C00062, R01 AI127828, R01 AI157155, R37 AI059371)
  • AbbVie
  • Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (HR001117S0019)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › vaccines and immunoinformatics approaches
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Virus Infections Studies
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, antibody escape mutants, neutralizing monoclonal antibodies, receptor binding domain, E484K mutation
MeSH terms
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 Vaccines, Animals, Antibodies, Monoclonal, Antibodies, Viral, Chlorocebus aethiops, Female, Humans, Mice, Inbred BALB C, Models, Molecular, Mutation, Neutralization Tests, Protein Binding, Receptors, Virus, Vero Cells, Amino Acid Substitution, Mice, Antibodies, Neutralizing, Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus

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