RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants reduce neutralization sensitivity to convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies
JF bioRxiv
FD Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
SP 2021.01.22.427749
DO 10.1101/2021.01.22.427749
A1 Hu, Jie
A1 Peng, Pai
A1 Wang, Kai
A1 Liu, Bei-zhong
A1 Fang, Liang
A1 Luo, Fei-yang
A1 Jin, Ai-shun
A1 Tang, Ni
A1 Huang, Ai-long
YR 2021
UL http://biorxiv.org/content/early/2021/01/22/2021.01.22.427749.abstract
AB SARS-CoV-2 Spike-specific antibodies contribute the majority of the neutralizing activity in most convalescent human sera. Two SARS-CoV-2 variants, N501Y.V1 (also known as B.1.1.7 lineage or VOC-202012/01) and N501Y.V2 (B.1.351 lineage), reported from the United Kingdom and South Africa, contain several mutations in the receptor binding domain of Spike and are of particular concern. To address the infectivity and neutralization escape phenotypes potentially caused by these mutations, we used SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus system to compare the viral infectivity, as well as the neutralization activities of convalescent sera and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) against SARS-CoV-2 variants. Our results showed that N501Y Variant 1 and Variant 2 increase viral infectivity compared to the reference strain (wild-type, WT) in vitro. At 8 months after symptom onset, 17 serum samples of 20 participants (85%) retaining titers of ID50 >40 against WT pseudovirus, whereas the NAb titers of 8 samples (40%) and 18 samples (90%) decreased below the threshold against N501Y.V1 and N501Y.V2, respectively. In addition, both N501Y Variant 1 and Variant 2 reduced neutralization sensitivity to most (6/8) mAbs tested, while N501Y.V2 even abrogated neutralizing activity of two mAbs. Taken together the results suggest that N501Y.V1 and N501Y.V2 reduce neutralization sensitivity to some convalescent sera and mAbs.Competing Interest StatementThe authors have declared no competing interest.