Mapping immunodominant sites on the MERS-CoV spike glycoprotein targeted by infection-elicited antibodies in humans.

ABSTRACT: Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) first emerged in 2012 and causes human infections in endemic regions. Vaccines and therapeutics in development against MERS-CoV focus on the spike (S) glycoprotein to prevent viral entry into target cells. These efforts are limited by a poor understanding of antibody responses elicited by infection. Here, we analyze S-directed antibody responses in plasma collected from MERS-CoV-infected individuals. We observe that binding and neutralizing antibodies peak 1-6 weeks after symptom onset/hospitalization, persist for at least 6 months, and neutralize human and camel MERS-CoV strains. We show that the MERS-CoV S₁ subunit is immunodominant and that antibodies targeting S₁, particularly the receptor-binding domain (RBD

SUBMITTER: Addetia A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12338757 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature