Receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies contribute more to SARS-CoV-2 neutralization when target cells express high levels of ACE2.

ABSTRACT: Neutralization assays are experimental surrogates for the effectiveness of infection- or vaccine-elicited polyclonal antibodies and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies targeting SARS-CoV-2. However, the measured neutralization can depend on details of the experimental assay. Here we systematically assess how ACE2 expression in target cells affects neutralization by antibodies to different spike epitopes in lentivirus pseudovirus neutralization assays. For high ACE2-expressing target cells, receptor binding domain (RBD) antibodies account for nearly all neutralizing activity in polyclonal human sera. But for lower ACE2-expressing target cells, antibodies targeting regions outside the RBD make a larger (although still modest) contribution to serum neutralization. These serum-level results are

SUBMITTER: Farrell AG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9460967 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature