Morgan E. Abernathy

The ongoing emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) that reduce the effectiveness of antibody therapeutics necessitates development of next-generation antibody modalities that are resilient to viral evolution. Here, we characterized amino-terminal domain (NTD)– and receptor binding domain (RBD)–specific monoclonal antibodies previously isolated from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) convalescent donors for their activity against emergent SARS-CoV-2 VOCs. Among these, the NTD-specific antibody C1596 displayed the greatest breadth of binding to VOCs, with cryo–electron microscopy structural analysis revealing recognition of a distinct NTD epitope outside of the site i antigenic supersite. Given C1596’s favorable binding profile, we designed a series of bispecific antibodies (bsAbs), termed CoV2-biRNs, that featured both NTD and RBD specificities. Two of the C1596-inclusive bsAbs, CoV2-biRN5 and CoV2-biRN7, retained potent in vitro neutralization activity against all Omicron variants tested, including XBB.1.5, BA.2.86, and JN.1, contrasting the diminished potency of parental antibodies delivered as monotherapies or as a cocktail. Furthermore, prophylactic delivery of CoV2-biRN5 reduced the viral load within the lungs of K18-hACE2 mice after challenge with SARS-CoV-2 XBB.1.5. In conclusion, NTD-RBD bsAbs offer promising potential for the design of resilient, next-generation antibody therapeutics against SARS-CoV-2 VOCs.

Sequential immunization elicits antibodies against the V3-glycan patch of HIV-1 Env in rhesus macaques and also induces off-target antibody responses.

HIV-1 vaccine design aims to develop an immunogen that elicits broadly neutralizing antibodies against a desired epitope, while eliminating responses to off-target regions of HIV-1 Env. We report characterization of Ab1245, an off-target antibody against the Env gp120-gp41 interface, from V3-glycan patch immunogen-primed and boosted macaques. A 3.7 Å cryo-EM structure of an Ab1245-Env complex reveals one Ab1245 Fab binding asymmetrically to Env trimer at the gp120-gp41 interface using its long CDRH3 to mimic regions of gp41. The mimicry includes positioning of a CDRH3 methionine into the gp41 tryptophan clasp, resulting in displacement of the fusion peptide and fusion peptide-proximal region. Despite fusion peptide displacement, Ab1245 is non-neutralizing even at high concentrations, raising the possibility that only two fusion peptides per trimer are required for viral–host membrane fusion. These structural analyses facilitate immunogen design to prevent elicitation of Ab1245-like antibodies that block neutralizing antibodies against the fusion peptide.

The H1N1 pandemic of 2009-2010, MERS epidemic of 2012, Ebola epidemics of 2013-2016 and 2018-2020, Zika epidemic of 2015-2016, and COVID-19 pandemic of 2019-2021, are recent examples in the long history of epidemics that demonstrate the enormous global impact of viral infection. The rapid development of safe and effective vaccines and therapeutics has proven vital to reducing morbidity and mortality from newly emerging viruses. Structural biology methods can be used to determine how antibodies elicited during infection or vaccination target viral proteins and identify viral epitopes that correlate with potent neutralization. Here we review how structural and molecular biology approaches have contributed to our understanding of antibody recognition of pathogenic viruses, specifically HIV-1, SARS-CoV-2, and Zika. Determining structural correlates of neutralization of viruses has guided the design of vaccines, monoclonal antibodies, and small molecule inhibitors in response to the global threat of viral epidemics.

The COVID-19 pandemic presents an urgent health crisis. Human neutralizing antibodies (hNAbs) that target the host ACE2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike ^1–5 show therapeutic promise and are being evaluated clincally ^6–8 . To determine structural correlates of SARS-CoV-2 neutralization, we solved 8 new structures of distinct COVID-19 hNAbs ⁵ in complex with SARS-CoV-2 spike trimer or RBD. Structural comparisons allowed classification into categories: (1) VH3-53 hNAbs with short CDRH3s that block ACE2 and bind only to “up” RBDs, (2) ACE2-blocking hNAbs that bind both “up” and “down” RBDs and can contact adjacent RBDs, (3) hNAbs that bind outside the ACE2 site and recognize “up” and “down” RBDs, and (4) Previously-described antibodies that do not block ACE2 and bind only “up” RBDs ⁹ . Class 2 comprised four hNAbs whose epitopes bridged RBDs, including a VH3-53 hNAb that used a long CDRH3 with a hydrophobic tip to bridge between adjacent “down” RBDs, thereby locking spike into a closed conformation. Epitope/paratope mapping revealed few interactions with host-derived N -glycans and minor contributions of antibody somatic hypermutations to epitope contacts. Affinity measurements and mapping of naturally-occurring and in vitro-selected spike mutants in 3D provided insight into the potential for SARS-CoV-2 escape from antibodies elicited during infection or delivered therapeutically. These classifications and structural analyses provide rules for assigning current and future human RBD-targeting antibodies into classes, evaluating avidity effects, suggesting combinations for clinical use, and providing insight into immune responses against SARS-CoV-2.