RESUMEN
Prevention of viral escape and increased coverage against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern require therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) targeting multiple sites of vulnerability on the coronavirus spike glycoprotein. Here we identify several potent neutralizing antibodies directed against either the N-terminal domain (NTD) or the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. Administered in combinations, these mAbs provided low-dose protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection in the K18-human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 mouse model, using both neutralization and Fc effector antibody functions. The RBD mAb WRAIR-2125, which targets residue F486 through a unique heavy-chain and light-chain pairing, demonstrated potent neutralizing activity against all major SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern. In combination with NTD and other RBD mAbs, WRAIR-2125 also prevented viral escape. These data demonstrate that NTD/RBD mAb combinations confer potent protection, likely leveraging complementary mechanisms of viral inactivation and clearance.
Asunto(s)
Anticuerpos Monoclonales/inmunología , Anticuerpos Neutralizantes/inmunología , COVID-19/inmunología , SARS-CoV-2/inmunología , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/inmunología , Secuencia de Aminoácidos , Animales , Anticuerpos Monoclonales/administración & dosificación , Anticuerpos Monoclonales/metabolismo , Anticuerpos Neutralizantes/química , Anticuerpos Neutralizantes/metabolismo , Anticuerpos Antivirales/inmunología , Anticuerpos Antivirales/metabolismo , Sitios de Unión/genética , COVID-19/metabolismo , COVID-19/prevención & control , Modelos Animales de Enfermedad , Relación Dosis-Respuesta a Droga , Mapeo Epitopo , Epítopos/química , Epítopos/inmunología , Epítopos/metabolismo , Humanos , Ratones Transgénicos , Pruebas de Neutralización , Unión Proteica , Conformación Proteica , SARS-CoV-2/genética , SARS-CoV-2/metabolismo , Homología de Secuencia de Aminoácido , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/genética , Glicoproteína de la Espiga del Coronavirus/metabolismo , Análisis de SupervivenciaRESUMEN
Protein-only ribonuclease P (PRORP) is an enzyme responsible for catalyzing the 5' end maturation of precursor transfer ribonucleic acids (pre-tRNAs) encoded by various cellular compartments in many eukaryotes. PRORPs from plants act as single-subunit enzymes and have been used as a model system for analyzing the function of the metazoan PRORP nuclease subunit, which requires two additional proteins for efficient catalysis. There are currently few molecular details known about the PRORP-pre-tRNA complex. Here, we characterize the determinants of substrate recognition by the single subunit Arabidopsis thaliana PRORP1 and PRORP2 using kinetic and thermodynamic experiments. The salt dependence of binding affinity suggests 4-5 contacts with backbone phosphodiester bonds on substrates, including a single phosphodiester contact with the pre-tRNA 5' leader, consistent with prior reports of short leader requirements. PRORPs contain an N-terminal pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) domain, truncation of which results in a >30-fold decrease in substrate affinity. While most PPR-containing proteins have been implicated in single-stranded sequence-specific RNA recognition, we find that the PPR motifs of PRORPs recognize pre-tRNA substrates differently. Notably, the PPR domain residues most important for substrate binding in PRORPs do not correspond to positions involved in base recognition in other PPR proteins. Several of these residues are highly conserved in PRORPs from algae, plants, and metazoans, suggesting a conserved strategy for substrate recognition by the PRORP PPR domain. Furthermore, there is no evidence for sequence-specific interactions. This work clarifies molecular determinants of PRORP-substrate recognition and provides a new predictive model for the PRORP-substrate complex.
