Spike Proteins of SARS-CoV-2 B.1.617, B.1.618 Variants IDd in India Partially Resist Vaccine-elicited, Therapeutic Monoclonal Antibodies

 Takuya Tada, Hao Zhou,  

View ORCID ProfileBelinda M Dcosta, Marie I Samanovic, Mark J Mulligan, Nathaniel R Landau

doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.05.14.444076

This article is a preprint and has not been certified by peer review [what does this mean?].

PDF: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.14.444076v1.full.pdf

Abstract

Highly transmissible SARS-CoV-2 variants recently identified in India designated B.1.617 and B.1.618 have mutations within the spike protein that may contribute to their increased transmissibility and that could potentially result in re-infection or resistance to vaccine-elicited antibody. B.1.617 encodes a spike protein with mutations L452R, E484Q, D614G and P681R while the B.1.618 spike has mutations Δ145-146, E484K and D614G. We generated lentiviruses pseudotyped by the variant proteins and determined their resistance to neutralization by convalescent sera, vaccine-elicited antibodies and therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Viruses with B.1.617 and B.1.618 spike were neutralized with a 2-5-fold decrease in titer by convalescent sera and vaccine-elicited antibodies. The E484Q and E484K versions were neutralized with a 2-4-fold decrease in titer. Virus with the B.1.617 spike protein was neutralized with a 4.7-fold decrease in titer by the Regeneron monoclonal antibody cocktail as a result of the L452R mutation. The modest neutralization resistance of the variant spike proteins to vaccine elicited antibody suggests that current vaccines will remain protective against the B.1.617 and B.1.618 variants.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.05.14.444076v1