Scientific article
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A Cellular Assay for Spike/ACE2 Fusion: Quantification of Fusion-Inhibitory Antibodies after COVID-19 and Vaccination

Published inViruses, vol. 14, no. 10, 2118
Publication date2022-09-25
First online date2022-09-25
Abstract

Not all antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 inhibit viral entry, and hence, infection. Neutralizing antibodies are more likely to reflect real immunity; however, certain tests investigate protein/protein interaction rather than the fusion event. Viral and pseudoviral entry assays detect functionally active antibodies but are limited by biosafety and standardization issues. We have developed a Spike/ACE2-dependent fusion assay, based on a split luciferase. Hela cells stably transduced with Spike and a large fragment of luciferase were co-cultured with Hela cells transduced with ACE2 and the complementary small fragment of luciferase. Cell fusion occurred rapidly allowing the measurement of luminescence. Light emission was abolished in the absence of Spike and reduced in the presence of proteases. Sera from COVID-19-negative, non-vaccinated individuals or from patients at the moment of first symptoms did not lead to a significant reduction of fusion. Sera from COVID-19-positive patients as well as from vaccinated individuals reduced the fusion. This assay was more correlated to pseudotyped-based entry assay rather than serology or competitive ELISA. In conclusion, we report a new method measuring fusion-inhibitory antibodies in serum, combining the advantage of a complete Spike/ACE2 interaction active on entry with a high degree of standardization, easily allowing automation in a standard bio-safety environment.

Keywords
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Cell fusion
  • Dual-split luciferase
  • Neutralizing antibody
  • Humans
  • COVID-19 / prevention & control
  • Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme 2
  • SARS-CoV-2 / genetics
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / genetics
  • HeLa Cells
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Peptidyl-Dipeptidase A
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Vaccination
Citation (ISO format)
ABDUL, Fabien et al. A Cellular Assay for Spike/ACE2 Fusion: Quantification of Fusion-Inhibitory Antibodies after COVID-19 and Vaccination. In: Viruses, 2022, vol. 14, n° 10, p. 2118. doi: 10.3390/v14102118
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Article (Published version)
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Identifiers
Journal ISSN1999-4915
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Technical informations

Creation17/11/2022 09:13:00
First validation17/11/2022 09:13:00
Update time16/03/2023 09:57:57
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