Monoclonal Antibodies Specific for SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Suitable for Multiple Applications for Current Variants of Concern

Mahali S Morgan; Kexin Yan; Thuy T Le; Ryan A Johnston; Alberto A Amarilla; David A Muller; Christopher L D McMillan; Naphak Modhiran; Daniel Watterson; James R Potter; Julian D J Sng; Mary Lor; Devina Paramitha; Ariel Isaacs; Alexander A Khromykh; Roy A Hall; Andreas Suhrbier; Daniel J Rawle; Jody Hobson-Peters

doi:10.3390/v15010139

Monoclonal Antibodies Specific for SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Suitable for Multiple Applications for Current Variants of Concern

Viruses. 2022 Dec 31;15(1):139. doi: 10.3390/v15010139.

Authors

Mahali S Morgan¹, Kexin Yan², Thuy T Le², Ryan A Johnston¹, Alberto A Amarilla¹, David A Muller^{1

3}, Christopher L D McMillan^{1

3}, Naphak Modhiran¹, Daniel Watterson¹, James R Potter¹, Julian D J Sng¹, Mary Lor², Devina Paramitha¹, Ariel Isaacs¹, Alexander A Khromykh^{1

3}, Roy A Hall^{1

3}, Andreas Suhrbier^{2

3}, Daniel J Rawle², Jody Hobson-Peters^{1

3}

Affiliations

¹ School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia.
² Inflammation Biology, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD 4006, Australia.
³ Global Virus Network Centre of Excellence, Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Brisbane, QLD 4072 and 4029, Australia.

Abstract

The global coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has spawned an ongoing demand for new research reagents and interventions. Herein we describe a panel of monoclonal antibodies raised against SARS-CoV-2. One antibody showed excellent utility for immunohistochemistry, clearly staining infected cells in formalin-fixed and paraffin embedded lungs and brains of mice infected with the original and the omicron variants of SARS-CoV-2. We demonstrate the reactivity to multiple variants of concern using ELISAs and describe the use of the antibodies in indirect immunofluorescence assays, Western blots, and rapid antigen tests. Finally, we illustrate the ability of two antibodies to reduce significantly viral tissue titers in K18-hACE2 transgenic mice infected with the original and an omicron isolate of SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; Western blotting; immunofluorescence; immunohistochemistry; immunotherapy; lateral flow assays; monoclonal antibody.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Antibodies, Monoclonal*
Antibodies, Neutralizing
Antibodies, Viral
COVID-19*
Humans
Mice
Mice, Transgenic
SARS-CoV-2 / genetics
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / genetics

Substances

Antibodies, Monoclonal
spike protein, SARS-CoV-2
Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
Antibodies, Viral
Antibodies, Neutralizing

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants

Grants and funding

This work was funded by an Australian Infectious Diseases Research Centre seed grant to R.A.H., A.S. and J.H.-P. and an Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship (AQIRF067-2020-CV) to J.H-P. A.S., K.Y., T.T.L., D.J.R. were supported by an Investigator grant awarded to A.S. from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (APP1173880). D.A.M. was supported by an Advance Queensland Industry Research Fellowship. D.W. was supported by a CSL Centenary Fellowship. N.M. was supported by an Australian Research Council Discovery Early Career Researcher Award. R.A.J. and J.R.P. were funded by Research Training Program Stipends from the University of Queensland. We also thank The Brazil Family Foundation (and others) for their generous philanthropic donations that funded the establishment, and ongoing research, in the PC3 (BSL3) SARS-CoV-2 research facility at QIMR Berghofer MRI.