Mapping SARS-CoV-2 antigenic relationships and serological responses

Science. 2023 Oct 6;382(6666):eadj0070. doi: 10.1126/science.adj0070. Epub 2023 Oct 6.

Abstract

During the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic, multiple variants escaping preexisting immunity emerged, causing reinfections of previously exposed individuals. Here, we used antigenic cartography to analyze patterns of cross-reactivity among 21 variants and 15 groups of human sera obtained after primary infection with 10 different variants or after messenger RNA (mRNA)-1273 or mRNA-1273.351 vaccination. We found antigenic differences among pre-Omicron variants caused by substitutions at spike-protein positions 417, 452, 484, and 501. Quantifying changes in response breadth over time and with additional vaccine doses, our results show the largest increase between 4 weeks and >3 months after a second dose. We found changes in immunodominance of different spike regions, depending on the variant an individual was first exposed to, with implications for variant risk assessment and vaccine-strain selection.

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Substitution
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / blood
  • Antibodies, Neutralizing / immunology
  • Antibodies, Viral / blood
  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Antigens, Viral* / genetics
  • Antigens, Viral* / immunology
  • COVID-19*
  • Cross Reactions
  • Humans
  • SARS-CoV-2* / genetics
  • SARS-CoV-2* / immunology
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus* / genetics
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus* / immunology
  • Vaccination
  • mRNA Vaccines* / immunology

Substances

  • Antibodies, Neutralizing
  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2
  • Antigens, Viral
  • mRNA Vaccines

Supplementary concepts

  • SARS-CoV-2 variants