Antibody-mediated synergy and interference in the neutralization of SARS-CoV at an epitope cluster on the spike protein

Incomplete neutralization of virus, especially when it occurs in the presence of excess neutralizing antibody, represents a biological phenomenon that impacts greatly on antibody-mediated immune prophylaxis of viral infection and on successful vaccine design. To understand the mechanism by which a virus escapes from antibody-mediated neutralization, we have investigated the interactions of non-neutralizing and neutralizing antibodies at an epitope cluster on the spike protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). The epitope cluster was mapped at the C-terminus of the spike protein; it consists of structurally intertwined epitopes recognized by two neutralizing monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), 341 C and 540C, and a non-neutralizing mAb, 240C. While mAb 341 C binds to a mostly linear epitope composed of residues (507)PAT(509) and V-349, MAb 240C binds to an epitope that partially overlaps the former by at least two residues (p(507) and A(508)). The epitope corresponding to mAb 540C is a conformational one, involving residues L-504 and N-505. In neutralization assays, non-neutralizing 240C disrupted virus neutralization by mAb 341C and/or mAb 540C, whereas a combination of mAbs 341C and 540C blocked virus infectivity synergistically. These findings indicate that the epitope cluster on the spike protein may serve as an evolutionarily conserved platform at which a dynamic interplay between neutralizing and non-neutralizing antibodies occurs, thereby determining the outcome of SARS-CoV infection. Published by Elsevier Inc.