严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2 JN.1变异株对广谱中和抗体的免疫逃逸机制研究
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1)北京师范大学生命科学学院,北京 100875;2)中国科学院生物物理研究所生物大分子全国重点实验室,北京 100101

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国家重点研发计划(2018YFA0900801)资助项目。


Mechanisms of Immune Evasion by The SARS-CoV-2 JN.1 Variant Against Broadly Neutralizing Antibodies
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1)College of Life Sciences, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China;2)State Key Laboratory of Biomacromolecules, Institute of Biophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China

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This work was supported by a grant from National Key Research and Development Program (2018YFA0900801) .

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    摘要:

    目的 随着严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2(SARS-CoV-2) Omicron亚型的持续进化,尤其是BA.2.86及其子代JN.1的出现,给现有中和抗体的防控策略带来了严峻挑战。本研究旨在阐明JN.1变异株对广谱中和抗体的免疫逃逸机制,为广谱疫苗与中和抗体药物的理性设计提供了重要的结构指导。方法 通过生物膜层干涉技术(bio-layer interferometry,BLI),系统评估三株先前筛选获得的广谱中和抗体(XGv074、XGv302、XGv303)对BA.2.86及JN.1变异株的结合与中和能力;利用冷冻电镜解析BA.2.86刺突蛋白(Spike,S)三聚体与XGv074、XGv302及XGv303抗原结合片段(fragment of antigen binding,Fab)的复合物结构;结合分子动力学模拟和结合自由能分解,分析关键突变对抗体结合的影响。结果 XGv074、XGv302和XGv303对BA.2.86仍保持中和活性,但对JN.1的结合能力显著降低,仅XGv074保留微弱中和活性。结构分析表明,JN.1的L455S突变破坏了XGv302与受体结合域(receptor binding domain,RBD)之间的关键疏水相互作用,导致抗体逃逸。结合自由能分解进一步揭示L455和Y421为能量热点残基,L455S突变直接削弱了抗体结合。XGv074因重链互补决定区3(heavy chain complementarity-determining region 3,HCDR3)构象柔性较高,部分耐受突变。结论 JN.1通过RBD区关键位点突变逃逸广谱中和抗体,其机制涉及能量热点破坏和抗体结合界面重构。抗体的构象柔性可能增强其对突变的适应性,本研究为广谱疫苗和抗体设计提供了重要指导,强调了表位能量热点和抗体柔性结构在维持中和广谱性中的重要作用。

    Abstract:

    Objective With the continuous evolution of severe acute respiratory syndromes-coronary virus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron subvariants, particularly the emergence of BA.2.86 and its descendant JN.1, the efficacy of current neutralizing antibodies has faced substantial challenges. The JN.1 variant, noted for its pronounced immune evasion capacity, has rapidly become the globally dominant strain. Elucidating its escape mechanisms is therefore essential to guide the development of next-generation broad-spectrum vaccines and neutralizing antibody therapeutics. This study aimed to investigate the immune evasion mechanisms of JN.1 against broadly neutralizing antibodies, focusing on the effects of key receptor-binding domain (RBD) mutations on antibody binding and neutralization, thereby providing theoretical support for countering ongoing viral evolution.Methods We employed a multidisciplinary approach to systematically assess the binding and neutralizing activities of three broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies (XGv074, XGv302, and XGv303) against BA.2.86 and JN.1. Binding affinities (KD values) of antibodies to variant RBDs were determined using bio-layer interferometry (BLI). Cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) was used to resolve the structure of the BA.2.86 Spike trimer in complex with antibody antigen-binding fragments (Fabs), achieving a resolution of 3.47 ? for the BA.2.86 S-trimer bound to XGv302. Molecular dynamics simulations and binding free-energy decomposition were conducted to quantify the contributions of key mutations at the antibody–RBD interface. Additionally, sequence alignment and structural modeling were performed to evaluate the role of conformational flexibility in the antibody heavy-chain complementarity-determining region 3 (HCDR3) in mediating tolerance to mutations.Results Experimental data showed that XGv074, XGv302, and XGv303 retained neutralizing activity against BA.2.86 but exhibited markedly reduced binding to JN.1, with only XGv074 maintaining weak neutralization (IC50 = 2.3 mg/L). Cryo-EM structures revealed that all three antibodies targeted the RBD tip, overlapping with the ACE2-binding region. The JN.1-specific L455S mutation disrupted the hydrophobic interaction network between XGv302 and the RBD (involving key residues such as Y421 and L455), resulting in complete loss of neutralization. Binding free-energy decomposition further identified L455 and Y421 as energetic hotspots (ΔG< –3 kcal/mol), with the L455S mutation directly impairing antibody binding. XGv074, owing to greater conformational flexibility in its HCDR3 region, partially tolerated the mutation and retained weak binding. Molecular dynamics simulations showed that the L455S mutation not only eliminated the energetic contribution of this residue but also caused a concurrent decrease in binding free energy of neighboring residues, thereby reducing overall interface stability.Conclusion The JN.1 variant escapes broad-spectrum neutralizing antibodies primarily through the L455S mutation in the RBD, which disrupts energetic hotspots and remodels the antibody-binding interface. Antibody conformational flexibility enhances adaptability to such mutations, providing new insights for broad-spectrum antibody design. These findings highlight the critical roles of epitope energy distribution and antibody flexibility in maintaining neutralization breadth, offering essential guidance for the rational design of next-generation vaccines and antibody therapeutics: specifically, by targeting conserved energetic hotspots while enhancing CDR flexibility to counter immune evasion driven by viral evolution.

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谢佳雯,刘天赐,郭梦甜,冯璐璐,孙铭辰,刘攀,朱谦慧.严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2 JN.1变异株对广谱中和抗体的免疫逃逸机制研究[J].生物化学与生物物理进展,,():

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  • 收稿日期:2025-07-15
  • 最后修改日期:2025-08-16
  • 录用日期:2025-08-18
  • 在线发布日期: 2025-08-20
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