核酸检测仍然是2019年冠状病毒病(COVID-19)诊断的标准评估,这是由人类感染严重急性呼吸道综合症冠状病毒2(SARS-CoV-2)引起的。除了支持疾病病例的确认,血清学测定用于分析抗体状态和流行病学调查。在这项研究中,涂有多个大肠杆菌(E.大肠杆菌)表达的SARS-CoV-2抗原被开发用于全面研究COVID-19患者血清中的抗体谱。针对SARS-CoV-2尖峰(S)的特异性抗体水平,S2和核衣壳(N)蛋白逐渐增加,与住院后疾病进展趋势相同。S的信号读数,通过基于多抗原包被的WBS(mWBS)的血清学测定(mWBS测定)揭示的S2和N也证明与通过斑块减少中和试验(PRNT)测定测量的血清的SARS-CoV-2中和效力呈正相关。令人惊讶的是,未观察到针对从大肠杆菌包涵体纯化的非结构化受体结合域(RBD)的检测信号,尽管COVID-19患者血清在PRNT测定中表现出很强的中和效力,提示患者血清中的RBD特异性抗体主要识别构象表位。此外,mWBS分析鉴定了位于S2亚基的1127-1167片段内的残基1148、1149、1152、1155和1156处的独特且主要的抗原表位,这被COVID-19患者血清特异性识别。mWBS测定可以通过使用Western印迹的自动平台通过薄膜直接涂布与抽吸(TDCSWB)在14-16分钟内完成。总的来说,mWBS分析可用于分析抗体反应,保护性抗体状态的预测,和鉴定特异性表位。关键点:•开发了用于血清学测定的涂覆有多种SARS-CoV-2抗原的蛋白质印迹条带(WBS)。•多抗原包被的WBS(mWBS)可用于同时检测针对多种SARS-CoV-2抗原的抗体应答。•基于mWBS的血清学测定(mWBS测定)鉴定了由COVID-19患者血清识别的独特表位。
The nucleic acid test is still the standard assessment for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by human infection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In addition to supporting the confirmation of disease cases, serological assays are used for the analysis of antibody status and epidemiological surveys. In this study, a single Western blot strip (WBS) coated with multiple Escherichia coli (E. coli)-expressed SARS-CoV-2 antigens was developed for comprehensive studies of antibody profiles in COVID-19 patient sera. The levels of specific antibodies directed to SARS-CoV-2 spike (S), S2, and nucleocapsid (N) proteins were gradually increased with the same tendency as the disease progressed after hospitalization. The signal readouts of S, S2, and N revealed by the multi-antigen-coated WBS (mWBS)-based serological assay (mWBS assay) also demonstrated a positive correlation with the SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing potency of the sera measured by the plaque reduction neutralization test (PRNT) assays. Surprisingly, the detection signals against the unstructured receptor-binding domain (RBD) purified from E. coli inclusion bodies were not observed, although the COVID-19 patient sera exhibited strong neutralizing potency in the PRNT assays, suggesting that the RBD-specific antibodies in patient sera mostly recognize the conformational epitopes. Furthermore, the mWBS assay identified a unique and major antigenic epitope at the residues 1148, 1149, 1152, 1155, and 1156 located within the 1127-1167 fragment of the S2 subunit, which was specifically recognized by the COVID-19 patient serum. The mWBS assay can be finished within 14-16 min by using the automatic platform of Western blotting by thin-film direct coating with suction (TDCS WB). Collectively, the mWBS assay can be applied for the analysis of antibody responses, prediction of the protective antibody status, and identification of the specific epitope. KEY POINTS: • A Western blot strip (WBS) coated with multiple SARS-CoV-2 antigens was developed for the serological assay. • The multi-antigen-coated WBS (mWBS) can be utilized for the simultaneous detection of antibody responses to multiple SARS-CoV-2 antigens. • The mWBS-based serological assay (mWBS assay) identified a unique epitope recognized by the COVID-19 patient serum.