A Human Antibody Recognizing a Conserved Epitope of H5 Hemagglutinin Broadly Neutralizes Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 Viruses (original) (raw)

Unraveling of a Neutralization Mechanism by Two Human Antibodies against Conserved Epitopes in the Globular Head of H5 Hemagglutinin

Journal of Virology, 2012

The rapid spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 virus underscores the importance of effective antiviral treatment. Previously, we developed human monoclonal antibodies 65C6 and 100F4 that neutralize almost all (sub)clades of HPAI H5N1. The conserved 65C6 epitope was mapped to the globular head of HA. However, neither the 100F4 epitope nor the neutralization mechanism by these antibodies was known. In this study, we determined the 100F4 epitope and unraveled a neutralization mechanism by antibodies 65C6 and 100F4.

Structures of complexes formed by H5 influenza hemagglutinin with a potent broadly neutralizing human monoclonal antibody

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2015

H5N1 avian influenza viruses remain a threat to public health mainly because they can cause severe infections in humans. These viruses are widespread in birds, and they vary in antigenicity forming three major clades and numerous antigenic variants. The most important features of the human monoclonal antibody FLD194 studied here are its broad specificity for all major clades of H5 influenza HAs, its high affinity, and its ability to block virus infection, in vitro and in vivo. As a consequence, this antibody may be suitable for anti-H5 therapy and as a component of stockpiles, together with other antiviral agents, for health authorities to use if an appropriate vaccine was not available. Our mutation and structural analyses indicate that the antibody recognizes a relatively conserved site near the membrane distal tip of HA, near to, but distinct from, the receptor-binding site. Our analyses also suggest that the mechanism of infectivity neutralization involves prevention of receptor recognition as a result of steric hindrance by the Fc part of the antibody. Structural analyses by EM indicate that three Fab fragments are bound to each HA trimer. The structure revealed by X-ray crystallography is of an HA monomer bound by one Fab. The monomer has some similarities to HA in the fusion pH conformation, and the monomer's formation, which results from the presence of isopropanol in the crystallization solvent, contributes to considerations of the process of change in conformation required for membrane fusion.

A monoclonal antibody recognizes a highly conserved neutralizing epitope on hemagglutinin of H6N1 avian influenza virus

Veterinary microbiology, 2014

Neutralizing antibodies on the globular head of the hemagglutinin (HA) of avian influenza virus (AIV) are crucial for controlling this disease. However, most neutralizing antibodies lack cross reaction. This report describes the identification of a hemagglutinin epitope on the globular head near the receptor binding site of the H6N1 AIV. A monoclonal antibody named EB2 was prepared against the H6N1 AIV HA. Flow cytometry of AIV-infected chicken embryo fibroblast, DF-1 cells and specific-pathogen-free embryonated eggs were used to verify the neutralizing activity of this mAb. To narrow down the binding region, partially overlapping HA fragments and synthetic peptides were used to map the epitope by immune-blotting. The linear motif RYVRMGTESMN, located on the surface on the globular head of the HA protein, was identified as the epitope bound by EB2 mAb. Alignment of the EB2-defined epitope with other H6 AIVs showed that this epitope was conserved and specific to H6. We propose that t...

A cross-clade H5N1 influenza A virus neutralizing monoclonal antibody binds to a novel epitope within the vestigial esterase domain of hemagglutinin

Antiviral research, 2017

The sporadic outbreaks of highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus have raised public health concerns. Monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against hemagglutinin (HA) have been increasingly used successfully for therapeutic purposes. Previously, MAb 9F4, generated against clade 1 H5N1 HA, was observed to have cross-clade neutralizing efficacy and inhibited viral entry by preventing the pH-mediated conformational change of HA. Furthermore, mouse-human chimeric MAb 9F4 was found to retain high degrees of neutralizing activity. In this study, through escape mutant generation and in-silico prediction, it was revealed that MAb 9F4 binds to a novel epitope in the vestigial esterase sub-domain of HA comprising at least three non-continuous amino acid residues, arginine (R) at position 62, tryptophan (W) at position 69 and phenylalanine (F) at position 79, which interacted with MAb 9F4 in a conformation-dependent manner. Binding and neutralization studies suggested that R62 is the critical resi...

Hemagglutinin Immunoglobulin M (IgM) Monoclonal Antibody that Neutralizes Multiple Clades of Avian H5N1 Influenza A Virus

Journal of Antivirals & Antiretrovirals, 2009

The hemagglutinin (HA) of influenza A virus plays an essential role in mediating the entry of the virus into host cells. In this study, 4 HA monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) of immunoglobulin M (IgM) isotype were generated by using recombinant full-length HA protein, which was expressed and purified from the baculovirus-insect cell system, from a H5N1 isolate (A/chicken/hatay/2004(H5N1)). Western blot analysis showed that these IgM MAbs bind the HA1 subunit and prevent HA-induced agglutination of erythrocytes. Consistently, the IgM MAbs inhibits the entry of HA pseudotyped lentiviral particles into Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cells. The most potent MAb, MAb 4F3, was further shown to efficiently neutralize multiple clades of H5N1 influenza A virus. To our knowledge, there are few studies documenting the properties of H5N1 neutralizing antibodies of IgM isotype. Thus, this panel of MAb adds diversity to the repertoire of broadly neutralizing monoclonal antibodies that are useful for developing novel therapeutics for combating future outbreaks of H5N1.

Broadly neutralizing human antibody that recognizes the receptor-binding pocket of influenza virus hemagglutinin

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2011

Seasonal antigenic drift of circulating influenza virus leads to a requirement for frequent changes in vaccine composition, because exposure or vaccination elicits human antibodies with limited cross-neutralization of drifted strains. We describe a human monoclonal antibody, CH65, obtained by isolating rearranged heavy- and light-chain genes from sorted single plasma cells, coming from a subject immunized with the 2007 trivalent influenza vaccine. The crystal structure of a complex of the hemagglutinin (HA) from H1N1 strain A/Solomon Islands/3/2006 with the Fab of CH65 shows that the tip of the CH65 heavy-chain complementarity determining region 3 (CDR3) inserts into the receptor binding pocket on HA1, mimicking in many respects the interaction of the physiological receptor, sialic acid. CH65 neutralizes infectivity of 30 out of 36 H1N1 strains tested. The resistant strains have a single-residue insertion near the rim of the sialic-acid pocket. We conclude that broad neutralization ...

Human single-chain antibodies that neutralize homologous and heterologous strains and clades of influenza A virus subtype H5N1

Antiviral therapy, 2009

Human antibodies that interfere with the biological activity of haemagglutinins (HAs) of influenza viruses have high potential as an antiviral agent. Human single-chain antibody fragments (HuScFv) to recombinant and native HAs of the influenza virus H5N1 subtype were produced using a human antibody phage display library with the intention to increase the therapeutic arsenal against this highly pathogenic virus. The HuScFv inhibited HA activity and neutralized infectivity of both homologous and heterologous strains and clades of the H5N1 subtype in Madin-Darby canine kidney cell cultures. Intraperitoneally injected HuScFv also mediated immunotherapeutic protection in mice that were intranasally challenged with highly pathogenic H5N1 viruses belonging to different strains and clades. Our data indicate that it might be worth pursuing these HuScFv further for future consideration as candidates for influenza intervention and treatment.

Broad Cross-Protection against H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus Infection by Means of Monoclonal Antibodies that Map to Conserved Viral Epitopes

Journal of Infectious Diseases, 2009

Background. Passive immunization with human H5 antisera or H5-specific monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) has potential as an effective treatment for acute H5N1 influenza virus infection, but its efficacy against antigenically diverse H5N1 viruses is unconfirmed. Methods. Cross-protection against antigenically diverse H5N1 strains with H5-specific MAbs, generated by successive immunization of antigenically distinct strains, was evaluated in mice. Results. A panel of 52 broadly cross-reactive H5 specific MAbs were generated and characterized. One of these MAbs, 13D4, has been demonstrated to protect mice against lethal challenge by 4 H5N1 strains representing the current major genetic populations, clades 1, 2.1, 2.2, and 2.3, even at a stage of infection when H5N1 virus has disseminated beyond the pulmonary system. Complete neutralization of virus in lung tissue of infected animals was observed 24 h after treatment with 13D4. Mapping of this MAb with escape mutants showed it to bind to 2 conserved, possibly critical, sites of H5N1 hemagglutinin, 152 and 182. Conclusion. Generation of broadly cross-protective MAbs against H5N1 influenza virus may be optimized by selecting MAbs that target conserved sites in hemagglutinin. H5 MAbs such as 13D4 may prove to have therapeutic value in controlling infection due to current and future H5N1 variants.

Conserved epitope on influenza-virus hemagglutinin head defined by a vaccine-induced antibody

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 2017

Circulating influenza viruses evade neutralization in their human hosts by acquiring escape mutations at epitopes of prevalent antibodies. A goal for next-generation influenza vaccines is to reduce escape likelihood by selectively eliciting antibodies recognizing conserved surfaces on the viral hemagglutinin (HA). The receptor-binding site (RBS) on the HA "head" and a region near the fusion peptide on the HA "stem" are two such sites. We describe here a human antibody clonal lineage, designated CL6649, members of which bind a third conserved site ("lateral patch") on the side of the H1-subtype, HA head. A crystal structure of HA with bound Fab6649 shows the conserved antibody footprint. The site was invariant in isolates from 1977 (seasonal) to 2012 (pdm2009); antibodies in CL6649 recognize HAs from the entire period. In 2013, human H1 viruses acquired mutations in this epitope that were retained in subsequent seasons, prompting modification of the H1 v...

Characterization of mAb6-9-1 monoclonal antibody against hemagglutinin of avian influenza virus H5N1 and its engineered derivative, single-chain variable fragment antibody

Acta Biochimica Polonica, 2016

Hemagglutinin (HA), as a major surface antigen of influenza virus, is widely used as a target for production of neutralizing antibodies. Monoclonal antibody, mAb6-9-1, directed against HA of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus A/swan/Poland/305-135V08/2006(H5N1) was purified from mouse hybridoma cells culture and characterized. The antigenic specificity of mAb6-9-1 was verified by testing its cross-reactivity with several variants of HA. The mimotopes recognized by mAb6-9-1 were selected from two types of phage display libraries. The comparative structural model of the HA variant used for antibody generation was developed to further facilitated epitope mapping. Based on the sequences of the affinity-selected polypeptides and the structural model of HA the epitope has been located to the region near the receptor binding site (RBS). Such localization of the epitope recognized by mAb6-9-1 is in concordance with its moderate hemagglutination inhibition activity and its antigenic spe...