During the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has led to the infection of millions of people and has claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. The entry of the virus into cells depends on the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2. Although there is currently no vaccine, it is likely that antibodies will be essential for protection. However, little is known about the human antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 1-5. Here we report on 149 COVID-19-convalescent individuals. Plasma samples collected an average of 39 days after the onset of symptoms had variable half-maximal pseudovirus neutralizing titres; titres were less than 50 in 33% of samples, below 1,000 in 79% of samples and only 1% of samples had titres above 5,000. Antibody sequencing revealed the expansion of clones of RBD-specific memory B cells that expressed closely related antibodies in different individuals. Despite low plasma titres, antibodies to three distinct epitopes on the RBD neutralized the virus with half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC 50 values) as low as 2 ng ml −1. In conclusion, most convalescent plasma samples obtained from individuals who recover from COVID-19 do not contain high levels of neutralizing activity. Nevertheless, rare but recurring RBD-specific antibodies with potent antiviral activity were found in all individuals tested, suggesting that a vaccine designed to elicit such antibodies could be broadly effective.

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 infected millions of people and claimed hundreds of thousands of lives. Virus entry into cells depends on the receptor binding domain(RBD) of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S). Although there is no vaccine, it is likely that antibodies will be essential for protection. However, little is known about the human antibody response to SARS-CoV-2 1-5 . Here we report on 68 COVID-19 convalescent individuals. Plasmas collected an average of 30 days after the onset of symptoms had variable half-maximal neutralizing titers ranging from undetectable in 18% to below 1:1000 in 78%, while only 3% showed titers >1:5000. Antibody cloning revealed expanded clones of RBDspecific memory B cells expressing closely related antibodies in different individuals. Despite low plasma titers, antibodies to distinct epitopes on RBD neutralized at half-maximal inhibitory concentrations (IC50s) as low as few ng/mL. Thus, most convalescent plasmas obtained from individuals who recover from COVID-19 without hospitalization do not contain high levels of neutralizing activity. Nevertheless, rare but recurring RBD-specific antibodies with potent antiviral activity were found in all individuals tested, suggesting that a vaccine designed to elicit such antibodies could be broadly effective.

SUMMARY Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted RNA virus that causes acute febrile infection associated with polyarthralgia in humans. Mechanisms of protective immunity against CHIKV are poorly understood, and no effective therapeutics or vaccines are available. We isolated and characterized human monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) that neutralize CHIKV infectivity. Among the 30 mAbs isolated, 13 had broad and ultrapotent neutralizing activity (IC50 < 10 ng/mL), and all of these mapped to domain A of the E2 envelope protein. Potent inhibitory mAbs blocked post-attachment steps required for CHIKV membrane fusion, and several were protective in a lethal challenge model in immunocompromised mice, even when administered at late time points after infection. These highly protective mAbs could be considered for prevention or treatment of CHIKV infection, and their epitope location in domain A of E2 could be targeted for rational structure-based vaccine development.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a reemerging arbovirus responsible for outbreaks of infection throughout Asia and Africa, causing an acute illness characterized by fever, rash, and polyarthralgia. Although CHIKV infects a broad range of host cells, little is known about how CHIKV binds and gains access to the target cell interior. In this study, we tested whether glycosaminoglycan (GAG) binding is required for efficient CHIKV replication using CHIKV vaccine strain 181/25 and clinical isolate SL15649. Preincubation of strain 181/25, but not SL15649, with soluble GAGs resulted in dose-dependent inhibition of infection. While parental Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells are permissive for both strains, neither strain efficiently bound to or infected mutant CHO cells devoid of GAG expression. Although GAGs appear to be required for efficient binding of both strains, they exhibit differential requirements for GAGs, as SL15649 readily infected cells that express excess chondroitin sulfate but that are devoid of heparan sulfate, whereas 181/25 did not. We generated a panel of 181/25 and SL15649 variants containing reciprocal amino acid substitutions at positions 82 and 318 in the E2 glycoprotein. Reciprocal exchange at residue 82 resulted in a phenotype switch; Gly 82 results in efficient infection of mutant CHO cells but a decrease in heparin binding, whereas Arg 82 results in reduced infectivity of mutant cells and an increase in heparin binding. These results suggest that E2 residue 82 is a primary determinant of GAG utilization, which likely mediates attenuation of vaccine strain 181/25. IMPORTANCE Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection causes a debilitating rheumatic disease that can persist for months to years, and yet there are no licensed vaccines or antiviral therapies. Like other alphaviruses, CHIKV displays broad tissue tropism, which is thought to be influenced by virus-receptor interactions. In this study, we determined that cell-surface glycosaminoglycans are utilized by both a vaccine strain and a clinical isolate of CHIKV to mediate virus binding. We also identified an amino acid polymorphism in the viral E2 attachment protein that influences utilization of glycosaminoglycans. These data enhance an understanding of the viral and host determinants of CHIKV cell entry, which may foster development of new antivirals that act by blocking this key step in viral infection.

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus that has reemerged to cause profound epidemics of fever, rash, and arthralgia throughout sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. Like other arthritogenic alphaviruses, mechanisms of CHIKV pathogenesis are not well defined. Using the attenuated CHIKV strain 181/25 and virulent strain AF15561, we identified a residue in the E2 viral attachment protein that is a critical determinant of viral replication in cultured cells and pathogenesis in vivo. Viruses containing an arginine at E2 residue 82 displayed enhanced infectivity in mammalian cells but reduced infectivity in mosquito cells and diminished virulence in a mouse model of CHIKV disease. Mice inoculated with virus containing an arginine at this position exhibited reduced swelling at the site of inoculation with a concomitant decrease in the severity of necrosis in joint-associated tissues. Viruses containing a glycine at E2 residue 82 produced higher titers in the spleen and serum at early times postinfection. Using wild-type and glycosaminoglycan (GAG)-deficient Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell lines and soluble GAGs, we found that an arginine at residue 82 conferred greater dependence on GAGs for infection of mammalian cells. These data suggest that CHIKV E2 interactions with GAGs diminish dissemination to lymphoid tissue, establishment of viremia, and activation of inflammatory responses early in infection. Collectively, these results suggest a function for GAG utilization in regulating CHIKV tropism and host responses that contribute to arthritis. IMPORTANCECHIKV is a reemerging alphavirus of global significance with high potential to spread into new, immunologically naive populations. The severity of CHIKV disease, particularly its propensity for chronic musculoskeletal manifestations, emphasizes the need for identification of genetic determinants that dictate CHIKV virulence in the host. To better understand mechanisms of CHIKV pathogenesis, we probed the function of an amino acid polymorphism in the E2 viral attachment protein using a mouse model of CHIKV musculoskeletal disease. In addition to influencing glycosaminoglycan utilization, we identified roles for this polymorphism in differential infection of mammalian and mosquito cells and targeting of CHIKV to specific tissues within infected mice. These studies demonstrate a correlation between CHIKV tissue tropism and virus-induced pathology modulated by a single polymorphism in E2, which in turn illuminates potential targets for vaccine and antiviral drug development.

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Eukaryotic mRNAs possess a methylated 5=-guanosine cap that is required for RNA stability, efficient translation, and protection from cell-intrinsic defenses. Many viruses use 5= caps or other mechanisms to mimic a cap structure to limit detection of viral RNAs by intracellular innate sensors and to direct efficient translation of viral proteins. The coronavirus (CoV) nonstructural protein 14 (nsp14) is a multifunctional protein with N7-methyltransferase (N7-MTase) activity. The highly conserved S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-binding residues of the DxG motif are required for nsp14 N7-MTase activity in vitro. However, the requirement for CoV N7-MTase activity and the importance of the SAM-binding residues during viral replication have not been determined. Here, we engineered mutations in murine hepatitis virus (MHV) nsp14 N7-MTase at residues D330 and G332 and determined the effects of these mutations on viral replication, sensitivity to mutagen, inhibition by type I interferon (IFN), and translation efficiency. Virus encoding a G332A substitution in nsp14 displayed delayed replication kinetics and decreased peak titers relative to wild-type (WT) MHV. In addition, replication of nsp14 G332A virus was diminished following treatment of cells with IFN-␤, and nsp14 G332A genomes were translated less efficiently both in vitro and during viral infection. In contrast, substitution of alanine at MHV nsp14 D330 did not affect viral replication, sensitivity to mutagen, or inhibition by IFN-␤ compared to WT MHV. Our results demonstrate that the conserved MHV N7-MTase SAM-binding-site residues are not required for MHV viability and suggest that the determinants of CoV N7-MTase activity differ in vitro and during virus infection. IMPORTANCEHuman coronaviruses, most notably severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-CoV and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS)-CoV, cause severe and lethal human disease. Since specific antiviral therapies are not available for the treatment of human coronavirus infections, it is essential to understand the functions of conserved CoV proteins in viral replication. Here, we show that substitution of alanine at G332 in the N7-MTase domain of nsp14 impairs viral replication, enhances sensitivity to the innate immune response, and reduces viral RNA translation efficiency. Our data support the idea that coronavirus RNA capping could be targeted for development of antiviral therapeutics. E ukaryotic mRNAs possess a methylated 5= guanosine cap linked to the penultimate nucleotide by a 5=-5= triphosphate bridge (1). The 5= capping of cellular mRNAs functions in RNA stability, pre-mRNA splicing, mRNA export from the nucleus, translation, and protection against cellular antiviral defenses (2). The canonical cellular capping process involves three enzymes: (i) an RNA triphosphatase (RTPase), which is responsible for cleaving the ␥-phosphate of the nascent transcript, (ii) a guanylyltransferase (GTase), which transfers a GMP moiety to the 5= diphosphate RNA, and (iii) an N7-methyltransferase (N7-MT...