The present disclosure relates to system and method for rapid and sensitive detection of anti-pathogen antibodies.
Testing is crucial for combating the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic1. Serological tests are used to determine the level of antibodies against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) in blood2. Their results reflect the disease progress or its history, as well as the immunity of a patient3, which is valuable information for diagnosis and disease management. Importantly, with the advent of different upcoming vaccines, serological testing is becoming a necessary tool for evaluating acquired immunity at both individual and population levels. In addition, serological testing is essential for epidemic studies and related policymaking.
Numerous serological assays have been developed4. Among them, lateral flow immunoassays (LFIAs) are rapid and easy to perform, and therefore have found use as point-of-care tests5. However, their lack of quantifiability, coupled with their relatively low sensitivity and specificity, limits their usage as standard and reliable tests to evaluate antibody titers6,7. Alternatively, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are standard quantitative serological methods displaying good sensitivity and specificity8,9. They too, however, have notable shortcomings including long processing time (3-5 hours), tedious procedures (multiple wash-aspirate cycles) and extra steps involved in pre-processing of binding plates. Several chemiluminescent immunoassay (CLIA) platforms targeting COVID-19 have also been developed by companies such as Abbott10, DiaSorin11, Roche12 and Siemens13. These are highly automated assays suitable for measurement of large content samples and are characterized by good quantifiability and sensitivity13. However, the measurements require highly specialized and expensive instruments, which limit their widespread application.
Protein complementation assays (PCAs) are a strategy to detect protein-protein interactions (PPIs)14,16. In this approach, a ‘sensor’ protein is split into two fragments, which are then fused to two candidate interacting proteins of interest. The binding of the two proteins of interest arranges the sensor fragments in a favourable position that allows them to reconstitute into a functional protein which can produce a detectable signal representative of the PPI16. Different sensors such as fluorescent proteins, transcription factors, proteases and more have been successfully used in various designs. Among them, split luciferases have been shown to have the advantages of high signal/noise ratio and rapid reconstitution, making them widely used 17-19.
However, the conventional strategy of splitting luciferase into two fragments has limitations. For instance, the relatively large size of the fragments may interfere with target protein folding or function and/or the interaction with partner molecules. The residual intrinsic affinity between the two luciferase fragments may also lead to increased background signal. A recently developed tri-part strategy circumvents these limitations by splitting NanoLuc® (NLuc), the brightest luciferase identified so far, into three fragments: two short peptides (β9 and β10 each containing 11 amino acids) and one 16 kDa fragment (Δ11S)26,21.
The present disclosure relates to a liquid-phase serological system and assay for immunoglobulin of a specific isotype against a target antigen based on split tripart Nanoluciferase (tNLuc) that can be performed directly with patient sera. The systems and assays display quantifiability and sensitivity comparable to ELISA, are rapid/easy to perform, cost-efficient and produce readouts highly consistent with neutralizing antibody tests, strongly supporting its potential value in COVID-19 diagnosis and disease and vaccination management.
In one embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a serological detection system for detecting immunoglobulins (Ig) of a specific isotype against a target antigen (specific Ig isotype) in a sample, the serological detection system comprising: (a) a first probe having a first tag, the first probe having general binding affinity for all Ig of the same isotype as the specific Ig isotype in the sample, (b) a second probe having a second tag, the second probe being the target antigen of the specific Ig isotype in the sample, (c) a third tag, the third tag having binding affinity for the first tag and for the second tag so as to form a reporter complex in the presence of the specific IgG antibodies, and (d) a suitable substrate that generates an optically detectable signal in the presence of the reporter complex.
In one embodiment of the serological detection system, the first tag is included at the N-terminus of the first probe, at the C-terminus of the first probe or at both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the first probe.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the second tag is included at the N-terminus of the second probe, the C-terminus of the second probe or both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the second probe.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the first probe recognizes immunoglobulin G (IgG) without cross-reactivity with other Ig isotypes.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the first probe is a protein G, or a suitable domain thereof.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the first probe is a protein G of a Streptococcus sp.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the first probe is a C1, a C2 or a C3 domain of protein G of a Streptococcus sp.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the Streptococcus sp. is Streptococcus sp. G148.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the first probe recognizes immunoglobulin M (IgM) without cross-reactivity with other Ig isotypes or the first probe recognizes immunoglobulin A (IgA) without cross-reactivity with other Ig isotopes.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the third tag is a Δ11S peptide of a nanoluciferase (NanoLuc).
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the first probe is a protein G or a suitable protein G domain for general detection of IgGs in the sample, and the first tag is a β9 peptide of a nanoluciferase (NanoLuc), the second probe is the target antigen of the specific IgG isotype, the second tag is a β10 peptide of NanoLuc, the third tag is a Δ11S of NanoLuc or a fragment thereof, and the substrate is a reagent that generates the optically detectable signal in the presence of NanoLuc.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the first probe is a protein G or a suitable protein G domain for general detection of IgGs in the sample, and the first tag is a β10 peptide of a nanoluciferase (NanoLuc), the second probe is the target antigen of the specific IgG isotype, the second tag is a 139 peptide of NanoLuc, the third tag is a Δ11S of NanoLuc or a fragment thereof, and the substrate is a reagent that generates the optically detectable signal in the presence of NanoLuc.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the 139 peptide is included at the N-terminus, the C-terminus or both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the first probe or of the second probe.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the β10 peptide is included at the N-terminus, the C-terminus or both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the first probe or of the second probe.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the 139 peptide is included at the N-terminus of the protein G or of the suitable protein G domain, and the β10 peptide is included at both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the protein characteristic of the target.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the first probe is an anti IgM antibody for general detection of IgMs in the sample, and the first tag is a β9 peptide of a nanoluciferase (NanoLuc), the second probe is the target antigen of the specific IgM isotype, the second tag is a β10 peptide of NanoLuc, the third tag is a Δ11S of NanoLuc or a fragment thereof, and the substrate is a reagent that generates the optically detectable signal in the presence of NanoLuc.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the target antigen is from an infectious pathogen.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the pathogen is a bacterium, a fungus, a virus, a yeast, algae or a protozoan.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the pathogen is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the second probe is a spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 or a fragment thereof.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the second probe is a receptor binding protein of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, the target antigen is an autoimmune antigen and the specific Ig isotype are autoantibodies.
In another embodiment of the serological detection system, strength of the optically detectable signal correlates with the amount of the specific Ig isotype in the sample, thereby quantitating the specific Ig isotype against the target antigen in the sample.
In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a serological method of detecting the presence of specific Ig isotype against a target antigen in a sample of a subject, the method comprising: (a) reacting the sample with the serological system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure and (b) exposing the sample to an apparatus that detects the optically detectable signal in the sample, wherein detection of the optically detectable signal in the sample is indicative of the presence of the specific Ig isotype against the target antigen in the sample.
In one embodiment of the serological method, the optically detectable signal has a strength, and the strength of the optically detectable signal is quantifiable and correlates with the amount of the specific Ig isotype against the target antigen in the sample.
In another embodiment of the serological method, strength of the optically detectable signal detected in the sample is compared to strength of optically detectable signal detected from a control sample devoid of the specific Ig isotype (negative control), and when the strength of optically detectable signal from the sample is greater than the strength of the optically detectable signal from the negative control is indicative of the presence of the specific Ig isotype in the sample.
In another embodiment of the serological method, when the specific Ig isotype is detected in the sample, the method further comprises treating the subject fora disorder associated with the target antigen.
In another embodiment of the serological method, the target antigen is from an infectious pathogen and wherein pathogen is a bacterium, a fungus, a virus, a yeast, algae or a protozoan.
In another embodiment of the serological method, the pathogen is severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
In another embodiment of the serological method, the second probe is a spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2 or a fragment thereof.
In another embodiment of the serological method, the second probe is a receptor binding protein of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.29.
In another embodiment of the serological method, the target antigen is an autoimmune antigen and the specific Ig isotype are autoantibodies.
In another embodiment of the serological method, the strength of the optically detectable signal is plotted against antibody concentration on a concentration curve.
In another embodiment, the present disclosure relates to a serological diagnostic test of a disease in a subject comprising: (a) reacting a sample taken from the subject with (i) a first probe having a first tag, the first probe having general binding affinity to one immunoglobulin (Ig) isotype in the sample without cross-reacting with other Ig isotypes, and (ii) a second probe having a second tag, the second probe being an antigen characteristic of said disease having binding affinity to specific Ig isotype in the sample, (b) reacting the sample with (i) a third tag having binding affinity for the first tag and for the second tag so as to form a reporter complex in the presence of the specific IgG antibodies, and (ii) a suitable substrate that generates an optically detectable signal in the presence of the reporter complex, and (c) exposing the sample to an apparatus that detects the optically detectable signal in the sample, wherein detection of the optically detectable signal in the sample is indicative of a positive test of the disease, and absence of optically detectable signal being indicative of a negative test of the disease.
In one embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the optically detectable signal is quantifiable.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, strength of the optically detectable signal detected in the sample is compared to strength of optically detectable signal detected from a control sample devoid of the specific Ig isotype(negative control), and when the strength of optically detectable signal from the sample is greater than the strength of optically detectable signal from the negative control is indicative of a positive test and when the strength of optically detectable signal from the sample is equal or lower than the strength of optically detectable signal from the negative control is indicative of a negative test.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the test is followed by treating the subject for the disease only when the test is positive.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the first tag is included at the N-terminus, the C-terminus or both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the first probe.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the second tag is included at the N-terminus, the C-terminus or both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the second probe.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the first probe is a protein G or a suitable domain thereof.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the first probe is a protein G of a Streptococcus sp.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the first probe is a C1, C2 or a C3 domain of protein G of a Streptococcus sp.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the Streptococcus sp. is Streptococcus sp. G148.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the first probe specifically recognizes immunoglobulin M (IgM) without cross-reactivity with other Ig isotypes or recognizes immunoglobulin A (IgA) without cross-reactivity with other Ig isotopes.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the third tag is a Δ11S peptide of a nanoluciferase (NanoLuc).
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the first probe is a protein G or a suitable domain of the protein G for general detection of IgG in the sample and the first tag is a β9 peptide of a nanoluciferase (NanoLuc), the second probe is a protein marker characteristic of the disease, the second tag is a β10 peptide of NanoLuc, the third tag is a Δ11S of NanoLuc, and the substrate is a reagent that generates a quantifiable optically detectable signal in the presence of NanoLuc.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the first probe is a protein G or a suitable domain of the protein G for general detection of IgG in the sample and the first tag is a β9 peptide of a nanoluciferase (NanoLuc), the second probe is a protein marker characteristic of the disease, the second tag is a β10 peptide of NanoLuc, the third tag is a Δ11S of NanoLuc, and the substrate is a reagent that generates a quantifiable optically detectable signal in the presence of NanoLuc.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the 139 peptide is included at the N-terminus, at the C-terminus or both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the first probe or the second probe.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the β10 peptide is included at the N-terminus, at the C-terminus or both at the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the first probe or the second probe.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the 139 peptide is included at the N-terminus of the G protein, and the β10 peptide is included at both the N-terminus and the C-terminus of the protein marker characteristic of the disease.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the disease is an infectious disease caused by a pathogen, and the second probe is an antigenic protein from said pathogen.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the pathogen is a bacterium, a fungus, a virus, a yeast, algae or a protozoan.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the infectious disease is COVID-19 and the pathogen is a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the second probe is a spike (S) protein of SARS-CoV-2.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the second probe is a receptor binding protein of a spike protein of SARS-CoV-2.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the disease is an autoimmune disease, and the second probe is an autoantigen having specific binding affinity to autoimmune IgG antibodies of said autoimmune disease.
In another embodiment of the serological diagnostic test, the sample is a bodily fluid sample of the subject.
In embodiments of the serological system, the serological method and the serological diagnostic test according to any one of the above embodiments, the subject is a human.
The following figures illustrate various aspects and preferred and alternative embodiments.
In this specification and in the claims that follow, reference will be made to several terms that shall be defined to have the meanings below. All numerical designations, e.g., dimensions and weight, including ranges, are approximations that typically may be varied (+) or (−) by increments of 0.1, 1.0, or 10.0, as appropriate. All numerical designations may be understood as preceded by the term “about”.
The term “about,” particularly in reference to a given quantity, is meant to encompass deviations of plus or minus five percent.
The term “animal” includes humans and other animals.
The term sample includes body fluid. The term “body fluid”, as used herein, includes blood, serum, plasma, urine, cerebrospinal fluid, saliva and any other body fluid that includes IgGs.
Throughout this specification and the claims, the terms “comprise,” “comprises,” and “comprising” are used in a non-exclusive sense, except where the context requires otherwise. Likewise, the terms “include”, “has” and their grammatical variants are intended to be non-limiting, such that recitation of items in a list is not to the exclusion of other like items that can be substituted or added to the listed items. “Consisting essentially of” when used to define systems, compositions and methods, shall mean excluding other elements of any essential significance to the combination for the intended use. Thus, a composition consisting essentially of the elements as defined herein would not exclude trace contaminants from the isolation and purification method and pharmaceutically acceptable carriers. “Consisting of” shall mean excluding more than trace elements of other ingredients and substantial method steps for using the systems of the present disclosure. Embodiments defined by each of these transition terms are within the scope of this disclosure.
The term “NT” as used herein refers to the N-terminal portion of a protein.
The term “CT” is used to refer to the C-terminal portion of a protein.
By “isolated” is meant, when referring to a polypeptide, that the indicated molecule is separate and discrete from the whole organism with which the molecule is found in nature or is present in the substantial absence of other biological macro molecules of the same type. The term “isolated” with respect to a polynucleotide is a nucleic acid molecule devoid, in whole or part, of sequences normally associated with it in nature; or a sequence, as it exists in nature, but having heterologous sequences in association therewith; or a molecule disassociated from the chromosome.
In this disclosure, the pathogen may be a human pathogen or an animal pathogen. The pathogen includes a bacterium, a fungus, a virus, a yeast, algae or a protozoan. In some embodiments, the pathogen is selected from the group consisting of Bacillus anthracis, Bordetella pertussis, Borrelia spp., Brucella spp., Chlamydia spp., Clostridium botulinum, Clostridium tetani, Corynebacterium diphtheriae, Enterobactereciae, Escherichia coli, Haemophilus influenza, Helicobacter pylori, Hemophilus spp., Klebsiella spp., Streptococcus pneumonia, Legionella pneumophila, Listeria monocytogenes, Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycoplasma spp., Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Neisseria meningitidis, Pseudomonas spp., Ricketsia spp., Salmonella spp., Shigella spp., Staphylococcus spp., Streptococci spp., Vibrio cholera, Yersinia spp., Adenovirus species, corona virus species, CCHF virus, Cytomegalovirus, Dengue virus, Ebola virus, Epstein-Barr virus, SARS-CoV-2, Hepatitis A virus, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, Herpes simplex viruses, HIV, HTLV, Human Herepes virus 6-8, Influenza virus, Measles virus, Mumps virus, Polio virus, Rabies virus, Rubella virus, SARS and associated coronaviruses, Respiratory Syncytial virus, Varicella Zoster virus, West Nile Virus, Yellow Fever virus, Zika virus, Plasmodium spp., and agents of endemic mycoses.
Overview
The present disclosure relates to a novel approach for detecting the presence of specific immunoglobulin isotypes against specific antigens in a sample. In alternative embodiments, the specific immunoglobulin (Ig) isotype immunoglobulin G (IgG) or immunoglobulin M (IgM) or IgA. In aspects the specific Ig antibody is a-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) IgG or IgM. In this approach, a tri-part split of a reporter protein is used as a sensor for detecting the presence of the specific anti-antigen antibody, such as α-SARS CoV-2 antibody.
Presented herein is a new serological system and assay for the detection of specific Ig antibodies against specific antigens with a quantifiability like that of ELISA but featuring great ease of use, more rapid detection and lesser requirement for specialized equipment. Furthermore, its readout shows tight correlation to neutralizing capability. Collectively these features suggest the system and methods of this disclosure have great value for use in clinical laboratories involved in pathogen testing. Additionally, the strategy employed in the assay described in this disclosure has the potential to be adapted for use in alternative diagnostic approaches to help combat infectious disorders or autoimmune diseases.
The antigens, in embodiments, are from infectious pathogens or from autoimmune disorders.
In one embodiment, the present disclosure is a serological detection system of a specific immunoglobulin isotype against a target antigen in a sample. In embodiment, the system includes: (a) a first probe having a first tag, the first probe having general binding affinity for the Ig isotype of the specific isotype in the sample, (b) a second probe having a second tag, the second probe being the antigen having specific binding affinity to the specific Ig isotype in the sample, (c) a third tag, the third tag having binding affinity for the first tag and for the second tag so as to form a reporter complex in the presence of the specific Ig isotype, and (d) a suitable substrate that generates an optically detectable signal in the presence of the reporter complex. In one embodiment, the specific Ig isotype is IgG. In another embodiment, the specific Ig isotype is IgM.
In embodiments, the present disclosure describes serological method of detecting the presence of a specific Ig isotype against a target of interest, which includes pathogen or antigens of an autoimmune disease in a sample of a subject, the method comprising: (a) reacting the sample with (i) a first probe having a first tag, the first probe having general binding affinity for the Ig isotype of the specific Ig isotype in the sample, and (ii) a second probe having a second tag, the second probe being an antigen having specific binding affinity to the specific Ig isotype in the sample, (b) reacting the sample with (i) a third tag having binding affinity for the first tag and for the second tag so as to form a reporter complex in the presence of the specific Ig isotype, and (ii) a suitable substrate that generates an optically detectable signal in the presence of the reporter complex, and (c) exposing the sample to an apparatus that detects the optically detectable signal in the sample, wherein detection of the optically detectable signal in the sample is indicative of the presence of-specific Ig isotype in the sample. In one embodiment, the specific Ig isotype is IgG. In another embodiment, the specific Ig isotype is IgM.
In some embodiments, the present disclosure relates to a serological diagnostic test of an infectious disease caused by a pathogen, or of an autoimmune disease in a subject comprising: (a) reacting a sample taken from the subject with (i) a first probe having a first tag, and (ii) a second probe having a second tag, the second probe being an antigen from the pathogen or from the autoimmune disease having specific binding affinity to a specific Ig isotype in the sample, the first probe having general binding affinity for the Ig isotype of the specific Ig isotype in the sample (b) reacting the sample with (i) a third tag having binding affinity for the first tag and for the second tag so as to form a reporter complex in the presence of the specific Ig isotype, and (ii) a suitable substrate that generates an optically detectable signal in the presence of the reporter complex, and (c) exposing the sample to an apparatus that detects the optically detectable signal in the sample, wherein detection of the optically detectable signal in the sample is indicative of a positive test, and absence of optically detectable signal being indicative of a negative test. In one embodiment, the specific Ig isotype is IgG. In another embodiment, the specific Ig isotype is IgM.
The first prole has binding affinity to any Ig of the same isotype of the specific lg. For example, if the specific Ig is IgG, then the first probe has general binding affinity to all IgGs, including the specific IgG. If the specific Ig is IgM, then the first probe has general binding affinity to all IgMs, including the specific IgM.
In embodiments, the serological systems and assays of the present disclosure are based on a splitting of NanoLuc (Nluc), the brightest luciferase identified so far, into three fragments or tags: two short peptides (β9 and β10 each containing 11 amino acids) and one 16 kDa fragment (Δ11S). The β9 and β10 tags are separately fused to a pair of probes. The first of these probes is suitable for general detection of one Ig isotype and has no cross-reactivity with other Ig isotypes. In one embodiment the Ig isotype is IgG and examples of the first probe include protein G of different streptococcal strains, or a domain of protein G, that exclusively binds to all isotypes of human IgG but does not bind to or cross-react with IgM, IgA or IgE. In another embodiment, the Ig isotype is IgM, and the first probe include is an IgM binder that specifically recognizes IgM and has no cross-reactivity with IgG, IgA or IgE molecules. Examples of IgM binders include antibodies that generally bind to IgM, such as those developed by NanoTag Biotechnologies (clone 2F2). The first probe is fused to a first tag, including the β9 peptide or the β10 peptide. The second probe is an antigen of the specific IgG isotype or IgM isotype and the antigen is of the disease being assayed. In embodiments, the disease is a COVID-19 infection, and the specific Ig is α-SARS CoV-2 antibody, and the second probe is made, for example, from the viral spike (S) protein (including the receptor binding domain, RBD) or nucleocapsid (N) protein. The S protein is responsible for virus binding to receptor and the target of neutralizing antibodies in patients. As illustrated in
A commonly used protein G is from Streptococcus G148, and it contains multiple domains. Domains C1, C2 and C3 are responsible for IgG binding with slight difference in their specificity. Protein G from other Streptococcus stains (such as G43 and C40) contains two IgG binding domains which are correspondent to the C1 and C3 domain of the G148 strain. All of these domains are suitable for the systems and methods of this disclosure. In the examples below, C2 of the G148 domain is used. The C3 domain of G148 was also tested and it seems to behave similarly as C2.
In embodiments, the serological systems, tests and methods of the present disclosure may be used as a high-throughput screening technology for detecting the presence of IgG antibodies against a pathogen or against any other target of interest.
The systems and methods of the present disclosure can also be used to follow the efficacy of a treatment of infectious disorders or other diseases. For example, in the case of COVID-19, a patient can be tested for quantifiably amount of α-SARS CoV-2 antibody at different stages of the treatment using the systems, tests and methods of this disclosure. A reduction in the amount of α-SARS CoV-2 antibody being indicative of the efficacy of the COVID-19 treatment.
In order to aid in the understanding and preparation of the present disclosure, the following illustrative, non-limiting examples are provided.
Plasmids and Recombinant Proteins.
To create the general probe, the C2 domain of protein G of Streptococcus sp. (strain G148) was appended with the 89 tag and a 6xHis tag either at its N- or C-terminus (or both) (
in which Y is the luminescence signal, X is the CR3022 concentration, I is the IgG concentration, nx is the Hill coefficient for CR3022 and probe interaction, and ni is the Hill coefficient for probe and IgG interaction.
ELISA. ELISA was undertaken according to previously described8,9 with some modifications. SARS-CoV-2 spike antigen was immobilized to a 384 well LUMITRAC high binding plate (Greinor Bio-One 781074) by incubating 20 μl/well of S-810 protein (20 nM in PBS) at 37° C. for 1 hour. After blocking with blocking buffer (PBS supplemented with 0.1% Tween 20 and 3% skimmed milk) for one hour at room temperature, the plate was incubated with sera serially diluted in blocking buffer at room temperature for 2 hours. After three times of wash with PBST (PBS supplemented with 0.1% Tween 20), the plate was further incubated with a-human IgG antibody conjugated to horse radish peroxidase (Jackson ImmunoResearch 109-035-098, 1:50,000 in blocking buffer, 30 μl/well) at room temperature for 1 hour. After three times of final wash with PBST, Pico chemiluminescence substrate mixture (Thermo Scientific 3769, 30 μl/m1) was added to the plate and signals were recorded in a microplate luminometer. Data of serially diluted samples were analyzed with GraphPad Prism 8 by model fitting. The total signal was calculated as areas under curve (AUC) of the fitted curves.
sVNT. sVNT kit was purchased from Genscript and the assay was performed according to the manufacturer's instructions29. Briefly, diluted serum samples were mixed with HRP-RBD at a 1:1 ratio and incubated at 37° C. for 30 minutes. An aliquot (100 μl) of the mixture was moved to a well of a test plate which was precoated with ACE2 provided by the manufacturer and was incubated at 37° C. for 15 minutes. After 4 times wash, signal was developed by incubation with TMB solution.
PRNT. PRNT was performed as described previously33. Briefly, diluted serum samples were incubated with SARS-CoV-2 virus (50 PFU) in a CO2 incubator for one hour. The mixture was then moved to a well of a 12-well plate cultured with Vero E6 cells (100% confluency) and incubated for one hour in a CO2 incubator with rocking every 15 minutes. To each well 1.5 ml prewarmed (37° C.) overlay medium (MEM without phenol red but supplemented with 4% FBS, L-glutamine, nonessential amino acids, sodium bicarbonate and 1.5% carboxymethycellose) was added followed by incubation for 72 hours. The cells were then fixed with 10% formalin (neutral-buffered) and subsequently stained with crystal violet (0.5% solved in 20% ethanol). Plaques were counted and compared to negative control. A titre is recorded as the highest serum dilution resulting in 50% and 90% reduction in plaques compared with controls. Human serum samples Negative control sera were taken before the pandemic. All patients were diagnosed by SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR from nasopharyngeal swabs. All samples are de-identified and enrolled through REB approved protocols, REB20-044c or REB 149-1994.
Statistics. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism 8. The performance difference between β10-S and β10-s-β10 was analyzed an unpaired two-tailed t test. Correlation between tNLuc assay and other assays (ELISA, VNT or PRNT) was analyzed using Pearson product-moment correlation.
In the present design, the β9 and β10 tags are separately fused to a pair of probes which can respectively recognize an IgG molecule against SARS-CoV-2 at different sites. The first probe is generated by fusing the β9 tag to the C2 domain of protein G, which exclusively binds to all the isotypes of human IgG but not to IgM, IgA or IgE immunoglobulins22. The second probe is specific to antibodies that bind the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) protein, the viral membrane protein responsible for host cell receptor binding23 and which is also the target of most of the neutralizing antibodies found in patients24. We generated two forms of this probe by fusing the β10 tag to either the ectodomain of the S protein or to its receptor binding domain (RBD). The assay itself is remarkably straightforward to perform and involves only two simple steps (
As the peptide tags (β9 and β10) can be fused either at the N- or C-terminus of the probes or at both positions (
Human plasma contains a high concentration of IgG (4-22 mg/mL, median 11 mg/mL in serum)26,27, the vast majority of which will not be specific for the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein. Since they can, however, bind the protein G probe, these “non-specific” antibodies will reduce the sensitivity of our assay. We investigated the effect of IgG interference on the assay by adding different amounts of human IgG into the reaction mixture and as predicted inhibition was indeed observed (
Binding parameters derived from the model (Ki=58.5 μg/mL, and Kd=0.22 μg/mL which is consistent with the results in
Building on these results, we then adopted a strategy involving sample dilution to obtain more accurate measurements of the S protein specific antibodies. The overall tNLuc signal of a sample was calculated using the signal summation algorithm (luminescence sum of RLU values at 1:300, 1:900 and 1:2700 dilutions) to avoid parameter estimation, as required by other algorithms, while still maintaining a power similar to curve fitting28. The signal at the lowest dilution endpoint (1:100) was excluded from the analysis to avoid the substantial signal interference caused by IgG under these conditions. Computational simulation (
The performance was further evaluated via a spiking test with blank sera using seven serum samples collected before the COVID-19 pandemic. CR3022 was serially diluted and spiked into the matrix sera with concentrations of 100, 50, 25, 12.5, and 6.25 μg/mL. As before, tNLuc assays were then performed on these samples by measuring the luminescence produced at further dilutions of 300, 900, and 2700 times, and the overall signal of each sample was calculated as a luminescence sum (
We then evaluated the tNLuc assay of the present disclosure with human serum samples. In addition to the above seven pre-pandemic sera, we also collected 82 serum samples from verified COVID-19 patients or convalescents across Canada, taken at different times (up to 80 days) after symptom onset. Again, the samples were serially diluted and analyzed using the tNLuc assay of the present disclosure. CR3022 was tested in parallel as a positive control. The samples displayed various signal amplitudes while those for pre-pandemic samples were close to baseline (
Finally, we compared the tNLuc assay with several other tests. Similar to the tNLuc assay, ELISA directly measures the antibodies specific to SARS-CoV-2 in blood samples. We performed the ELISA on all 14 samples using a common protocol9. The results demonstrated a high degree of correlation with those of the tNLuc assay (R2=0.783) (
Presented herein is a new serological system and assay for the detection of antibodies against SARS CoV-2 with a quantifiability similar to that of ELISA but featuring with great ease of use, more rapid detection and lesser requirement for specialized equipment. Furthermore, the readout of the assay of the present disclosure shows tight correlation to neutralizing capability. Collectively these features suggest the system and methods of this disclosure have great value for use in clinical laboratories involved in COVID-19 testing. Additionally, the strategy employed in the assay described in this disclosure has the potential to be adapted for use in alternative diagnostic approaches to help combat other diseases, including autoimmune diseases, or other infectious diseases such as SARS, MERS and/or influenza.
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1:320
1:160
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1:160
Although only IgG antibody testing has been described in this Example 1, the principles of the tNLuc assay of the present disclosure should also be applicable to the detection of antibodies of other immunoglobulin isotypes such as IgM and IgA. This might be performed by using their binders as sensor proteins, for example single chain antibodies, nanobodies, or similar molecules specifically recognizing these isotypes. Additionally, the tNLuc strategy employed in the assays of the present disclosure has can be adapted for use in alternative diagnostic approaches to help detect responses to other pathogens and viruses such as SARS, MERS, and/or influenza.
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Although various embodiments of the disclosure have been described and illustrated, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the present description that numerous modifications and variations can be made. The scope of the invention is defined more particularly in the appended claims.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
PCT/CA2021/051733 | 12/3/2021 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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63121689 | Dec 2020 | US |