Live Breaking News & Updates on Ralf Bartenschlager|Page 5

Stay updated with breaking news from Ralf bartenschlager. Get real-time updates on events, politics, business, and more. Visit us for reliable news and exclusive interviews.

Structure-guided multivalent nanobodies block SARS-CoV-2 infection and suppress mutational escape

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic continues to spread with devastating consequences. For passive immunization efforts, nanobodies have size and cost advantages over conventional antibodies. Here, we generated four neutralizing nanobodies that target the receptor-binding domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We defined two distinct binding epitopes using x-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. Based on the structures, we engineered multivalent nanobodies with more than 100-fold improved neutralizing activity than monovalent nanobodies. Biparatopic nanobody fusions suppressed the emergence of escape mutants. Several nanobody constructs neutralized through receptor-binding competition, while other monovalent and biparatopic nanobodies triggered aberrant activation of the spike fusion machinery. These premature conformational changes in the spike protein forestalled productive fusion, and rendered the virions non-infectious. ....

United States , Baden Wuberg , Nordrhein Westfalen , Karolinska Institutet , Myone Streptavidin , Stephan Poehlmann , Landesuntersuchungsamt Rheinland Pfalz , Biotechnik Gmb , Connie Cepko , Sean Whelan , Ralf Bartenschlager , Microplates Perkin Elmer , Didier Trono , World Reference Center , Biacore Insight Evaluation Software , Ge Healthcare Life Sciences , X Electron Microscopy Sciences , Software Biotek , Cell Signaling Technology Cat , European Bioinformatics Institute , Argonne National Labs , Ge Healthcare , Zhenjiang Lehua Technology Co Ltd , Scripps Research Institute , Ted Pella Inc , Harvard Medical School ,