Natural Antibodies Produced in Vaccinated Patients and COVID-19 Convalescents Recognize and Hydrolyze Oligopeptides Corresponding to the S-Protein of SARS-CoV-2
The S-protein is the major antigen of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, against which protective antibodies are generated. The S-protein gene was used in adenoviral vectors and mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. While the primary function of antibodies is to bind to antigens, catalytic antibodies can hydrolyze var...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2023-09-01
|
| Series: | Vaccines |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/9/1494 |
| _version_ | 1797576461678280704 |
|---|---|
| author | Anna M. Timofeeva Sergey E. Sedykh Tatyana A. Sedykh Georgy A. Nevinsky |
| author_facet | Anna M. Timofeeva Sergey E. Sedykh Tatyana A. Sedykh Georgy A. Nevinsky |
| author_sort | Anna M. Timofeeva |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The S-protein is the major antigen of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, against which protective antibodies are generated. The S-protein gene was used in adenoviral vectors and mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. While the primary function of antibodies is to bind to antigens, catalytic antibodies can hydrolyze various substrates, including nucleic acids, proteins, oligopeptides, polysaccharides, and some other molecules. In this study, antibody fractions with affinity for RBD and S-protein (RBD-IgG and S-IgG) were isolated from the blood of COVID-19 patients vaccinated with Sputnik V. The fractions were analyzed for their potential to hydrolyze 18-mer oligopeptides corresponding to linear fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein. Here, we show that the IgG antibodies hydrolyze six out of nine oligopeptides efficiently, with the antibodies of COVID-19-exposed donors demonstrating the most significant activity. The IgGs of control donors not exposed to SARS-CoV-2 were found to be inactive in oligopeptide hydrolysis. The antibodies of convalescents and vaccinated patients were found to hydrolyze oligopeptides in a wide pH range, with the optimal pH range between 6.5 and 7.5. The hydrolysis of most oligopeptides by RBD-IgG antibodies is inhibited by thiol protease inhibitors, whereas S-IgG active centers generally combine several types of proteolytic activities. Ca<sup>2+</sup> ions increase the catalytic activity of IgG preparations containing metalloprotease-like active centers. Thus, the proteolytic activity of natural antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 protein is believed to be due to the similarity of catalytic antibodies’ active centers to canonical proteases. This work raises the question of the possible physiological role of proteolytic natural RBD-IgG and S-IgG resulting from vaccination and exposure to COVID-19. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:52:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-249e930bac8c4abdbeeefb3c4b7f8814 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-393X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T21:52:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Vaccines |
| spelling | doaj.art-249e930bac8c4abdbeeefb3c4b7f88142023-11-19T13:19:45ZengMDPI AGVaccines2076-393X2023-09-01119149410.3390/vaccines11091494Natural Antibodies Produced in Vaccinated Patients and COVID-19 Convalescents Recognize and Hydrolyze Oligopeptides Corresponding to the S-Protein of SARS-CoV-2Anna M. Timofeeva0Sergey E. Sedykh1Tatyana A. Sedykh2Georgy A. Nevinsky3SB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Novosibirsk 630090, RussiaSB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Novosibirsk 630090, RussiaSB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Novosibirsk 630090, RussiaSB RAS Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine, Novosibirsk 630090, RussiaThe S-protein is the major antigen of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, against which protective antibodies are generated. The S-protein gene was used in adenoviral vectors and mRNA vaccines against COVID-19. While the primary function of antibodies is to bind to antigens, catalytic antibodies can hydrolyze various substrates, including nucleic acids, proteins, oligopeptides, polysaccharides, and some other molecules. In this study, antibody fractions with affinity for RBD and S-protein (RBD-IgG and S-IgG) were isolated from the blood of COVID-19 patients vaccinated with Sputnik V. The fractions were analyzed for their potential to hydrolyze 18-mer oligopeptides corresponding to linear fragments of the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein. Here, we show that the IgG antibodies hydrolyze six out of nine oligopeptides efficiently, with the antibodies of COVID-19-exposed donors demonstrating the most significant activity. The IgGs of control donors not exposed to SARS-CoV-2 were found to be inactive in oligopeptide hydrolysis. The antibodies of convalescents and vaccinated patients were found to hydrolyze oligopeptides in a wide pH range, with the optimal pH range between 6.5 and 7.5. The hydrolysis of most oligopeptides by RBD-IgG antibodies is inhibited by thiol protease inhibitors, whereas S-IgG active centers generally combine several types of proteolytic activities. Ca<sup>2+</sup> ions increase the catalytic activity of IgG preparations containing metalloprotease-like active centers. Thus, the proteolytic activity of natural antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 protein is believed to be due to the similarity of catalytic antibodies’ active centers to canonical proteases. This work raises the question of the possible physiological role of proteolytic natural RBD-IgG and S-IgG resulting from vaccination and exposure to COVID-19.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/9/1494SARS-CoV-2COVID-19catalytic antibodyIgGautoimmunityS-protein |
| spellingShingle | Anna M. Timofeeva Sergey E. Sedykh Tatyana A. Sedykh Georgy A. Nevinsky Natural Antibodies Produced in Vaccinated Patients and COVID-19 Convalescents Recognize and Hydrolyze Oligopeptides Corresponding to the S-Protein of SARS-CoV-2 Vaccines SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 catalytic antibody IgG autoimmunity S-protein |
| title | Natural Antibodies Produced in Vaccinated Patients and COVID-19 Convalescents Recognize and Hydrolyze Oligopeptides Corresponding to the S-Protein of SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_full | Natural Antibodies Produced in Vaccinated Patients and COVID-19 Convalescents Recognize and Hydrolyze Oligopeptides Corresponding to the S-Protein of SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_fullStr | Natural Antibodies Produced in Vaccinated Patients and COVID-19 Convalescents Recognize and Hydrolyze Oligopeptides Corresponding to the S-Protein of SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Natural Antibodies Produced in Vaccinated Patients and COVID-19 Convalescents Recognize and Hydrolyze Oligopeptides Corresponding to the S-Protein of SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_short | Natural Antibodies Produced in Vaccinated Patients and COVID-19 Convalescents Recognize and Hydrolyze Oligopeptides Corresponding to the S-Protein of SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_sort | natural antibodies produced in vaccinated patients and covid 19 convalescents recognize and hydrolyze oligopeptides corresponding to the s protein of sars cov 2 |
| topic | SARS-CoV-2 COVID-19 catalytic antibody IgG autoimmunity S-protein |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/11/9/1494 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT annamtimofeeva naturalantibodiesproducedinvaccinatedpatientsandcovid19convalescentsrecognizeandhydrolyzeoligopeptidescorrespondingtothesproteinofsarscov2 AT sergeyesedykh naturalantibodiesproducedinvaccinatedpatientsandcovid19convalescentsrecognizeandhydrolyzeoligopeptidescorrespondingtothesproteinofsarscov2 AT tatyanaasedykh naturalantibodiesproducedinvaccinatedpatientsandcovid19convalescentsrecognizeandhydrolyzeoligopeptidescorrespondingtothesproteinofsarscov2 AT georgyanevinsky naturalantibodiesproducedinvaccinatedpatientsandcovid19convalescentsrecognizeandhydrolyzeoligopeptidescorrespondingtothesproteinofsarscov2 |