Evolution of antibody immunity to SARS-CoV-2

• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03207-w
• Publication Date: 2021-01-18T11:03:30Z
• Authors: Christian Gaebler; Zijun Wang; Julio C. C. Lorenzi; Frauke Muecksch; Shlomo Finkin; Minami Tokuyama; Alice Cho; Mila Jankovic; Dennis Schaefer-B...; Thiago Y. Oliveira; Melissa Cipolla; Charlotte Viant; Christopher O. Ba...; Yaron Bram; Gaëlle Breton; Thomas Hägglöf; Pilar Mendoza; Arlene Hurley; Martina Turroja; Kristie Gordon; Katrina G. Millard; Victor Ramos; Fabian Schmidt; Yiska Weisblum; Divya Jha; Michael Tankelevich; Gustavo Martinez-...; Jim Yee; Roshni Patel; Juan Dizon; Cecille Unson-O’B...; Irina Shimeliovich; Davide F. Robbiani; Zhen Zhao; Anna Gazumyan; Robert E. Schwartz; Theodora Hatziioa...; Pamela J. Bjorkman; Saurabh Mehandru; Paul D. Bieniasz; Marina Caskey; Michel C. Nussenz...
• Keywords: Memory B cell; Humoral immunity

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has infected 78 million individuals and is responsible for over 1.7 deaths to date. Infection associated with the development of variable levels antibodies neutralizing activity, which can protect against infection in animal models1,2. Antibody decrease time, but, our knowledge, nature quality memory B cells that would be required produce upon reinfection not been examined. Here we report on humoral response a cohort 87 assessed at 1.3 6.2 months after SARS-CoV-2. We find titres IgM IgG receptor-binding domain (RBD) spike protein SARS-CoV-2 significantly this time period, IgA being less affected. Concurrently, activity plasma decreases by fivefold pseudotype virus assays. By contrast, number RBD-specific remains unchanged infection. Memory display clonal turnover months, they express have greater somatic hypermutation, resistance RBD mutations increased potency, indicative continued evolution response. Immunofluorescence PCR analyses intestinal biopsies obtained from asymptomatic 4 onset disease 2019 (COVID-19) revealed persistence nucleic acids immunoreactivity small bowel 7 out 14 individuals. conclude cell evolves between manner consistent antigen persistence.