The receptor-binding domain of the viral spike protein is an immunodominant and highly specific target of antibodies in SARS-CoV-2 patients

• DOI: 10.1126/sciimmunol.abc8413
• Publication Date: 2020-06-11T23:15:14Z
• Authors: Lakshmanane Premk...; Bruno Segovia-Chu...; Ramesh Jadi; David R. Martinez; Rajendra Raut; Alena J. Markmann; Caleb Cornaby; Luther Bartelt; Susan Weiss; Yara Park; Caitlin E. Edwards; Eric Weimer; Erin M. Scherer; Nadine Rouphael; Srilatha Edupuganti; Daniela Weiskopf; Longping V. Tse; Yixuan J. Hou; David Margolis; Alessandro Sette; Matthew H. Collins; John Schmitz; Ralph S. Baric; Aravinda M. de Silva
• Keywords: spike protein; Coronavirus; 2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that first emerged in late 2019 is responsible for a pandemic of illness. People infected with this highly contagious virus can present clinically inapparent, mild, or disease. Currently, the infection individuals and at population level being monitored by PCR testing symptomatic patients presence viral RNA. There an urgent need SARS-CoV-2 serologic tests to identify all individuals, irrespective clinical symptoms, conduct surveillance implement strategies contain spread. As receptor binding domain (RBD) spike protein poorly conserved between SARS-CoVs other pathogenic human coronaviruses, RBD represents promising antigen detecting CoV-specific antibodies people. Here we use large panel sera (63 71 control subjects) hyperimmune from animals exposed zoonotic CoVs evaluate RBD's performance as reliable detection SARS-CoV-2-specific antibodies. By day 9 after onset recombinant was sensitive (98%) specific (100%) induced SARS-CoVs. We observed strong correlation levels neutralizing patients. Our results, which reveal early kinetics antibody responses, support using serological diagnostic assays RBD-specific correlate