Antibody escape of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 from vaccine and BA.1 serum.

Antibody escape of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4 and BA.5 from vaccine and BA.1 serum.

Cell (2022-07-01)

Aekkachai Tuekprakhon, Rungtiwa Nutalai, Aiste Dijokaite-Guraliuc, Daming Zhou, Helen M Ginn, Muneeswaran Selvaraj, Chang Liu, Alexander J Mentzer, Piyada Supasa, Helen M E Duyvesteyn, Raksha Das, Donal Skelly, Thomas G Ritter, Ali Amini, Sagida Bibi, Sandra Adele, Sile Ann Johnson, Bede Constantinides, Hermione Webster, Nigel Temperton, Paul Klenerman, Eleanor Barnes, Susanna J Dunachie, Derrick Crook, Andrew J Pollard, Teresa Lambe, Philip Goulder, Neil G Paterson, Mark A Williams, David R Hall, Elizabeth E Fry, Jiandong Huo, Juthathip Mongkolsapaya, Jingshan Ren, David I Stuart, Gavin R Screaton

PMID35772405

ABSTRACT

The Omicron lineage of SARS-CoV-2, which was first described in November 2021, spread rapidly to become globally dominant and has split into a number of sublineages. BA.1 dominated the initial wave but has been replaced by BA.2 in many countries. Recent sequencing from South Africa's Gauteng region uncovered two new sublineages, BA.4 and BA.5, which are taking over locally, driving a new wave. BA.4 and BA.5 contain identical spike sequences, and although closely related to BA.2, they contain further mutations in the receptor-binding domain of their spikes. Here, we study the neutralization of BA.4/5 using a range of vaccine and naturally immune serum and panels of monoclonal antibodies. BA.4/5 shows reduced neutralization by the serum from individuals vaccinated with triple doses of AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine compared with BA.1 and BA.2. Furthermore, using the serum from BA.1 vaccine breakthrough infections, there are, likewise, significant reductions in the neutralization of BA.4/5, raising the possibility of repeat Omicron infections.

MATERIALS

Product Number

Brand

Product Description

IP10

Millipore

Protein G Plus/Protein A-Agarose, A mixture of Protein G PLUS and Protein A covalently conjugated to agarose. Useful for purification of IgG from biological fluids.

T4330

Sigma-Aldrich

Turbonuclease from Serratia marcescens, recombinant, expressed in E. coli

L6876

Sigma-Aldrich

Lysozyme from chicken egg white, powder or granules, ≥90 %, ≥39,000 units/mg protein