Quantitative epitope analysis reveals drastic 63% reduced immuno-affinity and 60% enhanced transmissibility for SARS-CoV-2 variants

Mutational induction in SARS-CoV-2 major lineages by experimental exposure to neutralising sera

The ongoing evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and the emergence of new viral variants bearing specific escape mutations responsible for immune evasion from antibody neutralisation has required a more accurate characterisation of the immune response as one of the evolutive forces behind viral adaptation to a largely immunised human population. In this work, culturing in the presence of neutralising sera vigorously promoted mutagenesis leading to the acquisition of known escape mutations on the spike as well as new presumptive escape mutations on structural proteins whose role as target of the neutralizing antibody response might have been thus far widely neglected. From this perspective, this study, in addition to tracing the past evolution of the species back to interactions with neutralising antibody immune response, also offers a glimpse into future evolutive scenarios.