COVID-19 is a worldwide emergency; therefore, there is a critical need for foundational knowledge about B and T cell responses to SARS-CoV-2 essential for vaccine development. However, little information is available defining which determinants of SARS-CoV-2 other than the spike glycoprotein are recognized by the host immune system. In this study, we focus on the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein as a suitable candidate target for vaccine formulations. Major B and T cell epitopes of the SARS-CoV-2 N protein are predicted and resulting sequences compared with the homolog immunological domains of other coronaviruses that infect human beings. The most dominant of B cell epitope is located between 176–206 amino acids in the SRGGSQASSRSSSRSRNSSRNSTPGSSRGTS sequence. Further, we identify sequences which are predicted to bind multiple common MHC I and MHC II alleles. Most notably there is a region of potential T cell cross-reactivity within the SARS-CoV-2 N protein position 102–110 amino acids that traverses multiple human alpha and betacoronaviruses. Vaccination strategies designed to target these conserved epitope regions could generate immune responses that are cross-reactive across human coronaviruses, with potential to protect or modulate disease. Finally, these predictions can facilitate effective vaccine design against this high priority virus.
【저자키워드】 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, Coronavirus disease 2019, Vaccine, T cells, B cells, Epitopes, nucleocapsid, 【초록키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, Vaccine development, immune response, knowledge, Vaccine design, spike glycoprotein, virus, nucleocapsid protein, B cell, cross-reactivity, Epitopes, T cell, Region, immune responses, Vaccination strategies, N protein, amino acids, Alpha, SARS-CoV-2 N protein, information, epitope, disease, Critical, T cell epitope, T cell response, human coronaviruses, betacoronaviruses, Amino acid, cross-reactive, T cell epitopes, focus, Major, determinant, other coronaviruses, sequences, domain, sequence, host immune system, homolog, MOST, infect, dominant, MHC I, immunological, effective, MHC II alleles, PROTECT, resulting, predicted, identify, conserved, generate, facilitate, other coronavirus, modulate, the SARS-CoV-2, 【제목키워드】 COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, target, identification,