Glycan arrays lead to the discovery of autoimmunogenic activity of SARS-CoV

Physiol Genomics. 2004 Jul 8;18(2):245-8. doi: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00102.2004.

Abstract

Using carbohydrate microarrays, we characterized the carbohydrate binding activity of SARS-CoV neutralizing antibodies elicited by an inactivated SARS-CoV vaccine. In these antibodies, we detected undesired autoantibody reactivity specific for the carbohydrate moieties of an abundant human serum glycoprotein asialo-orosomucoid (ASOR). This observation provides important clues for the selection of specific immunologic probes to examine whether SARS-CoV expresses antigenic structures that mimic the host glycan. We found that lectin PHA-L (Phaseolus vulgaris L.), which is specific for a defined complex carbohydrate of ASOR, stained the SARS-CoV-infected cells specifically and intensively. Taken together, we present immunologic evidence that a carbohydrate structure of SARS-CoV shares antigenic similarity with host glycan complex carbohydrates. The experimental approaches we applied in this study are likely applicable for the identification of immunologic targets of other viral pathogens.

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Viral / immunology
  • Asialoglycoproteins / blood
  • Asialoglycoproteins / immunology
  • Autoantibodies / biosynthesis*
  • Epitopes / immunology
  • Humans
  • Molecular Probe Techniques
  • Oligosaccharides*
  • Orosomucoid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Orosomucoid / immunology
  • Polysaccharides* / immunology
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / complications
  • Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / prevention & control
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / immunology*
  • Vaccines, Inactivated / adverse effects*
  • Vaccines, Inactivated / therapeutic use
  • Viral Vaccines / adverse effects*
  • Viral Vaccines / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Antibodies, Viral
  • Asialoglycoproteins
  • Autoantibodies
  • Epitopes
  • Oligosaccharides
  • Orosomucoid
  • Polysaccharides
  • Vaccines, Inactivated
  • Viral Vaccines
  • asialoorosomucoid