Scientific Reports (Jan 2023)

Linear epitope mapping of the humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 in two independent African cohorts

  • Inès Vigan-Womas,
  • Jean-Louis Spadoni,
  • Thomas Poiret,
  • Fabien Taïeb,
  • Fanirisoa Randrianarisaona,
  • Rokhaya Faye,
  • Adji Astou Mbow,
  • Aboubacry Gaye,
  • Ndongo Dia,
  • Cheikh Loucoubar,
  • Diary Juliannie Ny Mioramalala,
  • Rila Ratovoson,
  • Rindra Vatosoa Randremanana,
  • Amadou Alpha Sall,
  • Moussa Seydi,
  • Josselin Noirel,
  • Gabriel Moreau,
  • Arnaud Simon,
  • Pavlo Holenya,
  • Jean-Philippe Meyniel,
  • Jean-François Zagury,
  • Matthieu Schoenhals

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-27810-1
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 13, no. 1
pp. 1 – 12

Abstract

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Abstract Profiling of the antibody responses to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) proteins in African populations is scarce. Here, we performed a detailed IgM and IgG epitope mapping study against 487 peptides covering SARS-CoV-2 wild-type structural proteins. A panel of 41 pre-pandemic and 82 COVID-19 RT-PCR confirmed sera from Madagascar and Senegal were used. We found that the main 36 immunodominant linear epitopes identified were (i) similar in both countries, (ii) distributed mainly in the Spike and the Nucleocapsid proteins, (iii) located outside the RBD and NTD regions where most of the reported SARS-CoV-2 variant mutations occur, and (iv) identical to those reported in European, North American, and Asian studies. Within the severe group, antibody levels were inversely correlated with the viral load. This first antibody epitope mapping study performed in patients from two African countries may be helpful to guide rational peptide-based diagnostic assays or vaccine development.