SARS-CoV-2 hijacks host CD55, CD59 and factor H to impair antibody-dependent complement-mediated lysis

The complement system is a vital anti-microbial defence mechanism against circulating pathogens. Excessive complement activation can have deleterious outcomes for the host and is consequently tightly modulated by a set of membrane-associated and fluid-phase regulators of complement activation (RCAs)...

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Main Authors: Laura Gebetsberger, Zahra Malekshahi, Aron Teutsch, Gabor Tajti, Frédéric Fontaine, Nara Marella, André Mueller, Lena Prantl, Hannes Stockinger, Heribert Stoiber, Anna Ohradanova-Repic
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2024-12-01
Series:Emerging Microbes and Infections
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Online Access:https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/22221751.2024.2417868
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Summary:The complement system is a vital anti-microbial defence mechanism against circulating pathogens. Excessive complement activation can have deleterious outcomes for the host and is consequently tightly modulated by a set of membrane-associated and fluid-phase regulators of complement activation (RCAs). Here, we demonstrate that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) hijacks host cellular RCA members CD55 and CD59 and serum-derived Factor H (FH) to resist antibody-dependent complement-mediated lysis triggered by immunized human sera. Blockage of the biological functions of virion-associated CD55 and CD59 and competition of FH recruitment with functionally inactive recombinant FH-derived short consensus repeats SCR18-20 restore SARS-CoV-2 complement sensitivity in a synergistic manner. Moreover, complement-mediated virolysis is dependent on classical pathway activation and does not occur in the absence of virus-specific antibodies. Altogether, our findings present an intriguing immune escape mechanism that provides novel insights into the immunopathology observed in severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
ISSN:2222-1751