Peptide microarray based detection of antibody responses against SARS-CoV-2 species-specific epitopes in spike and nucleocapsid proteins with potential for diagnostic test development

Holenya, P.; Lange, P. J.; Reimer, U.; Woltersdorf, W.; Panterodt, T.; Glas, M.; Wasner, M.; Eckey, M.; Drosch, M.; Hollidt, J.-M.; Naumann, M.; Kern, F.; Wenschuh, H.; Lange, R.; Schnatbaum, K.; Bier, F. F.

Humoral immunity to the Severe Adult Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) Coronavirus (CoV)-2 is not well understood but may be a crucial factor of immune protection. The possibility of antibody cross-reactivity between SARS-CoV-2 and other human coronaviruses (HCoVs) would have important implications for immune protection but also for the development of specific diagnostic ELISA tests. Using peptide microarrays, n=24 patient samples and n=12 control samples were screened for antibodies against the entire SARS-CoV-2 proteome as well as the Spike (S), Nucleocapsid (N), VME1 (V), R1ab, and Protein 3a (AP3A) of the HCoV strains SARS, MERS, UC43 and 229E. While widespread cross-reactivity was revealed across several immune dominant regions of S and N, IgG binding to several SARS-CoV-2-derived peptides provided statistically significant discrimination between COVID-19 patients and controls. Selected target peptides may serve as capture antigens for future, highly COVID-19-specific diagnostic antibody tests.