Decomposing Polyclonal Sera using Neutralization Maps

Abstract

Antibodies constitute a key line of defense against the diverse pathogens we encounter in our lives. While the interactions between a single antibody and a single virus are routinely characterized in exquisite detail, the inherent tradeoffs between attributes such as potency and breadth remain unclear. In addition, there is a wide gap between the discrete interactions of single antibodies and how antibody mixtures collectively repel multiple viruses. Here, we develop a new form of antigenic cartography called a Neutralization Landscape that enumerates the full space of antibody-virus interactions for antibodies targeting the influenza hemagglutinin stem. This reference set of antibody behaviors transforms the potency-breadth tradeoff into a readily solvable geometry problem. Using the Neutralization Landscape, we decompose the collective neutralization from multiple antibodies to characterize the composition and functional properties of the stem antibodies within. Looking forward, this framework can leverage the serological assays routinely performed for influenza surveillance to analyze how an individuals antibody repertoire evolves over time in response to vaccination or infection. One-Sentence SummaryWe describe the full range of behaviors for antibodies targeting the stem of influenza hemagglutinin, enabling us to decompose the collective behavior of antibody mixtures and characterize the individual antibodies within.