Distinct mechanisms of neutralization by antibodies targeting a conserved pneumovirus F epitope

Abstract

Pneumoviruses cause seasonal outbreaks leading to hospitalizations of vulnerable populations such as infants and the elderly. Cross-neutralizing antibodies targeting viral fusion have been isolated from infected individuals, but their elicitation and mechanisms of action remain understudied. Here, we describe two vaccine-elicited antibody classes, LOR24 and LOR69, that bind an overlapping epitope, and identify the somatic mutations that endow their breadth and potency, respectively. Cryo-electron microscopy structures of both antibodies bound to the HRSV fusion (F) protein show binding modes distinct from each other and from the previously described cross-neutralizing antibody MPE8, yet they all use similar motifs for binding. Complementary in vitro and electron microscopy experiments show that these antibodies either lock prefusion F as a trimer, arrest F in a monomeric or intermediate state, or promote the transition to the postfusion conformation. This work sheds light on mechanisms of pneumovirus neutralization and the elicitation of cross-neutralizing antibody responses.