Naturally acquired blocking human monoclonal antibodies to Plasmodium vivax reticulocyte binding protein 2b

Li Jin Chan, Anugraha Gandhirajan, Lenore L. Carias, Melanie H. Dietrich, Oscar Vadas, Remy Visentin, Camila T. França, Sebastien Menant, Dominique Soldati-Favre, Ivo Mueller, Christopher L. King*, Wai Hong Tham*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Plasmodium vivax preferentially invades reticulocytes and recognition of these cells is mediated by P. vivax Reticulocyte Binding Protein 2b (PvRBP2b) binding to human Transferrin receptor 1 (TfR1) and Transferrin (Tf). Longitudinal cohort studies in Papua New Guinea, Thailand and Brazil show that PvRBP2b antibodies are correlated with protection against P. vivax infection and disease. Here, we isolate and characterize anti-PvRBP2b human monoclonal antibodies from two individuals in Cambodia with natural P. vivax infection. These antibodies bind with high affinities and map to different regions of PvRBP2b. Several human antibodies block PvRBP2b binding to reticulocytes and inhibit complex formation with human TfR1-Tf. We describe different structural mechanisms for functional inhibition, including either steric hindrance with TfR1-Tf or the reticulocyte membrane. These results show that naturally acquired human antibodies against PvRBP2b can inhibit its function which is important for P. vivax invasion.

Original languageEnglish
Article number1538
JournalNature Communications
Volume12
Issue number1
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Dec 2021
Externally publishedYes

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