Formation and Expansion of Memory B Cells against Coronavirus in Acutely Infected COVID-19 Individuals

Infection with the beta-coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 typically generates strong virus-specific antibody production. Antibody responses against novel features of SARS-CoV-2 proteins require naive B cell activation, but there is a growing appreciation that conserved regions are recognized by pre-existing memory B cells (MBCs) generated by endemic coronaviruses. The current study investigated the role of pre-existing cross-reactive coronavirus memory in the antibody response to the viral spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins following SARS-CoV-2 infection. The breadth of reactivity of circulating antibodies, plasmablasts, and MBCs was analyzed. Acutely infected subjects generated strong IgG responses to the S protein, including the novel receptor binding domain, the conserved S2 region, and to the N protein. The response included reactivity to the S of endemic beta-coronaviruses and, interestingly, to the N of an endemic alpha-coronavirus. Both mild and severe infection expanded IgG MBC populations reactive to the S of SARS-CoV-2 and endemic beta-coronaviruses. Avidity of S-reactive IgG antibodies and MBCs increased after infection. Overall, findings indicate that the response to the S and N of SARS-CoV-2 involves pre-existing MBC activation and adaptation to novel features of the proteins, along with the potential of imprinting to shape the response to SARS-CoV-2 infection.