Santamaria, P. | bioRxiv Science

bioRxiv2021

De novo germline mutation in the Dual Specificity Phosphatase 10 gene accelerates autoimmune diabetes in Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice

Here we report the isolation by selective breeding of two sublines of Non-Obese Diabetic (NOD) mice exhibiting a significant difference in the incidence of autoimmune type 1 diabetes (T1D). Whole genome sequencing of the NOD/NckH (high T1D incidence) and NOD/NckL (low T1D incidence) revealed the presence of a limited number of variants specific to each subline. Treating the age of T1D onset as a quantitative trait and using automated meiotic mapping (AMM), enhanced susceptibility in the NOD/NckH subline was unambiguously attributed to a recessive allele of Dusp10 which encodes a dual specificity phosphatase. The causative effect of the mutation was verified with a high level of confidence by targeting Dusp10 with CRISPR/Cas9 in NOD/NckL mice: in these animals a higher incidence of diabetes was observed. Expression of wild-type Dusp10 correlated with higher levels of surface PD-L1 in the islets of NOD/NckL mice.

immunology↗

bioRxiv2020

Highly sensitive and specific multiplex antibody assays to quantify immunoglobulins M, A and G against SARS-CoV-2 antigens

Reliable serological tests are required to determine the prevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 antigens and to characterise immunity to the disease in order to address key knowledge gaps in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. Quantitative suspension array technology (qSAT) assays based on the xMAP Luminex platform overcome the limitations of rapid diagnostic tests and ELISA with their higher precision, dynamic range, throughput, miniaturization, cost-efficacy and multiplexing capacity. We developed three qSAT assays to detect IgM, IgA and IgG to a panel of eight SARS-CoV-2 antigens including spike (S), nucleoprotein (N) and membrane (M) protein constructs. The assays were optimized to minimize processing time and maximize signal to noise ratio. We evaluated the performance of the assays using 128 plasmas obtained before the COVID-19 pandemic (negative controls) and 115 plasmas from individuals with SARS-CoV-2 diagnosis (positive controls), of whom 8 were asymptomatic, 58 had mild symptoms and 49 were hospitalized. Pre-existing IgG antibodies recognizing N, M and S2 proteins were detected in negative controls suggestive of cross-reactive to common cold coronaviruses. The best performing antibody isotype/antigen signatures had specificities of 100% and sensitivities of 94.94% at [≥]14 days since the onset of symptoms and 96.08% at [≥]21 days since the onset of symptoms, with AUC of 0.992 and 0.999, respectively. Combining multiple antibody markers as assessed by qSAT assays has the highest efficiency, breadth and versatility to accurately detect low-level antibody responses for obtaining reliable data on prevalence of exposure to novel pathogens in a population. Our assays will allow gaining insights into antibody correlates of immunity required for vaccine development to combat pandemics like the COVID-19.

immunology↗