Memory B cell Development in Response to mRNA SARS-CoV-2 and Nanoparticle Immunization in Mice

Abstract Nanoparticle immunogens excel at rapidly inducing high levels of circulating antibodies and are being deployed as part of several novel vaccines. However, their ability to elicit memory B cell responses is less well understood. Here we compared serologic and memory B cell responses to prime boost vaccination with either SARS-CoV-2 Wuhan-Hu-1 mRNA vaccine, or protein nanoparticles: SARS-CoV-2 B.1.351 homotypic containing a single receptor binding domain (RBD); (homotypic beta) or a combination of different Sarbecovirus RBDs (mosaic 8b), respectively. The memory B cells elicited by the 3 vaccine regimens showed closely related antibody sequences, similar levels of somatic mutation and clonal diversity. The breadth of serologic responses elicited by the mosaic nanoparticles were comparable to the homotypic nanoparticle and superior to the mRNA vaccine for some mismatched strains. However, serum neutralizing titers to SARS-CoV-2 were highest after mRNA vaccination. The three vaccines elicited memory B cells that produced antibodies specific to a broad range of epitopes on the RBD that differed in a way that may reflect epitope masking. Monoclonal antibodies derived from memory B cells elicited by the mosaic 8b nanoparticle showed greater breadth against a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants and SARS-CoV. Significance Statement Nanoparticle vaccines are promising next-generation vaccine candidates, yet their capacity to generate durable memory B cell responses remains incompletely understood. We compared immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 mRNA, homotypic beta nanoparticle, or mosaic 8b nanoparticle vaccination in mice. Serum antibody neutralizing responses against a panel of SARS-CoV-2 variants elicited by an mRNA vaccine were equivalent or superior to those elicited by mosaic 8b nanoparticle vaccines. However, the monoclonal antibodies derived from memory B cells elicited by the mosaic 8b nanoparticle showed better neutralizing breadth against heterologous pseudoviruses. These findings highlight individual strengths of mRNA and nanoparticle vaccines and show that mosaic 8b nanoparticle immunogens can enhance the breadth of memory B cell-derived antibodies.