IP Library Granted Patent US 12,331,078
Granted Patent B2
US 12,331,078 · App. 17/318,719 · Granted Jun 17, 2025

Stabilizing mutants of prefusion SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) spike protein and improved yeast surface display engineering platform for the same

Inventors: Timothy Whitehead (Boulder, CO); Monica Kirby (Boulder, CO); Zachary Baumer (Boulder, CO); Matthew Bedewitz (Boulder, CO); Brian Petersen (Boulder, CO); Paul J. Steiner (Boulder, CO)
Assignee: The Regents of the University of Colorado, a body corporate
C07K14/005C12N15/81A61K39/00C12N2770/20022C12N2770/20034
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,331,078
App. No.
17/318,719
Granted
Jun 17, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to one or more mutations configured to stabilize the prefusion “up” protomer trimeric Spike protein from SARS-CoV-2. The inventive technology further relates to systems, methods, and compositions to display one or more proteins on the surface of a yeast cell. Specifically, in one embodiment the invention relates to systems, methods, and compositions to display one or more Spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 on the surface of a yeast cell, and more preferably a Spike protein from SARS-CoV-2 stabilized in its prefusion conformation on the surface of a yeast cell.

Claims (19)

1. An isolated spike protein, or a fragment thereof, from a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus having one or more stabilizing mutations selected from: K41N, K41P, K41S, R44K, K113F, T114D, Q115I, or Q115H, wherein the position of the one or more mutations corresponds to the spike protein encoded by the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 2.

2. The spike protein of claim 1 , further comprising a mutation selected from:

a substitution mutation from a wild-type amino acid to a proline at residue 987 (987P);

a substitution mutation from a wild-type amino acid to a proline at residue 988 (988P);

a substitution mutation inserting an amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 55 at residues 682-685; and

wherein the position of the mutation corresponds to the spike protein encoded by the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 2.

3. The spike protein of claim 1 , further comprising a mutation selected from: L118F, N122Y, V126F, Q134K, N165D, C166A, T167S, T167F, F168Q, E169G, T302N, Q314Y, N360H, Y369R, N370S, N370Y, N370W, A372N, S375H, V382A, V407M, V407R, Q409N, Q409C, I410G, A411I, A411F, A411L, K417V, D428Y, F429D, N487T, N487E, L518S, L518E, H519L, A520G, A520R, A520M, A522T, G526I, P527F, K528F, K528W, K528I, K528L, K529Y, S530I, S530W, T531I, N542C, F543H, F543M, N544I, N544L, N544D, N544F, G545C, G545P, L546F, L546G, L546N, L546M, P561N, P561F, P561Y, P561M, P561V, F562R, F562E, F562D, F562C, Q563M, Q563A, Q563S, Q563L, Q563V, Q564H, F565A, F565D, F565N, T573I, P579T, P579Y, P579D, P579K, Q580F, Q580K, Q580V, Q580I, Q580E, Q580G, Q580K, T581K, T581C, T581Q, L582H, 1973N, 1973L, 1980T, S982M, S982I, R983A, R983V, L984R, L984F, D985S, D985V, E988M, and wherein the position of the mutation corresponds to the spike protein encoded by the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 2.

4. The spike protein of claim 1 , wherein the spike protein is expressed in a recombinant cell.

5. The spike protein of claim 4 , wherein the recombinant cell is a yeast cell.

6. The spike protein of claim 5 , wherein the spike protein is displayed on the surface of the yeast cell.

7. A pharmaceutical compositions comprising the spike protein of claim 1 , and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and optionally at least one adjuvant.

8. A spike protein, or a fragment thereof, from a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus having one or more mutations selected from:

a substitution mutation from a wild-type amino acid to a proline at residue 988 (988P); and

wherein the position of the mutation corresponds to the spike protein encoded by the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 2.

9. The spike protein of claim 8 , further comprising a mutation selected from: K41N, K41P, K41S, R44K, K113F, T114D, Q115I, Q115H, L118F, N122Y, V126F, Q134K, N165D, C166A, T167S, T167F, F168Q, E169G, T302N, Q314Y, N360H, Y369R, N370S, N370Y, N370W, A372N, S375H, V382A, V407M, V407R, Q409N, Q409C, I410G, A411I, A411F, A411L, K417V, D428Y, F429D, N487T, N487E, L518S, L518E, H519L, A520G, A520R, A520M, A522T, G526I, P527F, K528F, K528W, K528I, K528L, K529Y, S530I, S530W, T531I, N542C, F543H, F543M, N544I, N544L, N544D, N544F, G545C, G545P, L546F, L546G, L546N, L546M, P561N, P561F, P561Y, P561M, P561V, F562R, F562E, F562D, F562C, Q563M, Q563A, Q563S, Q563L, Q563V, Q564H, F565A, F565D, F565N, T573I, P579T, P579Y, P579D, P579K, Q580F, Q580K, Q580V, Q580I, Q580E, Q580G, Q580K, T581K, T581C, T581Q, L582H, 1973N, 1973L, 1980T, S982M, S982I, R983A, R983V, L984R, L984F, D985S, D985V, E988M, and wherein the position of the mutation corresponds to the spike protein encoded by the amino acid sequence according to SEQ ID NO. 2.

10. The spike protein of claim 8 , wherein the spike protein is expressed in a recombinant cell.

11. The spike protein of claim 10 , wherein the recombinant cell is a yeast cell.

12. The spike protein of claim 11 , wherein the spike protein is displayed on the surface of the yeast cell.

13. A pharmaceutical compositions comprising the spike protein of claim 8 , and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier and optionally at least one adjuvant.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Dec 5, 2023
From: UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO
To: NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH), U.S. DEPT. OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES (DHHS), U.S. GOVERNMENT
Reel/Frame 065775/0113 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 18, 2023
From: WHITEHEAD, TIMOTHY; KIRBY, MONICA; BAUMER, ZACHARY; BEDEWITZ, MATTHEW; STEINER, PAUL J.; PETERSEN, BRIAN
To: THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO, A BODY CORPORATE
Reel/Frame 062415/0587 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 63062123 · Aug 6, 2020
Provisional Application 63026316 · May 18, 2020
Related Publication 20210355170A1 · Nov 18, 2021
References Cited (4)
GenPept accession 6VSB_A (May 7, 2020). [cited by examiner]
Pallesen J, et al. Immunogenicity and structures of a rationally designed prefusion MERS-CoV spike antigen. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A.Aug. 29, 2017;114(35):E7348-E7357. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1707304114. Epub Aug. 14, 2017. P… [cited by examiner]
Bowie et al., Deciphering the Message in Protein Sequences: Tolerance to Amino Acid Substitutions, 1990, Science, vol. 247, No. 4948, pp. 1306-1310. [cited by examiner]
GenBank QJF75438.1. Apr. 30, 2020. (Year: 2020). [cited by examiner]