What else you didn't know about the egg shortage.
Chicken Egg Yolk Antibodies block the binding of multiple SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein Variants to human ACE2.
The virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, enters host cells through the spike (S) protein on its surface. The S1 subunit of the spike protein is the main target of neutralizing antibodies, and its interaction with the human receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) is essential for viral entry into cells.
Recently, research has focused on developing neutralizing agents that target the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein S1 to prevent viral entry into host cells. One such agent is egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY), which has been proposed as a potential virus entry blocker.
In this article, we will discuss the potential of egg yolk IgY as a SARS-CoV-2 S1 targeting agent and its current state of research.
What is egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY)?
Egg yolk immunoglobulin (IgY) is a type of antibody found in chickens and other birds. Unlike human and mammalian antibodies, which are composed of four polypeptide chains (two heavy and two light chains), avian antibodies have only two polypeptide chains. Despite this difference, egg yolk IgY is highly effective at neutralizing a wide range of pathogens, including bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites.
Egg yolk IgY is produced in response to a pathogenic challenge and can be harvested from egg yolks by a process called egg yolk immunoglobulin purification (EYIP) (see Springer). EYIP is a simple and inexpensive process that has been used to produce large amounts of IgY for use in human and animal health applications.
Potential of egg yolk IgY targeting SARS-CoV-2 S1 as a virus entry blocker:
The spike protein S1 of SARS-CoV-2 is the main target of neutralizing antibodies, and its interaction with the human receptor ACE2 is essential for viral entry into host cells. Researchers have proposed that egg yolk IgY targeting the SARS-CoV-2 S1 could prevent viral entry by blocking the interaction between the spike protein and ACE2.
Several studies have demonstrated the potential of egg yolk IgY as a SARS-CoV-2 S1 targeting agent. In one study, egg yolk IgY against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein was purified from egg yolks and its neutralizing activity was evaluated using a pseudovirus assay (Yoon et al., 2020). The results showed that the egg yolk IgY was able to neutralize SARS-CoV-2 with high efficacy and specificity.
In another study, researchers produced a recombinant IgY against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and evaluated its ability to neutralize the virus (Zhao et al., 2020). The results showed that the recombinant IgY was highly effective at neutralizing SARS-CoV-2 and could be a potential therapeutic agent for COVID-19.
Conclusion: egg yolk IgY targeting SARS-CoV-2 S1 has the potential to be a novel antiviral agent for COVID-19. The studies conducted so far have demonstrated its ability to neutralize the virus with high efficacy and specificity.
References:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34706134/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41392-022-00911-5
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/ace-inhibitors/art-20047480
https://link.springer.com/protocol/10.1007/978-1-59745-198-7_189
J Appl Microbiol. 2022 Mar;132(3):2421-2430. doi: 10.1111/jam.15340. Epub 2021 Nov 3. PMID: 34706134