Figure 5
hACE2-Fc K31W inhibits infection by the SARS-CoV-2 Beta variant (MOI: 0.0003) to a greater extent than hACE2-Fc wild type (WT). (a), qRT-PCR analysis was used to determine the inhibiting effect of hACE2-Fc WT and hACE2-Fc K31W in concentrations between 0.78 and 25 µg/mL (25–6.25 µg/mL and 3.13–0.78 µg/mL in separate experiments) in virus neutralization assays in VeroE6 cells. No substance (“Untreated”) and no virus (“Not infected”) served as positive and negative controls. Data are presented as mean ± SEM of 6 replicates each. (b) Immunohistochemical staining using a monoclonal anti-SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid antibody in combination with a HRP-conjugated secondary antibody was implemented to stain virus-infected cells after the virus neutralization assays with hACE2-Fc concentrations between 3.13 and 0.78 µg/mL. Representative bright-field-microscope images (40 × magnification) of VeroE6 cells are presented.
