Genetic drift of human coronavirus OC43 spike gene during adaptive evolution

Genetic characterization of coronaviruses causing common cold symptoms based on micro-targeted capture sequencing

A novel micro-targeted capture sequencing method was developed for four coronaviruses that cause common cold symptoms, and its sensitivity and clinical performance were assessed using 14 pharyngeal swab samples. This technique achieved 100% genomic coverage for samples with a cycle threshold (Ct) value of 32 or lower. The genotypes of the clinical isolates were determined by phylogenetic analysis, and unique mutations were identified in the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein. Additional N-glycosylation sites were found in some of the isolates. This method offers a sensitive and rapid tool for genetic monitoring of common-cold coronaviruses and aids in their prevention and control.

SARS-CoV-2 outbreak: role of viral proteins and genomic diversity in virus infection and COVID-19 progression

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19); a severe respiratory distress that has emerged from the city of Wuhan, Hubei province, China during December 2019. COVID-19 is currently the major global health problem and the disease has now spread to most countries in the world. COVID-19 has profoundly impacted human health and activities worldwide. Genetic mutation is one of the essential characteristics of viruses. They do so to adapt to their host or to move to another one. Viral genetic mutations have a high potentiality to impact human health as these mutations grant viruses unique unpredicted characteristics. The difficulty in predicting viral genetic mutations is a significant obstacle in the field. Evidence indicates that SARS-CoV-2 has a variety of genetic mutations and genomic diversity with obvious clinical consequences and implications. In this review, we comprehensively summarized and discussed the currently available knowledge regarding SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks with a fundamental focus on the role of the viral proteins and their mutations in viral infection and COVID-19 progression. We also summarized the clinical implications of SARS-CoV-2 variants and how they affect the disease severity and hinder vaccine development. Finally, we provided a massive phylogenetic analysis of the spike gene of 214 SARS-CoV-2 isolates from different geographical regions all over the world and their associated clinical implications.

Prevalence and Molecular Epidemiology of Human Coronaviruses in Africa Prior to the SARS-CoV-2 Outbreak: A Systematic Review

Coronaviruses, re-emerging in human populations, cause mild or severe acute respiratory diseases, and occasionally epidemics. This study systematically reviewed human coronavirus (HCoVs) infections in Africa prior to the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak. Forty studies on the prevalence or molecular epidemiology of HCoVs were available from 13/54 African countries (24%). The first published data on HCoV was from South Africa in 2008. Eight studies (20%) reported on HCoV molecular epidemiology. Endemic HCoV prevalence ranged from 0.0% to 18.2%. The prevalence of zoonotic MERS-CoV ranged from 0.0% to 83.5%. Two studies investigated SARS-CoV infection, for which a prevalence of 0.0% was reported. There was heterogeneity in the type of tests used in determining HCoV prevalence. Two studies reported that risk factors for HCoV include exposure to infected animals or humans. The quantity of virologic investigations on HCoV on the African continent was scant, and Africa was not prepared for SARS-CoV-2.

Canine respiratory coronavirus in Thailand undergoes mutation and evidences a potential putative parent for genetic recombination

Canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) is associated with canine infectious respiratory disease complex. Although its detection has been reported worldwide, the genomic characteristics and evolutionary patterns of this virus remain poorly defined. In this study, 21 CRCoV sequences obtained from dogs in Thailand during two episodes (2013-2015, group A; 2021-2022, group B) were characterized and analyzed. The genomic characteristics of Thai CRCoVs changed from 2013 to 2022 and showed a distinct phylogenetic cluster. Phylogenetic analysis of the spike (S) genes divided the analyzed CRCoV strains into five clades. The full-length genome characterization revealed that all Thai CRCoVs possessed a nonsense mutation within the nonstructural gene located between the S and envelope genes, leading to a truncated putative nonstructural protein. Group B Thai CRCoV strains represented the signature nonsynonymous mutations in the S gene that was not identified in group A Thai CRCoVs, suggesting the ongoing evolutionary process of Thai CRCoVs. Although no evidence of recombination of Thai CRCoV strains was found, our analysis identified one Thai CRCoV strain as a potential parent virus for a CRCoV strain found in the United States. Selective pressure analysis of the hypervariable S region indicated that the CRCoV had undergone purifying selection during evolution. Evolutionary analysis suggested that the CRCoV was emerged in 1992 and was first introduced in Thailand in 2004, sharing a common ancestor with Korean CRCoV strains. These findings regarding the genetic characterization and evolutionary analysis of CRCoVs add to the understanding of CRCoVs. IMPORTANCE Knowledge of genomic characterization of the CRCoV is still limited and its evolution remains poorly investigated. We, therefore, investigated the full-length genome of CRCoV in Thailand for the first time and analyzed the evolutionary dynamic of CRCoV. Genomic characterization of Thai CRCoV strains revealed that they possess unique genome structures and have undergone nonsynonymous mutations, which have not been reported in previously described CRCoV strains. Our work suggests that the Thai CRCoVs were not undergone mutation through genetic recombination for their evolution. However, one Thai CRCoV strain PP158_THA_2015 was found to be a potential parent virus for the CRCoV strains found in the United States. This study provides an understanding of the genomic characterization and highlights the signature mutations and ongoing evolutionary process of CRCoV that could be crucial for monitoring in the future.

Human Coronavirus OC43 as a Low-Risk Model to Study COVID-19

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has had irreversible and devastating impacts on every aspect of human life. To better prepare for the next similar pandemic, a clear understanding of coronavirus biology is a prerequisite. Nevertheless, the high-risk nature of the causative agent of COVID-19, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), requires the use of a cumbersome biosafety level-3 (BSL-3) confinement facility. To facilitate the development of preventive and therapeutic measures against SARS-CoV-2, one of the endemic strains of low-risk coronaviruses has gained attention as a useful research alternative: human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43). In this review, its history, classification, and clinical manifestations are first summarized. The characteristics of its viral genomes, genes, and evolution process are then further explained. In addition, the host factors necessary to support the life cycle of HCoV-OC43 and the innate, as well as adaptive, immunological responses to HCoV-OC43 infection are discussed. Finally, the development of in vitro and in vivo systems to study HCoV-OC43 and its application to the discovery of potential antivirals for COVID-19 by using HCoV-OC43 models are also presented. This review should serve as a concise guide for those who wish to use HCoV-OC43 to study coronaviruses in a low-risk research setting.

Molecular evolution of human coronavirus-NL63, -229E, -HKU1 and -OC43 in hospitalized children in China

Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) HCoV-NL63, HCoV-229E, HCoV-HKU1 and HCoV-OC43 have been circulated in the human population worldwide, and they are associated with a broad range of respiratory diseases with varying severity. However, there are neither effective therapeutic drugs nor licensed vaccines available for the treatment and prevention of infections by the four HCoVs. In this study, we collected nasopharyngeal aspirates of children hospitalized for respiratory tract infection in China during 2014-2018 and conducted next-generation sequencing. Sequences of four HCoVs were then selected for an in-depth analysis. Genome sequences of 2 HCoV-NL63, 8 HCoV-229E, 2 HCoV-HKU1, and 6 HCoV-OC43 were obtained. Based on the full-length S gene, a strong temporal signal was found in HCoV-229E and the molecular evolutionary rate was 6 × 10^-4 substitutions/site/year. Based on the maximum-likelihood (ML) phylogenetic tree of complete S gene, we designated H78 as a new sub-genotype C2 of HCoV-HKU1, and the obtained P43 sequence was grouped into the reported novel genotype K of HCoV-OC43 circulating in Guangzhou, China. Based on the complete genome, potential recombination events were found to occur as two phenomena, namely intraspecies and interspecies. Moreover, we observed two amino acid substitutions in the S1 subunit of obtained HCoV-NL63 (G534V) and HCoV-HKU1 (H512R), while residues 534 and 512 are important for the binding of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 and neutralizing antibodies, respectively. Our findings might provide a clue for the molecular evolution of the four HCoVs and help in the early diagnosis, treatment and prevention of broad-spectrum HCoV infection.

Predicting COVID-19 disease severity from SARS-CoV-2 spike protein sequence by mixed effects machine learning

Epidemiological studies show that COVID-19 variants-of-concern, like Delta and Omicron, pose different risks for severe disease, but they typically lack sequence-level information for the virus. Studies which do obtain viral genome sequences are generally limited in time, location, and population scope. Retrospective meta-analyses require time-consuming data extraction from heterogeneous formats and are limited to publicly available reports. Fortuitously, a subset of GISAID, the global SARS-CoV-2 sequence repository, includes "patient status" metadata that can indicate whether a sequence record is associated with mild or severe disease. While GISAID lacks data on comorbidities relevant to severity, such as obesity and chronic disease, it does include metadata for age and sex to use as additional attributes in modeling. With these caveats, previous efforts have demonstrated that genotype-patient status models can be fit to GISAID data, particularly when country-of-origin is used as an additional feature. But are these models robust and biologically meaningful? This paper shows that, in fact, temporal and geographic biases in sequences submitted to GISAID, as well as the evolving pandemic response, particularly reduction in severe disease due to vaccination, create complex issues for model development and interpretation. This paper poses a potential solution: efficient mixed effects machine learning using GPBoost, treating country as a random effect group. Training and validation using temporally split GISAID data and emerging Omicron variants demonstrates that GPBoost models are more predictive of the impact of spike protein mutations on patient outcomes than fixed effect XGBoost, LightGBM, random forests, and elastic net logistic regression models.

Biological Properties of SARS-CoV-2 Variants: Epidemiological Impact and Clinical Consequences

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a virus that belongs to the coronavirus family and is the cause of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of May 2022, it had caused more than 500 million infections and more than 6 million deaths worldwide. Several vaccines have been produced and tested over the last two years. The SARS-CoV-2 virus, on the other hand, has mutated over time, resulting in genetic variation in the population of circulating variants during the COVID-19 pandemic. It has also shown immune-evading characteristics, suggesting that vaccinations against these variants could be potentially ineffective. The purpose of this review article is to investigate the key variants of concern (VOCs) and mutations of the virus driving the current pandemic, as well as to explore the transmission rates of SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in relation to epidemiological factors and to compare the virus's transmission rate to that of prior coronaviruses. We examined and provided key information on SARS-CoV-2 VOCs in this study, including their transmissibility, infectivity rate, disease severity, affinity for angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, viral load, reproduction number, vaccination effectiveness, and vaccine breakthrough.

Mapping Data to Deep Understanding: Making the Most of the Deluge of SARS-CoV-2 Genome Sequences

Next-generation sequencing has been essential to the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. As of January 2022, nearly 7 million severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) sequences are available to researchers in public databases. Sequence databases are an abundant resource from which to extract biologically relevant and clinically actionable information. As the pandemic has gone on, SARS-CoV-2 has rapidly evolved, involving complex genomic changes that challenge current approaches to classifying SARS-CoV-2 variants. Deep sequence learning could be a potentially powerful way to build complex sequence-to-phenotype models. Unfortunately, while they can be predictive, deep learning typically produces "black box" models that cannot directly provide biological and clinical insight. Researchers should therefore consider implementing emerging methods for visualizing and interpreting deep sequence models. Finally, researchers should address important data limitations, including (i) global sequencing disparities, (ii) insufficient sequence metadata, and (iii) screening artifacts due to poor sequence quality control.

Emergence of a recurrent insertion in the N-terminal domain of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein

Tracking the evolution of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) through genomic surveillance programs is undoubtedly one of the key priorities in the current pandemic situation. Although the genome of SARS-CoV-2 acquires mutations at a slower rate compared with other RNA viruses, evolutionary pressures derived from the widespread circulation of SARS-CoV-2 in the human population have progressively favored the global emergence, though natural selection, of several variants of concern that carry multiple non-synonymous mutations in the spike glycoprotein. These are often placed in key sites within major antibody epitopes and may therefore confer resistance to neutralizing antibodies, leading to partial immune escape, or otherwise compensate infectivity deficits associated with other non-synonymous substitutions. As previously shown by other authors, several emerging variants carry recurrent deletion regions (RDRs) that display a partial overlap with antibody epitopes located in the spike N-terminal domain (NTD). Comparatively, very little attention had been directed towards spike insertion mutations prior to the emergence of the B.1.1.529 (omicron) lineage. This manuscript describes a single recurrent insertion region (RIR1) in the N-terminal domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, characterized by at least 49 independent acquisitions of 1-8 additional codons between Val213 and Leu216 in different viral lineages. Even though RIR1 is unlikely to confer antibody escape, its association with two distinct formerly widespread lineages (A.2.5 and B.1.214.2), with the quickly spreading omicron and with other VOCs and VOIs warrants further investigation concerning its effects on spike structure and viral infectivity.

Potential Role of Colchicine in Combating COVID-19 Cytokine Storm and Its Ability to Inhibit Protease Enzyme of SARS-CoV-2 as Conferred by Molecular Docking Analysis

Despite the advance in the management of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the global pandemic is still ongoing with a massive health crisis. COVID-19 manifestations may range from mild symptoms to severe life threatening ones. The hallmark of the disease severity is related to the overproduction of pro-inflammatory cytokines manifested as a cytokine storm. Based on its anti-inflammatory activity through interfering with several pro and anti-inflammatory pathways, colchicine had been proposed to reduce the cytokine storm and subsequently improve clinical outcomes. Molecular docking analysis of colchicine against RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) and protease enzymes of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) revealed that colchicine provided a grid-based molecular docking method, C-DOCKER interaction energy 64.26 and 47.53 (Kcal/mol) with protease and RdRp, respectively. This finding indicated higher binding stability for colchicine–protease complexes than the colchicine–RdRp complex with the involvement of seven hydrogen bonds, six hydrogen acceptors with Asn142, Gly143, Ser144, and Glu166 and one hydrogen-bond donors with Cys145 of the protease enzyme. This is in addition to three hydrophobic interactions with His172, Glu166, and Arg188. A good alignment with the reference compound, Boceprevir, indicated high probability of binding to the protease enzyme of SARS-CoV-2. In conclusion, colchicine can ameliorate the destructive effect of the COVID-19 cytokine storm with a strong evidence of antiviral activity by inhibiting the protease enzyme of SARS-CoV-2.

A Comprehensive Overview of the Newly Emerged COVID-19 Pandemic: Features, Origin, Genomics, Epidemiology, Treatment, and Prevention

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a life-threatening pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has resulted in massive destruction and is still continuously adding to its death toll. The advent of this global outbreak has not yet been confirmed; however, investigation for suitable prophylaxis against this lethal virus is being carried out by experts all around the globe. The SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the Coronaviridae superfamily, like the other previously occurring human coronavirus variants. To better understand a new virus variant, such as the SARS-CoV-2 delta variant, it is vital to investigate previous virus strains, including their genomic composition and functionality. Our study aimed at addressing the basic overview of the virus’ profile that may provide the scientific community with evidence-based insights into COVID-19. Therefore, this study accomplished a comprehensive literature review that includes the virus’ origin, classification, structure, life cycle, genome, mutation, epidemiology, and subsequent essential factors associated with host–virus interaction. Moreover, we summarized the considerable diagnostic measures, treatment options, including multiple therapeutic approaches, and prevention, as well as future directions that may reduce the impact and misery caused by this devastating pandemic. The observations and data provided here have been screened and accumulated through extensive literature study, hence this study will help the scientific community properly understand this new virus and provide further leads for therapeutic interventions.

Extracellular pH, osmolarity, temperature and humidity could discourage SARS-CoV-2 cell docking and propagation via intercellular signaling pathways

The COVID-19 pandemic and its virus variants continue to pose a serious and long-lasting threat worldwide. To combat the pandemic, the world's largest COVID-19 vaccination campaign is currently ongoing. As of July 19th 2021, 26.2% of the world population has received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine (1.04 billion), and one billion has been fully vaccinated, with very high vaccination rates in countries like Israel, Malta, and the UEA. Conversely, only 1% of people in low-income countries have received at least one dose with examples of vaccination frequency as low as 0.07% in the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is thus of paramount importance that more research on alternate methods to counter cell infection and propagation is undertaken that could be implemented in low-income countries. Moreover, an adjunctive therapeutic intervention would help to avoid disease exacerbation in high-rate vaccinated countries too. Based on experimental biochemical evidence on viral cell fusion and propagation, herein we identify (i) extracellular pH (epH), (ii) temperature, and (iii) humidity and osmolarity as critical factors. These factors are here in discussed along with their implications on mucus thick layer, proteases, abundance of sialic acid, vascular permeability and exudate/edema. Heated, humidified air containing sodium bicarbonate has long been used in the treatment of certain diseases, and here we argue that warm inhalation of sodium bicarbonate might successfully target these endpoints. Although we highlight the molecular/cellular basis and the signalling pathways to support this intervention, we underscore the need for clinical investigations to encourage further research and clinical trials. In addition, we think that such an approach is also important in light of the high mutation rate of this virus originating from a rapid increase.

Evolutionary trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 and emerging variants

The emergence of a novel coronavirus, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and more recently, the independent evolution of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants has generated renewed interest in virus evolution and cross-species transmission. While all known human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are speculated to have originated in animals, very little is known about their evolutionary history and factors that enable some CoVs to co-exist with humans as low pathogenic and endemic infections (HCoV-229E, HCoV-NL63, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-HKU1), while others, such as SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 have evolved to cause severe disease. In this review, we highlight the origins of all known HCoVs and map positively selected for mutations within HCoV proteins to discuss the evolutionary trajectory of SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, we discuss emerging mutations within SARS-CoV-2 and variants of concern (VOC), along with highlighting the demonstrated or speculated impact of these mutations on virus transmission, pathogenicity, and neutralization by natural or vaccine-mediated immunity.

Antigenic sites in SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD show molecular similarity with pathogenic antigenic determinants and harbors peptides for vaccine development

The spike protein of coronavirus is key target for drug development and other pharmacological interventions. In current study, we performed an integrative approach to predict antigenic sites in SARS-CoV-2 spike receptor binding domain and found nine potential antigenic sites. The predicted antigenic sites were then assessed for possible molecular similarity with other known antigens in different organisms. Out of nine sites, seven sites showed molecular similarity with 54 antigenic determinants found in twelve pathogenic bacterial species (Mycobacterium tuberculosis, Mycobacterium leprae, Bacillus anthracis, Borrelia burgdorferi, Clostridium perfringens, Clostridium tetani, Helicobacter Pylori, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Vibrio cholera and Yersinia pestis), two malarial parasites (Plasmodium falciparum and Plasmodium knowlesi) and influenza virus A. Most of the bacterial antigens that displayed molecular similarity with antigenic sites in SARS-CoV-2 RBD (receptor binding domain) were toxins and virulent factors. Antigens from Mycobacterium that showed similarity were mainly involved in modulating host cell immune response and ensuring persistence and survival of pathogen in host cells. Presence of a large number of antigenic determinants, similar to those in highly pathogenic microorganisms, not merely accounts for complex etiology of the disease but also provides an explanation for observed pathophysiological complications, such as deregulated immune response, unleashed or dysregulated cytokine secretion (cytokine storm), multiple organ failure etc., that are more evident in aged and immune-compromised patients. Over-representation of antigenic determinants from Plasmodium and Mycobacterium in all antigenic sites suggests that anti-malarial and anti-TB drugs can prove to be clinical beneficial for COVID-19 treatment. Besides this, anti-leprosy, anti-lyme, anti-plague, anti-anthrax drugs/vaccine etc. are also expected to be beneficial in COVID-19 treatment. Moreover, individuals previously immunized/vaccinated or had previous history of malaria, tuberculosis or other disease caused by fifteen microorganisms are expected to display a considerable degree of resistance against SARS-CoV-2 infection. Out of the seven antigenic sites predicted in SARS-CoV-2, a part of two antigenic sites were also predicted as potent T-cell epitopes (KVGGNYNYL^444-452 and SVLYNSASF^366-374) against MHC class I and three (KRISNCVADYSVLYN^356-370, DLCFTNVYADSFVI^389-402, and YRVVVLSFELLHA^508-520) against MHC class II. All epitopes possessed significantly lower predicted IC50 value which is a prerequisite for a preferred vaccine candidate for COVID-19.

Circulating CD4 T Cells Elicited by Endemic Coronaviruses Display Vast Disparities in Abundance and Functional Potential Linked to Antigen Specificity and Age

Repeated infections with endemic human coronaviruses (hCoV) are thought to reflect lack of long-lasting protective immunity. We evaluated circulating human CD4 T cells collected prior to 2020 for reactivity towards hCoV spike proteins, probing for the ability to produce interferon-γ, interleukin-2, or granzyme B. We found robust reactivity to spike-derived epitopes, comparable to influenza, but highly variable abundance and functional potential across subjects, depending on age and viral antigen specificity. To explore potential of these memory cells to be recruited in severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, we examined the subjects for cross-reactive recognition of epitopes from SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid, membrane/envelope, and spike. Functional potential of these cross-reactive CD4 T cells was highly variable; nucleocapsid-specific CD4 T cells but not spike-reactive cells showed exceptionally high levels of granzyme production upon stimulation. These results are considered in light of recruitment of hCoV-reactive cells into responses to SARS-CoV infections or vaccinations.

A novel linker-immunodominant site (LIS) vaccine targeting the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein protects against severe COVID-19 in Syrian hamsters

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is unlikely to abate until sufficient herd immunity is built up by either natural infection or vaccination. We previously identified ten linear immunodominant sites on the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein of which four are located within the RBD. Therefore, we designed two linkerimmunodominant site (LIS) vaccine candidates which are composed of four immunodominant sites within the RBD (RBD-ID) or all the 10 immunodominant sites within the whole spike (S-ID). They were administered by subcutaneous injection and were tested for immunogenicity and in vivo protective efficacy in a hamster model for COVID-19. We showed that the S-ID vaccine induced significantly better neutralizing antibody response than RBD-ID and alum control. As expected, hamsters vaccinated by S-ID had significantly less body weight loss, lung viral load, and histopathological changes of pneumonia. The S-ID has the potential to be an effective vaccine for protection against COVID-19.

Analysis of the potential impact of durability, timing, and transmission blocking of COVID-19 vaccine on morbidity and mortality

BACKGROUND

COVID-19 vaccines have been approved and made available. While questions of vaccine allocation strategies have received significant attention, important questions remain regarding the potential impact of the vaccine given uncertainties regarding efficacy against transmission, availability, timing, and durability.

METHODS

We adapted a susceptible-exposed-infectious-recovered (SEIR) model to examine the potential impact on hospitalization and mortality assuming increasing rates of vaccine efficacy, coverage, and administration. We also evaluated the uncertainty of the vaccine to prevent infectiousness as well as the impact on outcomes based on the timing of distribution and the potential effects of waning immunity.

FINDINGS

Increased vaccine efficacy against disease reduces hospitalizations and deaths from COVID-19; however, the relative benefit of transmission blocking varied depending on the timing of vaccine distribution. Early in an outbreak, a vaccine that reduces transmission will be relatively more effective than one introduced later in the outbreak. In addition, earlier and accelerated implementation of a less effective vaccine is more impactful than later implementation of a more effective vaccine. These findings are magnified when considering the durability of the vaccine. Vaccination in the spring will be less impactful when immunity is less durable.

INTERPRETATION

Policy choices regarding non-pharmaceutical interventions, such as social distancing and face mask use, will need to remain in place longer if the vaccine is less effective at reducing transmission or distributed slower. In addition, the stage of the local outbreak greatly impacts the overall effectiveness of the vaccine in a region and should be considered when allocating vaccines.

FUNDING

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) MInD-Healthcare Program (U01CK000589, 1U01CK000536), James S. McDonnell Foundation 21st Century Science Initiative Collaborative Award in Understanding Dynamic and Multiscale Systems, National Science Foundation (CNS-2027908), National Science Foundation Expeditions (CCF1917819), C3.ai Digital Transformation Institute (AWD1006615), and Google, LLC.

A human coronavirus evolves antigenically to escape antibody immunity

There is intense interest in antibody immunity to coronaviruses. However, it is unknown if coronaviruses evolve to escape such immunity, and if so, how rapidly. Here we address this question by characterizing the historical evolution of human coronavirus 229E. We identify human sera from the 1980s and 1990s that have neutralizing titers against contemporaneous 229E that are comparable to the anti-SARS-CoV-2 titers induced by SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination. We test these sera against 229E strains isolated after sera collection, and find that neutralizing titers are lower against these "future" viruses. In some cases, sera that neutralize contemporaneous 229E viral strains with titers >1:100 do not detectably neutralize strains isolated 8-17 years later. The decreased neutralization of "future" viruses is due to antigenic evolution of the viral spike, especially in the receptor-binding domain. If these results extrapolate to other coronaviruses, then it may be advisable to periodically update SARS-CoV-2 vaccines.

Did coronaviruses cause 'influenza epidemics' prior to 1918?

There were epidemics of influenza-like illness during the winters of 1915–6 and 1916–7 when mortality was low among infants and children but high among older adults (like SARS-CoV-2 but not influenza). Records suggest that ‘influenza’ epidemics preceding the 1918–9 pandemic were caused by multiple respiratory viruses possibly an undocumented coronavirus.

Human neutralising antibodies elicited by SARS-CoV-2 non-D614G variants offer cross-protection against the SARS-CoV-2 D614G variant

OBJECTIVES

The emergence of a SARS-CoV-2 variant with a point mutation in the spike (S) protein, D614G, has taken precedence over the original Wuhan isolate by May 2020. With an increased infection and transmission rate, it is imperative to determine whether antibodies induced against the D614 isolate may cross-neutralise against the G614 variant.

METHODS

Antibody profiling against the SARS-CoV-2 S protein of the D614 variant by flow cytometry and assessment of neutralising antibody titres using pseudotyped lentiviruses expressing the SARS-CoV-2 S protein of either the D614 or G614 variant tagged with a luciferase reporter were performed on plasma samples from COVID-19 patients with known D614G status (n = 44 infected with D614, n = 6 infected with G614, n = 7 containing all other clades: O, S, L, V, G, GH or GR).

RESULTS

Profiling of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 humoral immunity reveals similar neutralisation profiles against both S protein variants, albeit waning neutralising antibody capacity at the later phase of infection. Of clinical importance, patients infected with either the D614 or G614 clade elicited a similar degree of neutralisation against both pseudoviruses, suggesting that the D614G mutation does not impact the neutralisation capacity of the elicited antibodies.

CONCLUSIONS

Cross-reactivity occurs at the functional level of the humoral response on both the S protein variants, which suggests that existing serological assays will be able to detect both D614 and G614 clades of SARS-CoV-2. More importantly, there should be negligible impact towards the efficacy of antibody-based therapies and vaccines that are currently being developed.

Spike S2 Subunit: The Dark Horse in the Race for Prophylactic and Therapeutic Interventions against SARS-CoV-2

In the midst of the unceasing COVID-19 pandemic, the identification of immunogenic epitopes in the SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein plays a vital role in the advancement and development of intervention strategies. S is expressed on the exterior of the SARS-CoV-2 virion and contains two subunits, namely the N-terminal S1 and C-terminal S2. It is the key element for mediating viral entry as well as a crucial antigenic determinant capable of stimulating protective immune response through elicitation of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies and activation of CD4+ and CD8+ cells in COVID-19 patients. Given that S2 is highly conserved in comparison to the S1, here, we provide a review of the latest findings on the SARS-CoV-2 S2 subunit and further discuss its potential as an attractive and promising target for the development of prophylactic vaccines and therapeutic agents against COVID-19.

Toolkit for Quickly Generating and Characterizing Molecular Probes Specific for SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid as a Primer for Future Coronavirus Pandemic Preparedness

Generating and characterizing immunoreagents to enable studies of novel emerging viruses is an area where ensembles of synthetic genes, recombinant antibody pipelines, and modular antibody-reporter fusion proteins can respond rapidly. Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continues to spread through the global population causing widespread morbidity, mortality, and socioeconomic chaos. Using SARS-CoV-2 as our model and starting with a gBlocks encoded nucleocapsid (N) gene, we purified recombinant protein from E. coli, to serve as bait for selecting semisynthetic nanobodies from our Nomad single-pot library. Clones were isolated in days and first fused to Gaussia luciferase to determine EC50 in the tens of nM range, and second fused to the ascorbate peroxidase derivative APEX2 for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 infected cells. To generate inherently fluorescent immunoreagents, we introduce novel periplasmic sdAb fusions made with mNeonGreen and mScarlet-I, which were produced at milligram amounts. The fluorescent fusion proteins enabled concise visualization of SARS-CoV-2 N in the cytoplasm but not in the nucleus 24 h post infection, akin to the distribution of SARS-CoV N, thereby validating these useful imaging tools. SdAb reactivity appeared specific to SARS-CoV-2 with very much weaker binding to SARS-CoV, and no noticeable cross-reactivity to a panel of overexpressed human codon optimized N proteins from other CoV. High periplasmic expression levels and in silico immortalization of the nanobody constructs guarantees a cost-effective and reliable source of SARS-CoV-2 immunoreagents. Our proof-of-principle study should be applicable to known and newly emerging CoV to broaden the tools available for their analysis and help safeguard human health in a more proactive than reactive manner.

Molecular Evolution of Human Coronavirus 229E in Hong Kong and a Fatal COVID-19 Case Involving Coinfection with a Novel Human Coronavirus 229E Genogroup

Compared to other human coronaviruses, the genetic diversity and evolution of human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) are relatively understudied. We report a fatal case of COVID-19 pneumonia coinfected with HCoV-229E in Hong Kong. Genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-229E from a nasopharyngeal sample of the patient showed that the SARS-CoV-2 strain HK13 was most closely related to SARS-CoV-2 type strain Wuhan-Hu-1 (99.99% nucleotide identity), compatible with his recent history of travel to Wuhan. The HCoV-229E strain HK20-42 was most closely related to HCoV-229E strain SC0865 from the United States (99.86% nucleotide identity). To investigate if it may represent a newly emerged HCoV-229E genotype in Hong Kong, we retrieved 41 archived respiratory samples that tested positive for HCoV-229E from 2004 to 2019. Pneumonia and exacerbations of chronic airway diseases were common among infected patients. Complete RdRp, S, and N gene sequencing of the 41 HCoV-229E strains revealed that our contemporary HCoV-229E strains have undergone significant genetic drift with clustering of strains in chronological order. Two novel genogroups were identified, in addition to previously described genogroups 1 to 4, with recent circulating strains including strain HK20-42 belonging to novel genogroup 6. Positive selection was detected in the spike protein and receptor-binding domain, which may be important for viral evolution at the receptor-binding interphase. Molecular dating analysis showed that HCoV-229E shared the most recent common ancestor with bat and camel/alpaca 229E-related viruses at ∼1884, while camel/alpaca viruses had a relatively recent common ancestor at ∼1999. Further studies are required to ascertain the evolutionary origin and path of HCoV-229E.IMPORTANCE Since its first appearance in the 1960s, the genetic diversity and evolution of human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E) have been relatively understudied. In this study, we report a fatal case of COVID-19 coinfected with HCoV-229E in Hong Kong. Genome sequencing revealed that our SARS-CoV-2 strain is highly identical to the SARS-CoV-2 strain from Wuhan, compatible with the patient's recent travel history, whereas our HCoV-229E strain in this study is highly identical to a recent strain in the United States. We also retrieved 41 archived HCoV-229E strains from 2004 to 2019 in Hong Kong for sequence analysis. Pneumonia and exacerbations of chronic airway diseases were common diagnoses among the 41 patients. The results showed that HCoV-229E was evolving in chronological order. Two novel genogroups were identified in addition to the four preexisting HCoV-229E genogroups, with recent circulating strains belonging to novel genogroup 6. Molecular clock analysis dated bat-to-human and bat-to-camelid transmission to as early as 1884.

Evidence for adaptive evolution in the receptor-binding domain of seasonal coronaviruses OC43 and 229e

Seasonal coronaviruses (OC43, 229E, NL63, and HKU1) are endemic to the human population, regularly infecting and reinfecting humans while typically causing asymptomatic to mild respiratory infections. It is not known to what extent reinfection by these viruses is due to waning immune memory or antigenic drift of the viruses. Here we address the influence of antigenic drift on immune evasion of seasonal coronaviruses. We provide evidence that at least two of these viruses, OC43 and 229E, are undergoing adaptive evolution in regions of the viral spike protein that are exposed to human humoral immunity. This suggests that reinfection may be due, in part, to positively selected genetic changes in these viruses that enable them to escape recognition by the immune system. It is possible that, as with seasonal influenza, these adaptive changes in antigenic regions of the virus would necessitate continual reformulation of a vaccine made against them.

The evolutionary dynamics of endemic human coronaviruses

Community protective immunity can affect RNA virus evolution by selecting for new antigenic variants on the scale of years, exemplified by the need of annual evaluation of influenza vaccines. The extent to which this process termed antigenic drift affects coronaviruses remains unknown. Alike the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), seasonal human coronaviruses (HCoV) likely emerged from animal reservoirs as new human pathogens in the past. We therefore analyzed the long-term evolutionary dynamics of the ubiquitous HCoV-229E and HCoV-OC43 in comparison with human influenza A virus (IAV) subtype H3N2. We focus on viral glycoprotein genes that mediate viral entry into cells and are major targets of host neutralizing antibody responses. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian phylogenies of publicly available gene datasets representing about three decades of HCoV and IAV evolution showed that all viruses had similar ladder-like tree shapes compatible with antigenic drift, supported by different tree shape statistics. Evolutionary rates inferred in a Bayesian framework were 6.5 × 10-4 (95% highest posterior density (HPD), 5.4-7.5 × 10-4) substitutions per site per year (s/s/y) for HCoV-229E spike (S) genes and 5.7 × 10-4 (95% HPD, 5-6.5 × 10-4) s/s/y for HCoV-OC43 S genes, which were about fourfold lower than the 2.5 × 10-3 (95% HPD, 2.3-2.7 × 10-3) s/s/y rate for IAV hemagglutinin (HA) genes. Coronavirus S genes accumulated about threefold less (P < 0.001) non-synonymous mutations (dN) over time than IAV HA genes. In both IAV and HCoV, the average rate of dN within the receptor binding domains (RBD) was about fivefold higher (P < 0.0001) than in other glycoprotein gene regions. Similarly, most sites showing evidence for positive selection occurred within the RBD (HCoV-229E, 6/14 sites, P < 0.05; HCoV-OC43, 23/38 sites, P < 0.01; IAV, 13/15 sites, P = 0.08). In sum, the evolutionary dynamics of HCoV and IAV showed several similarities, yet amino acid changes potentially representing antigenic drift occurred on a lower scale in endemic HCoV compared to IAV. It seems likely that pandemic SARS-CoV-2 evolution will bear similarities with IAV evolution including accumulation of adaptive changes in the RBD, requiring vaccines to be updated regularly, whereas higher SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary stability resembling endemic HCoV can be expected in the post-pandemic stage.

Respiratory RNA Viruses: How to Be Prepared for an Encounter with New Pandemic Virus Strains

The characteristics of the biology of influenza viruses and coronavirus that determine the implementation of the infectious process are presented. With provision for pathogenesis of infection possible effects of serine proteinase inhibitors, heparin, and inhibitors of heparan sulfate receptors in the prevention of cell contamination by viruses are examined. It has been determined that chelators of metals of variable valency and antioxidants should be used for the reduction of replicative activity of viruses and anti-inflammatory therapy. The possibility of a pH-dependent impairment of glycosylation of cellular and viral proteins was traced for chloroquine and its derivatives. The use of low-toxicity drugs as part of adjunct therapy increases the effectiveness of synthetic antiviral drugs and interferons and ensures the safety of baseline therapy.

The emerging role of microRNAs in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection

The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has imposed significant public health problems for the human populations worldwide after the 1918 influenza A virus (IVA) (H1N1) pandemic. Although numerous efforts have been made to unravel the mechanisms underlying the coronavirus, a notable gap remains in our perception of the COVID-19 pathogenesis. The innate and adaptive immune systems have a pivotal role in the fate of viral infections, such as COVID-19 pandemic. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are known as short noncoding RNA molecules and appear as indispensable governors of almost any cellular means. Several lines of evidence demonstrate that miRNAs participate in essential mechanisms of cell biology, regulation of the immune system, and the onset and progression of numerous types of disorders. The immune responses to viral respiratory infections (VRIs), including influenza virus (IV), respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and rhinovirus (RV), are correlated with the ectopic expression of miRNAs. Alterations of the miRNA expression in epithelial cells may contribute to the pathogenesis of chronic and acute airway infections. Hence, analyzing the role of these types of nucleotides in antiviral immune responses and the characterization of miRNA target genes might contribute to understanding the mechanisms of the interplay between the host and viruses, and in the future, potentially result in discovering therapeutic strategies for the prevention and treatment of acute COVID-19 infection. In this article, we present a general review of current studies concerning the function of miRNAs in different VRIs, particularly in coronavirus infection, and address all available therapeutic prospects to mitigate the burden of viral infections.

Molecular epidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 clusters caused by asymptomatic cases in Anhui Province, China

Background

COVID-19 is a newly emerging disease caused by a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), which spread globally in early 2020. Asymptomatic carriers of the virus contribute to the propagation of this disease, and the existence of asymptomatic infection has caused widespread fear and concern in the control of this pandemic.

Methods

In this study, we investigated the origin and transmission route of SARS-CoV-2 in Anhui’s two clusters, analyzed the role and infectiousness of asymptomatic patients in disease transmission, and characterized the complete spike gene sequences in the Anhui strains.

Results

We conducted an epidemiological investigation of two clusters caused by asymptomatic infections sequenced the spike gene of viruses isolated from 12 patients. All cases of the two clusters we investigated had clear contact histories, both from Wuhan, Hubei province. The viruses isolated from two outbreaks in Anhui were found to show a genetically close link to the virus from Wuhan. In addition, new single nucleotide variations were discovered in the spike gene.

Conclusions

Both clusters may have resulted from close contact and droplet-spreading and asymptomatic infections were identified as the initial cause. We also analyzed the infectiousness of asymptomatic cases and the challenges to the current epidemic to provided information for the development of control strategies.

Epitope similarity cannot explain the pre-formed T cell immunity towards structural SARS-CoV-2 proteins

The current pandemic is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus and large progress in understanding the pathology of the virus has been made since its emergence in late 2019. Several reports indicate short lasting immunity against endemic coronaviruses, which contrasts studies showing that biobanked venous blood contains T cells reactive to SARS-CoV-2 S-protein even before the outbreak in Wuhan. This suggests a preformed T cell memory towards structural proteins in individuals not exposed to SARS-CoV-2. Given the similarity of SARS-CoV-2 to other members of the Coronaviridae family, the endemic coronaviruses appear likely candidates to generate this T cell memory. However, given the apparent poor immunological memory created by the endemic coronaviruses, immunity against other common pathogens might offer an alternative explanation. Here, we utilize a combination of epitope prediction and similarity to common human pathogens to identify potential sources of the SARS-CoV-2 T cell memory. Although beta-coronaviruses are the most likely candidates to explain the pre-existing SARS-CoV-2 reactive T cells in uninfected individuals, the SARS-CoV-2 epitopes with the highest similarity to those from beta-coronaviruses are confined to replication associated proteins-not the host interacting S-protein. Thus, our study suggests that the observed SARS-CoV-2 pre-formed immunity to structural proteins is not driven by near-identical epitopes.

The past, present and future of RNA respiratory viruses: influenza and coronaviruses

Influenza virus and coronaviruses continue to cause pandemics across the globe. We now have a greater understanding of their functions. Unfortunately, the number of drugs in our armory to defend us against them is inadequate. This may require us to think about what mechanisms to address. Here, we review the biological properties of these viruses, their genetic evolution and antiviral therapies that can be used or have been attempted. We will describe several classes of drugs such as serine protease inhibitors, heparin, heparan sulfate receptor inhibitors, chelating agents, immunomodulators and many others. We also briefly describe some of the drug repurposing efforts that have taken place in an effort to rapidly identify molecules to treat patients with COVID-19. While we put a heavy emphasis on the past and present efforts, we also provide some thoughts about what we need to do to prepare for respiratory viral threats in the future.

Progress and Pitfalls in the Quest for Effective SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) Vaccines

There are currently around 200 SARS-CoV-2 candidate vaccines in preclinical and clinical trials throughout the world. The various candidates employ a range of vaccine strategies including some novel approaches. Currently, the goal is to prove that they are safe and immunogenic in humans (phase 1/2 studies) with several now advancing into phase 2 and 3 trials to demonstrate efficacy and gather comprehensive data on safety. It is highly likely that many vaccines will be shown to stimulate antibody and T cell responses in healthy individuals and have an acceptable safety profile, but the key will be to confirm that they protect against COVID-19. There is much hope that SARS-CoV-2 vaccines will be rolled out to the entire world to contain the pandemic and avert its most damaging impacts. However, in all likelihood this will initially require a targeted approach toward key vulnerable groups. Collaborative efforts are underway to ensure manufacturing can occur at the unprecedented scale and speed required to immunize billions of people. Ensuring deployment also occurs equitably across the globe will be critical. Careful evaluation and ongoing surveillance for safety will be required to address theoretical concerns regarding immune enhancement seen in previous contexts. Herein, we review the current knowledge about the immune response to this novel virus as it pertains to the design of effective and safe SARS-CoV-2 vaccines and the range of novel and established approaches to vaccine development being taken. We provide details of some of the frontrunner vaccines and discuss potential issues including adverse effects, scale-up and delivery.

Spatio-Temporal Mutational Profile Appearances of Swedish SARS-CoV-2 during the Early Pandemic

BACKGROUND

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the virus evolved, and we therefore aimed to provide an insight into which genetic variants were enriched, and how they spread in Sweden.

METHODS

We analyzed 348 Swedish SARS-CoV-2 sequences freely available from GISAID obtained from 7 February 2020 until 14 May 2020.

RESULTS

We identified 14 variant sites ≥5% frequency in the population. Among those sites, the D936Y substitution in the viral Spike protein was under positive selection. The variant sites can distinguish 11 mutational profiles in Sweden. Nine of the profiles appeared in Stockholm in March 2020. Mutational profiles 3 (B.1.1) and 6 (B.1), which contain the D936Y mutation, became the predominant profiles over time, spreading from Stockholm to other Swedish regions during April and the beginning of May. Furthermore, Bayesian phylogenetic analysis indicated that SARS-CoV-2 could have emerged in Sweden on 27 December 2019, and community transmission started on February 1st with an evolutionary rate of 1.5425 × 10-3 substitutions per year.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study provides novel knowledge on the spatio-temporal dynamics of Swedish SARS-CoV-2 variants during the early pandemic. Characterization of these viral variants can provide precious insights on viral pathogenesis and can be valuable for diagnostic and drug development approaches.

SARS-CoV-2 controlled human infection models: Ethics, challenge agent production and regulatory issues

This second International Alliance for Biological Standardization COVID-19 webinar brought together a broad range of international stakeholders, including academia, regulators, funders and industry, with a considerable participation from low- and middle-income countries, to discuss the use of controlled human infection models to accelerate development and market authorization assessment of a vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

Toward Understanding Molecular Bases for Biological Diversification of Human Coronaviruses: Present Status and Future Perspectives

Human coronaviruses (HCoVs) are of zoonotic origins, and seven distinct HCoVs are currently known to infect humans. While the four seasonal HCoVs appear to be mildly pathogenic and circulate among human populations, the other three designated SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 can cause severe diseases in some cases. The newly identified SARS-CoV-2, a causative virus of COVID-19 that can be deadly, is now spreading worldwide much more efficiently than the other two pathogenic viruses. Despite evident differences in these properties, all HCoVs commonly have an exceptionally large genomic RNA with a rather peculiar gene organization and have the potential to readily alter their biological properties. CoVs are characterized by their biological diversifications, high recombination, and efficient adaptive evolution. We are particularly concerned about the high replication and transmission nature of SARS-CoV-2, which may lead to the emergence of more transmissible and/or pathogenic viruses than ever before. Furthermore, novel variant viruses may appear at any time from the CoV pools actively circulating or persistently being maintained in the animal reservoirs, and from the CoVs in infected human individuals. In this review, we describe knowns of the CoVs and then mention their unknowns to clarify the major issues to be addressed. Genome organizations and sequences of numerous CoVs have been determined, and the viruses are presently classified into separate phylogenetic groups. Functional roles in the viral replication cycle in vitro of non-structural and structural proteins are also quite well understood or suggested. In contrast, those in the in vitro and in vivo replication for various accessory proteins encoded by the variable 3' one-third portion of the CoV genome mostly remain to be determined. Importantly, the genomic sequences/structures closely linked to the high CoV recombination are poorly investigated and elucidated. Also, determinants for adaptation and pathogenicity have not been systematically investigated. We summarize here these research situations. Among conceivable projects, we are especially interested in the underlying molecular mechanism by which the observed CoV diversification is generated. Finally, as virologists, we discuss how we handle the present difficulties and propose possible research directions in the medium or long term.

Tracking Changes in SARS-CoV-2 Spike: Evidence that D614G Increases Infectivity of the COVID-19 Virus

A SARS-CoV-2 variant carrying the Spike protein amino acid change D614G has become the most prevalent form in the global pandemic. Dynamic tracking of variant frequencies revealed a recurrent pattern of G614 increase at multiple geographic levels: national, regional, and municipal. The shift occurred even in local epidemics where the original D614 form was well established prior to introduction of the G614 variant. The consistency of this pattern was highly statistically significant, suggesting that the G614 variant may have a fitness advantage. We found that the G614 variant grows to a higher titer as pseudotyped virions. In infected individuals, G614 is associated with lower RT-PCR cycle thresholds, suggestive of higher upper respiratory tract viral loads, but not with increased disease severity. These findings illuminate changes important for a mechanistic understanding of the virus and support continuing surveillance of Spike mutations to aid with development of immunological interventions.

Tracking Changes in SARS-CoV-2 Spike: Evidence that D614G Increases Infectivity of the COVID-19 Virus

A SARS-CoV-2 variant carrying the Spike protein amino acid change D614G has become the most prevalent form in the global pandemic. Dynamic tracking of variant frequencies revealed a recurrent pattern of G614 increase at multiple geographic levels: national, regional, and municipal. The shift occurred even in local epidemics where the original D614 form was well established prior to introduction of the G614 variant. The consistency of this pattern was highly statistically significant, suggesting that the G614 variant may have a fitness advantage. We found that the G614 variant grows to a higher titer as pseudotyped virions. In infected individuals, G614 is associated with lower RT-PCR cycle thresholds, suggestive of higher upper respiratory tract viral loads, but not with increased disease severity. These findings illuminate changes important for a mechanistic understanding of the virus and support continuing surveillance of Spike mutations to aid with development of immunological interventions.

Tracking Changes in SARS-CoV-2 Spike: Evidence that D614G Increases Infectivity of the COVID-19 Virus

A SARS-CoV-2 variant carrying the Spike protein amino acid change D614G has become the most prevalent form in the global pandemic. Dynamic tracking of variant frequencies revealed a recurrent pattern of G614 increase at multiple geographic levels: national, regional, and municipal. The shift occurred even in local epidemics where the original D614 form was well established prior to introduction of the G614 variant. The consistency of this pattern was highly statistically significant, suggesting that the G614 variant may have a fitness advantage. We found that the G614 variant grows to a higher titer as pseudotyped virions. In infected individuals, G614 is associated with lower RT-PCR cycle thresholds, suggestive of higher upper respiratory tract viral loads, but not with increased disease severity. These findings illuminate changes important for a mechanistic understanding of the virus and support continuing surveillance of Spike mutations to aid with development of immunological interventions.

Longitudinal epidemiology of human coronavirus OC43 in Yamagata, Japan, 2010-2017: Two groups based on spike gene appear one after another

Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) is divided into genotypes A to H based on genetic recombination including the spike (S) gene. To investigate the longitudinal transition of the phylogenetic feature of the HCoV-OC43 S gene in a community, phylogenetic analysis of the S1 region of the S gene was conducted using 208 strains detected in Yamagata during 2010 to 2017 with reference strains of the genotype. The S1 sequences were divisible into four groups: A to D. All Yamagata strains belonged to either group B or group D. In group B, 46 (90.2%) out of 51 Yamagata strains were clustered with those of genotype E reference strains (cluster E). In group D, 28 (17.8%) and 122 (77.7%) out of 157 Yamagata strains were clustered, respectively, with genotype F and genotype G reference strains. In cluster G, 28 strains formed a distinct cluster. Monthly distributions of HCoV-OC43 in Yamagata in 2010 to 2017 revealed that group B and group D appeared one after another. In group B, the cluster E strains were prevalent recurrently. In conclusion, epidemics of HCoV-OC43 in Yamagata, Japan might be attributable to two genetically different groups: group B showed a recurrent epidemic of strains belonging to a single phylogenetic cluster and group D showed epidemic strains belonging to multiple clusters.

The dynamics of humoral immune responses following SARS-CoV-2 infection and the potential for reinfection

SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus that is the causative agent of coronavirus infectious disease 2019 (COVID-19). As of 17 April 2020, it has infected 2 114 269 people, resulting in 145 144 deaths. The timing, magnitude and longevity of humoral immunity is not yet understood for SARS-CoV-2. Nevertheless, understanding this is urgently required to inform the likely future dynamics of the pandemic, to guide strategies to allow relaxation of social distancing measures and to understand how to deploy limiting vaccine doses when they become available to achieve maximum impact. SARS-CoV-2 is the seventh human coronavirus to be described. Four human coronaviruses circulate seasonally and cause common colds. Two other coronaviruses, SARS and MERS, have crossed from animal sources into humans but have not become endemic. Here we review what is known about the human humoral immune response to epidemic SARS CoV and MERS CoV and to the seasonal, endemic coronaviruses. Then we summarize recent, mostly non-peer reviewed, studies into SARS-CoV-2 serology and reinfection in humans and non-human primates and summarize current pressing research needs.

Transmission and evolutionary dynamics of human coronavirus OC43 strains in coastal Kenya investigated by partial spike sequence analysis, 2015-16

Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) is a major contributor to seasonal outbreaks of acute respiratory illness (ARI). The origins of locally circulating HCoV-OC43 strains and characteristics of their genetic diversity are unknown for most settings despite significance to effective HCoV control strategies. Between December 2015 and June 2016, we undertook ARI surveillance in coastal Kenya in nine outpatients and one inpatient health facility (HF). Ninety-two patient samples tested HCoV-OC43 positive and forty (43.5%) were successfully sequenced in spike (S) gene region (2,864 long, ∼70%). Phylogenetic analysis confirmed co-circulation of two distinct HCoV-OC43 clades that closely clustered with genotype G (n = 34, 85%) and genotype H (n = 6, 15%) reference strains. Local viruses within the same clade displayed low genetic diversity yielding identical sequences in multiple HF. Furthermore, the newly sequenced Kenyan viruses showed close phylogenetic relationship to other contemporaneous sampled strains (2015-16) including those originating from distant places (e.g. USA and China). Using a genetic similarity threshold of 99.1 per cent at nucleotide level, the HCoV-OC43 strains sampled globally between 1967 and 2019 fell into nine sequence clusters. Notably, some of these clusters appeared to have become extinct, or occurred only sporadically in a few geographical areas while others persisted globally for multiple years. In conclusion, we found that HCoV-OC43 strains spread rapidly both locally and across the globe with limited genetic evolution in the spike gene. Full-genome sequences that are spatio-temporally representative are required to advance understanding of the transmission pathways of this important human respiratory pathogen.

Universal coronavirus vaccines: the time to start is now

The continued explosive spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) despite aggressive public health measures has triggered an unprecedented international vaccine effort. However, correlates of protection, which can help guide intelligent vaccine design, are not known for SARS-CoV-2. Research on influenza immunity and vaccine development may provide valuable lessons for coronavirus efforts, especially considering similarities in rapid evolutionary potential. The apparent inevitability of future novel coronavirus outbreaks must prompt work on a universal coronavirus vaccine.

Global Transmission, Spatial Segregation, and Recombination Determine the Long-Term Evolution and Epidemiology of Bovine Coronaviruses

Bovine coronavirus (BCoV) is widespread in cattle and wild ruminant populations throughout the world. The virus causes neonatal calf diarrhea and winter dysentery in adult cattle, as well as upper and lower respiratory tract infection in young cattle. We isolated and deep sequenced whole genomes of BCoV from calves with respiratory distress in the south–west of France and conducted a comparative genome analysis using globally collected BCoV sequences to provide insights into the genomic characteristics, evolutionary origins, and global diversity of BCoV. Molecular clock analyses allowed us to estimate that the BCoV ancestor emerged in the 1940s, and that two geographically distinct lineages diverged from the 1960s–1970s. A recombination event in the spike gene (breakpoint at nt 1100) may be at the origin of the genetic divergence sixty years ago. Little evidence of genetic mixing between the spatially segregated lineages was found, suggesting that BCoV genetic diversity is a result of a global transmission pathway that occurred during the last century. However, we found variation in evolution rates between the European and non-European lineages indicating differences in virus ecology.

Evolutionary genetics of canine respiratory coronavirus and recent introduction into Swedish dogs

Canine respiratory coronavirus (CRCoV) has been identified as a causative agent of canine infectious respiratory disease, an upper respiratory infection affecting dogs. The epidemiology is currently opaque, with an unclear understanding of global prevalence, pathology, and genetic characteristics. In this study, Swedish privately-owned dogs with characteristic signs of canine infectious respiratory disease (n = 88) were screened for CRCoV and 13 positive samples (14.7%, 8.4-23.7% [95% confidence interval (CI)]) were further sequenced. Sequenced Swedish CRCoV isolates were highly similar despite being detected in dogs living in geographically distant locations and sampled across 3 years (2013-2015). This is due to a single introduction into Swedish dogs in approximately 2010, as inferred by time structured phylogeny. Unlike other CRCoVs, there was no evidence of recombination in Swedish CRCoV viruses, further supporting a single introduction. Finally, there were low levels of polymorphisms, in the spike genes. Overall, we demonstrate that there is little diversity of CRCoV which is endemic in Swedish dogs.

Protein Sequence Comparison and DNA-binding Protein Identification with Generalized PseAAC and Graphical Representation

AIM AND OBJECTIVE

The rapid increase in the amount of protein sequence data available leads to an urgent need for novel computational algorithms to analyze and compare these sequences. This study is undertaken to develop an efficient computational approach for timely encoding protein sequences and extracting the hidden information.

METHODS

Based on two physicochemical properties of amino acids, a protein primary sequence was converted into a three-letter sequence, and then a graph without loops and multiple edges and its geometric line adjacency matrix were obtained. A generalized PseAAC (pseudo amino acid composition) model was thus constructed to characterize a protein sequence numerically.

RESULTS

By using the proposed mathematical descriptor of a protein sequence, similarity comparisons among β-globin proteins of 17 species and 72 spike proteins of coronaviruses were made, respectively. The resulting clusters agreed well with the established taxonomic groups. In addition, a generalized PseAAC based SVM (support vector machine) model was developed to identify DNA-binding proteins. Experiment results showed that our method performed better than DNAbinder, DNA-Prot, iDNA-Prot and enDNA-Prot by 3.29-10.44% in terms of ACC, 0.056-0.206 in terms of MCC, and 1.45-15.76% in terms of F1M. When the benchmark dataset was expanded with negative samples, the presented approach outperformed the four previous methods with improvement in the range of 2.49-19.12% in terms of ACC, 0.05-0.32 in terms of MCC, and 3.82- 33.85% in terms of F1M.

CONCLUSION

These results suggested that the generalized PseAAC model was very efficient for comparison and analysis of protein sequences, and very competitive in identifying DNA-binding proteins.

Current understanding of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus infection in human and animal models

Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) is a highly lethal respiratory disease caused by a novel betacoronavirus (MERS coronavirus, MERS-CoV). Since its first emergence in 2012, multiple transmission events of MERS-CoV (dromedary to human and human to human) have been reported, indicating that MERS-CoV has the potential to cause widespread outbreak. However, the epidemiology of MERS as well as immune responses against the virus in animal models and patients are still not well understood, hindering the vaccine and therapeutic developments. In this review, we summarize recent genetic and epidemic findings of MERS-CoV and the progress in animal model development, immune response studies in both animals and humans. At last, we discussed the breakthrough on vaccine and therapeutic development which are important against potential future MERS outbreak.

Pulmonary immunity to viruses

Mucosal surfaces, such as the respiratory epithelium, are directly exposed to the external environment and therefore, are highly susceptible to viral infection. As a result, the respiratory tract has evolved a variety of innate and adaptive immune defenses in order to prevent viral infection or promote the rapid destruction of infected cells and facilitate the clearance of the infecting virus. Successful adaptive immune responses often lead to a functional state of immune memory, in which memory lymphocytes and circulating antibodies entirely prevent or lessen the severity of subsequent infections with the same virus. This is also the goal of vaccination, although it is difficult to vaccinate in a way that mimics respiratory infection. Consequently, some vaccines lead to robust systemic immune responses, but relatively poor mucosal immune responses that protect the respiratory tract. In addition, adaptive immunity is not without its drawbacks, as overly robust inflammatory responses may lead to lung damage and impair gas exchange or exacerbate other conditions, such as asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Thus, immune responses to respiratory viral infections must be strong enough to eliminate infection, but also have mechanisms to limit damage and promote tissue repair in order to maintain pulmonary homeostasis. Here, we will discuss the components of the adaptive immune system that defend the host against respiratory viral infections.

Interpatient mutational spectrum of human coronavirus-OC43 revealed by illumina sequencing

Human coronaviruses (HCoV) are RNA viruses that cause respiratory tract infections with viral replication of limited duration. The host and viral population heterogeneity could influence clinical phenotypes. Employing long RT‐PCR with Illumina sequencing, we quantified the gene mutation load at 0.5% mutation frequency for the 4529 bp‐domain spanning the Spike gene (4086 bp) of HCoV‐OC43 in four upper respiratory clinical specimens obtained during acute illness. There were a total of 121 mutations for all four HCoV samples with the average number of mutations at 30.3 ± 10.2, which is significantly higher than that expected from the Illumina sequencing error rate. There were two mutation peaks, one at the 5′ end and the other near position 1 550 in the S1 subunit. Two coronavirus samples were genotype B and two were genotype D, clustering with HCoV‐OC43 strain AY391777 in neighbor‐joining tree phylogenetic analysis. Nonsynonymous mutations were 76.1 ± 14% of mutation load. Although lower than other RNA viruses such as hepatitis C virus, HCoV‐OC43 did exhibit quasi‐species. The rate of nonsynonymous mutations was higher in the HCoV‐OC43 isolates than in hepatitis C (HCV) virus genotype 1a isolates analyzed for comparison in this study. These characteristics of HCoV‐OC43 may affect viral replication dynamics, receptor binding, antigenicity, evolution, transmission, and clinical illness.

Identification and evolutionary dynamics of two novel human coronavirus OC43 genotypes associated with acute respiratory infections: phylogenetic, spatiotemporal and transmission network analyses

Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) is commonly associated with respiratory tract infections in humans, with five genetically distinct genotypes (A to E) described so far. In this study, we obtained the full-length genomes of HCoV-OC43 strains from two previously unrecognized lineages identified among patients presenting with severe upper respiratory tract symptoms in a cross-sectional molecular surveillance study in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, between 2012 and 2013. Phylogenetic, recombination and comparative genomic analyses revealed two distinct clusters diverging from a genotype D-like common ancestor through recombination with a putative genotype A-like lineage in the non-structural protein (nsp) 10 gene. Signature amino acid substitutions and a glycine residue insertion at the N-terminal domain of the S1 subunit of the spike gene, among others, exhibited further distinction in a recombination pattern, to which these clusters were classified as genotypes F and G. The phylogeographic mapping of the global spike gene indicated that the genetically similar HCoV-OC43 genotypes F and G strains were potentially circulating in China, Japan, Thailand and Europe as early as the late 2000s. The transmission network construction based on the TN93 pairwise genetic distance revealed the emergence and persistence of multiple sub-epidemic clusters of the highly prevalent genotype D and its descendant genotypes F and G, which contributed to the spread of HCoV-OC43 in the region. Finally, a more consistent nomenclature system for non-recombinant and recombinant HCoV-OC43 lineages is proposed, taking into account genetic recombination as an important feature in HCoV evolution and classification.

The role of microRNAs in respiratory viral infection: friend or foe?

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) have emerged as a class of regulatory RNAs in host-pathogen interactions. Aberrant miRNA expression seems to play a central role in the pathology of several respiratory viruses, promoting development and progression of infection. miRNAs may thus serve as therapeutic and prognostic factors for respiratory viral infectious disease caused by a variety of agents. We present a comprehensive review of recent findings related to the role of miRNAs in different respiratory viral infections and discuss possible therapeutic opportunities aiming to attenuate the burden of viral infections. Our review supports the emerging concept that cellular and viral-encoded miRNAs might be broadly implicated in human respiratory viral infections, with either positive or negative effects on virus life cycle. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.