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Hoenigsperger H, Sivarajan R, Sparrer KM. Differences and similarities between innate immune evasion strategies of human coronaviruses. Curr Opin Microbiol 2024; 79:102466. [PMID: 38555743 DOI: 10.1016/j.mib.2024.102466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 02/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/02/2024]
Abstract
So far, seven coronaviruses have emerged in humans. Four recurring endemic coronaviruses cause mild respiratory symptoms. Infections with epidemic Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus or severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV)-1 are associated with high mortality rates. SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. To establish an infection, coronaviruses evade restriction by human innate immune defenses, such as the interferon system, autophagy and the inflammasome. Here, we review similar and distinct innate immune manipulation strategies employed by the seven human coronaviruses. We further discuss the impact on pathogenesis, zoonotic emergence and adaptation. Understanding the nature of the interplay between endemic/epidemic/pandemic coronaviruses and host defenses may help to better assess the pandemic potential of emerging coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene Hoenigsperger
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
| | - Rinu Sivarajan
- Institute of Molecular Virology, Ulm University Medical Center, 89081 Ulm, Germany
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2
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Ferreira P, Soares R, López-Fernández H, Vazquez N, Reboiro-Jato M, Vieira CP, Vieira J. Multiple Lines of Evidence Support 199 SARS-CoV-2 Positively Selected Amino Acid Sites. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:2428. [PMID: 38397104 PMCID: PMC10889775 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25042428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 amino acid variants that contribute to an increased transmissibility or to host immune system escape are likely to increase in frequency due to positive selection and may be identified using different methods, such as codeML, FEL, FUBAR, and MEME. Nevertheless, when using different methods, the results do not always agree. The sampling scheme used in different studies may partially explain the differences that are found, but there is also the possibility that some of the identified positively selected amino acid sites are false positives. This is especially important in the context of very large-scale projects where hundreds of analyses have been performed for the same protein-coding gene. To account for these issues, in this work, we have identified positively selected amino acid sites in SARS-CoV-2 and 15 other coronavirus species, using both codeML and FUBAR, and compared the location of such sites in the different species. Moreover, we also compared our results to those that are available in the COV2Var database and the frequency of the 10 most frequent variants and predicted protein location to identify those sites that are supported by multiple lines of evidence. Amino acid changes observed at these sites should always be of concern. The information reported for SARS-CoV-2 can also be used to identify variants of concern in other coronaviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedro Ferreira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (P.F.); (R.S.); (C.P.V.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), Porto University, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
| | - Ricardo Soares
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (P.F.); (R.S.); (C.P.V.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
- School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (ICBAS), Porto University, Rua de Jorge Viterbo Ferreira 228, 4050-313 Porto, Portugal
- Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade do Porto (FCUP), Rua do Campo Alegre s/n, 4169-007 Porto, Portugal
| | - Hugo López-Fernández
- CINBIO, Department of Computer Science, ESEI—Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Informática, Universidade de Vigo, 32004 Ourense, Spain; (H.L.-F.); (M.R.-J.)
- CINBIO, SING Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36213 Vigo, Spain
| | - Noé Vazquez
- CINBIO, Department of Computer Science, ESEI—Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Informática, Universidade de Vigo, 32004 Ourense, Spain; (H.L.-F.); (M.R.-J.)
- CINBIO, SING Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36213 Vigo, Spain
| | - Miguel Reboiro-Jato
- CINBIO, Department of Computer Science, ESEI—Escuela Superior de Ingeniería Informática, Universidade de Vigo, 32004 Ourense, Spain; (H.L.-F.); (M.R.-J.)
- CINBIO, SING Research Group, Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), SERGAS-UVIGO, 36213 Vigo, Spain
| | - Cristina P. Vieira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (P.F.); (R.S.); (C.P.V.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
| | - Jorge Vieira
- Instituto de Investigação e Inovação em Saúde (i3S), Universidade do Porto, Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal; (P.F.); (R.S.); (C.P.V.)
- Instituto de Biologia Molecular e Celular (IBMC), Rua Alfredo Allen 208, 4200-135 Porto, Portugal
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Gupta S, Gupta D, Bhatnagar S. Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genome evolutionary patterns. Microbiol Spectr 2024; 12:e0265423. [PMID: 38197644 PMCID: PMC10846092 DOI: 10.1128/spectrum.02654-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024] Open
Abstract
The spread of SARS-CoV-2 virus accompanied by public availability of abundant sequence data provides a window for the determination of viral evolutionary patterns. In this study, SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences were collected from seven countries in the period January 2020-December 2022. The sequences were classified into three phases, namely, pre-vaccination, post-vaccination, and recent period. Comparison was performed between these phases based on parameters like mutation rates, selection pressure (dN/dS ratio), and transition to transversion ratios (Ti/Tv). Similar comparisons were performed among SARS-CoV-2 variants. Statistical significance was tested using Graphpad unpaired t-test. The analysis showed an increase in the percent genomic mutation rates post-vaccination and in recent periods across all countries from the pre-vaccination sequences. Mutation rates were highest in NSP3, S, N, and NSP12b before and increased further after vaccination. NSP4 showed the largest change in mutation rates after vaccination. The dN/dS ratios showed purifying selection that shifted toward neutral selection after vaccination. N, ORF8, ORF3a, and ORF10 were under highest positive selection before vaccination. Shift toward neutral selection was driven by E, NSP3, and ORF7a in the after vaccination set. In recent sequences, the largest dN/dS change was observed in E, NSP1, and NSP13. The Ti/Tv ratios decreased with time. C→U and G→U were the most frequent transitions and transversions. However, U→G was the most frequent transversion in recent period. The Omicron variant had the highest genomic mutation rates, while Delta showed the highest dN/dS ratio. Protein-wise dN/dS ratio was also seen to vary across the different variants.IMPORTANCETo the best of our knowledge, there exists no other large-scale study of the genomic and protein-wise mutation patterns during the time course of evolution in different countries. Analyzing the SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary patterns in view of the varying spatial, temporal, and biological signals is important for diagnostics, therapeutics, and pharmacovigilance of SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shubhangi Gupta
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Computational and Structural Biology Laboratory, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Deepanshu Gupta
- Division of Biotechnology, Computational and Structural Biology Laboratory, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
| | - Sonika Bhatnagar
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Computational and Structural Biology Laboratory, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
- Division of Biotechnology, Computational and Structural Biology Laboratory, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Dwarka, New Delhi, India
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Federico L, Malone B, Tennøe S, Chaban V, Osen JR, Gainullin M, Smorodina E, Kared H, Akbar R, Greiff V, Stratford R, Clancy T, Munthe LA. Experimental validation of immunogenic SARS-CoV-2 T cell epitopes identified by artificial intelligence. Front Immunol 2023; 14:1265044. [PMID: 38045681 PMCID: PMC10691274 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1265044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
During the COVID-19 pandemic we utilized an AI-driven T cell epitope prediction tool, the NEC Immune Profiler (NIP) to scrutinize and predict regions of T cell immunogenicity (hotspots) from the entire SARS-CoV-2 viral proteome. These immunogenic regions offer potential for the development of universally protective T cell vaccine candidates. Here, we validated and characterized T cell responses to a set of minimal epitopes from these AI-identified universal hotspots. Utilizing a flow cytometry-based T cell activation-induced marker (AIM) assay, we identified 59 validated screening hits, of which 56% (33 peptides) have not been previously reported. Notably, we found that most of these novel epitopes were derived from the non-spike regions of SARS-CoV-2 (Orf1ab, Orf3a, and E). In addition, ex vivo stimulation with NIP-predicted peptides from the spike protein elicited CD8+ T cell response in PBMC isolated from most vaccinated donors. Our data confirm the predictive accuracy of AI platforms modelling bona fide immunogenicity and provide a novel framework for the evaluation of vaccine-induced T cell responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lorenzo Federico
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | - Viktoriia Chaban
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Julie Røkke Osen
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Murat Gainullin
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Eva Smorodina
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Hassen Kared
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Rahmad Akbar
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | - Victor Greiff
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- Institute of Clinical Medicine, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
| | | | | | - Ludvig Andre Munthe
- Department of Immunology, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway
- KG Jebsen Centre for B cell Malignancies, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Gomez-Romero N, Basurto-Alcantara FJ, Velazquez-Salinas L. Assessing the Potential Role of Cats ( Felis catus) as Generators of Relevant SARS-CoV-2 Lineages during the Pandemic. Pathogens 2023; 12:1361. [PMID: 38003825 PMCID: PMC10675002 DOI: 10.3390/pathogens12111361] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2023] [Revised: 11/09/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Several questions regarding the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 remain poorly elucidated. One of these questions is the possible evolutionary impact of SARS-CoV-2 after the infection in domestic animals. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the potential role of cats as generators of relevant SARS-CoV-2 lineages during the pandemic. A total of 105 full-length genome viral sequences obtained from naturally infected cats during the pandemic were evaluated by distinct evolutionary algorithms. Analyses were enhanced, including a set of highly related SARS-CoV-2 sequences recovered from human populations. Our results showed the apparent high susceptibility of cats to the infection SARS-CoV-2 compared with other animal species. Evolutionary analyses indicated that the phylogenomic characteristics displayed by cat populations were influenced by the dominance of specific SARS-CoV-2 genetic groups affecting human populations. However, disparate dN/dS rates at some genes between populations recovered from cats and humans suggested that infection in these two species may suggest a different evolutionary constraint for SARS-CoV-2. Interestingly, the branch selection analysis showed evidence of the potential role of natural selection in the emergence of five distinct cat lineages during the pandemic. Although these lineages were apparently irrelevant to public health during the pandemic, our results suggested that additional studies are needed to understand the role of other animal species in the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the pandemic.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ninnet Gomez-Romero
- Comisión México-Estados Unidos para la Prevención de Fiebre Aftosa y Otras Enfermedades Exóticas de los Animales, Carretera Mexico-Toluca Km 15.5 Piso 4 Col. Palo Alto, Cuajimalpa de Morelos, Mexico City 05110, Mexico;
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad No. 3000 Col Copilco Universidad, Mexico City 14510, Mexico;
| | - Francisco Javier Basurto-Alcantara
- Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria y Zootecnia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad No. 3000 Col Copilco Universidad, Mexico City 14510, Mexico;
| | - Lauro Velazquez-Salinas
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
- National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Manhattan, KS 66502, USA
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Ramirez-Medina E, Velazquez-Salinas L, Rai A, Espinoza N, Valladares A, Silva E, Burton L, Spinard E, Meyers A, Risatti G, Calvelage S, Blome S, Gladue DP, Borca MV. Evaluation of the Deletion of the African Swine Fever Virus Gene O174L from the Genome of the Georgia Isolate. Viruses 2023; 15:2134. [PMID: 37896911 PMCID: PMC10612027 DOI: 10.3390/v15102134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2023] [Revised: 10/15/2023] [Accepted: 10/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is a structurally complex, double-stranded DNA virus, which causes African swine fever (ASF), a contagious disease affecting swine. ASF is currently affecting pork production in a large geographical region, including Eurasia and the Caribbean. ASFV has a large genome, which harbors more than 160 genes, but most of these genes' functions have not been experimentally characterized. One of these genes is the O174L gene which has been experimentally shown to function as a small DNA polymerase. Here, we demonstrate that the deletion of the O174L gene from the genome of the virulent strain ASFV Georgia2010 (ASFV-G) does not significantly affect virus replication in vitro or in vivo. A recombinant virus, having deleted the O174L gene, ASFV-G-∆O174L, was developed to study the effect of the O174L protein in replication in swine macrophages cultures in vitro and disease production when inoculated in pigs. The results demonstrated that ASFV-G-∆O174L has similar replication kinetics to parental ASFV-G in swine macrophage cultures. In addition, animals intramuscularly inoculated with 102 HAD50 of ASFV-G-∆O174L presented a clinical form of the disease that is indistinguishable from that induced by the parental virulent strain ASFV-G. All animals developed a lethal disease, being euthanized around day 7 post-infection. Therefore, although O174L is a well-characterized DNA polymerase, its function is apparently not critical for the process of virus replication, both in vitro and in vivo, or for disease production in domestic pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ramirez-Medina
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Lauro Velazquez-Salinas
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Ayushi Rai
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Nallely Espinoza
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Alyssa Valladares
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Ediane Silva
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Leeanna Burton
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Edward Spinard
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Amanda Meyers
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Guillermo Risatti
- Department of Pathobiology and Veterinary Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA;
| | - Sten Calvelage
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (S.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Sandra Blome
- Friedrich-Loeffler-Institut, Federal Research Institute for Animal Health, Südufer 10, 17493 Greifswald-Insel Riems, Germany; (S.C.); (S.B.)
| | - Douglas P. Gladue
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
| | - Manuel V. Borca
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.R.-M.); (L.V.-S.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (A.V.); (E.S.); (L.B.); (E.S.); (A.M.)
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Cecchetto R, Tonon E, Medaina N, Turri G, Diani E, Piccaluga PP, Salomoni A, Conti M, Tacconelli E, Lagni A, Lotti V, Favarato M, Gibellini D. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Δ426 ORF8 Deletion Mutant Cluster in NGS Screening. Microorganisms 2023; 11:2378. [PMID: 37894036 PMCID: PMC10609088 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms11102378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Next-generation sequencing (NGS) from SARS-CoV-2-positive swabs collected during the last months of 2022 revealed a large deletion spanning ORF7b and ORF8 (426 nt) in six patients infected with the BA.5.1 Omicron variant. This extensive genome loss removed a large part of these two genes, maintaining in frame the first 22 aminoacids of ORF7b and the last three aminoacids of ORF8. Interestingly, the deleted region was flanked by two small repeats, which were likely involved in the formation of a hairpin structure. Similar rearrangements, comparable in size and location to the deletion, were also identified in 15 sequences in the NCBI database. In this group, seven out of 15 cases from the USA and Switzerland presented both the BA.5.1 variant and the same 426 nucleotides deletion. It is noteworthy that three out of six cases were detected in patients with immunodeficiency, and it is conceivable that this clinical condition could promote the replication and selection of these mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Riccardo Cecchetto
- Microbiology Section, Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (R.C.); (E.T.); (A.L.); (V.L.); (D.G.)
- UOC Microbiology Unit, AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (N.M.); (G.T.)
| | - Emil Tonon
- Microbiology Section, Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (R.C.); (E.T.); (A.L.); (V.L.); (D.G.)
- UOC Microbiology Unit, AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (N.M.); (G.T.)
| | - Nicoletta Medaina
- UOC Microbiology Unit, AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (N.M.); (G.T.)
| | - Giona Turri
- UOC Microbiology Unit, AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (N.M.); (G.T.)
| | - Erica Diani
- Microbiology Section, Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (R.C.); (E.T.); (A.L.); (V.L.); (D.G.)
| | - Pier Paolo Piccaluga
- Hematopathology Section, Department of Experimental, Diagnostic, and Experimental Medicine, Bologna University, 40126 Bologna, Italy;
| | - Angela Salomoni
- Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale delle Venezie, Legnaro, 35020 Padua, Italy;
| | - Michela Conti
- Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (M.C.); (E.T.)
| | - Evelina Tacconelli
- Infectious Diseases Section, Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (M.C.); (E.T.)
| | - Anna Lagni
- Microbiology Section, Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (R.C.); (E.T.); (A.L.); (V.L.); (D.G.)
| | - Virginia Lotti
- Microbiology Section, Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (R.C.); (E.T.); (A.L.); (V.L.); (D.G.)
| | - Mosé Favarato
- Molecular Diagnostics and Genetics, AULSS 3 Serenissima, 30174 Venice, Italy;
| | - Davide Gibellini
- Microbiology Section, Department of Diagnostic and Public Health, University of Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (R.C.); (E.T.); (A.L.); (V.L.); (D.G.)
- UOC Microbiology Unit, AOUI Verona, 37134 Verona, Italy; (N.M.); (G.T.)
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Bhattacharjee MJ, Bhattacharya A, Kashyap B, Taw MJ, Li WH, Mukherjee AK, Khan MR. Genome analysis of SARS-CoV-2 isolates from a population reveals the rapid selective sweep of a haplotype carrying many pre-existing and new mutations. Virol J 2023; 20:201. [PMID: 37658381 PMCID: PMC10474745 DOI: 10.1186/s12985-023-02139-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Accepted: 07/24/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
To understand the mechanism underlying the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in a population, we sequenced 92 viral genomes from Assam, India. Analysis of these and database sequences revealed a complete selective sweep of a haplotype in Assam carrying 13 pre-existing variants, including a high leap in frequency of a variant on ORF8, which is involved in immune evasion. A comparative study between sequences of same lineage and similar time frames in and outside Assam showed that 10 of the 13 pre-existing variants had a frequency ranging from 96 to 99%, and the remaining 3 had a low frequency outside Assam. Using a phylogenetic approach to infer sequential occurrences of variants we found that the variant Phe120del on ORF8, which had a low frequency (1.75%) outside Assam, is at the base of the phylogenetic tree of variants and became totally fixed (100%) in Assam population. Based on this observation, we inferred that the variant on ORF8 had a selective advantage, so it carried the haplotype to reach the100% frequency. The haplotype also carried 32 pre-existing variants at a frequency from 1.00 to 80.00% outside Assam. Those of these variants that are more closely linked to the S-protein locus, which often carries advantageous mutations and is tightly linked to the ORF8 locus, retained higher frequencies, while the less tightly linked variants showed lower frequencies, likely due to recombination among co- circulating variants in Assam. The ratios of non-synonymous substitutions to synonymous substitutions suggested that some genes such as those coding for the S-protein and non-structural proteins underwent positive selection while others were subject to purifying selection during their evolution in Assam. Furthermore, we observed negative correlation of the Ct value of qRT-PCR of the patients with abundant ORF6 transcripts, suggesting that ORF6 can be used as a marker for estimating viral titer. In conclusion, our in-depth analysis of SARS-CoV-2 genomes in a regional population reveals the mechanism and dynamics of viral evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maloyjo Joyraj Bhattacharjee
- Division of Life Science, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Paschim Boragaon, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India
| | - Anupam Bhattacharya
- Division of Life Science, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Paschim Boragaon, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India
| | - Bhaswati Kashyap
- Division of Life Science, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Paschim Boragaon, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India
| | - Manash Jyoti Taw
- Department of Microbiology, Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, Guwahati, Assam, 781032, India
| | - Wen-Hsiung Li
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, 11529, Taipei, Taiwan.
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - Ashis K Mukherjee
- Division of Life Science, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Paschim Boragaon, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India.
| | - Mojibur Rohman Khan
- Division of Life Science, Institute of Advanced Study in Science and Technology, Paschim Boragaon, Guwahati, Assam, 781035, India.
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9
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Li K, Melnychuk S, Sandstrom P, Ji H. Tracking the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant of concern: analysis of genetic diversity and selection across the whole viral genome. Front Microbiol 2023; 14:1222301. [PMID: 37614597 PMCID: PMC10443222 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1222301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Accepted: 07/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Since 2019, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has diversified extensively, producing five highly virulent lineages designated as variants of concern (VOCs). The Delta VOC emerged in India with increased transmission, immune evasion, and mortality, causing a massive global case surge in 2021. This study aims to understand how the Delta VOC evolved by characterizing mutation patterns in the viral population before and after its emergence. Furthermore, we aim to identify the influence of positive and negative selection on VOC evolution and understand the prevalence of different mutation types in the viral genome. Methods Three groups of whole viral genomes were retrieved from GISAID, sourced from India, with collection periods as follows: Group A-during the initial appearance of SARS-CoV-2; Group B-just before the emergence of the Delta variant; Group C-after the establishment of the Delta variant in India. Mutations in >1% of each group were identified with BioEdit to reveal differences in mutation quantity and type. Sites under positive or negative selection were identified with FUBAR. The results were compared to determine how mutations correspond with selective pressures and how viral mutation profiles changed to reflect genetic diversity before and after VOC emergence. Results The number of mutations increased progressively in Groups A-C, with Group C reporting a 2.2- and 1.9-fold increase from Groups A and B, respectively. Among all the observed mutations, Group C had the highest percentage of deletions (22.7%; vs. 4.2% and 2.6% in Groups A and B, respectively), and most mutations altered the final amino acid code, such as non-synonymous substitutions and deletions. Conversely, Group B had the most synonymous substitutions that are effectively silent. The number of sites experiencing positive selection increased in Groups A-C, but Group B had 2.4- and 2.6 times more sites under negative selection compared to Groups A and C, respectively. Conclusion Our findings demonstrated that viral genetic diversity continuously increased during and after the emergence of the Delta VOC. Despite this, Group B reports heightened negative selection, which potentially preserves important gene regions during evolution. Group C contains an unprecedented quantity of mutations and positively selected sites, providing strong evidence of active viral adaptation in the population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katherine Li
- National Microbiology Laboratory at JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Stephanie Melnychuk
- National Microbiology Laboratory at JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Paul Sandstrom
- National Microbiology Laboratory at JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Hezhao Ji
- National Microbiology Laboratory at JC Wilt Infectious Diseases Research Centre, Public Health Agency of Canada, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
- Department of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases, Max Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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10
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Velazquez-Salinas L. Deciphering the evolutionary mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2: Absence of ORF8 protein and its potential advantage in the emergence of viral lineages. J Med Virol 2023; 95:e29002. [PMID: 37534900 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.29002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2023] [Revised: 05/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 08/04/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Lauro Velazquez-Salinas
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Greenport, New York, USA
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11
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Chen YJ, Huang JC, Yang CP, Hsu KF, Liu HF. A Comprehensive Phylogenetic Analysis of SARS-CoV-2: Utilizing a Novel and Convenient In-House RT-PCR Method for Characterization without Virus Culture and BSL-3 Facilities. Viruses 2023; 15:1562. [PMID: 37515248 PMCID: PMC10383548 DOI: 10.3390/v15071562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2023] [Revised: 07/12/2023] [Accepted: 07/12/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
We developed a convenient method for amplifying the complete SARS-CoV-2 sequence using in-house RT-PCR without virus culture. Forty-one stored throat swabs and blood specimens were collected from eight SARS-CoV-2 infections at multiple time points. Total RNA was extracted using the QIAamp viral RNA mini kit and pooled for higher RNA levels. Only those positive specimens by commercial real-time RT-PCR (RT-qPCR) were selected and amplified by in-house RT-PCR for complete sequences, followed by sequencing. Phylogenetic trees and exploratory analyses were performed using MEGA 11 and Simplot 3.5.1 software. Swab samples had significantly higher total RNA concentrations than plasma (p < 0.01). Positive results were found mainly in swabs, but one was found in plasma. Successful gene amplification depended on Ct values (Ct < 38). A non-synonymous substitution was found in ORF1ab/Nsp3 (at NC045512.2 position 6312, C to A) and most spike protein mutations occurred in the S1 subunit (residues 14-685). The proposed method is time-saving and reliable for rapid genomic analysis. Increasing sample volume and pooling them for RNA extraction increases RNA concentration without culture. Combining nucleotide sequences from specific variable regions of the genome is more efficient than conventional methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yen-Ju Chen
- Research Assistant Center, Tainan Municipal Hospital (Managed by Show Chwan Medical Care Corporation), Tainan 701033, Taiwan
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Jason C Huang
- Department of Biotechnology and Laboratory Science in Medicine, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei 112304, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ping Yang
- Department of Medical Technology, Jenteh Junior College of Medicine, Nursing and Management, Miaoli 356006, Taiwan
| | - Kuo-Feng Hsu
- Department of Surgery, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei 114202, Taiwan
| | - Hsin-Fu Liu
- Department of Medical Research, MacKay Memorial Hospital, Taipei 25169, Taiwan
- Institute of Biomedical Sciences, MacKay Medical College, New Taipei City 252005, Taiwan
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12
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Gladue DP, Gomez-Lucas L, Largo E, Velazquez-Salinas L, Ramirez-Medina E, Torralba J, Queralt M, Alcaraz A, Nieva JL, Borca MV. African Swine Fever Virus Gene B117L Encodes a Small Protein Endowed with Low-pH-Dependent Membrane Permeabilizing Activity. J Virol 2023; 97:e0035023. [PMID: 37212688 PMCID: PMC10308923 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00350-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2023] [Accepted: 04/16/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is causing a devastating pandemic in domestic and wild swine in Central Europe to East Asia, resulting in economic losses for the swine industry. The virus contains a large double-stranded DNA genome that contains more than 150 genes, most with no experimentally characterized function. In this study, we evaluate the potential function of the product of ASFV gene B117L, a 115-amino-acid integral membrane protein transcribed at late times during the virus replication cycle and showing no homology to any previously published protein. Hydrophobicity distribution along B117L confirmed the presence of a single transmembrane helix, which, in combination with flanking amphipathic sequences, composes a potential membrane-associated C-terminal domain of ca. 50 amino acids. Ectopic transient cell expression of the B117L gene as a green fluorescent protein (GFP) fusion protein revealed the colocalization with markers of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Intracellular localization of various B117L constructs also displayed a pattern for the formation of organized smooth ER (OSER) structures compatible with the presence of a single transmembrane helix with a cytoplasmic carboxy terminus. Using partially overlapping peptides, we further demonstrated that the B117L transmembrane helix has the capacity to establish spores and ion channels in membranes at low pH. Furthermore, our evolutionary analysis showed the high conservation of the transmembrane domain during the evolution of the B117L gene, indicating that the integrity of this domain is preserved by the action of the purifying selection. Collectively our data support a viroporin-like assistant role for the B117L gene-encoded product in ASFV entry. IMPORTANCE ASFV is responsible for an extensively distributed pandemic causing important economic losses in the pork industry in Eurasia. The development of countermeasures is partially limited by the insufficient knowledge regarding the function of the majority of the more than 150 genes present on the virus genome. Here, we provide data regarding the functional experimental evaluation of a previously uncharacterized ASFV gene, B117L. Our data suggest that the B117L gene encodes a small membrane protein that assists in the permeabilization of the ER-derived envelope during ASFV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douglas P. Gladue
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, New York, USA
| | - Lidia Gomez-Lucas
- Instituto Biofisika (CSIC-UPV/EHU) and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Eneko Largo
- Instituto Biofisika (CSIC-UPV/EHU) and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
- Department of Immunology, Microbiology and Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country UPV/EHU, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
| | | | | | - Johana Torralba
- Instituto Biofisika (CSIC-UPV/EHU) and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Maria Queralt
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics. Department of Physics. University Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | - Antonio Alcaraz
- Laboratory of Molecular Biophysics. Department of Physics. University Jaume I, Castellón, Spain
| | - Jose L. Nieva
- Instituto Biofisika (CSIC-UPV/EHU) and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of the Basque Country, Bilbao, Spain
| | - Manuel V. Borca
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, New York, USA
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13
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Ramirez-Medina E, Rai A, Espinoza N, Valladares A, Silva E, Velazquez-Salinas L, Borca MV, Gladue DP. Deletion of the H240R Gene in African Swine Fever Virus Partially Reduces Virus Virulence in Swine. Viruses 2023; 15:1477. [PMID: 37515164 PMCID: PMC10384018 DOI: 10.3390/v15071477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2023] [Revised: 06/14/2023] [Accepted: 06/24/2023] [Indexed: 07/30/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a highly contagious disease that affects wild and domestic swine. Currently, the disease is present as a pandemic affecting pork production in Eurasia and the Caribbean region. The etiological agent of ASF is a large, highly complex structural virus (ASFV) harboring a double-stranded genome encoding for more than 160 proteins whose functions, in most cases, have not been experimentally characterized. We show here that deletion of the ASFV gene H240R from the genome of the highly virulent ASFV-Georgia2010 (ASFV-G) isolate partially decreases virus virulence when experimentally inoculated in domestic swine. ASFV-G-∆H240R, a recombinant virus harboring the deletion of the H240R gene, was produced to evaluate the function of the gene in the development of disease in pigs. While all animals intramuscularly inoculated with 102 HAD50 of ASFV-G developed a fatal form of the disease, forty percent of pigs receiving a similar dose of ASFV-G-∆H240R survived the infection, remaining healthy during the 28-day observational period, and the remaining sixty percent developed a protracted but fatal form of the disease compared to that induced by ASFV-G. Additionally, all animals inoculated with ASFV-G-∆H240R presented protracted viremias with reduced virus titers when compared with those found in animals inoculated with ASFV-G. Animals surviving infection with ASFV-G-∆H240R developed a strong virus-specific antibody response and were protected against the challenge of the virulent parental ASFV-G.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ayushi Rai
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Nallely Espinoza
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
| | - Alyssa Valladares
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education, Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Ediane Silva
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
| | | | - Manuel V Borca
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
| | - Douglas P Gladue
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, ARS, USDA, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
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14
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Kakavandi S, Zare I, VaezJalali M, Dadashi M, Azarian M, Akbari A, Ramezani Farani M, Zalpoor H, Hajikhani B. Structural and non-structural proteins in SARS-CoV-2: potential aspects to COVID-19 treatment or prevention of progression of related diseases. Cell Commun Signal 2023; 21:110. [PMID: 37189112 DOI: 10.1186/s12964-023-01104-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by a new member of the Coronaviridae family known as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). There are structural and non-structural proteins (NSPs) in the genome of this virus. S, M, H, and E proteins are structural proteins, and NSPs include accessory and replicase proteins. The structural and NSP components of SARS-CoV-2 play an important role in its infectivity, and some of them may be important in the pathogenesis of chronic diseases, including cancer, coagulation disorders, neurodegenerative disorders, and cardiovascular diseases. The SARS-CoV-2 proteins interact with targets such as angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 can stimulate pathological intracellular signaling pathways by triggering transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1), neuropilin-1 (NRP-1), CD147, and Eph receptors, which play important roles in the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, and multiple sclerosis, and multiple cancers such as glioblastoma, lung malignancies, and leukemias. Several compounds such as polyphenols, doxazosin, baricitinib, and ruxolitinib could inhibit these interactions. It has been demonstrated that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein has a stronger affinity for human ACE2 than the spike protein of SARS-CoV, leading the current study to hypothesize that the newly produced variant Omicron receptor-binding domain (RBD) binds to human ACE2 more strongly than the primary strain. SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) viruses against structural and NSPs have become resistant to previous vaccines. Therefore, the review of recent studies and the performance of current vaccines and their effects on COVID-19 and related diseases has become a vital need to deal with the current conditions. This review examines the potential role of these SARS-CoV-2 proteins in the initiation of chronic diseases, and it is anticipated that these proteins could serve as components of an effective vaccine or treatment for COVID-19 and related diseases. Video Abstract.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sareh Kakavandi
- Department of Bacteriology and Virology, School of Medicine, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
| | - Iman Zare
- Research and Development Department, Sina Medical Biochemistry Technologies Co. Ltd., Shiraz, 7178795844, Iran
| | - Maryam VaezJalali
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Masoud Dadashi
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
- Non-Communicable Diseases Research Center, Alborz University of Medical Sciences, Karaj, Iran
| | - Maryam Azarian
- Department of Radiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Abdullatif Akbari
- Shiraz Neuroscience Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran
| | - Marzieh Ramezani Farani
- Department of Biological Sciences and Bioengineering, Nano Bio High-Tech Materials Research Center, Inha University, Incheon, 22212, Republic of Korea
| | - Hamidreza Zalpoor
- Shiraz Neuroscience Research Center, Shiraz University of Medical Sciences, Shiraz, Iran.
- Network of Immunity in Infection, Malignancy and Autoimmunity (NIIMA), Universal Scientific Education and Research Network (USERN), Tehran, Iran.
| | - Bahareh Hajikhani
- Department of Microbiology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
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15
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Panja A, Roy J, Mazumder A, Choudhury SM. Divergent mutations of Delta and Omicron variants: key players behind differential viral attributes across the COVID-19 waves. Virusdisease 2023:1-14. [PMID: 37363365 PMCID: PMC10171727 DOI: 10.1007/s13337-023-00823-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 04/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The third SARS-CoV-2 pandemic wave causing Omicron variant has comparatively higher replication rate and transmissibility than the second wave-causing Delta variant. The exact mechanism behind the differential properties of Delta and Omicron in respect to infectivity and virulence is not properly understood yet. This study reports the analysis of different mutations within the receptor binding domain (RBD) of spike glycoprotein and non-structural protein (nsp) of Delta and Omicron strains. We have used computational studies to evaluate the properties of Delta and Omicron variants in this work. Q498R, Q493R and S375F mutations of RBD showed better docking scores for Omicron compared to Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, whereas nsp3_L1266I with PARP15 (7OUX), nsp3_L1266I with PARP15 (7OUX), and nsp6_G107 with ISG15 (1Z2M) showed significantly higher docking score. The findings of the present study might be helpful to reveal the probable cause of relatively milder form of COVID-19 disease manifested by Omicron in comparison to Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s13337-023-00823-0.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amrita Panja
- Biochemistry, Molecular Endocrinology, and Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Human Physiology, Vidyasagar University, Paschim Medinipore, Midnapore, West Bengal 721102 India
| | - Jayita Roy
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Nadia, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251 India
| | - Anup Mazumder
- National Institute of Biomedical Genomics (NIBMG), Nadia, Kalyani, West Bengal 741251 India
| | - Sujata Maiti Choudhury
- Biochemistry, Molecular Endocrinology, and Reproductive Physiology Laboratory, Department of Human Physiology, Vidyasagar University, Paschim Medinipore, Midnapore, West Bengal 721102 India
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16
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Specchiarello E, Matusali G, Carletti F, Gruber CEM, Fabeni L, Minosse C, Giombini E, Rueca M, Maggi F, Amendola A, Garbuglia AR. Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Variants via Different Diagnostics Assays Based on Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Analysis. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:1573. [PMID: 37174964 PMCID: PMC10177602 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13091573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Revised: 04/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2023] [Indexed: 05/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is characterized by fast evolution with the appearance of several variants. Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) technology is considered the gold standard for monitoring known and new SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, the complexity of this technology renders this approach impracticable in laboratories located in areas with limited resources. We analyzed the capability of the ThermoFisher TaqPath COVID-19 RT-PCR (TaqPath) and the Seegene Novaplex SARS-CoV-2 Variant assay (Novaplex) to detect Omicron variants; the Allplex VariantII (Allplex) was also evaluated for Delta variants. Sanger sequencing (SaS) was the reference method. The results obtained with n = 355 nasopharyngeal samples were: negative with TaqPath, although positive with other qualitative molecular assays (n = 35); undetermined (n = 40) with both the assays; negative for the ∆69/70 mutation and confirmed as the Delta variant via SaS (n = 100); positive for ∆69/70 and confirmed as Omicron BA.1 via SaS (n = 80); negative for ∆69/70 and typed as Omicron BA.2 via SaS (n = 80). Novaplex typed 27.5% of samples as undetermined with TaqPath, 11.4% of samples as negative with TaqPath, and confirmed 100% of samples were Omicron subtypes. In total, 99/100 samples were confirmed as the Delta variant with Allplex with a positive per cent agreement (PPA) of 98% compared to SaS. As undermined samples with Novaplex showed RdRp median Ct values (Ct = 35.4) statistically higher than those of typed samples (median Ct value = 22.0; p < 0.0001, Mann-Whitney test), the inability to establish SARS-CoV-2 variants was probably linked to the low viral load. No amplification was obtained with SaS among all 35 negative TaqPath samples. Overall, 20% of samples which were typed as negative or undetermined with TaqPath, and among them, twelve were not typed even by SaS, but they were instead correctly identified with Novaplex. Although full-genome sequencing remains the elected method to characterize new strains, our data show the high ability of a SNP-based assay to identify VOCs, also resolving samples typed as undetermined with TaqPath.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eliana Specchiarello
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Giulia Matusali
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Carletti
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Cesare Ernesto Maria Gruber
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Lavinia Fabeni
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Claudia Minosse
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Emanuela Giombini
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Martina Rueca
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Maggi
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Alessandra Amendola
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
| | - Anna Rosa Garbuglia
- Laboratory of Virology, National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) Lazzaro Spallanzani (IRCCS), 00149 Rome, Italy
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17
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Moriyama M, Lucas C, Monteiro V, Iwasaki A. Enhanced inhibition of MHC-I expression by SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2221652120. [PMID: 37036977 PMCID: PMC10120007 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2221652120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2022] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOCs) possess mutations that confer resistance to neutralizing antibodies within the Spike protein and are associated with breakthrough infection and reinfection. By contrast, less is known about the escape from CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity by VOC. Here, we demonstrated that all SARS-CoV-2 VOCs possess the ability to suppress major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I) expression. We identified several viral genes that contribute to the suppression of MHC I expression. Notably, MHC-I upregulation was strongly inhibited after SARS-CoV-2 but not influenza virus infection in vivo. While earlier VOCs possess similar capacity as the ancestral strain to suppress MHC-I, the Omicron subvariants exhibited a greater ability to suppress surface MHC-I expression. We identified a common mutation in the E protein of Omicron that further suppressed MHC-I expression. Collectively, our data suggest that in addition to escaping from neutralizing antibodies, the success of Omicron subvariants to cause breakthrough infection and reinfection may in part be due to its optimized evasion from T cell recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miyu Moriyama
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | - Carolina Lucas
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
| | | | | | - Akiko Iwasaki
- Department of Immunobiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT06520
- Department of Molecular Cellular and Developmental Biology, Yale University, New HavenCT06520
- HHMI, Chevy Chase, MD20815
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18
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Investigation of the effects of N-Acetylglucosamine on the stability of the spike protein in SARS-CoV-2 by molecular dynamics simulations. COMPUT THEOR CHEM 2023; 1222:114049. [PMID: 36743995 PMCID: PMC9890939 DOI: 10.1016/j.comptc.2023.114049] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 01/22/2023] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
A lot of effort has been made in developing vaccine and therapeutic agents against the SARS-CoV-2, concentrating on the Spike protein that binds angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 on human cells. Nowadays, some researches study the role of the N-linked glycans as potential targets for vaccines and new agents. Due to the flexibility and diversity of the N-linked glycans, in this work, we focus on the N-Acetylglucosamine moiety, which is the precursor of nearly all eukaryotic glycans. We performed molecular dynamics simulations to study the effects of the N-Acetylglucosamine on the stability of the spike glycoprotein in SARS-CoV-2. After a 100 ns of simulation on the spike proteins without and with the N-Acetylglucosamine molecules, we found that the presence of N-Acetylglucosamine increases the local stability in their vicinity; even though their effect on the full structure is negligible. Thus; it can be inferred that the N-Acetylglucosamine moieties can potentially affect the interaction of the S protein with the ACE2 receptor. We also found that the S1 domain is more flexible than the S2 domain. We propose which of the experimentally observed glycans found on the spike may be more functional than the others. Detailed understanding of glycans is key for the development of new therapeutic strategies.
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19
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Ramirez-Medina E, Vuono EA, Rai A, Espinoza N, Valladares A, Spinard E, Velazquez-Salinas L, Gladue DP, Borca MV. Evaluation of the Function of ASFV Gene E66L in the Process of Virus Replication and Virulence in Swine. Viruses 2023; 15:v15020566. [PMID: 36851779 PMCID: PMC9965554 DOI: 10.3390/v15020566] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 02/12/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/22/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) is the etiological agent of an economically important disease of swine currently affecting large areas of Africa, Eurasia and the Caribbean. ASFV has a complex structure harboring a large dsDNA genome which encodes for more than 160 proteins. One of the proteins, E66L, has recently been involved in arresting gene transcription in the infected host cell. Here, we investigate the role of E66L in the processes of virus replication in swine macrophages and disease production in domestic swine. A recombinant ASFV was developed (ASFV-G-∆E66L), from the virulent parental Georgia 2010 isolate (ASFV-G), harboring the deletion of the E66L gene as a tool to assess the role of the gene. ASFV-G-∆E66L showed that the E66L gene is non-essential for ASFV replication in primary swine macrophages when compared with the parental highly virulent field isolate ASFV-G. Additionally, domestic pigs infected with ASFV-G-∆E66L developed a clinical disease undistinguishable from that produced by ASFV-G. Therefore, E66L is not involved in virus replication or virulence in domestic pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth Ramirez-Medina
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Vuono
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
| | - Ayushi Rai
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Nallely Espinoza
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
| | - Alyssa Valladares
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Edward Spinard
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
| | - Lauro Velazquez-Salinas
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
| | - Douglas P. Gladue
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
- Correspondence: (D.P.G.); (M.V.B.)
| | - Manuel V. Borca
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA
- Correspondence: (D.P.G.); (M.V.B.)
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20
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Quispe-Ricalde MA, Castelán-Sánchez HG, Meza-Rodríguez PM, Dávila-Ramos S, Sierra JL, Batista-Garcia R, Concha-Velasco F, Lucana SF, De Santa Cruz J, Zea V, Galarza M, Caceres-Rey O, Tsukayama P, Foronda P, Soto-Chambi BJ, Abreu N. Evidence of natural selection and dominance of SARS-CoV-2 variant Lambda (C.37) over variants of concern in Cusco, Peru. Arch Virol 2023; 168:88. [PMID: 36786950 PMCID: PMC9926449 DOI: 10.1007/s00705-022-05645-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Accepted: 09/13/2022] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) lineage C.37 (Lambda) has spread rapidly in Peru and other Latin American countries. However, most studies in Peru have focused on Lima, the capital city, without knowing the dynamics of the spread of the variant in other departments. Cusco, Peru, is one of the most popular departments in the country for tourists, so the introduction of new variants of SARS-CoV-2 might occur despite closure of the borders. Therefore, in this work, we analyzed the variants circulating in Cusco. The aim of this work was to better understand the distribution of SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating in Cusco and to characterize the genomes of these strains. To this end, 46 SARS-CoV-2 genomes from vaccinated and unvaccinated patients were sequenced in the first half of 2021. The genomes were analyzed using phylogenetic and natural selection methods. Phylogenetic trees from Cusco showed dominance of the Lambda lineage over the variants of concern (VOCs), and there was no clustering of variants by district. Natural selection analysis revealed mutations, mainly in the spike protein, at positions 75, 246, 247, 707, 769, and 1020. In addition, we found that unvaccinated patients accumulated more new mutations than did vaccinated patients, and these included the F101Y mutation in ORF7a, E419A in NSP3, a deletion in S (21,618-22,501), and a deletion in ORF3a (25,437-26,122).
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria Antonieta Quispe-Ricalde
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av. de La Cultura 733, C.P. 0800, Cusco, Perú.
| | - Hugo G Castelán-Sánchez
- Programa de Investigadoras e Investigadores por México. Grupo de Genómica y Dinámica Evolutiva de Microorganismos Emergentes, Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Av. Insurgentes Sur 1582, Crédito Constructo, Benito Juárez, Ciudad de México, C.P. 03940, México.
| | - Pablo M Meza-Rodríguez
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Morelos. Av. Universidad 1001. Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62209, México
| | - Sonia Dávila-Ramos
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Morelos. Av. Universidad 1001. Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62209, México
| | - José Luis Sierra
- Escuela de Postgrado, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av. de La Cultura 733, Cusco, C.P. 0800, Perú
| | - Ramón Batista-Garcia
- Centro de Investigación en Dinámica Celular, Instituto de Investigaciones en Ciencias Básicas y Aplicadas, Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos, Morelos. Av. Universidad 1001. Col. Chamilpa, Cuernavaca, Morelos, C.P. 62209, México
| | - Fátima Concha-Velasco
- Laboratorio Regional de Referencia, Gerencia Regional de Salud Cusco, Av. de La Cultura 147, Cusco, C.P. 08003, Perú
- Dirección de epidemiología e investigación. Gerencia regional de salud, Av. de La Cultura 147, Cusco, C.P. 08003, Perú
| | - Sonia Flores Lucana
- Laboratorio Regional de Referencia, Gerencia Regional de Salud Cusco, Av. de La Cultura 147, Cusco, C.P. 08003, Perú
| | - José De Santa Cruz
- Laboratorio Regional de Referencia, Gerencia Regional de Salud Cusco, Av. de La Cultura 147, Cusco, C.P. 08003, Perú
| | - Víctor Zea
- Laboratorio Regional de Referencia, Gerencia Regional de Salud Cusco, Av. de La Cultura 147, Cusco, C.P. 08003, Perú
| | - Marco Galarza
- Laboratorio de Referencia Nacional de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Lima, Perú
| | - Omar Caceres-Rey
- Laboratorio de Referencia Nacional de Biotecnología y Biología Molecular, Instituto Nacional de Salud, Lima, Perú
| | - Pablo Tsukayama
- Laboratorio de Genómica Microbiana, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, San Martín de Porres 15102, Lima, C.P. 15102, Perú
- Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Av. Honorio Delgado 430, San Martín de Porres, Lima, Peru
- Wellcome Sanger Institute, Saffron Walden, Cambridge, Reino Unido. Z.P. CB10 1SA, Hinxton, UK
| | - Pilar Foronda
- University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, Av. Astrofísico FranciscoSánchez, s/n, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, C.P.38200, Spain
| | - Brandon Jason Soto-Chambi
- Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de San Antonio Abad del Cusco, Av. de La Cultura 733, C.P. 0800, Cusco, Perú
| | - Nestor Abreu
- University Institute of Tropical Diseases and Public Health of the Canary Islands, Av. Astrofísico FranciscoSánchez, s/n, San Cristóbal de La Laguna, Tenerife, C.P.38200, Spain.
- NERTALAB, SL., C, /José Rodríguez Mouré, 4, Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Tenerife, C.P. 38008, España.
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21
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Broni E, Miller WA. Computational Analysis Predicts Correlations among Amino Acids in SARS-CoV-2 Proteomes. Biomedicines 2023; 11:512. [PMID: 36831052 PMCID: PMC9953644 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020512] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/03/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 02/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a serious global challenge requiring urgent and permanent therapeutic solutions. These solutions can only be engineered if the patterns and rate of mutations of the virus can be elucidated. Predicting mutations and the structure of proteins based on these mutations have become necessary for early drug and vaccine design purposes in anticipation of future viral mutations. The amino acid composition (AAC) of proteomes and individual viral proteins provide avenues for exploitation since AACs have been previously used to predict structure, shape and evolutionary rates. Herein, the frequency of amino acid residues found in 1637 complete proteomes belonging to 11 SARS-CoV-2 variants/lineages were analyzed. Leucine is the most abundant amino acid residue in the SARS-CoV-2 with an average AAC of 9.658% while tryptophan had the least abundance of 1.11%. The AAC and ranking of lysine and glycine varied in the proteome. For some variants, glycine had higher frequency and AAC than lysine and vice versa in other variants. Tryptophan was also observed to be the most intolerant to mutation in the various proteomes for the variants used. A correlogram revealed a very strong correlation of 0.999992 between B.1.525 (Eta) and B.1.526 (Iota) variants. Furthermore, isoleucine and threonine were observed to have a very strong negative correlation of -0.912, while cysteine and isoleucine had a very strong positive correlation of 0.835 at p < 0.001. Shapiro-Wilk normality test revealed that AAC values for all the amino acid residues except methionine showed no evidence of non-normality at p < 0.05. Thus, AACs of SARS-CoV-2 variants can be predicted using probability and z-scores. AACs may be beneficial in classifying viral strains, predicting viral disease types, members of protein families, protein interactions and for diagnostic purposes. They may also be used as a feature along with other crucial factors in machine-learning based algorithms to predict viral mutations. These mutation-predicting algorithms may help in developing effective therapeutics and vaccines for SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Broni
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
| | - Whelton A. Miller
- Department of Medicine, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
- Department of Molecular Pharmacology & Neuroscience, Loyola University Medical Center, Loyola University Chicago, Maywood, IL 60153, USA
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22
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González-Vázquez LD, Arenas M. Molecular Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Genes (Basel) 2023; 14:407. [PMID: 36833334 PMCID: PMC9956206 DOI: 10.3390/genes14020407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2022] [Revised: 01/27/2023] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) produced diverse molecular variants during its recent expansion in humans that caused different transmissibility and severity of the associated disease as well as resistance to monoclonal antibodies and polyclonal sera, among other treatments. In order to understand the causes and consequences of the observed SARS-CoV-2 molecular diversity, a variety of recent studies investigated the molecular evolution of this virus during its expansion in humans. In general, this virus evolves with a moderate rate of evolution, in the order of 10-3-10-4 substitutions per site and per year, which presents continuous fluctuations over time. Despite its origin being frequently associated with recombination events between related coronaviruses, little evidence of recombination was detected, and it was mostly located in the spike coding region. Molecular adaptation is heterogeneous among SARS-CoV-2 genes. Although most of the genes evolved under purifying selection, several genes showed genetic signatures of diversifying selection, including a number of positively selected sites that affect proteins relevant for the virus replication. Here, we review current knowledge about the molecular evolution of SARS-CoV-2 in humans, including the emergence and establishment of variants of concern. We also clarify relationships between the nomenclatures of SARS-CoV-2 lineages. We conclude that the molecular evolution of this virus should be monitored over time for predicting relevant phenotypic consequences and designing future efficient treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Daniel González-Vázquez
- Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Miguel Arenas
- Biomedical Research Center (CINBIO), University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
- Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Immunology, University of Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
- Galicia Sur Health Research Institute (IIS Galicia Sur), 36310 Vigo, Spain
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23
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Zhan XY, Zha GF, He Y. Evolutionary dissection of monkeypox virus: Positive Darwinian selection drives the adaptation of virus-host interaction proteins. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2023; 12:1083234. [PMID: 36710983 PMCID: PMC9880225 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.1083234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2022] [Accepted: 12/16/2022] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
The emerging and ongoing outbreak of human monkeypox (hMPX) in 2022 is a serious global threat. An understanding of the evolution of the monkeypox virus (MPXV) at the single-gene level may provide clues for exploring the unique aspects of the current outbreak: rapidly expanding and sustained human-to-human transmission. For the current investigation, alleles of 156 MPXV coding genes (which account for >95% of the genomic sequence) have been gathered from roughly 1,500 isolates, including those responsible for the previous outbreaks. Using a range of molecular evolution approaches, we demonstrated that intra-species homologous recombination has a negligible effect on MPXV evolution. Despite the fact that the majority of the MPXV genes (64.10%) were subjected to negative selection at the whole gene level, 10 MPXV coding genes (MPXVgp004, 010, 012, 014, 044, 098, 138, 178, 188, and 191) were found to have a total of 15 codons or amino acid sites that are known to evolve under positive Darwinian selection. Except for MPXVgp138, almost all of these genes encode proteins that interact with the host. Of these, five ankyrin proteins (MPXVgp004, 010, 012, 178, and 188) and one Bcl-2-like protein (MPXVgp014) are involved in poxviruses' host range determination. We discovered that the majority (80%) of positive amino acid substitutions emerged several decades ago, indicating that these sites have been under constant selection pressure and that more adaptable alleles have been circulating in the natural reservoir. This finding was also supported by the minimum spanning networks of the gene alleles. The three positive amino acid substitutions (T/A426V in MPXVgp010, A423D in MPXVgp012, and S105L in MPXVgp191) appeared in 2019 or 2022, indicating that they would be crucial for the virus' eventual adaptation to humans. Protein modeling suggests that positive amino acid substitutions may affect protein functions in a variety of ways. Further study should focus on revealing the biological effects of positive amino acid substitutions in the genes for viral adaptation to humans, virulence, transmission, and so on. Our study advances knowledge of MPXV's adaptive mechanism and provides insights for exploring factors that are responsible for the unique aspects of the current outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Yong Zhan
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Yong Zhan, ; Gao-Feng Zha, ; Yulong He,
| | - Gao-Feng Zha
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Yong Zhan, ; Gao-Feng Zha, ; Yulong He,
| | - Yulong He
- *Correspondence: Xiao-Yong Zhan, ; Gao-Feng Zha, ; Yulong He,
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24
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Muacevic A, Adler JR. Attenuation and Degeneration of SARS-CoV-2 Despite Adaptive Evolution. Cureus 2023; 15:e33316. [PMID: 36741655 PMCID: PMC9894646 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.33316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The evolution of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) has followed similar trends as other RNA viruses, such as human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and the influenza A virus. Rapid initial diversification was followed by strong competition and a rapid succession of dominant variants. Host-initiated RNA editing has been the primary mechanism for introducing mutations. A significant number of mutations detrimental to viral replication have been quickly purged. Fixed mutations are mostly diversifying mutations selected for host adaptation and immune evasion, with the latter accounting for the majority of the mutations. However, immune evasion often comes at the cost of functionality, and thus, optimal functionality is still far from being accomplished. Instead, selection for antibody-escaping variants and accumulation of near-neutral mutations have led to suboptimal codon usage and reduced replicative capacity, as demonstrated in non-respiratory cell lines. Beneficial adaptation of the virus includes reduced infectivity in lung tissues and increased tropism for the upper airway, resulting in shorter incubation periods, milder diseases, and more efficient transmission between people.
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25
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Rojas-Cruz AF, Gallego-Gómez JC, Bermúdez-Santana CI. RNA structure-altering mutations underlying positive selection on Spike protein reveal novel putative signatures to trace crossing host-species barriers in Betacoronavirus. RNA Biol 2022; 19:1019-1044. [PMID: 36102368 PMCID: PMC9481089 DOI: 10.1080/15476286.2022.2115750] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Similar to other RNA viruses, the emergence of Betacoronavirus relies on cross-species viral transmission, which requires careful health surveillance monitoring of protein-coding information as well as genome-wide analysis. Although the evolutionary jump from natural reservoirs to humans may be mainly traced-back by studying the effect that hotspot mutations have on viral proteins, it is largely unexplored if other impacts might emerge on the structured RNA genome of Betacoronavirus. In this survey, the protein-coding and viral genome architecture were simultaneously studied to uncover novel insights into cross-species horizontal transmission events. We analysed 1,252,952 viral genomes of SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and SARS-CoV-2 distributed across the world in bats, intermediate animals, and humans to build a new landscape of changes in the RNA viral genome. Phylogenetic analyses suggest that bat viruses are the most closely related to the time of most recent common ancestor of Betacoronavirus, and missense mutations in viral proteins, mainly in the S protein S1 subunit: SARS-CoV (G > T; A577S); MERS-CoV (C > T; S746R and C > T; N762A); and SARS-CoV-2 (A > G; D614G) appear to have driven viral diversification. We also found that codon sites under positive selection on S protein overlap with non-compensatory mutations that disrupt secondary RNA structures in the RNA genome complement. These findings provide pivotal factors that might be underlying the eventual jumping the species barrier from bats to intermediate hosts. Lastly, we discovered that nearly half of the Betacoronavirus genomes carry highly conserved RNA structures, and more than 90% of these RNA structures show negative selection signals, suggesting essential functions in the biology of Betacoronavirus that have not been investigated to date. Further research is needed on negatively selected RNA structures to scan for emerging functions like the potential of coding virus-derived small RNAs and to develop new candidate antiviral therapeutic strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis Felipe Rojas-Cruz
- Theoretical and Computational RNomics Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, National University of Colombia, Bogota Colombia
| | - Juan Carlos Gallego-Gómez
- Molecular and Translational Medicine Group, Faculty of Medicine, University of Antioquia, Medellin Colombia
| | - Clara Isabel Bermúdez-Santana
- Theoretical and Computational RNomics Group, Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, National University of Colombia, Bogota Colombia
- Center of Excellence in Scientific Computing, National University of Colombia, Bogota Colombia
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Moriyama M, Lucas C, Monteiro VS, Iwasaki A. SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants evolved to promote further escape from MHC-I recognition. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2022:2022.05.04.490614. [PMID: 35547852 PMCID: PMC9094094 DOI: 10.1101/2022.05.04.490614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern (VOCs) possess mutations that confer resistance to neutralizing antibodies within the Spike protein and are associated with breakthrough infection and reinfection. By contrast, less is known about the escape from CD8+ T cell-mediated immunity by VOC. Here, we demonstrated that all SARS-CoV-2 VOCs possess the ability to suppress MHC I expression. We identified several viral genes that contribute to the suppression of MHC I expression. Notably, MHC-I upregulation was strongly inhibited after SARS-CoV-2 infection in vivo. While earlier VOCs possess similar capacity as the ancestral strain to suppress MHC I, Omicron subvariants exhibit a greater ability to suppress surface MHC-I expressions. Collectively, our data suggest that, in addition to escape from neutralizing antibodies, the success of Omicron subvariants to cause breakthrough infection and reinfection may in part be due to its optimized evasion from T cell recognition.
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Comparative Analysis of Tomato Brown Rugose Fruit Virus Isolates Shows Limited Genetic Diversity. Viruses 2022; 14:v14122816. [PMID: 36560820 PMCID: PMC9784425 DOI: 10.3390/v14122816] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Tomato is an important vegetable in the United States and around the world. Recently, tomato brown rugose fruit virus (ToBRFV), an emerging tobamovirus, has impacted tomato crops worldwide and can result in fruit loss. ToBRFV causes severe symptoms, such as mosaic, puckering, and necrotic lesions on leaves; other symptoms include brown rugose and marbling on fruits. More importantly, ToBRFV can overcome resistance in tomato cultivars carrying the Tm-22 locus. In this study, we recovered ToBRFV sequences from tomato seeds, leaves, and fruits from the U.S., Mexico, and Peru. Samples were pre-screened using a real-time RT-PCR assay prior to high-throughput sequencing. Virus draft genomes from 22 samples were assembled and analyzed against more than 120 publicly available genomes. Overall, most sequenced isolates were similar to each other and did not form a distinct population. Phylogenetic analysis revealed three clades within the ToBRFV population. Most of the isolates (95%) clustered in clade 3. Genetic analysis revealed differentiation between the three clades indicating minor divergence occurring. Overall, pairwise identity showed limited genetic diversity among the isolates in this study with worldwide isolates, with a pairwise identity ranging from 99.36% and 99.97%. The overall population is undergoing high gene flow and population expansion with strong negative selection pressure at all ToBRFV genes. Based on the results of this study, it is likely that the limited ToBRFV diversity is associated with the rapid movement and eradication of ToBRFV-infected material between countries.
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Deletion of an African Swine Fever Virus ATP-Dependent RNA Helicase QP509L from the Highly Virulent Georgia 2010 Strain Does Not Affect Replication or Virulence. Viruses 2022; 14:v14112548. [PMID: 36423157 PMCID: PMC9694930 DOI: 10.3390/v14112548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/08/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) produces a lethal disease (ASF) in domestic pigs, which is currently causing a pandemic deteriorating pig production across Eurasia. ASFV is a large and structurally complex virus with a large genome harboring more than 150 genes. ASFV gene QP509L has been shown to encode for an ATP-dependent RNA helicase, which appears to be important for efficient virus replication. Here, we report the development of a recombinant virus, ASFV-G-∆QP509L, having deleted the QP509L gene in the highly virulent field isolate ASFV Georgia 2010 (ASFV-G). It is shown that ASFV-G-∆QP509L replicates in primary swine macrophage cultures as efficiently as the parental virus ASFV-G. In addition, the experimental inoculation of pigs with 102 HAD50 by the intramuscular route produced a slightly protracted but lethal clinical disease when compared to that of animals inoculated with virulent parental ASFV-G. Viremia titers in animals infected with ASFV-G-∆QP509L also had slightly protracted kinetics of presentation. Therefore, ASFV gene QP509L is not critical for the processes of virus replication in swine macrophages, nor is it clearly involved in virus replication and virulence in domestic pigs.
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29
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Velazquez‐Salinas L. The complex evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2, a big challenge to control the pandemic of COVID-19. J Med Virol 2022; 94:5082-5085. [PMID: 35798562 PMCID: PMC9350130 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27979] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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30
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A Simple and Cheap Method to Extract SARS-COV-2 Nucleic Acid from Nasopharyngeal Swab Without the Need Silica Filter Column. ARCHIVES OF CLINICAL INFECTIOUS DISEASES 2022. [DOI: 10.5812/archcid-129004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic affected different aspects of human life seriously, including health issues. Unfortunately, the process of RNA extraction using commercial kits is highly expensive. Replacement of this technique with a cheaper one may help us catch a more affordable approach. Objectives: This study aims to introduce a simple and cost-benefit procedure to extract nucleic acid from swab samples of patients infected with SARS-COV-2. Methods: All 41 positive extracted samples were extracted with three methods separately. The first method was based on the commercial kit using a silica filter column. The second method was made of ammonium acetate, sodium acetate, and alcohol as an extraction solution, and the last method was applied using only the sodium acetate and alcohol solution. Results: All samples extracted with a commercial kit based on a silica column were positive (100%) with Cts 21 ± 4.9, 21.4 ± 4.8, and 28.1 ± 1.8 for RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), N, and RNase P genes, respectively. In the precipitation method using ammonium acetate, 40 samples were detected positive (97.5%), and the Cts were 26.3 ± 4.5, 23.6 ± 5.3, and 25.7 ± 3.5 for the above three genes, respectively. Similar to the conventional extraction method, the third method also showed positive results (97.5%) significantly. The mean CTs were 26 ± 4.3, 23 ± 5.4, and 23.7 ± 2.3, respectively. Conclusions: Our results indicated that the precipitation method using ammonium acetate, sodium acetate, and ethanol could be an alternative extraction method instead of the column-based method for SARS-COV-2 by swab samples.
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Colson P, Gautret P, Delerce J, Chaudet H, Pontarotti P, Forterre P, Tola R, Bedotto M, Delorme L, Bader W, Levasseur A, Lagier J, Million M, Yahi N, Fantini J, La Scola B, Fournier P, Raoult D. The emergence, spread and vanishing of a French SARS-CoV-2 variant exemplifies the fate of RNA virus epidemics and obeys the Mistigri rule. J Med Virol 2022; 95:e28102. [PMID: 36031728 PMCID: PMC9539255 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.28102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/06/2022] [Revised: 07/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
The nature and dynamics of mutations associated with the emergence, spread, and vanishing of SARS-CoV-2 variants causing successive waves are complex. We determined the kinetics of the most common French variant ("Marseille-4") for 10 months since its onset in July 2020. Here, we analyzed and classified into subvariants and lineages 7453 genomes obtained by next-generation sequencing. We identified two subvariants, Marseille-4A, which contains 22 different lineages of at least 50 genomes, and Marseille-4B. Their average lifetime was 4.1 ± 1.4 months, during which 4.1 ± 2.6 mutations accumulated. Growth rate was 0.079 ± 0.045, varying from 0.010 to 0.173. Most of the lineages exhibited a bell-shaped distribution. Several beneficial mutations at unpredicted sites initiated a new outbreak, while the accumulation of other mutations resulted in more viral heterogenicity, increased diversity and vanishing of the lineages. Marseille-4B emerged when the other Marseille-4 lineages vanished. Its ORF8 gene was knocked out by a stop codon, as reported in SARS-CoV-2 of mink and in the Alpha variant. This subvariant was associated with increased hospitalization and death rates, suggesting that ORF8 is a nonvirulence gene. We speculate that the observed heterogenicity of a lineage may predict the end of the outbreak.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philippe Colson
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Assistance Publique‐Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP‐HM)MarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes Evolution Phylogeny and Infections (MEPHI)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Philippe Gautret
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Assistance Publique‐Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP‐HM)MarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Vecteurs—Infections Tropicales et Méditerranéennes (VITROME)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | | | - Hervé Chaudet
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Vecteurs—Infections Tropicales et Méditerranéennes (VITROME)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance,French Armed Forces Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CESPA), Camp de Sainte MartheMarseilleFrance
| | - Pierre Pontarotti
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)MarseilleFrance
| | - Patrick Forterre
- Département de MicrobiologieInstitut PasteurParisFrance,Institute for Integrative Biology of the Cell (I2BC)Université Paris‐Saclay, CEA, CNRSGif‐sur‐YvetteFrance
| | - Raphael Tola
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Assistance Publique‐Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP‐HM)MarseilleFrance
| | | | - Léa Delorme
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Vecteurs—Infections Tropicales et Méditerranéennes (VITROME)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance,French Armed Forces Center for Epidemiology and Public Health (CESPA), Camp de Sainte MartheMarseilleFrance
| | - Wahiba Bader
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes Evolution Phylogeny and Infections (MEPHI)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Anthony Levasseur
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes Evolution Phylogeny and Infections (MEPHI)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Jean‐Christophe Lagier
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Assistance Publique‐Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP‐HM)MarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes Evolution Phylogeny and Infections (MEPHI)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Matthieu Million
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Assistance Publique‐Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP‐HM)MarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes Evolution Phylogeny and Infections (MEPHI)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Nouara Yahi
- INSERM UMR_S 1072Aix‐Marseille UniversitéMarseilleFrance
| | | | - Bernard La Scola
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Assistance Publique‐Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP‐HM)MarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes Evolution Phylogeny and Infections (MEPHI)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Pierre‐Edouard Fournier
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Assistance Publique‐Hôpitaux de Marseille (AP‐HM)MarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes Evolution Phylogeny and Infections (MEPHI)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
| | - Didier Raoult
- IHU Méditerranée InfectionMarseilleFrance,Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD), Microbes Evolution Phylogeny and Infections (MEPHI)Aix‐Marseille UniversityMarseilleFrance
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32
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Near-Full-Length Genome Sequences Representing an Event of Zooanthroponotic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 Lineage B.1.189 in Mexico during 2020. Microbiol Resour Announc 2022; 11:e0049722. [PMID: 35852315 PMCID: PMC9387280 DOI: 10.1128/mra.00497-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Here, we report three near-full-length genome sequences of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) obtained in Mexico City, Mexico, during the pandemic of coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) in 2020, representing a zooanthroponotic transmission event between humans and a dog. All three genomes belong to the B.1.189 lineage based on the pangolin classification.
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Hossain A, Akter S, Rashid AA, Khair S, Alam ASMRU. Unique mutations in SARS-CoV-2 omicron subvariants' non-spike proteins: Potential impact on viral pathogenesis and host immune evasion. Microb Pathog 2022; 170:105699. [PMID: 35944840 PMCID: PMC9356572 DOI: 10.1016/j.micpath.2022.105699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2022] [Revised: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Anamica Hossain
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Shammi Akter
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Alfi Anjum Rashid
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - Sabik Khair
- Department of Microbiology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka, 1000, Bangladesh
| | - A S M Rubayet Ul Alam
- Department of Microbiology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, 7408, Bangladesh.
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34
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Devresse A, Briol S, De Greef J, Lemaitre F, Boland L, Haufroid V, Scohy A, Kabamba B, Yombi JC, Belkhir L, Darius T, Buemi A, De Potter K, Mantegazza R, Bearzatto B, Goffin E, Kanaan N. Safety, Efficacy and Relapse of Nirmatrelvir-Ritonavir in Kidney Transplant Recipients Infected with SARS-CoV-2. Kidney Int Rep 2022; 7:2356-2363. [PMID: 36060621 PMCID: PMC9420244 DOI: 10.1016/j.ekir.2022.08.026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction The efficacy of nirmatrelvir-ritonavir (NR; Paxlovid, Pfizer, New York, NY) to decrease the risk of progression to severe COVID-19 in high-risk patients has been demonstrated. However, evidence in infected kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) is lacking. Moreover, NR has significant and potentially harmful interactions with calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs). Methods In this single-center retrospective study, we included all KTRs treated with NR from April 28 to June 3, 2022. A standard management strategy of CNI dose adaptation (discontinuation of tacrolimus 12 hours before the start of NR and administration of 20% of the cyclosporine dose) and laboratory follow-up was applied. Results A total of 14 patients were included. Compared with day-0 (day before NR initiation), day-7 plasma creatinine concentrations and SARS-CoV-2 viral loads were similar (P = 0.866) and decreased (P = 0.002), respectively. CNI trough concentrations at the end of the treatment were satisfactory, nonetheless, with high individual variability. After a median follow-up time of 34 days, no death or viral pneumonia were observed. Nevertheless, 2 patients experienced early SARS-CoV-2 infection relapses (at day-10 and day-21) associated with an increase in SARS-CoV-2 viral loads. Conclusion NR can be used in KTRs but requires a strict protocol of drug adaptation. We observed 2 cases of early relapse after NR treatment that need further investigations.
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Rajpal VR, Sharma S, Kumar A, Chand S, Joshi L, Chandra A, Babbar S, Goel S, Raina SN, Shiran B. "Is Omicron mild"? Testing this narrative with the mutational landscape of its three lineages and response to existing vaccines and therapeutic antibodies. J Med Virol 2022; 94:3521-3539. [PMID: 35355267 PMCID: PMC9088584 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2022] [Accepted: 03/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 Omicron with its lineages BA.1, BA.2, and BA.3 has triggered a fresh wave of Covid-19 infections. Though, Omicron has, so far, produced mild symptoms, its genome contains 60 mutations including 37 in the spike protein and 15 in the receptor-binding domain. Thirteen sites conserved in previous SARS-CoV-2 variants carry mutations in Omicron. Many mutations have shown evolution under positive selection. Omicron's giant mutational leap has raised concerns as there are signs of higher virus infectivity rate, pathogenesis, reinfection, and immune evasion. Preliminary studies have reported waning of immunity after two-dose primary vaccine regime, need for the boosters, folds reduction in vaccine effectiveness and neutralizing antibodies even after boosting and significant neutralization resistance with the therapeutic monoclonal, polyclonal, and convalescent antibodies against Omicron. The narrative that "Omicron is mild," therefore, needs time to be tested with a deeper, scientific dwelling into the facts.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Shashi Sharma
- Division of VirologyDefence Research and Development EstablishmentGwaliorMadhya PradeshIndia
| | - Avinash Kumar
- Department of BotanyVinoba Bhave UniversityHazaribagJharkhandIndia
| | - Shweta Chand
- Department of BotanyHansraj College, University of DelhiDelhiIndia
| | - Lata Joshi
- Department of BotanyHansraj College, University of DelhiDelhiIndia
| | - Atika Chandra
- Department of BotanyMaitreyi College, University of DelhiDelhiIndia
| | - Sadhna Babbar
- Department of BotanySwami Shraddhanand College, University of DelhiDelhiIndia
| | | | - Soom Nath Raina
- Department of BiotechnologyAmity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University Uttar PradeshNoidaUttar PradeshIndia
| | - Behrouz Shiran
- Department of Plant Breeding and BiotechnologyShahrekord UniversityShahrekordIran
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36
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The First Identification in Italy of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.4 Harboring KSF141_del: A Genomic Comparison with Omicron Sub-Variants. Biomedicines 2022; 10:biomedicines10081839. [PMID: 36009386 PMCID: PMC9405011 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines10081839] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The rapid emergence and worldwide detection of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant underscore the importance of robust genomic surveillance systems and prompt information sharing among global public health partners. The Omicron variant has rapidly replaced the Delta variant as a dominating SARS-CoV-2 variant because of natural selection, favoring the variant with higher infectivity and stronger vaccine breakthrough capability. The Omicron variant is also known as B.1.1.529. It has four sub-variants, indicated as BA.1, BA.2, BA.3 and BA.4. Among them, BA.1 is the currently prevailing sub-variant, and BA.2 has been found to be able to alarmingly re-infect patients initially infected by Omicron BA.1. The BA.3 sub-variant is a combination of mutations of BA.1 and BA.2, especially in the spike protein. Today, the BA.4 variant is emerging, which is herein described, and it was the first detected in Italy. Via bioinformatic analysis, we are reporting that the BA.4 that was identified harbors a new mutation, specifically a deletion in the ORF1ab gene, corresponding to KSF141_del in non-structural protein 1 (nsp1), a critical virulence factor able to suppress host translation. The bioinformatics comparison analysis with the other three sub-variants reveals that the deletion was not present before and was never reported until now. Therefore, we can speculate that Omicron BA.4 will become a new dominating “variant of concern” and may also break vaccine protection. Moreover, we show that other proteins are mutated in the BA.4. In particular, seven mutations are recognized in the nucleocapsid (N) protein, and the capability of five different types of rapid antigenic tests are used to identify it.
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37
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Deletion of the EP296R Gene from the Genome of Highly Virulent African Swine Fever Virus Georgia 2010 Does Not Affect Virus Replication or Virulence in Domestic Pigs. Viruses 2022; 14:v14081682. [PMID: 36016304 PMCID: PMC9415450 DOI: 10.3390/v14081682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2022] [Revised: 07/22/2022] [Accepted: 07/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
African swine fever virus (ASFV) causes a lethal disease (ASF) in domestic pigs, African swine fever (ASF). ASF is currently producing a pandemic affecting pig production across Eurasia, leading to a shortage of food accessibility. ASFV is structurally complex, harboring a large genome encoding over 150 genes. One of them, EP296R, has been shown to encode for an endonuclease that is necessary for the efficient replication of the virus in swine macrophages, the natural ASFV target cell. Here, we report the development of a recombinant virus, ASFV-G-∆EP296R, harboring the deletion of the EP296R gene from the genome of the highly virulent field isolate ASFV Georgia 2010 (ASFV-G). The recombinant ASFV-G-∆EP296R replicates in primary swine macrophages with similar kinetics as the parental virus ASFV-G. Pigs experimentally infected by the intramuscular route with 102 HAD50 show a slightly protracted, although lethal, presentation of the disease when compared to that of animals inoculated with parental ASFV-G. Viremia titers in the ASFV-G-∆EP296R-infected animals closely followed the kinetics of presentation of clinical disease. Results presented here demonstrate that ASFV-G-∆EP296R is not essential for the processes of ASFV replication in swine macrophages, nor is it radically involved in the process of virus replication or disease production in domestic pigs.
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38
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Vassilaki N, Papadimitriou K, Ioannidis A, Papandreou NC, Milona RS, Iconomidou VA, Chatzipanagiotou S. SARS-CoV-2 Amino Acid Mutations Detection in Greek Patients Infected in the First Wave of the Pandemic. Microorganisms 2022; 10:microorganisms10071430. [PMID: 35889149 PMCID: PMC9322066 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms10071430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 07/01/2022] [Accepted: 07/11/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), a novel virus that belongs to the Coronoviridae family, emerged in December 2019, causing the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Unlike previous SARS and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS) outbreaks, this virus has a higher transmissibility rate, albeit a lower case fatality rate, which results in accumulation of a significant number of mutations and a faster evolution rate. Genomic studies on the mutation rate of the virus, as well as the identification of mutations that prevail and their impact on disease severity, are of great importance for pandemic surveillance and vaccine and drug development. Here, we aim to identify mutations on the SARS-CoV-2 viral genome and their effect on the proteins they are located in, in Greek patients infected in the first wave of the pandemic. To this end, we perform SARS-CoV-2 amplicon-based NGS sequencing on nasopharyngeal swab samples from Greek patients and bioinformatic analysis of the results. Although SARS-CoV-2 is considered genetically stable, we discover a variety of mutations on the viral genome. In detail, 18 mutations are detected in total on 10 SARS-CoV-2 isolates. The mutations are located on ORF1ab, S protein, M protein, ORF3a and ORF7a. Sixteen are also detected in patients from other regions around the world, and two are identified for the first time in the present study. Most of them result in amino acid substitutions. These substitutions are analyzed using computational tools, and the results indicate minor or major impact on the proteins’ structural stability, which could probably affect viral transmissibility and pathogenesis. The correlation of these variations with the viral load levels is examined, and their implication for disease severity and the biology of the virus are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niki Vassilaki
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (N.V.); (R.S.M.)
| | - Konstantinos Papadimitriou
- Laboratory of Food Quality Control and Hygiene, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, 11855 Athens, Greece;
| | - Anastasios Ioannidis
- Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Peloponnese, Sehi Area, 22100 Tripoli, Greece;
| | - Nikos C. Papandreou
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15701 Athens, Greece; (N.C.P.); (V.A.I.)
| | - Raphaela S. Milona
- Laboratory of Molecular Virology, Hellenic Pasteur Institute, 127 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, 11521 Athens, Greece; (N.V.); (R.S.M.)
| | - Vassiliki A. Iconomidou
- Section of Cell Biology and Biophysics, Department of Biology, School of Science, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis, 15701 Athens, Greece; (N.C.P.); (V.A.I.)
| | - Stylianos Chatzipanagiotou
- Department of Medical Biopathology, Eginition Hospital, Athens Medical School, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 72–74 Vasilissis Sofias Avenue, 11528 Athens, Greece
- Correspondence:
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Qin L, Meng J, Ding X, Jiang T. Mapping Genetic Events of SARS-CoV-2 Variants. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:890590. [PMID: 35910603 PMCID: PMC9329953 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.890590] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic mutation and recombination are driving the evolution of SARS-CoV-2, leaving many genetic imprints which could be utilized to track the evolutionary pathway of SARS-CoV-2 and explore the relationships among variants. Here, we constructed a complete genetic map, showing the explicit evolutionary relationship among all SARS-CoV-2 variants including 58 groups and 46 recombination types identified from 3,392,553 sequences, which enables us to keep well informed of the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and quickly determine the parents of novel variants. We found that the 5' and 3' of the spike and nucleoprotein genes have high frequencies to form the recombination junctions and that the RBD region in S gene is always exchanged as a whole. Although these recombinants did not show advantages in community transmission, it is necessary to keep a wary eye on the novel genetic events, in particular, the mutants with mutations on spike and recombinants with exchanged moieties on spike gene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luyao Qin
- Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, China
| | - Jing Meng
- Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, China
| | - Xiao Ding
- Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, China
| | - Taijiao Jiang
- Institute of Systems Medicine, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Suzhou Institute of Systems Medicine, Suzhou, China
- Institute of Basic Medical Sciences Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, School of Basic Medicine Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, China
- Guangzhou Laboratory, Guangzhou, China
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40
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Magalis BR, Mavian C, Tagliamonte M, Rich SN, Cash M, Riva A, Loeb JC, Norris M, Amador DM, Zhang Y, Shapiro J, Starostik P, Marini S, Myers P, Ostrov DA, Lednicky JA, Glenn Morris J, Lauzardo M, Salemi M. Low-frequency variants in mildly symptomatic vaccine breakthrough infections presents a doubled-edged sword. J Med Virol 2022; 94:3192-3202. [PMID: 35307848 PMCID: PMC9325371 DOI: 10.1002/jmv.27726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2021] [Revised: 02/24/2022] [Accepted: 03/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants of concern (VOC) has raised questions regarding vaccine protection against SARS-CoV-2 infection, transmission, and ongoing virus evolution. Twenty-three mildly symptomatic "vaccination breakthrough" infections were identified as early as January 2021 in Alachua County, Florida, among individuals fully vaccinated with either the BNT162b2 (Pfizer) or the Ad26 (Janssen/J&J) vaccines. SARS-CoV-2 genomes were successfully generated for 11 of the vaccine breakthroughs, and 878 individuals in the surrounding area and were included for reference-based phylogenetic investigation. These 11 individuals were characterized by infection with VOCs, but also low-frequency variants present within the surrounding population. Low-frequency mutations were observed, which have been more recently identified as mutations of interest owing to their location within targeted immune epitopes (P812L) and association with increased replicative capacity (L18F). We present these results to posit the nature of the efficacy of vaccines in reducing symptoms as both a blessing and a curse-as vaccination becomes more widespread and self-motivated testing reduced owing to the absence of severe symptoms, we face the challenge of early recognition of novel mutations of potential concern. This case study highlights the critical need for continued testing and monitoring of infection and transmission among individuals regardless of vaccination status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brittany R. Magalis
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Carla Mavian
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Massimiliano Tagliamonte
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Shannan N. Rich
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Florida Department of HealthGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Melanie Cash
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Alberto Riva
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology ResearchUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Julia C. Loeb
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Environmental and Global HealthUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Michael Norris
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Environmental and Global HealthUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - David M. Amador
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology ResearchUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Yanping Zhang
- Interdisciplinary Center for Biotechnology ResearchUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Jerne Shapiro
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Florida Department of HealthGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Petr Starostik
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Simone Marini
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Epidemiology, College of Public Health and Health Professions and College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Paul Myers
- Florida Department of HealthGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - David A. Ostrov
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - John A. Lednicky
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of Environmental and Global HealthUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - J. Glenn Morris
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Michael Lauzardo
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Florida Department of HealthGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine, College of MedicineUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Marco Salemi
- Emerging Pathogens InstituteUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
- Department of PathologyUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
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Vuono EA, Ramirez-Medina E, Pruitt S, Rai A, Espinoza N, Silva E, Velazquez-Salinas L, Gladue DP, Borca MV. Deletion of the ASFV dUTPase Gene E165R from the Genome of Highly Virulent African Swine Fever Virus Georgia 2010 Does Not Affect Virus Replication or Virulence in Domestic Pigs. Viruses 2022; 14:v14071409. [PMID: 35891389 PMCID: PMC9320246 DOI: 10.3390/v14071409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 06/21/2022] [Accepted: 06/24/2022] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
African swine fever (ASF) is a frequently lethal disease of domestic and wild swine currently producing a pandemic affecting pig production in Eurasia. The causative agent, ASF virus (ASFV) is a structurally complex virus with a large genome harboring over 150 genes. One of them, E165R, encodes for a protein belonging to the dUTPase family. The fine structure of the purified protein has been recently analyzed and its dUTPase activity tested. In addition, it has been reported that a BA71 mutant virus, adapted to growth in Vero cells, lacking the E165R gene presented a drastic decreased replication in swine macrophages, its natural target cell. Herein, we report the development of a recombinant virus, ASFV-G-∆E165R, harboring the deletion of the E165R gene from the genome of the highly virulent field isolate ASFV Georgia 2010 (ASFV-G). Interestingly, ASFV-G-∆E165R replicates in primary swine macrophage cultures as efficiently as the parental virus ASFV-G. In addition, ASFV-G-∆E165R also replicates in experimentally inoculated domestic pigs with equal efficacy as ASFV-G and produced a lethal disease almost indistinguishable from that induced by the parental virus. Therefore, results presented here clearly demonstrated that E165R gene is not essential or important for ASFV replication in swine macrophages nor disease production in domestic pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A. Vuono
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.A.V.); (E.R.-M.); (S.P.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (E.S.); (L.V.-S.)
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS 39762, USA
| | - Elizabeth Ramirez-Medina
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.A.V.); (E.R.-M.); (S.P.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (E.S.); (L.V.-S.)
| | - Sarah Pruitt
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.A.V.); (E.R.-M.); (S.P.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (E.S.); (L.V.-S.)
| | - Ayushi Rai
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.A.V.); (E.R.-M.); (S.P.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (E.S.); (L.V.-S.)
- Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE), Oak Ridge, TN 37830, USA
| | - Nallely Espinoza
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.A.V.); (E.R.-M.); (S.P.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (E.S.); (L.V.-S.)
| | - Ediane Silva
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.A.V.); (E.R.-M.); (S.P.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (E.S.); (L.V.-S.)
| | - Lauro Velazquez-Salinas
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.A.V.); (E.R.-M.); (S.P.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (E.S.); (L.V.-S.)
| | - Douglas P. Gladue
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.A.V.); (E.R.-M.); (S.P.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (E.S.); (L.V.-S.)
- Correspondence: (D.P.G.); (M.V.B.)
| | - Manuel V. Borca
- Plum Island Animal Disease Center, Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture, Greenport, NY 11944, USA; (E.A.V.); (E.R.-M.); (S.P.); (A.R.); (N.E.); (E.S.); (L.V.-S.)
- Correspondence: (D.P.G.); (M.V.B.)
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42
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Hou Y, Zhao S, Liu Q, Zhang X, Sha T, Su Y, Zhao W, Bao Y, Xue Y, Chen H. Ongoing Positive Selection Drives the Evolution of SARS-CoV-2 Genomes. GENOMICS, PROTEOMICS & BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 20:1214-1223. [PMID: 35760317 PMCID: PMC9233880 DOI: 10.1016/j.gpb.2022.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2022] [Revised: 05/21/2022] [Accepted: 05/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 is a new RNA virus affecting humans and spreads extensively through world populations since its first outbreak in December, 2019. Whether the transmissibility and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 in humans after zoonotic transfer are actively evolving, and driven by adaptation to the new host and environments is still under debate. Understanding the evolutionary mechanism underlying epidemiological and pathological characteristics of COVID-19 is essential for predicting the epidemic trend, and providing guidance for disease control and treatments. Interrogating novel strategies for identifying natural selection using within-species polymorphisms and 3,674,076 SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences of 169 countries as of December 30, 2021, we demonstrate with population genetic evidence that during the course of SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in humans, 1) SARS-CoV-2 genomes are overall conserved under purifying selection, especially for the 14 genes related to viral RNA replication, transcription, and assembly; 2) ongoing positive selection is actively driving the evolution of 6 genes (e.g., S, ORF3a, and N) that play critical roles in molecular processes involving pathogen-host interactions, including viral invasion into and egress from host cells, and viral inhibition and evasion of host immune response, possibly leading to high transmissibility and mild symptom in SARS-CoV-2 evolution. According to an established haplotype phylogenetic relationship of 138 viral clusters, a spatial and temporal landscape of 556 critical mutations is constructed based on their divergence among viral haplotype clusters or repeatedly increase in frequency within at least 2 clusters, of which multiple mutations potentially conferring alterations in viral transmissibility, pathogenicity, and virulence of SARS-CoV-2 are highlighted, warranting attentions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yali Hou
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Shilei Zhao
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Qi Liu
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Xiaolong Zhang
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Tong Sha
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yankai Su
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Wenming Zhao
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yiming Bao
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
| | - Yongbiao Xue
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
| | - Hua Chen
- Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, China.
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Gubarev YA, Lebedeva NS, Yurina ES, Mamardashvili GM, Zaitceva SV, Zdanovich SA, Koifman OI. Prospects for the use of macrocyclic photosensitizers for inactivation of SARS-CoV-2: selection of compounds leaders based on the molecular docking data. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2022:1-10. [DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2022.2079562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yury A. Gubarev
- G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ivanovo, Russia
| | - Natalia Sh. Lebedeva
- G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ivanovo, Russia
| | - Elena S. Yurina
- G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ivanovo, Russia
| | | | - Svetlana V. Zaitceva
- G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ivanovo, Russia
| | - Sergey A. Zdanovich
- G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ivanovo, Russia
| | - Oskar I. Koifman
- G. A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Ivanovo, Russia
- Ivanovo State University of Chemistry and Technology, Ivanovo, Russia
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44
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Yang CX, Tomchaney M, Landecho MF, Zamacona BR, Marin Oto M, Zulueta J, Malo J, Knoper S, Contoli M, Papi A, Vasilescu DM, Sauler M, Straub C, Tan C, Martinez FD, Bhattacharya D, Rosas IO, Kheradmand F, Hackett TL, Polverino F. Lung Spatial Profiling Reveals a T Cell Signature in COPD Patients with Fatal SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Cells 2022; 11:cells11121864. [PMID: 35740993 PMCID: PMC9220844 DOI: 10.3390/cells11121864] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2022] [Revised: 06/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
People with pre-existing lung diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are more likely to get very sick from SARS-CoV-2 disease 2019 (COVID-19). Still, an interrogation of the immune response to COVID-19 infection, spatially throughout the lung structure, is lacking in patients with COPD. For this study, we characterized the immune microenvironment of the lung parenchyma, airways, and vessels of never- and ever-smokers with or without COPD, all of whom died of COVID-19, using spatial transcriptomic and proteomic profiling. The parenchyma, airways, and vessels of COPD patients, compared to control lungs had (1) significant enrichment for lung-resident CD45RO+ memory CD4+ T cells; (2) downregulation of genes associated with T cell antigen priming and memory T cell differentiation; and (3) higher expression of proteins associated with SARS-CoV-2 entry and primary receptor ubiquitously across the ROIs and in particular the lung parenchyma, despite similar SARS-CoV-2 structural gene expression levels. In conclusion, the lung parenchyma, airways, and vessels of COPD patients have increased T-lymphocytes with a blunted memory CD4 T cell response and a more invasive SARS-CoV-2 infection pattern and may underlie the higher death toll observed with COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chen Xi Yang
- Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (C.X.Y.); (D.M.V.); (T.-L.H.)
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Michael Tomchaney
- Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (M.T.); (F.D.M.)
| | - Manuel F. Landecho
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.F.L.); (B.R.Z.); (M.M.O.)
| | - Borja R. Zamacona
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.F.L.); (B.R.Z.); (M.M.O.)
| | - Marta Marin Oto
- Department of Internal Medicine, Clinica Universidad de Navarra, 31008 Pamplona, Spain; (M.F.L.); (B.R.Z.); (M.M.O.)
| | | | - Joshua Malo
- Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (J.M.); (S.K.)
| | - Steve Knoper
- Department of Surgery, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (J.M.); (S.K.)
| | - Marco Contoli
- Pulmonary Division, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (M.C.); (A.P.)
| | - Alberto Papi
- Pulmonary Division, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy; (M.C.); (A.P.)
| | - Dragoş M. Vasilescu
- Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (C.X.Y.); (D.M.V.); (T.-L.H.)
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Maor Sauler
- Department of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA;
| | - Christof Straub
- Nanostring Technologies, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; (C.S.); (C.T.)
| | - Cheryl Tan
- Nanostring Technologies, Seattle, WA 98109, USA; (C.S.); (C.T.)
| | - Fernando D. Martinez
- Asthma and Airway Disease Research Center, College of Medicine, University of Arizona College of Medicine, Tucson, AZ 85719, USA; (M.T.); (F.D.M.)
| | | | - Ivan O. Rosas
- Department of Medicine and Center for Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (I.O.R.); (F.K.)
| | - Farrah Kheradmand
- Department of Medicine and Center for Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (I.O.R.); (F.K.)
| | - Tillie-Louise Hackett
- Centre for Heart and Lung Innovation, St. Paul’s Hospital, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (C.X.Y.); (D.M.V.); (T.-L.H.)
- Department of Anesthesiology, Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Francesca Polverino
- Department of Medicine and Center for Translational Research, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX 77030, USA; (I.O.R.); (F.K.)
- Correspondence:
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45
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Goud VR, Chakraborty R, Chakraborty A, Lavudi K, Patnaik S, Sharma S, Patnaik S. A bioinformatic approach of targeting SARS-CoV-2 replication by silencing a conserved alternative reserve of the orf8 gene using host miRNAs. Comput Biol Med 2022; 145:105436. [PMID: 35366472 PMCID: PMC8942883 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2022.105436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2022] [Revised: 03/11/2022] [Accepted: 03/20/2022] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
The causative agent of the COVID-19 pandemic, the SARS-CoV-2 virus has yielded multiple relevant mutations, many of which have branched into major variants. The Omicron variant has a huge similarity with the original viral strain (first COVID-19 strain from Wuhan). Among different genes, the highly variable orf8 gene is responsible for crucial host interactions and has undergone multiple mutations and indels. The sequence of the orf8 gene of the Omicron variant is, however, identical with the gene sequence of the wild type. orf8 modulates the host immunity making it easier for the virus to conceal itself and remain undetected. Variants seem to be deleting this gene without affecting the viral replication. While analyzing, we came across the conserved orf7a gene in the viral genome which exhibits a partial sequence homology as well as functional similarity with the SARS-CoV-2 orf8. Hence, we have proposed here in our hypothesis that, orf7a might be an alternative reserve of orf8 present in the virus which was compensating for the lost gene. A computational approach was adopted where we screened various miRNAs targeted against the orf8 gene. These miRNAs were then docked onto the orf8 mRNA sequences. The same set of miRNAs was then used to check for their binding affinity with the orf7a reference mRNA. Results showed that miRNAs targeting the orf8 had favorable shape complementarity and successfully docked with the orf7a gene as well. These findings provide a basis for developing new therapeutic approaches where both orf8 and orf7a can be targeted simultaneously.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Kousalya Lavudi
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Sriram Patnaik
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India
| | - Swati Sharma
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India,Dept. of Skill Buildings Shri Ramasamy Memorial University, Sikkim, Gangtok, 737102, India
| | - Srinivas Patnaik
- School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, India,Corresponding author. School of Biotechnology, KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, 751024, India
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46
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Nunes DR, Braconi CT, Ludwig-Begall LF, Arns CW, Durães-Carvalho R. Deep phylogenetic-based clustering analysis uncovers new and shared mutations in SARS-CoV-2 variants as a result of directional and convergent evolution. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0268389. [PMID: 35609034 PMCID: PMC9129020 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0268389] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/28/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Nearly two decades after the last epidemic caused by a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), newly emerged SARS-CoV-2 quickly spread in 2020 and precipitated an ongoing global public health crisis. Both the continuous accumulation of point mutations, owed to the naturally imposed genomic plasticity of SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary processes, as well as viral spread over time, allow this RNA virus to gain new genetic identities, spawn novel variants and enhance its potential for immune evasion. Here, through an in-depth phylogenetic clustering analysis of upwards of 200,000 whole-genome sequences, we reveal the presence of previously unreported and hitherto unidentified mutations and recombination breakpoints in Variants of Concern (VOC) and Variants of Interest (VOI) from Brazil, India (Beta, Eta and Kappa) and the USA (Beta, Eta and Lambda). Additionally, we identify sites with shared mutations under directional evolution in the SARS-CoV-2 Spike-encoding protein of VOC and VOI, tracing a heretofore-undescribed correlation with viral spread in South America, India and the USA. Our evidence-based analysis provides well-supported evidence of similar pathways of evolution for such mutations in all SARS-CoV-2 variants and sub-lineages. This raises two pivotal points: (i) the co-circulation of variants and sub-lineages in close evolutionary environments, which sheds light onto their trajectories into convergent and directional evolution, and (ii) a linear perspective into the prospective vaccine efficacy against different SARS-CoV-2 strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danilo Rosa Nunes
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Carla Torres Braconi
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- * E-mail: (CTB); (RDC)
| | - Louisa F. Ludwig-Begall
- Department of Infectious and Parasitic Diseases, Veterinary Virology and Animal Viral Diseases, FARAH Research Centre, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Clarice Weis Arns
- Laboratory of Virology, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil
| | - Ricardo Durães-Carvalho
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Parasitology, Paulista School of Medicine, Federal University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- * E-mail: (CTB); (RDC)
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47
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Vindeirinho JM, Pinho E, Azevedo NF, Almeida C. SARS-CoV-2 Diagnostics Based on Nucleic Acids Amplification: From Fundamental Concepts to Applications and Beyond. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2022; 12:799678. [PMID: 35402302 PMCID: PMC8984495 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2022.799678] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 pandemic ignited the development of countless molecular methods for the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 based either on nucleic acid, or protein analysis, with the first establishing as the most used for routine diagnosis. The methods trusted for day to day analysis of nucleic acids rely on amplification, in order to enable specific SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. This review aims to compile the state-of-the-art in the field of nucleic acid amplification tests (NAATs) used for SARS-CoV-2 detection, either at the clinic level, or at the Point-Of-Care (POC), thus focusing on isothermal and non-isothermal amplification-based diagnostics, while looking carefully at the concerning virology aspects, steps and instruments a test can involve. Following a theme contextualization in introduction, topics about fundamental knowledge on underlying virology aspects, collection and processing of clinical samples pave the way for a detailed assessment of the amplification and detection technologies. In order to address such themes, nucleic acid amplification methods, the different types of molecular reactions used for DNA detection, as well as the instruments requested for executing such routes of analysis are discussed in the subsequent sections. The benchmark of paradigmatic commercial tests further contributes toward discussion, building on technical aspects addressed in the previous sections and other additional information supplied in that part. The last lines are reserved for looking ahead to the future of NAATs and its importance in tackling this pandemic and other identical upcoming challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- João M. Vindeirinho
- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinarian Research (INIAV, I.P), Vairão, Portugal
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering (ALiCE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Eva Pinho
- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinarian Research (INIAV, I.P), Vairão, Portugal
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering (ALiCE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Nuno F. Azevedo
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering (ALiCE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Carina Almeida
- National Institute for Agrarian and Veterinarian Research (INIAV, I.P), Vairão, Portugal
- Laboratory for Process Engineering, Environment, Biotechnology and Energy (LEPABE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Associate Laboratory in Chemical Engineering (ALiCE), Faculty of Engineering, University of Porto, Porto, Portugal
- Centre of Biological Engineering (CEB), University of Minho, Braga, Portugal
- *Correspondence: Carina Almeida,
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48
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Fung KM, Lai SJ, Lin TL, Tseng TS. Antigen–Antibody Complex-Guided Exploration of the Hotspots Conferring the Immune-Escaping Ability of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD. Front Mol Biosci 2022; 9:797132. [PMID: 35392535 PMCID: PMC8981523 DOI: 10.3389/fmolb.2022.797132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic resulting from the spread of SARS-CoV-2 spurred devastating health and economic crises around the world. Neutralizing antibodies and licensed vaccines were developed to combat COVID-19, but progress was slow. In addition, variants of the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein confer resistance of SARS-CoV-2 to neutralizing antibodies, nullifying the possibility of human immunity. Therefore, investigations into the RBD mutations that disrupt neutralization through convalescent antibodies are urgently required. In this study, we comprehensively and systematically investigated the binding stability of RBD variants targeting convalescent antibodies and revealed that the RBD residues F456, F490, L452, L455, and K417 are immune-escaping hotspots, and E484, F486, and N501 are destabilizing residues. Our study also explored the possible modes of actions of emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. All results are consistent with experimental observations of attenuated antibody neutralization and clinically emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants. We identified possible immune-escaping hotspots that could further promote resistance to convalescent antibodies. The results provide valuable information for developing and designing novel monoclonal antibody drugs to combat emerging SARS-CoV-2 variants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kit-Man Fung
- Academia Sinica, Institute of Biological Chemistry, Taipei, Taiwan
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Shu-Jung Lai
- Graduate Institute of Biomedical Sciences, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Lu Lin
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Tien-Sheng Tseng
- Institute of Molecular Biology, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung, Taiwan
- *Correspondence: Tien-Sheng Tseng,
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49
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Hassan SS, Kodakandla V, Redwan EM, Lundstrom K, Pal Choudhury P, Abd El-Aziz TM, Takayama K, Kandimalla R, Lal A, Serrano-Aroca Á, Azad GK, Aljabali AA, Palù G, Chauhan G, Adadi P, Tambuwala M, Brufsky AM, Baetas-da-Cruz W, Barh D, Azevedo V, Bazan NG, Andrade BS, Santana Silva RJ, Uversky VN. An issue of concern: unique truncated ORF8 protein variants of SARS-CoV-2. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13136. [PMID: 35341060 PMCID: PMC8944340 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Open reading frame 8 (ORF8) shows one of the highest levels of variability among accessory proteins in Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). It was previously reported that the ORF8 protein inhibits the presentation of viral antigens by the major histocompatibility complex class I (MHC-I), which interacts with host factors involved in pulmonary inflammation. The ORF8 protein assists SARS-CoV-2 in evading immunity and plays a role in SARS-CoV-2 replication. Among many contributing mutations, Q27STOP, a mutation in the ORF8 protein, defines the B.1.1.7 lineage of SARS-CoV-2, engendering the second wave of COVID-19. In the present study, 47 unique truncated ORF8 proteins (T-ORF8) with the Q27STOP mutations were identified among 49,055 available B.1.1.7 SARS-CoV-2 sequences. The results show that only one of the 47 T-ORF8 variants spread to over 57 geo-locations in North America, and other continents, which include Africa, Asia, Europe and South America. Based on various quantitative features, such as amino acid homology, polar/non-polar sequence homology, Shannon entropy conservation, and other physicochemical properties of all specific 47 T-ORF8 protein variants, nine possible T-ORF8 unique variants were defined. The question as to whether T-ORF8 variants function similarly to the wild type ORF8 is yet to be investigated. A positive response to the question could exacerbate future COVID-19 waves, necessitating severe containment measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sk. Sarif Hassan
- Department of Mathematics, Pingla Thana Mahavidyalaya, Maligram, India
| | - Vaishnavi Kodakandla
- Department of Life sciences, Sophia College For Women, University of Mumbai, Mumbai, India
| | - Elrashdy M. Redwan
- Faculty of Science, Department of Biological Science, King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia
| | | | | | - Tarek Mohamed Abd El-Aziz
- Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Kazuo Takayama
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Ramesh Kandimalla
- Applied Biology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad, India
| | - Amos Lal
- Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Mayo Clinic Rochester, Rochester, NY, United States
| | - Ángel Serrano-Aroca
- Biomaterials and Bioengineering Lab, Centro de Investigacion Traslacional San Alberto Magno, Universidad Catolica de Valencia San Vicente Martir, Valencia, Spain
| | | | - Alaa A.A. Aljabali
- Department of Pharmaceutics and Pharmaceutical, Yarmouk University, Irbid, Jordan
| | - Giorgio Palù
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Gaurav Chauhan
- School of Engineering and Sciences, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Monterrey, Mexico
| | - Parise Adadi
- Department of Food Science, University of Otago, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand
| | - Murtaza Tambuwala
- School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Science, Ulster University, Coleraine, UK
| | - Adam M. Brufsky
- Department of Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Wagner Baetas-da-Cruz
- Translational Laboratory in Molecular Physiology, Centre for Experimental Surgery, College of Medicine, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
| | - Debmalya Barh
- Centre for Genomics and Applied Gene Technology, Institute of Integrative Omics and 46 Applied Biotechnology (IIOAB), Nonakuri, India
| | - Vasco Azevedo
- Departamento de Genetica, Ecologia e Evolucao, Instituto de Ciencias Biologicas, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil
| | - Nikolas G. Bazan
- Neuroscience Center of Excellence, School of Medicine, LSU Health New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, United States
| | - Bruno Silva Andrade
- Laboratório de Bioinformática e Química Computacional, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Jequié, Brazil
| | - Raner José Santana Silva
- Departamento de Ciencias Biologicas (DCB), Programa de Pos-Graduacao em Genetica e Biologia Molecular (PPGGBM), Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz (UESC), Ilheus, Brazil
| | - Vladimir N. Uversky
- Department of Molecular Medicine, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States
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Zhang J, Ejikemeuwa A, Gerzanich V, Nasr M, Tang Q, Simard JM, Zhao RY. Understanding the Role of SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a in Viral Pathogenesis and COVID-19. Front Microbiol 2022; 13:854567. [PMID: 35356515 PMCID: PMC8959714 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.854567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2022] [Accepted: 02/09/2022] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has shocked the world due to its persistence, COVID-19-related morbidity and mortality, and the high mutability of the virus. One of the major concerns is the emergence of new viral variants that may increase viral transmission and disease severity. In addition to mutations of spike protein, mutations of viral proteins that affect virulence, such as ORF3a, also must be considered. The purpose of this article is to review the current literature on ORF3a, to summarize the molecular actions of SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a, and its role in viral pathogenesis and COVID-19. ORF3a is a polymorphic, multifunctional viral protein that is specific to SARS-CoV/SARS-CoV-2. It was acquired from β-CoV lineage and likely originated from bats through viral evolution. SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a is a viroporin that interferes with ion channel activities in host plasma and endomembranes. It is likely a virion-associated protein that exerts its effect on the viral life cycle during viral entry through endocytosis, endomembrane-associated viral transcription and replication, and viral release through exocytosis. ORF3a induces cellular innate and pro-inflammatory immune responses that can trigger a cytokine storm, especially under hypoxic conditions, by activating NLRP3 inflammasomes, HMGB1, and HIF-1α to promote the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. ORF3a induces cell death through apoptosis, necrosis, and pyroptosis, which leads to tissue damage that affects the severity of COVID-19. ORF3a continues to evolve along with spike and other viral proteins to adapt in the human cellular environment. How the emerging ORF3a mutations alter the function of SARS-CoV-2 ORF3a and its role in viral pathogenesis and COVID-19 is largely unknown. This review provides an in-depth analysis of ORF3a protein's structure, origin, evolution, and mutant variants, and how these characteristics affect its functional role in viral pathogenesis and COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiantao Zhang
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Research and Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Amara Ejikemeuwa
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Volodymyr Gerzanich
- Research and Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Mohamed Nasr
- Drug Development and Clinical Sciences Branch, Division of AIDS, NIAID, NIH, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Qiyi Tang
- Department of Microbiology, Howard University College of Medicine, Washington, DC, United States
| | - J. Marc Simard
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Research and Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
| | - Richard Y. Zhao
- Department of Pathology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Research and Development Service, VA Maryland Health Care System, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Institute of Human Virology, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
- Institute of Global Health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, United States
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