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Isolation of SARS-CoV-2-related coronavirus from Malayan pangolins
Kangpeng Xiao1,2, Junqiong Zhai3, Yaoyu Feng1,2
1Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Diseases, College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
Insights
A novel coronavirus, pangolin-CoV, found in Malayan pangolins shares significant genetic similarity with SARS-CoV-2. This discovery highlights pangolins as potential intermediate hosts and emphasizes the public health risks associated with wildlife trade.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Genomics
- Zoonotic Diseases
Background:
- The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak presents global health challenges.
- While bats are known coronavirus reservoirs, SARS-CoV-2's intermediate host remains unidentified.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate potential intermediate hosts for SARS-CoV-2.
- To identify and characterize coronaviruses in Malayan pangolins.
Main Methods:
- Isolation and sequencing of a novel coronavirus (pangolin-CoV) from Malayan pangolins.
- Comparative genomic analysis of pangolin-CoV against SARS-CoV-2 and other coronaviruses.
- Detection of pangolin-CoV in pangolin populations and assessment of antibody responses.
Main Results:
- A pangolin coronavirus (pangolin-CoV) was isolated, showing high amino acid identity (up to 100% in E protein) with SARS-CoV-2.
- The receptor-binding domain of pangolin-CoV's S protein is nearly identical to that of SARS-CoV-2.
- Genomic analysis suggests SARS-CoV-2 may have arisen from recombination between pangolin-CoV-like and RaTG13-like viruses.
- Pangolin-CoV was detected in 68% of analyzed pangolins, which exhibited clinical signs and serological evidence of infection.
Conclusions:
- Malayan pangolins harbor a coronavirus closely related to SARS-CoV-2, indicating their potential role as an intermediate host.
- The close genetic relationship underscores the zoonotic potential of pangolin-associated coronaviruses.
- The illegal wildlife trade involving pangolins poses a significant public health risk, necessitating effective control measures.
Abstract:
The current outbreak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) poses unprecedented challenges to global health1. The new coronavirus responsible for this outbreak-severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-shares high sequence identity to SARS-CoV and a bat coronavirus, RaTG132. Although bats may be the reservoir host for a variety of coronaviruses3,4, it remains unknown whether SARS-CoV-2 has additional host species. Here we show that a coronavirus, which we name pangolin-CoV, isolated from a Malayan pangolin has 100%, 98.6%, 97.8% and 90.7% amino acid identity with SARS-CoV-2 in the E, M, N and S proteins, respectively. In particular, the receptor-binding domain of the S protein of pangolin-CoV is almost identical to that of SARS-CoV-2, with one difference in a noncritical amino acid. Our comparative genomic analysis suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may have originated in the recombination of a virus similar to pangolin-CoV with one similar to RaTG13. Pangolin-CoV was detected in 17 out of the 25 Malayan pangolins that we analysed. Infected pangolins showed clinical signs and histological changes, and circulating antibodies against pangolin-CoV reacted with the S protein of SARS-CoV-2. The isolation of a coronavirus from pangolins that is closely related to SARS-CoV-2 suggests that these animals have the potential to act as an intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2. This newly identified coronavirus from pangolins-the most-trafficked mammal in the illegal wildlife trade-could represent a future threat to public health if wildlife trade is not effectively controlled.
