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SARS-CoV-2 Spreads through Cell-to-Cell Transmission
Cong Zeng1,2, John P Evans1,2,3, Tiffany King4,5
1Center for Retrovirus Research, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|June 8, 2021
Summary
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spreads via cell-cell contact, mediated by its spike protein. This transmission route is resistant to antibodies, unlike cell-free infection.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Understanding SARS-CoV-2 transmission is crucial for public health.
Approach:
- Investigated SARS-CoV-2 cell-to-cell transmission in cultures.
- Utilized spike glycoprotein and endosomal entry inhibitors.
- Compared cell-to-cell versus cell-free infection dynamics.
Key Points:
- SARS-CoV-2 spike protein mediates cell-cell spread, more efficiently than SARS-CoV spike.
- Endosomal membrane fusion is implicated in this transmission mechanism.
- Cell-to-cell transmission is less susceptible to neutralizing antibodies and convalescent sera compared to cell-free infection.
- Variants of concern (VOCs) B.1.1.7 and B.1.351 show similar cell-to-cell transmission capabilities but differential resistance to vaccine sera.
Conclusions:
- SARS-CoV-2 spike-mediated cell-to-cell transmission has distinct characteristics.
- This pathway is important for understanding viral spread and pathogenesis.
- Findings have implications for therapeutic strategies targeting viral spread.
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