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Author Spotlight: A Pseudotype Virus System for Assessing Omicron Subvariants and Neutralizing Antibodies in SARS-CoV-2 Research
Published on: September 8, 2023
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SARS-CoV-2 evolution in animals suggests mechanisms for rapid variant selection
Laura Bashor1, Roderick B Gagne2, Angela M Bosco-Lauth3
1Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523.
Summary
The severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) rapidly evolves in animals after human spillback, with new variants emerging quickly. This highlights the risk of animal-to-human transmission and accelerated viral evolution in susceptible hosts.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Genomics
- Zoonotic Diseases
Background:
- Human-to-animal transmission of SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus-2) is a documented phenomenon.
- Experimental transmission cycles have been established in various animal species, including cats, mink, and ferrets.
Purpose of the Study:
- To sequence and analyze SARS-CoV-2 genomes from experimentally infected animals.
- To identify and characterize emergent viral variants resulting from host switching.
- To assess the potential for viral evolution and spillback from animal reservoirs.
Main Methods:
- Full genome sequencing of SARS-CoV-2 inoculum and viruses recovered from experimentally infected cats, dogs, hamsters, and ferrets.
- Analysis of viral genetic changes, including nonsynonymous substitutions and emergent variants.
- Detection of viral RNA through amplified sequences, even in the absence of live virus culture.
Main Results:
- Rapid reversion to wild-type sequences at specific sites was observed in dogs, cats, and hamsters post-exposure.
- Fourteen emergent SARS-CoV-2 variants were detected in recovered animal viruses, including substitutions in spike genes (H69, N501, D614).
- Substitutions in replicase genes were identified in amplified sequences from dogs, despite no live virus culture.
Conclusions:
- Rapid selection of SARS-CoV-2 variants in vivo and in vitro indicates residues crucial for host switching.
- Spillback from animal hosts can accelerate the evolution of new viral lineages, posing risks to human health.
- Viral host switching demonstrates significant plasticity and rapidity of viral evolution in experimental animal models.
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