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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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Virological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5.2.48
Wenqi Wang1,2, Qiushi Jin2,3, Ruixue Liu2,4
1College of Life Sciences, Northeast Normal University, Changchun, China.
Frontiers in Immunology
|October 16, 2024
Summary
The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.5.2.48 subvariant shows increased airborne transmission and pathogenicity compared to BA.2. Its subvariants, like DY.1.1, exhibit enhanced fitness and binding, potentially driving further evolution.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Epidemiology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- The SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant has diversified into numerous sublineages, including BA.5.
- The BA.5.2.48 sublineage emerged and evolved into multiple subvariants in China with unclear virological characteristics.
- Understanding the evolution and characteristics of emerging subvariants is crucial for public health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the virological characteristics of two prevalent BA.5.2.48 subvariants, DY.2 and DY.1.1.
- To compare the transmission, pathogenicity, and fitness of BA.5.2.48 and its subvariants against other SARS-CoV-2 lineages.
- To investigate the evolutionary trajectory of BA.5.2.48 subvariants.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of spike protein mutations and their functional impact (cleavage, fusogenicity, hACE2 binding).
- In vivo studies in hamsters to assess airborne transmission capacity.
- Pathogenicity assessment in Omicron-lethal H11-K18-hACE2 rodent models.
- Evaluation of viral fitness in hamster turbinates for both naive and convalescent models.
Main Results:
- The DY.1.1 spike protein, a BA.5.2.48 subvariant, showed efficient cleavage, reduced fusogenicity, and higher hACE2 binding affinity compared to the standard BA.5 spike.
- BA.5.2.48 exhibited enhanced airborne transmission in hamsters relative to BA.2.
- BA.5.2.48 demonstrated greater pathogenicity than BA.2 in susceptible rodent models.
- DY.1.1 displayed superior fitness over DY.2 in hamster turbinates, irrespective of prior infection status.
Conclusions:
- The BA.5.2.48 subvariant possesses enhanced airborne transmission and pathogenicity compared to BA.2.
- Subvariants of BA.5.2.48, such as DY.1.1, are evolving with increased fitness and binding affinity.
- The regional outbreak of BA.5.2.48 facilitates multidirectional evolution, potentially leading to variants with increased pathogenicity or upper airway fitness and transmission.
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