TY - JOUR
T1 - The Importance of Research on the Origin of SARS-CoV-2
AU - Lundstrom, Kenneth
AU - Seyran, Murat
AU - Pizzol, Damiano
AU - Adadi, Parise
AU - Mohamed Abd El-aziz, Tarek
AU - Hassan, Sk. Sarif
AU - Soares, Antonio
AU - Kandimalla, Ramesh
AU - Tambuwala, Murtaza M.
AU - Aljabali, Alaa A. A.
AU - Kumar Azad, Gajendra
AU - Pal Choudhury, Pabitra
AU - Uversky, Vladimir N.
AU - Sherchan, Samendra P.
AU - Uhal, Bruce D.
AU - Rezaei, Nima
AU - Brufsky, Adam M.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2020 by the authors.
Copyright:
Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
PY - 2020/10/22
Y1 - 2020/10/22
N2 - The origin of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been fully determined. Despite the consensus about the SARS-CoV-2 origin from bat CoV RaTG13, discrepancy to host tropism to other human Coronaviruses exist. SARS-CoV-2 also possesses some differences in its S protein receptor-binding domain, glycan-binding N-terminal domain and the surface of the sialic acid-binding domain. Despite similarities based on cryo-EM and biochemical studies, the SARS-CoV-2 shows higher stability and binding affinity to the ACE2 receptor. The SARS-CoV-2 does not appear to present a mutational "hot spot"as only the D614G mutation has been identified from clinical isolates. As laboratory manipulation is highly unlikely for the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the current possibilities comprise either natural selection in animal host before zoonotic transfer or natural selection in humans following zoonotic transfer. In the former case, despite SARS-CoV-2 and bat RaTG13 showing 96% identity some pangolin Coronaviruses exhibit very high similarity to particularly the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. In the latter case, it can be hypothesized that the SARS-CoV-2 genome has adapted during human-to-human transmission and based on available data, the isolated SARS-CoV-2 genomes derive from a common origin. Before the origin of SARS-CoV-2 can be confirmed additional research is required.
AB - The origin of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic has not yet been fully determined. Despite the consensus about the SARS-CoV-2 origin from bat CoV RaTG13, discrepancy to host tropism to other human Coronaviruses exist. SARS-CoV-2 also possesses some differences in its S protein receptor-binding domain, glycan-binding N-terminal domain and the surface of the sialic acid-binding domain. Despite similarities based on cryo-EM and biochemical studies, the SARS-CoV-2 shows higher stability and binding affinity to the ACE2 receptor. The SARS-CoV-2 does not appear to present a mutational "hot spot"as only the D614G mutation has been identified from clinical isolates. As laboratory manipulation is highly unlikely for the origin of SARS-CoV-2, the current possibilities comprise either natural selection in animal host before zoonotic transfer or natural selection in humans following zoonotic transfer. In the former case, despite SARS-CoV-2 and bat RaTG13 showing 96% identity some pangolin Coronaviruses exhibit very high similarity to particularly the receptor-binding domain of SARS-CoV-2. In the latter case, it can be hypothesized that the SARS-CoV-2 genome has adapted during human-to-human transmission and based on available data, the isolated SARS-CoV-2 genomes derive from a common origin. Before the origin of SARS-CoV-2 can be confirmed additional research is required.
KW - COVID-19 pandemic
KW - Coronavirus
KW - Genome homology
KW - Natural selection
KW - Origin of SARS-CoV-2
KW - Receptor binding domain
KW - Zoonotic transfer
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85094855204&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/12/11/1203
U2 - 10.3390/v12111203
DO - 10.3390/v12111203
M3 - Editorial
C2 - 33105685
SN - 1999-4915
VL - 12
SP - 1203
JO - Viruses
JF - Viruses
IS - 11
M1 - 1203
ER -
