|
Basic Characteristics of Mutations
|
|
Mutation Site
|
D614G |
|
Mutation Site Sentence
|
For this, we generated recombinant viruses harboring the S D614G mutation (rWA1-D614G) and the Omicron BA.1 S gene (rWA1-Omi-S) in the backbone of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 WA1 strain genome. |
|
Mutation Level
|
Amino acid level |
|
Mutation Type
|
Nonsynonymous substitution |
|
Gene/Protein/Region
|
S |
|
Standardized Encoding Gene
|
S
|
|
Genotype/Subtype
|
BA.1 |
|
Viral Reference
|
EPI_ISL_9245416
|
|
Functional Impact and Mechanisms
|
|
Disease
|
COVID-19
Cell line
|
|
Immune
|
- |
|
Target Gene
|
-
|
|
Clinical and Epidemiological Correlations
|
|
Clinical Information
|
- |
|
Treatment
|
- |
|
Location
|
- |
|
Literature Information
|
|
PMID
|
38421180
|
|
Title
|
The SARS-CoV-2 Spike is a virulence determinant and plays a major role on the attenuated phenotype of Omicron virus in a feline model of infection
|
|
Author
|
Martins M,Nooruzzaman M,Cunningham JL,Ye C,Caserta LC,Jackson N,Martinez-Sobrido L,Fang Y,Diel DG
|
|
Journal
|
Journal of virology
|
|
Journal Info
|
2024 Mar 19;98(3):e0190223
|
|
Abstract
|
The role of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron BA.1 Spike (S) on disease pathogenesis was investigated. For this, we generated recombinant viruses harboring the S D614G mutation (rWA1-D614G) and the Omicron BA.1 S gene (rWA1-Omi-S) in the backbone of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 WA1 strain genome. The recombinant viruses were characterized in vitro and in vivo. Viral entry, cell-cell fusion, plaque size, and the replication kinetics of the rWA1-Omi-S virus were markedly impaired when compared to the rWA1-D614G virus, demonstrating a lower fusogenicity and ability to spread cell-to-cell of rWA1-Omi-S. To assess the contribution of the Omicron BA.1 S protein to SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, the pathogenicity of rWA1-D614G and rWA1-Omi-S viruses was compared in a feline model. While the rWA1-D614G-inoculated cats were lethargic and showed increased body temperatures on days 2 and 3 post-infection (pi), rWA1-Omi-S-inoculated cats remained subclinical and gained weight throughout the 14-day experimental period. Animals inoculated with rWA1-D614G presented higher infectious virus shedding in nasal secretions, when compared to rWA1-Omi-S-inoculated animals. In addition, tissue replication of the rWA1-Omi-S was markedly reduced compared to the rWA1-D614G, as evidenced by lower viral load in tissues on days 3 and 5 pi. Histologic examination of the nasal turbinate and lungs revealed intense inflammatory infiltration in rWA1-D614G-inoculated animals, whereas rWA1-Omi-S-inoculated cats presented only mild to modest inflammation. Together, these results demonstrate that the S protein is a major virulence determinant for SARS-CoV-2 playing a major role for the attenuated phenotype of the Omicron virus. IMPORTANCE: We have demonstrated that the Omicron BA.1.1 variant presents lower pathogenicity when compared to D614G (B.1) lineage in a feline model of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. There are over 50 mutations across the Omicron genome, of which more than two-thirds are present in the Spike (S) protein. To assess the role of the Omicron BA.1 S on virus pathogenesis, recombinant viruses harboring the S D614G mutation (rWA1-D614G) and the Omicron BA.1 Spike gene (rWA1-Omi-S) in the backbone of the ancestral SARS-CoV-2 WA1 were generated. While the Omicron BA.1 S promoted early entry into cells, it led to impaired fusogenic activity and cell-cell spread. Infection studies with the recombinant viruses in a relevant naturally susceptible feline model of SARS-CoV-2 infection here revealed an attenuated phenotype of rWA1-Omi-S, demonstrating that the Omi-S is a major determinant of the attenuated disease phenotype of Omicron strains.
|
|
Sequence Data
|
OR626632-OR626633
|
|
|