Genetic diversity of MERS-CoV spike protein gene in Saudi Arabia

Sohrab, Sayed Sartaj; Azhar, Esam I.

doi:10.1016/j.jiph.2019.11.007

Cited by 18 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…In Genetic diversity has been reported in some studies particularly in the spike gene, which has implication of evolving tropism and transmissibility. Such studies reported high genetic variability with other published MERS-CoV sequences, the nucleotide sequence identity ranged from 65.7% to 99.8% (29). However, other studies reported relatively high genetic stability among MERS-CoV isolates, which is consistent with our findings (30,8).…”

Section: Seroprevalence Of Mers-cov In Slaughterhouse Camels In Riyadhsupporting

confidence: 91%

High Rate of Circulating MERS-CoV in Dromedary Camels at Slaughterhouses in Riyadh, 2019

Aljasim

Almasoud

Aljami

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Background: MERS-CoV is a zoonotic virus that have emerged in humans in 2012 and caused severe respiratory illness with mortality rate of 34.4%. Since its appearance, MERS-CoV have been reported in 27 countries and most of these cases were in Saudi Arabia. So far, dromedaries are considered to be the intermediate host and the only known source of human infection. Method: This study was designed to determine the seroprevalence and the infection rate of MERS-CoV in slaughtered food-camels in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. A total of 171 nasal swabs along with 161 serum samples were collected during the winter; from January to April 2019. Nasal swabs were examined by Rapid test and RT-qPCR to detect MERS-CoV RNA, while serum samples were tested primarily using S1-based ELISA Kit to detect MERS-CoV (IgG) antibodies and subsequently by MERS pseudotyped viral particles (MERSpp) neutralization assay for confirmation. Genetic diversity of the positive isolates was determined based on the amplification and sequencing of the spike gene. Results: Our results showed high prevalence (38%) of MERS-CoV infection in slaughtered camels and high seropositivity (70.81%) during the time of the study. These data indicate previous and ongoing MERS-CoV infection in camels. Phylogenic analysis revealed relatively low genetic variability among our isolated samples. When these isolates were aligned against published spike sequences of MERS-CoV, deposited in global databases, there was sequence similarity of 94%. Conclusion: High seroprevalence and high genetic stability of MERS-CoV in camels indicating that camels pose a public health threat. The widespread of MERS-CoV infections in camels increases the risk of future zoonotic transmission into people with direct contact with these infected camels. This study confirms re-infections in camels, highlighting a challenge for vaccine development when it comes to protective immunity.

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Section: Seroprevalence Of Mers-cov In Slaughterhouse Camels In Riyadhsupporting

confidence: 91%

High Rate of Circulating MERS-CoV in Dromedary Camels at Slaughterhouses in Riyadh, 2019

Aljasim

Almasoud

Aljami

et al. 2020

Preprint

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“…191 However, the propensity of CoVs to rapidly mutate and recombine poses a potential problem for vaccine development. [192][193][194] Furthermore, the enhanced disease after viral challenges postvaccination has been observed in animal models after several different vaccines. [195][196][197]…”

Section: Vaccinesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Coronavirus Infections in Children Including COVID-19

Zimmermann

Curtis

2020

Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal

924

459

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Coronaviruses (CoVs) are a large family of enveloped, singlestranded, zoonotic RNA viruses. Four CoVs commonly circulate among humans: HCoV2-229E, -HKU1, -NL63 and -OC43. However, CoVs can rapidly mutate and recombine leading to novel CoVs that can spread from animals to humans. The novel CoVs severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) emerged in 2002 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in 2012. The 2019 novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) is currently causing a severe outbreak of disease (termed COVID-19) in China and multiple other countries, threatening to cause a global pandemic. In humans, CoVs mostly cause respiratory and gastrointestinal symptoms. Clinical manifestations range from a common cold to more severe disease such as bronchitis, pneumonia, severe acute respiratory distress syndrome, multiorgan failure and even death. SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 seem to less commonly affect children and to cause fewer symptoms and less severe disease in this age group compared with adults, and are associated with much lower case-fatality rates. Preliminary evidence suggests children are just as likely as adults to become infected with SARS-CoV-2 but are less likely to be symptomatic or develop severe symptoms. However, the importance of children in transmitting the virus remains uncertain. Children more often have gastrointestinal symptoms compared with adults. Most children with SARS-CoV present with fever, but this is not the case for the other novel CoVs. Many children affected by MERS-CoV are asymptomatic. The majority of children infected by novel CoVs have a documented household contact, often showing symptoms before them. In contrast, adults more often have a nosocomial exposure. In this review, we summarize epidemiologic, clinical and diagnostic findings, as well as treatment and prevention options for common circulating and novel CoVs infections in humans with a focus on infections in children.

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“…We next determined whether analogous changes in S1A of the related MERS-CoV also modified viral attachment. The S1A interaction with sialic acids has biological significance, as antibodies against S1A protect mice from lethal MERS-CoV infections (55), and S1A acquires adaptive mutations in humans (56) and in mouse models of human MERS-CoV lung infection (57,58). In mice, this selectivity was at Asn222 (57, 58), a known glycan addition site (17,59,60), and a documented hypervariable residue, evident in a group of MERS-CoV-related HKU4 bat viruses but absent in the HKU5 bat virus groups (Fig.…”

Section: Mers-cov Spikes Mediate Cell Fusion Without Requiring Hdpp4 mentioning

confidence: 99%

Distinct Roles for Sialoside and Protein Receptors in Coronavirus Infection

Qing

Hantak

Perlman

et al. 2020

mBio

110

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Coronaviruses (CoVs) are common human and animal pathogens that can transmit zoonotically and cause severe respiratory disease syndromes. CoV infection requires spike proteins, which bind viruses to host cell receptors and catalyze virus-cell membrane fusion. Several CoV strains have spike proteins with two receptor-binding domains, an S1A that engages host sialic acids and an S1B that recognizes host transmembrane proteins. As this bivalent binding may enable broad zoonotic CoV infection, we aimed to identify roles for each receptor in distinct infection stages. Focusing on two betacoronaviruses, murine JHM-CoV and human Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), we found that virus particle binding to cells was mediated by sialic acids; however, the transmembrane protein receptors were required for a subsequent virus infection. These results favored a two-step process in which viruses first adhere to sialic acids and then require subsequent engagement with protein receptors during infectious cell entry. However, sialic acids sufficiently facilitated the later stages of virus spread through cell-cell membrane fusion, without requiring protein receptors. This virus spread in the absence of the prototype protein receptors was increased by adaptive S1A mutations. Overall, these findings reveal roles for sialic acids in virus-cell binding, viral spike protein-directed cell-cell fusion, and resultant spread of CoV infections. IMPORTANCE CoVs can transmit from animals to humans to cause serious disease. This zoonotic transmission uses spike proteins, which bind CoVs to cells with two receptor-binding domains. Here, we identified the roles for the two binding processes in the CoV infection process. Binding to sialic acids promoted infection and also supported the intercellular expansion of CoV infections through syncytial development. Adaptive mutations in the sialic acid-binding spike domains increased the intercellular expansion process. These findings raise the possibility that the lectin-like properties of many CoVs contribute to facile zoonotic transmission and intercellular spread within infected organisms.

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Genetic diversity of MERS-CoV spike protein gene in Saudi Arabia

Cited by 18 publications

References 42 publications

High Rate of Circulating MERS-CoV in Dromedary Camels at Slaughterhouses in Riyadh, 2019

High Rate of Circulating MERS-CoV in Dromedary Camels at Slaughterhouses in Riyadh, 2019

Coronavirus Infections in Children Including COVID-19

Distinct Roles for Sialoside and Protein Receptors in Coronavirus Infection

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