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Synthetic reconstruction of zoonotic and early human severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus isolates that produce fatal disease in aged mice.

ABSTRACT: The severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) epidemic was characterized by high mortality rates in the elderly. The molecular mechanisms that govern enhanced susceptibility of elderly populations are not known, and robust animal models are needed that recapitulate the increased pathogenic phenotype noted with increasing age. Using synthetic biology and reverse genetics, we describe the construction of a panel of isogenic SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) strains bearing variant spike glycoproteins that are representative of zoonotic strains found in palm civets and raccoon dogs, as well as isolates spanning the early, middle, and late phases of the SARS-CoV epidemic. The recombinant viruses replicated efficiently in cell culture and demonstrated variable sensitivities to neutralization with antibodies. The human but not the zoonotic variants replicated efficiently in human airway epithelial cultures, supporting earlier hypotheses that zoonotic isolates are less pathogenic in humans but can evolve into highly pathogenic strains. All viruses replicated efficiently, but none produced clinical disease or death in young animals. In contrast, severe clinical disease, diffuse alveolar damage, hyaline membrane formation, alveolitis, and death were noted in 12-month-old mice inoculated with the palm civet HC/SZ/61/03 strain or early-human-phase GZ02 variants but not with related middle- and late-phase epidemic or raccoon dog strains. This panel of SARS-CoV recombinants bearing zoonotic and human epidemic spike glycoproteins will provide heterologous challenge models for testing vaccine efficacy against zoonotic reintroductions as well as provide the appropriate model system for elucidating the complex virus-host interactions that contribute to more-severe and fatal SARS-CoV disease and acute respiratory distress in the elderly.

SUBMITTER: Rockx B

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1933338 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundThe SARS-CoV-2 pandemic stimulated an outstanding global sequencing effort, which allowed to monitor viral circulation and evolution. Nuoro province (Sardinia, Italy), characterized by a relatively isolated geographical location and a low population density, was severely hit and displayed a high incidence of infection.MethodsAmplicon approach Next Generation Sequencing and subsequent variant calling in 92 respiratory samples from SARS-CoV-2 infected patients involved in infection clusters from March 2020 to May 2021.ResultsPhylogenetic analysis displayed a coherent distribution of sequences in terms of lineage and temporal evolution of pandemic. Circulating lineage/clade characterization highlighted a growing diversity over time, with an increasingly growing number of mutations and variability of spike and nucleocapsid proteins, while viral RdRp appeared to be more conserved. A total of 384 different mutations were detected, of which 196 were missense and 147 synonymous ones. Mapping mutations along the viral genome showed an irregular distribution in key genes. S gene was the most mutated gene with missense and synonymous variants frequencies of 58.8 and 23.5%, respectively. Mutation rates were similar for the S and N genes with one mutation every ∼788 nucleotides and every ∼712 nucleotides, respectively. Nsp12 gene appeared to be more conserved, with one mutation every ∼1,270 nucleotides. The frequency of variant Y144F in the spike protein deviated from global values with higher prevalence of this mutation in the island.ConclusionThe analysis of the 92 viral genome highlighted evolution over time and identified which mutations are more widespread than others. The high number of sequences also permits the identification of subclusters that are characterized by subtle differences, not only in terms of lineage, which may be used to reconstruct transmission clusters. The disclosure of viral genetic diversity and timely identification of new variants is a useful tool to guide public health intervention measures.

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Synthetic reconstruction of zoonotic and early human severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus isolates that produce fatal disease in aged mice.

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