Predicting the recombination potential of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus. (9th December 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Banerjee, Arinjay; Doxey, Andrew C.; Tremblay, Benjamin J.-M.; Mansfield, Michael J.; Subudhi, Sonu; Hirota, Jeremy A.; Miller, Matthew S.; McArthur, Andrew G.; Mubareka, Samira; Mossman, Karen
• Is Part Of: Journal of general virology. Volume 101:Number 12(2020)
• Page Start: 1251
• Page End: 1260
• Publication Date: 2020-12-09
• Subjects: coronavirus -- SARS-CoV-2 -- MERS-CoV -- recombination -- emergence -- predictions; Virology -- Periodicals; Viruses; Microbiology; Virology; Virologie -- Périodiques; Microbiologie -- Périodiques; Virology; Virologie; Virologie; Electronic journals; Periodical; Periodicals; 579.2
• DOI: 10.1099/jgv.0.001491
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1317

Abstract

Abstract : Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) recently emerged to cause widespread infections in humans. SARS-CoV-2 infections have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes seasonal outbreaks with a case fatality rate of ~37 %. Here we show that there exists a theoretical possibility of future recombination events between SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV RNA. Through computational analyses, we have identified homologous genomic regions within the ORF1ab and S genes that could facilitate recombination, and have analysed co-expression patterns of the cellular receptors for SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, ACE2 and DPP4, respectively, to identify human anatomical sites that could facilitate co-infection. Furthermore, we have investigated the likely susceptibility of various animal species to MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infection by comparing known virus spike protein–receptor interacting residues. In conclusion, we suggest that a recombination between SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV RNA is possible and urge public health laboratories in high-risk areas to develop diagnostic capability for the detection of recombined coronaviruses in patient samples.