Open AccessSARS-CoV-2 evolution in animals suggests mechanisms for rapid variant selection
Author(s) -
Laura Bashor,
Roderick B. Gagne,
Angela M. BoscoLauth,
Richard A. Bowen,
Mark D. Stenglein,
Sue VandeWoude
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the united states of america
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.011
H-Index - 771
eISSN - 1091-6490
pISSN - 0027-8424
DOI - 10.1073/pnas.2105253118
Subject(s) - mink , cats , biology , viral evolution , nonsynonymous substitution , virology , virus , vero cell , rodent , gene , genome , genetics , ecology , computer science , embedded system
Significance SARS-CoV-2 emerged because of viral spillover from animals to humans, and spillback to other animal species has been observed with accelerating frequency. Cross-species transmission generally results in the rapid adaptation of the virus to the new host, and repeated transmissions may hasten viral evolution and novel strain emergence. We report the surprisingly rapid selection of numerous SARS-CoV-2 variants in cell culture and following infection of nonhuman mammalian hosts, including dogs and cats. These molecular changes in SARS-CoV-2 provide insight into mechanisms of viral host adaptation, lay the groundwork for additional studies assessing dominant variant fitness and phenotype, and highlight the potential for human reinfection with new viral variants arising in species in close and frequent contact with humans.