Effects of Spike Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 Variants of Concern on Human or Animal ACE2-Mediated Virus Entry and Neutralization
Yunjeong Kim, Natasha N. Gaudreault, David A. Meekins, Krishani Dinali Perera, Dashzeveg Bold, Jessie D. Trujillo, Igor Morozov, Chester D. McDowell, Kyeong‐Ok Chang, Jüergen A. Richt
Abstract
The ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), continues to have devastating impacts on global health and socioeconomics. The recent emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, which contain mutations that can affect the virulence, transmission, and effectiveness of licensed vaccines and therapeutic antibodies, are currently becoming the common strains circulating in humans worldwide. In addition, SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to infect a wide variety of animal species, which could result in additional mutations of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In this study, we investigate the effect of mutations present in SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern and determine the effects of these mutations on cell entry, virulence, and antibody neutralization activity in humans and a variety of animals that might be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This information is essential to understand the effects of important SARS-CoV-2 mutations and to inform public policy to create better strategies to control the COVID-19 pandemic.