tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Cell
. 2026 May 6:S0092-8674(26)00454-X.
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.04.019. Online ahead of print.
Virological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses dynamically circulating in Southeast Asia
Supaporn Wacharapluesadee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wilaiporn Saikruang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Spyros Lytras[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kanata Matsumoto[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Keiya Uriu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Alfredo Hinay Jr[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ziyi Guo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Khwankamon Rattanatumhi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Ananporn Supataragul[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Sasiprapa Ninwattana[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Nattakarn Thippamom[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Tanawut Srisuk[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Patarapol Maneeorn[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Kirana Noradechanon[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Prateep Duengkae[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Nutthinee Sirichan[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Yusuke Kosugi[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Shigeru Fujita[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Maximilian Stanley Yo[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Ryo Matsunaga[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Bingjie Hu[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Lianzhao Du[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Lei Wang[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Masumi Tsuda[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Yoshitaka Oda[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Hesham Nasser[SUP] 14 [/SUP], Kanako Terakado Kimura[SUP] 15 [/SUP], Hiroaki Akasaka[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Hiroyuki Asakura[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Mami Nagashima[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Kenji Sadamasu[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Kazuhisa Yoshimura[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Yuki Yamamoto[SUP] 17 [/SUP], Tetsuharu Nagamoto[SUP] 17 [/SUP], Takanori Asakura[SUP] 18 [/SUP], Wataru Shihoya[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Takao Hashiguchi[SUP] 15 [/SUP], Terumasa Ikeda[SUP] 19 [/SUP], Shinya Tanaka[SUP] 20 [/SUP], Hin Chu[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Kouhei Tsumoto[SUP] 21 [/SUP], Osamu Nureki[SUP] 4 [/SUP]; Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium; Genotype to Phenotype Asia (G2P-Asia) Consortium; Arnon Plianchaisuk[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Opass Putcharoen[SUP] 22 [/SUP], Kei Sato[SUP] 23 [/SUP]
Affiliations
By sampling horseshoe bats-the reservoir hosts of SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses (SC2r-CoVs)-in Thailand, we present two clades of SC2r-CoVs co-circulating in the same bat population. Through a comprehensive set of experimental approaches, including cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), pseudovirus and live virus assays, and hamster experiments, we characterize the virological properties of these new viruses. We show that one of the two clades discovered in this study is able to bind the human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor; however, it exhibits reduced fusogenicity and replication in vitro and lower pathogenicity and transmissibility compared with SARS-CoV-2. Phylogeography and recombination analyses reveal a complex evolutionary history for these viruses characterized by extensive, recent geographic movement and recombination with co-circulating virus lineages. Our findings provide new insights into the diversity of SC2r-CoVs dynamically co-circulating in Southeast Asia as well as the virological characteristics of these viruses relative to SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: Rhinolophus bats; SARS-CoV-2; bat coronavirus; pathogenicity; phylogeography; sarbecovirus; spillover; transmissibility.
. 2026 May 6:S0092-8674(26)00454-X.
doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.04.019. Online ahead of print.
Virological characteristics of SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses dynamically circulating in Southeast Asia
Supaporn Wacharapluesadee[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Wilaiporn Saikruang[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Spyros Lytras[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Kanata Matsumoto[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Keiya Uriu[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Alfredo Hinay Jr[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Ziyi Guo[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Khwankamon Rattanatumhi[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Ananporn Supataragul[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Sasiprapa Ninwattana[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Nattakarn Thippamom[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Tanawut Srisuk[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Patarapol Maneeorn[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Kirana Noradechanon[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Prateep Duengkae[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Nutthinee Sirichan[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Yusuke Kosugi[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Shigeru Fujita[SUP] 8 [/SUP], Maximilian Stanley Yo[SUP] 9 [/SUP], Ryo Matsunaga[SUP] 10 [/SUP], Bingjie Hu[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Lianzhao Du[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Lei Wang[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Masumi Tsuda[SUP] 12 [/SUP], Yoshitaka Oda[SUP] 13 [/SUP], Hesham Nasser[SUP] 14 [/SUP], Kanako Terakado Kimura[SUP] 15 [/SUP], Hiroaki Akasaka[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Hiroyuki Asakura[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Mami Nagashima[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Kenji Sadamasu[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Kazuhisa Yoshimura[SUP] 16 [/SUP], Yuki Yamamoto[SUP] 17 [/SUP], Tetsuharu Nagamoto[SUP] 17 [/SUP], Takanori Asakura[SUP] 18 [/SUP], Wataru Shihoya[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Takao Hashiguchi[SUP] 15 [/SUP], Terumasa Ikeda[SUP] 19 [/SUP], Shinya Tanaka[SUP] 20 [/SUP], Hin Chu[SUP] 11 [/SUP], Kouhei Tsumoto[SUP] 21 [/SUP], Osamu Nureki[SUP] 4 [/SUP]; Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium; Genotype to Phenotype Asia (G2P-Asia) Consortium; Arnon Plianchaisuk[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Opass Putcharoen[SUP] 22 [/SUP], Kei Sato[SUP] 23 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 42097139
- DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2026.04.019
By sampling horseshoe bats-the reservoir hosts of SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses (SC2r-CoVs)-in Thailand, we present two clades of SC2r-CoVs co-circulating in the same bat population. Through a comprehensive set of experimental approaches, including cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM), pseudovirus and live virus assays, and hamster experiments, we characterize the virological properties of these new viruses. We show that one of the two clades discovered in this study is able to bind the human angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor; however, it exhibits reduced fusogenicity and replication in vitro and lower pathogenicity and transmissibility compared with SARS-CoV-2. Phylogeography and recombination analyses reveal a complex evolutionary history for these viruses characterized by extensive, recent geographic movement and recombination with co-circulating virus lineages. Our findings provide new insights into the diversity of SC2r-CoVs dynamically co-circulating in Southeast Asia as well as the virological characteristics of these viruses relative to SARS-CoV-2.
Keywords: Rhinolophus bats; SARS-CoV-2; bat coronavirus; pathogenicity; phylogeography; sarbecovirus; spillover; transmissibility.