tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Nat Commun
. 2022 May 10;13(1):2560.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-30163-4.
Cumulative SARS-CoV-2 mutations and corresponding changes in immunity in an immunocompromised patient indicate viral evolution within the host
Sissy Therese Sonnleitner[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Martina Prelog[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stefanie Sonnleitner[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Eva Hinterbichler[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Hannah Halbfurter[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Dominik B C Kopecky[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Giovanni Almanzar[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stephan Koblmüller[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Christian Sturmbauer[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Leonard Feist[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Ralf Horres[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Wilfried Posch[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Gernot Walder[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Different scenarios explaining the emergence of novel variants of concern (VOC) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been reported, including their evolution in scarcely monitored populations, in animals as alternative hosts, or in immunocompromised individuals. Here we report SARS-CoV-2 immune escape mutations over a period of seven months in an immunocompromised patient with prolonged viral shedding. Signs of infection, viral shedding and mutation events are periodically analyzed using RT-PCR and next-generation sequencing based on naso-pharyngeal swabs, with the results complemented by immunological diagnostics to determine humoral and T cell immune responses. Throughout the infection course, 17 non-synonymous intra-host mutations are noted, with 15 (88.2%) having been previously described as prominent immune escape mutations (S:E484K, S
950N, S
681H, S:N501Y, S:del(9), N:S235F and S:H655Y) in VOCs. The high frequency of these non-synonymous mutations is consistent with multiple events of convergent evolution. Thus, our results suggest that specific mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome may represent positions with a fitness advantage, and may serve as targets in future vaccine and therapeutics development for COVID-19.
. 2022 May 10;13(1):2560.
doi: 10.1038/s41467-022-30163-4.
Cumulative SARS-CoV-2 mutations and corresponding changes in immunity in an immunocompromised patient indicate viral evolution within the host
Sissy Therese Sonnleitner[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Martina Prelog[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stefanie Sonnleitner[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Eva Hinterbichler[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Hannah Halbfurter[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Dominik B C Kopecky[SUP] 4 [/SUP], Giovanni Almanzar[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Stephan Koblmüller[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Christian Sturmbauer[SUP] 5 [/SUP], Leonard Feist[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Ralf Horres[SUP] 6 [/SUP], Wilfried Posch[SUP] 7 [/SUP], Gernot Walder[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 35538074
- DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30163-4
Abstract
Different scenarios explaining the emergence of novel variants of concern (VOC) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) have been reported, including their evolution in scarcely monitored populations, in animals as alternative hosts, or in immunocompromised individuals. Here we report SARS-CoV-2 immune escape mutations over a period of seven months in an immunocompromised patient with prolonged viral shedding. Signs of infection, viral shedding and mutation events are periodically analyzed using RT-PCR and next-generation sequencing based on naso-pharyngeal swabs, with the results complemented by immunological diagnostics to determine humoral and T cell immune responses. Throughout the infection course, 17 non-synonymous intra-host mutations are noted, with 15 (88.2%) having been previously described as prominent immune escape mutations (S:E484K, S
950N, S681H, S:N501Y, S:del(9), N:S235F and S:H655Y) in VOCs. The high frequency of these non-synonymous mutations is consistent with multiple events of convergent evolution. Thus, our results suggest that specific mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 genome may represent positions with a fitness advantage, and may serve as targets in future vaccine and therapeutics development for COVID-19.