SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants exhibit distinct fusogenicity, but similar sensitivity, to pan-CoV fusion inhibitors.
Emerg Microbes Infect
; 12(1): 2178241, 2023 Dec.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2237113
ABSTRACT
Continuous emergence of the Omicron variant, along with its subvariants, has caused an increasing number of infections, reinfections, and vaccine-breakthrough infections, seriously threatening human health. Recently, several new Omicron subvariants, such as BA.5, BA.2.75, BA.4.6, and BF.7, bearing distinct mutation profiles in their spike (S) proteins, have significantly increased their capacity to evade vaccine-induced immunity and have shown enhanced infectivity and transmissibility, quickly becoming dominant sublineages. In this study, we found the S proteins of these Omicron subvariants to have 2- to 4-fold more efficient membrane fusion kinetics than that of the original Omicron variant (BA.1), indicating that these novel Omicron subvariants might possess increased pathogenicity. We also identified that peptide-based pan-CoV fusion inhibitors, EK1 and EK1C4, showed equal efficacy against membrane fusion mediated by S proteins of the noted Omicron subvariants and infection by their pseudoviruses. Additionally, either immune sera induced by wild-type (WT) SARS-CoV-2 RBD-based vaccine or BA.2 convalescent sera showed potent synergism with EK1 against both WT SARS-CoV-2 and various Omicron subvariants, further suggesting that EK1-based fusion inhibitors are promising candidates for development as clinical antiviral agents against the currently circulating Omicron subvariants.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Type of study:
Prognostic study
Topics:
Vaccines
/
Variants
Limits:
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
Emerg Microbes Infect
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
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