英国卡迪夫大学Thomas R. Connor等研究人员合作评估了SARS-CoV-2突刺D614G突变对传染性和致病性的影响。2020年11月18日,国际知名学术期刊《细胞》在线发表了这一成果。
Title: Evaluating the effects of SARS-CoV-2 Spike mutation D614G on transmissibility and pathogenicity
Author: Erik Volz, Verity Hill, John T. McCrone, Anna Price, David Jorgensen, áine O’Toole, Joel Southgate, Robert Johnson, Ben Jackson, Fabricia F. Nascimento, Sara M. Rey, Samuel M. Nicholls, Rachel M. Colquhoun, Ana da Silva Filipe, James Shepherd, David J. Pascall, Rajiv Shah, Natasha Jesudason, Kathy Li, Ruth Jarrett, Nicole Pacchiarini, Matthew Bull, Lily Geidelberg, Igor Siveroni, Ian Goodfellow, Nicholas J. Loman, Oliver G. Pybus, David L. Robertson, Emma C. Thomson, Andrew Rambaut, Thomas R. Connor
Issue&Volume: 2020-11-18
Abstract: Global dispersal and increasing frequency of the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein variant D614G are suggestive of a selective advantage but may also be due to a random founder effect. We investigate the hypothesis for positive selection of Spike D614G in the United Kingdom using more than 25,000 whole genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences. Despite the availability of a large data set, well represented by both Spike 614 variants, not all approaches showed a conclusive signal of positive selection. Population genetic analysis indicates that 614G increases in frequency relative to 614D in a manner consistent with a selective advantage. We do not find any indication that patients infected with the Spike 614G variant have higher COVID-19 mortality or clinical severity, but 614G is associated with higher viral load and younger age of patients. Significant differences in growth and size of 614G phylogenetic clusters indicate a need for continued study of this variant.
DOI: 10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.020
Source: https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(20)31537-3