Virological features and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2

Jasper Fuk Woo Chan; Bingjie Hu; Yue Chai; Huiping Shuai; Huan Liu; Jialu Shi; Yuanchen Liu; Chaemin Yoon; Jinjin Zhang; Jing Chu Hu; Yuxin Hou; Xiner Huang; Terrence Tsz Tai Yuen; Tianrenzheng Zhu; Wenjun Li; Jian Piao Cai; Cuiting Luo; Cyril Chik Yan Yip; Anna Jinxia Zhang; Jie Zhou; Shuofeng Yuan; Bao Zhong Zhang; Jian Dong Huang; Kelvin Kai Wang To; Kwok Yung Yuen; Hin Chu

doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100743

Virological features and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2

Jasper Fuk Woo Chan, Bingjie Hu, Yue Chai, Huiping Shuai, Huan Liu, Jialu Shi, Yuanchen Liu, Chaemin Yoon, Jinjin Zhang, Jing Chu Hu, Yuxin Hou, Xiner Huang, Terrence Tsz Tai Yuen, Tianrenzheng Zhu, Wenjun Li, Jian Piao Cai, Cuiting Luo, Cyril Chik Yan Yip, Anna Jinxia Zhang, Jie ZhouShuofeng Yuan, Bao Zhong Zhang, Jian Dong Huang, Kelvin Kai Wang To, Kwok Yung Yuen, Hin Chu

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

34 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron BA.2 was a dominant circulating SARS-CoV-2 variant worldwide. Recent reports hint that BA.2 is similarly potent regarding antibody evasion but may be more transmissible than BA.1. The pathogenicity of BA.2 remains unclear and is of critical public health significance. Here we investigated the virological features and pathogenicity of BA.2 with in vitro and in vivo models. We show that BA.2 is less dependent on transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) for virus entry in comparison with BA.1 in vitro. In K18-hACE2 mice, BA.2 replicates more efficiently than BA.1 in the nasal turbinates and replicates marginally less efficiently in the lungs, leading to decreased body weight loss and improved survival. Our study indicates that BA.2 is similarly attenuated in lungs compared with BA.1 but is potentially more transmissible because of its better replication at the nasal turbinates.

Original language	English
Article number	100743
Journal	Cell Reports Medicine
Volume	3
Issue number	9
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100743
Publication status	Published - Sept 20 2022
Externally published	Yes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 The Author(s)

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

General Biochemistry,Genetics and Molecular Biology

Keywords

BA.1
BA.2
COVID-19
Omicron
SARS-CoV-2
TMPRSS2
pathogenicity
replication

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10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100743

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Chan, J. F. W., Hu, B., Chai, Y., Shuai, H., Liu, H., Shi, J., Liu, Y., Yoon, C., Zhang, J., Hu, J. C., Hou, Y., Huang, X., Yuen, T. T. T., Zhu, T., Li, W., Cai, J. P., Luo, C., Yip, C. C. Y., Zhang, A. J., ... Chu, H. (2022). Virological features and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2. Cell Reports Medicine, 3(9), Article 100743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100743

Chan, JFW, Hu, B, Chai, Y, Shuai, H, Liu, H, Shi, J, Liu, Y, Yoon, C, Zhang, J, Hu, JC, Hou, Y, Huang, X, Yuen, TTT, Zhu, T, Li, W, Cai, JP, Luo, C, Yip, CCY, Zhang, AJ, Zhou, J, Yuan, S, Zhang, BZ, Huang, JD, To, KKW, Yuen, KY & Chu, H 2022, 'Virological features and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2', Cell Reports Medicine, vol. 3, no. 9, 100743. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xcrm.2022.100743

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abstract = "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron BA.2 was a dominant circulating SARS-CoV-2 variant worldwide. Recent reports hint that BA.2 is similarly potent regarding antibody evasion but may be more transmissible than BA.1. The pathogenicity of BA.2 remains unclear and is of critical public health significance. Here we investigated the virological features and pathogenicity of BA.2 with in vitro and in vivo models. We show that BA.2 is less dependent on transmembrane protease serine 2 (TMPRSS2) for virus entry in comparison with BA.1 in vitro. In K18-hACE2 mice, BA.2 replicates more efficiently than BA.1 in the nasal turbinates and replicates marginally less efficiently in the lungs, leading to decreased body weight loss and improved survival. Our study indicates that BA.2 is similarly attenuated in lungs compared with BA.1 but is potentially more transmissible because of its better replication at the nasal turbinates.",

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AU - Shi, Jialu

AU - Liu, Yuanchen

AU - Yoon, Chaemin

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AU - Hu, Jing Chu

AU - Hou, Yuxin

AU - Huang, Xiner

AU - Yuen, Terrence Tsz Tai

AU - Zhu, Tianrenzheng

AU - Li, Wenjun

AU - Cai, Jian Piao

AU - Luo, Cuiting

AU - Yip, Cyril Chik Yan

AU - Zhang, Anna Jinxia

AU - Zhou, Jie

AU - Yuan, Shuofeng

AU - Zhang, Bao Zhong

AU - Huang, Jian Dong

AU - To, Kelvin Kai Wang

AU - Yuen, Kwok Yung

AU - Chu, Hin

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Virological features and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2

Abstract

Bibliographical note

ASJC Scopus Subject Areas

Keywords

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