Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters
Abstract During the Omicron wave, previous variants such as BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 were replaced by newer variants with additional mutations in the spike protein. These variants, BA.4.6, BQ.1.1, and XBB, have spread in different countries with different degrees of success. Here, we evaluated the repli...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
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| Series: | Communications Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06015-w |
| _version_ | 1827315837258694656 |
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| author | Peter J. Halfmann Kiyoko Iwatsuki-Horimoto Makoto Kuroda Yuichiro Hirata Seiya Yamayoshi Shun Iida Ryuta Uraki Mutsumi Ito Hiroshi Ueki Yuri Furusawa Yuko Sakai-Tagawa Maki Kiso Tammy Armbrust Sam Spyra Ken Maeda Zhongde Wang Masaki Imai Tadaki Suzuki Yoshihiro Kawaoka |
| author_facet | Peter J. Halfmann Kiyoko Iwatsuki-Horimoto Makoto Kuroda Yuichiro Hirata Seiya Yamayoshi Shun Iida Ryuta Uraki Mutsumi Ito Hiroshi Ueki Yuri Furusawa Yuko Sakai-Tagawa Maki Kiso Tammy Armbrust Sam Spyra Ken Maeda Zhongde Wang Masaki Imai Tadaki Suzuki Yoshihiro Kawaoka |
| author_sort | Peter J. Halfmann |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract During the Omicron wave, previous variants such as BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 were replaced by newer variants with additional mutations in the spike protein. These variants, BA.4.6, BQ.1.1, and XBB, have spread in different countries with different degrees of success. Here, we evaluated the replicative ability and pathogenicity of BA.4.6, BQ1.1, and XBB clinical isolates in male Syrian hamsters. Although we found no substantial differences in weight change among hamsters infected with these Omicron subvariants, the replicative ability of BQ.1.1 and XBB in lung tissue was higher than that of BA.4.6 and BA.5. Of note, BQ.1.1 was lethal in both male and female transgenic human ACE2 hamsters. In competition assays, XBB replicated better than BQ.1.1 in the nasal turbinate tissues of female hamsters previously infected with Omicron BA.2. These results suggest that newer Omicron subvariants in the XBB family are still evolving and should be closely monitored. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:03:43Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-7b6dc5728b27475ca7af06992e1a8732 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2399-3642 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:03:43Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Communications Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-7b6dc5728b27475ca7af06992e1a87322024-03-17T12:35:21ZengNature PortfolioCommunications Biology2399-36422024-03-01711710.1038/s42003-024-06015-wCharacterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamstersPeter J. Halfmann0Kiyoko Iwatsuki-Horimoto1Makoto Kuroda2Yuichiro Hirata3Seiya Yamayoshi4Shun Iida5Ryuta Uraki6Mutsumi Ito7Hiroshi Ueki8Yuri Furusawa9Yuko Sakai-Tagawa10Maki Kiso11Tammy Armbrust12Sam Spyra13Ken Maeda14Zhongde Wang15Masaki Imai16Tadaki Suzuki17Yoshihiro Kawaoka18Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-MadisonDivision of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of TokyoInfluenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-MadisonDepartment of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious DiseasesDivision of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of TokyoDepartment of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious DiseasesDivision of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of TokyoDivision of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of TokyoDivision of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of TokyoDivision of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of TokyoDivision of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of TokyoDivision of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of TokyoInfluenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-MadisonInfluenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-MadisonDepartment of Veterinary Science, National Institute of Infectious DiseasesDepartment of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Utah State UniversityDivision of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of TokyoDepartment of Pathology, National Institute of Infectious DiseasesInfluenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-MadisonAbstract During the Omicron wave, previous variants such as BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 were replaced by newer variants with additional mutations in the spike protein. These variants, BA.4.6, BQ.1.1, and XBB, have spread in different countries with different degrees of success. Here, we evaluated the replicative ability and pathogenicity of BA.4.6, BQ1.1, and XBB clinical isolates in male Syrian hamsters. Although we found no substantial differences in weight change among hamsters infected with these Omicron subvariants, the replicative ability of BQ.1.1 and XBB in lung tissue was higher than that of BA.4.6 and BA.5. Of note, BQ.1.1 was lethal in both male and female transgenic human ACE2 hamsters. In competition assays, XBB replicated better than BQ.1.1 in the nasal turbinate tissues of female hamsters previously infected with Omicron BA.2. These results suggest that newer Omicron subvariants in the XBB family are still evolving and should be closely monitored.https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06015-w |
| spellingShingle | Peter J. Halfmann Kiyoko Iwatsuki-Horimoto Makoto Kuroda Yuichiro Hirata Seiya Yamayoshi Shun Iida Ryuta Uraki Mutsumi Ito Hiroshi Ueki Yuri Furusawa Yuko Sakai-Tagawa Maki Kiso Tammy Armbrust Sam Spyra Ken Maeda Zhongde Wang Masaki Imai Tadaki Suzuki Yoshihiro Kawaoka Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters Communications Biology |
| title | Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters |
| title_full | Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters |
| title_fullStr | Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters |
| title_full_unstemmed | Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters |
| title_short | Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters |
| title_sort | characterization of omicron ba 4 6 xbb and bq 1 1 subvariants in hamsters |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06015-w |
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