Comparative genomic analysis reveals varying levels of mammalian adaptation to coronavirus infections.
Severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, is of zoonotic origin. Evolutionary analyses assessing whether coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 infected ancestral species of modern-day animal hosts could be useful in identifying additional reservoirs of poten...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2021-11-01
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| Series: | PLoS Computational Biology |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009560 |
| _version_ | 1819035627631411200 |
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| author | Sean B King Mona Singh |
| author_facet | Sean B King Mona Singh |
| author_sort | Sean B King |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, is of zoonotic origin. Evolutionary analyses assessing whether coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 infected ancestral species of modern-day animal hosts could be useful in identifying additional reservoirs of potentially dangerous coronaviruses. We reasoned that if a clade of species has been repeatedly exposed to a virus, then their proteins relevant for viral entry may exhibit adaptations that affect host susceptibility or response. We perform comparative analyses across the mammalian phylogeny of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2, in order to uncover evidence for selection acting at its binding interface with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We uncover that in rodents there is evidence for adaptive amino acid substitutions at positions comprising the ACE2-spike interaction interface, whereas the variation within ACE2 proteins in primates and some other mammalian clades is not consistent with evolutionary adaptations. We also analyze aminopeptidase N (APN), the receptor for the human coronavirus 229E, a virus that causes the common cold, and find evidence for adaptation in primates. Altogether, our results suggest that the rodent and primate lineages may have had ancient exposures to viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-229E, respectively. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-21T07:52:38Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-9267debb6d424d06aece8bf90b14ee2a |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1553-734X 1553-7358 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-21T07:52:38Z |
| publishDate | 2021-11-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS Computational Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-9267debb6d424d06aece8bf90b14ee2a2022-12-21T19:11:03ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS Computational Biology1553-734X1553-73582021-11-011711e100956010.1371/journal.pcbi.1009560Comparative genomic analysis reveals varying levels of mammalian adaptation to coronavirus infections.Sean B KingMona SinghSevere acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, is of zoonotic origin. Evolutionary analyses assessing whether coronaviruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 infected ancestral species of modern-day animal hosts could be useful in identifying additional reservoirs of potentially dangerous coronaviruses. We reasoned that if a clade of species has been repeatedly exposed to a virus, then their proteins relevant for viral entry may exhibit adaptations that affect host susceptibility or response. We perform comparative analyses across the mammalian phylogeny of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2), the cellular receptor for SARS-CoV-2, in order to uncover evidence for selection acting at its binding interface with the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. We uncover that in rodents there is evidence for adaptive amino acid substitutions at positions comprising the ACE2-spike interaction interface, whereas the variation within ACE2 proteins in primates and some other mammalian clades is not consistent with evolutionary adaptations. We also analyze aminopeptidase N (APN), the receptor for the human coronavirus 229E, a virus that causes the common cold, and find evidence for adaptation in primates. Altogether, our results suggest that the rodent and primate lineages may have had ancient exposures to viruses similar to SARS-CoV-2 and HCoV-229E, respectively.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009560 |
| spellingShingle | Sean B King Mona Singh Comparative genomic analysis reveals varying levels of mammalian adaptation to coronavirus infections. PLoS Computational Biology |
| title | Comparative genomic analysis reveals varying levels of mammalian adaptation to coronavirus infections. |
| title_full | Comparative genomic analysis reveals varying levels of mammalian adaptation to coronavirus infections. |
| title_fullStr | Comparative genomic analysis reveals varying levels of mammalian adaptation to coronavirus infections. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Comparative genomic analysis reveals varying levels of mammalian adaptation to coronavirus infections. |
| title_short | Comparative genomic analysis reveals varying levels of mammalian adaptation to coronavirus infections. |
| title_sort | comparative genomic analysis reveals varying levels of mammalian adaptation to coronavirus infections |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pcbi.1009560 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT seanbking comparativegenomicanalysisrevealsvaryinglevelsofmammalianadaptationtocoronavirusinfections AT monasingh comparativegenomicanalysisrevealsvaryinglevelsofmammalianadaptationtocoronavirusinfections |