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Characterization of a pangolin SARS-CoV-2-related virus isolate that uses the human ACE2 receptor

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Abstract

Various SARS-CoV-2-related coronaviruses have been increasingly identified in pangolins, showing a potential threat to humans. Here we report the infectivity and pathogenicity of the SARS-CoV-2-related virus, PCoV-GX/P2V, which was isolated from a Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica). PCoV-GX/P2V could grow in human hepatoma, colorectal adenocarcinoma cells, and human primary nasal epithelial cells. It replicated more efficiently in cells expressing human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) as SARS-CoV-2 did. After intranasal inoculation to the hACE2-transgenic mice, PCoV-GX/P2V not only replicated in nasal turbinate and lungs, but also caused interstitial pneumonia, characterized by infiltration of mixed inflammatory cells and multifocal alveolar hemorrhage. Existing population immunity established by SARS-CoV-2 infection and vaccination may not protect people from PCoV-GX/P2V infection. These findings further verify the hACE2 utility of PCoV-GX/P2V by in vivo experiments using authentic viruses and highlight the importance for intensive surveillance to prevent possible cross-species transmission.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81621005).

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  1. Contributed equally to this work

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of EcoHealth, School of Public Health, Cheeloo College of Medicine, Shandong University, Jinan, 250012, China

    Luo-Yuan Xia, Zhen-Fei Wang, Ke Song, Run-Ze Ye, Lin Zhao & Wu-Chun Cao

  2. Changchun Veterinary Research Institute, Changchun, 130122, China

    Xue-Feng Wang, Yi-Ming Zhang, En-Tao Li, Yuan-Guo Li, Fang-Xu Li, Zhuang-Zhuang Shi, Song Jin, Wei-Guang Fu, Wen-Hao Wang, Tie-Cheng Wang & Yu-Wei Gao

  3. State Key Laboratory of Pathogen and Biosecurity, Beijing Institute of Microbiology and Epidemiology, Beijing, 100071, China

    Luo-Yuan Xia, Xiao-Ming Cui, Run-Ze Ye, Dai-Yun Zhu, Jie Zhang, Ming-Zhu Zhang, Liang-Jing Li, Shi-Jing Shen, Ya-Wei Zhang, Jia-Fu Jiang, Na Jia & Wu-Chun Cao

  4. Division of Animal Model Research, Institute for Laboratory Animal Resources, National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China

    Chang-Fa Fan

  5. National Institutes for Food and Drug Control, Beijing, 102629, China

    You-Chun Wang

  6. Life Sciences Institute, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, 530020, China

    Yan-Ling Hu

  7. College of Life Sciences, Shandong Normal University, Jinan, 250014, China

    Yi-Ming Zhang

  8. Research Unit of Discovery and Tracing of Natural Focus Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100071, China

    Xiao-Ming Cui, Jia-Fu Jiang, Na Jia & Wu-Chun Cao

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  1. Luo-Yuan Xia
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Correspondence to Na Jia, Yu-Wei Gao or Wu-Chun Cao.

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Xia, LY., Wang, XF., Cui, XM. et al. Characterization of a pangolin SARS-CoV-2-related virus isolate that uses the human ACE2 receptor. Sci. China Life Sci. (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11427-023-2484-x

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