Reviewing findings on the polypeptide sequence of the SARS-CoV-2 S-protein to discuss the origins of the virus

Abstract

Several investigations suggested origins of SARS-CoV-2 from the recombination of coronaviruses of various animals, including the bat Rhinolophus affinis and the pangolin Manis javanica, despite the processes describing the adaptation from a reservoir of animals to human are still debated. In this perspective, I will remark two main inconsistencies on the origins of SARS-CoV-2: polypeptide sequence alignment of the S-proteins does not return the expected identity of the receptor-binding motif among most of pangolin-CoVs and SARS-CoV-2; accurate referencing for samplings and sequencing deposition of the ancestral bat coronavirus named RaTG13 was missing since the first reports on the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. This contribution aims to stimulate discussion about the origins of SARS-CoV-2 and considers other intermediate hosts as a reservoir for coronavirus.

Keywords

coronavirus; polypeptide sequence alignment; RaTG13; receptor-binding motif; S-protein; SARS-CoV-2

Published in

Future Virology
2022, volume: 17, number: 6, pages: 393-402
Publisher: FUTURE MEDICINE LTD

SLU Authors

• Cattaneo, Alberto Maria

  • Department of Plant Protection Biology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    
  • University of Lausanne

UKÄ Subject classification

Microbiology in the medical area

Publication identifier

• DOI: https://doi.org/10.2217/fvl-2021-0233

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/116725