Antigenic variation of SARS‐CoV‐2 in response to immune pressure

• Published in: Molecular ecology Vol. 30; no. 14; pp. 3548 - 3559
• Main Authors: Forni, Diego, Cagliani, Rachele, Pontremoli, Chiara, Mozzi, Alessandra, Pozzoli, Uberto, Clerici, Mario, Sironi, Manuela
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01.07.2021; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: antigenic variation; Antigens; B cell epitope; B-lymphocytes; CD4 antigen; CD8 antigen; Chiroptera; Common cold; Conservation; Coronaviridae; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; disease severity; ecology; Epitopes; genome; Genomes; Glycoproteins; human coronavirus; Human populations; humans; humoral immunity; Immune response; Immune response (humoral); Immune system; Immunogenicity; Lymphocytes; Lymphocytes T; nucleocapsid proteins; Nucleocapsids; Original; Proteins; sarbecovirus; SARS‐CoV‐2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Spike glycoprotein; T cell epitope; Viral diseases; Viruses; B cell epitope; human coronavirus; T cell epitope; COVID‐19; SARS‐CoV‐2; sarbecovirus

Analysis of the bat viruses most closely related to SARS‐CoV‐2 indicated that the virus probably required limited adaptation to spread in humans. Nonetheless, since its introduction in human populations, SARS‐CoV‐2 must have been subject to the selective pressure imposed by the human immune system....