SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant shows less efficient replication and fusion activity when compared with Delta variant in TMPRSS2-expressed cells

• Published in: Emerging microbes & infections Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 277 - 283
• Main Authors: Zhao, Hanjun, Lu, Lu, Peng, Zheng, Chen, Lin-Lei, Meng, Xinjin, Zhang, Chuyuan, Ip, Jonathan Daniel, Chan, Wan-Mui, Chu, Allen Wing-Ho, Chan, Kwok-Hung, Jin, Dong-Yan, Chen, Honglin, Yuen, Kwok-Yung, To, Kelvin Kai-Wang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Taylor & Francis 01.12.2022; Taylor & Francis Ltd; Taylor & Francis Group
• Subjects: Animals; Antiviral drugs; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung - pathology; Cell Line, Tumor; Cells; Chlorocebus aethiops; Chloroquine - pharmacology; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - virology; Delta variant; Disease transmission; Drug dosages; Endocytosis - drug effects; Enzymes; Esters - pharmacology; Genomes; Guanidines - pharmacology; Humans; Immune Evasion; Infections; Infectious diseases; Laboratories; Lung Neoplasms - pathology; Macrolides - pharmacology; Medicine; Mutation; Omicron variant; Proteins; Recombinant Proteins - metabolism; SARS-CoV-2; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; SARS-CoV-2 - physiology; Serine Endopeptidases - metabolism; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; TMPRSS2; Vero Cells; Viral infections; viral replication; Virus Cultivation; Virus Internalization - drug effects; Virus Replication; Whole Genome Sequencing; viral replication; Omicron variant; TMPRSS2; SARS-CoV-2; Delta variant

The novel SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant (B.1.1.529), first found in early November 2021, has sparked considerable global concern and it has >50 mutations, many of which are known to affect transmissibility or cause immune escape. In this study, we sought to investigate the virological characteristic...