Genetic evolution analysis of 2019 novel coronavirus and coronavirus from other species

• Published in: Infection, genetics and evolution Vol. 82; p. 104285
• Main Authors: Li, Chun, Yang, Yanling, Ren, Linzhu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.08.2020; Published by Elsevier B.V
• Subjects: 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19); Animals; Betacoronavirus - classification; Betacoronavirus - genetics; Chiroptera - virology; Coronavirus - classification; Coronavirus - genetics; Coronavirus - isolation & purification; COVID-19 infection; Evolution, Molecular; Genetic evolution; Genome; infection; intermediate hosts; Letter to Editor; Mammals - classification; Mammals - virology; Mutation; Paguma larvata; Paradoxurus hermaphroditus; Phylogeny; public health; Rhinolophus; RNA, Viral; SARS-CoV-2; Sequence Homology, Nucleic Acid; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); Structural protein; viruses; Genetic evolution; 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19); Structural protein; Genome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)
• ISSN: 1567-1348; 1567-7257; 1567-7257
• DOI: 10.1016/j.meegid.2020.104285

The Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. However, so far, there are still controversies about the source of the virus and its intermediate host. Here, we found the novel coronavirus was closely related to coronaviruses derived from five wild animals, including Paguma larvata, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Civet, Aselliscus stoliczkanus and Rhinolophus sinicus, and was in the same branch of the phylogenetic tree. However, genome and ORF1a homology show that the virus is not the same coronavirus as the coronavirus derived from these five animals, whereas the virus has the highest homology with Bat coronavirus isolate RaTG13.