Intra-host variation and evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 populations in COVID-19 patients

Background Since early February 2021, the causative agent of COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, has infected over 104 million people with more than 2 million deaths according to official reports. The key to understanding the biology and virus-host interactions of SARS-CoV-2 requires the knowledge of mutation and evolution of this virus at both inter- and intra-host levels. However, despite quite a few polymorphic sites identified among SARS-CoV-2 populations, intra-host variant spectra and their evolutionary dynamics remain mostly unknown. Methods Using high-throughput sequencing of metatranscriptomic and hybrid captured libraries, we characterized consensus genomes and intra-host single nucleotide variations (iSNVs) of serial samples collected from eight patients with COVID-19. The distribution of iSNVs along the SARS-CoV-2 genome was analyzed and co-occurring iSNVs among COVID-19 patients were identified. We also compared the evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 population in the respiratory tract (RT) and gastrointestinal tract (GIT). Results The 32 consensus genomes revealed the co-existence of different genotypes within the same patient. We further identified 40 intra-host single nucleotide variants (iSNVs). Most (30/40) iSNVs presented in a single patient, while ten iSNVs were found in at least two patients or identical to consensus variants. Comparing allele frequencies of the iSNVs revealed a clear genetic differentiation between intra-host populations from the respiratory tract (RT) and gastrointestinal tract (GIT), mostly driven by bottleneck events during intra-host migrations. Compared to RT populations, the GIT populations showed a better maintenance and rapid development of viral genetic diversity following the suspected intra-host bottlenecks. Conclusions Our findings here illustrate the intra-host bottlenecks and evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 in different anatomic sites and may provide new insights to understand the virus-host interactions of coronaviruses and other RNA viruses..

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:13

Enthalten in:

Genome medicine - 13(2021), 1 vom: 22. Feb.

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Wang, Yanqun [VerfasserIn]
Wang, Daxi [VerfasserIn]
Zhang, Lu [VerfasserIn]
Sun, Wanying [VerfasserIn]
Zhang, Zhaoyong [VerfasserIn]
Chen, Weijun [VerfasserIn]
Zhu, Airu [VerfasserIn]
Huang, Yongbo [VerfasserIn]
Xiao, Fei [VerfasserIn]
Yao, Jinxiu [VerfasserIn]
Gan, Mian [VerfasserIn]
Li, Fang [VerfasserIn]
Luo, Ling [VerfasserIn]
Huang, Xiaofang [VerfasserIn]
Zhang, Yanjun [VerfasserIn]
Wong, Sook-san [VerfasserIn]
Cheng, Xinyi [VerfasserIn]
Ji, Jingkai [VerfasserIn]
Ou, Zhihua [VerfasserIn]
Xiao, Minfeng [VerfasserIn]
Li, Min [VerfasserIn]
Li, Jiandong [VerfasserIn]
Ren, Peidi [VerfasserIn]
Deng, Ziqing [VerfasserIn]
Zhong, Huanzi [VerfasserIn]
Xu, Xun [VerfasserIn]
Song, Tie [VerfasserIn]
Mok, Chris Ka Pun [VerfasserIn]
Peiris, Malik [VerfasserIn]
Zhong, Nanshan [VerfasserIn]
Zhao, Jingxian [VerfasserIn]
Li, Yimin [VerfasserIn]
Li, Junhua [VerfasserIn]
Zhao, Jincun [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext [kostenfrei]

Themen:

COVID-19
Dynamics
Intra-host
SARS-CoV-2
Variation

Anmerkungen:

© The Author(s) 2021

doi:

10.1186/s13073-021-00847-5

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

OLC212389205X