Spike substitutions E484D, P812R and Q954H mediate ACE2-independent entry of SARS-CoV-2 across different cell lines.

ABSTRACT: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), has evolved into variants with multiple spike protein coding mutations that affect its transmissibility, infectivity, and immune evasion, in particular from neutralizing antibodies. Several of these amino acid changes have been associated with reduced dependency on the principal angiotensin converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) receptor for cell entry. The present study investigates the role of spike protein changes observed in a cell-culture adapted SARS-CoV-2 isolate (DK-AHH1) in modulating entry, ACE2 dependency, and neutralization across different cells, including human liver and lung cell lines. Using a pseudoparticle system, spike proteins with substitutions E484D, P812R, Q954H, and d

SUBMITTER: Vizgirda G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12316203 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature