Recombination alters the receptor binding and furin cleavage site in novel bat-borne HKU5-CoV-2 coronavirus.

ABSTRACT: HKU5-CoV-2 is a new bat-infecting coronavirus phylogenetically related to MERS-CoV. It has recently been confirmed that HKU5-CoV-2 can enter human cells and organoids in vitro via the ACE2 receptor, raising concerns about its pandemic potential due to zoonotic spillover. Whether recombination has an influence on HKU5-CoV-2 infectivity or biological fitness is completely unclear to date. Here, we report the first evidence that the HKU5-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) and S1/S2 furin cleavage site (FCS) of the spike protein are recombination hotspots. Using linkage disequilibrium and haploblock analysis, we identified 167 recombination breakpoints and 27 haploblocks. SNP23016/23043/23064/23156/23193/23285 at the RBD and SNP23833/23847 at the FCS are recombinant breakpoints. Our re

SUBMITTER: Yeh T-Y 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12502745 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature