Tissue tropism and functional adaptation of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein in a fatal case of COVID-19.

ABSTRACT: Systemic spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) to extrapulmonary tissues has been observed following acute infections. Autopsy studies further indicate tissue-specific virus diversity, including in immune-privileged sites. Questions remain on the viral dynamics leading to the tissue tropism of SARS-CoV-2, including evolutionary trajectories and functional adaptations that could impact persistence and transmission. In this study, we characterized SARS-CoV-2 genomes from 27 distinct tissues collected from an autopsy case where the patient had a primary immune deficiency. We identified tissue-specific virus genotypes, in some instances coexisting within the same sites, with mutations primarily in the receptor-binding domain of the spike protein. Protein simula

SUBMITTER: Johnson KEE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12645954 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature