Phylogenetic and Ancestral Sequence Reconstruction of SARS-CoV-2 Reveals Latent Capacity to Bind Human ACE2 Receptor.

ABSTRACT: SARS-CoV-2 is a unique event, having emerged suddenly as a highly infectious viral pathogen for human populations. Previous phylogenetic analyses show its closest known evolutionary relative to be a virus detected in bats (RaTG13), with a common assumption that SARS-CoV-2 evolved from a zoonotic ancestor via recent genetic changes (likely in the Spike protein receptor-binding domain or RBD) that enabled it to infect humans. We used detailed phylogenetic analysis, ancestral sequence reconstruction, and in situ molecular dynamics simulations to examine the Spike-RBD's functional evolution, finding that the common ancestral virus with RaTG13, dating to no later than 2013, possessed high binding affinity to the human ACE2 receptor. This suggests that SARS-CoV-2 likely possessed a latent capaci

SUBMITTER: Brintnell E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8570237 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature