Coronavirus (COVID-19)

[Insertnamehere]

Found a new paper that attempts to track evolutionary origins of SARS-CoV-2 by first identifying and removing recombinant genome that would make difficult to assess phylogeny. They established potential divergence dates that would indicate early circulation in horseshoe bat populations, most likely carrying the Spike protein Receptor-Binding Motif that when mutated in the right way, and via an intermediary species, allows adherence to ACE2 receptors in human host cells (and therefore infection) as it was not a recombinant trait nor acquired recently. 


"It is clear from our analysis that viruses closely related to SARS-CoV-2 have been circulating in horseshoe bats for many decades. The unsampled diversity descended from the SARS-CoV-2/RaTG13 common ancestor forms a clade of bat sarbecoviruses with generalist properties—with respect to their ability to infect a range of mammalian cells—that facilitated its jump to humans and may do so again. Although the human ACE2-compatible RBD was very likely to have been present in a bat sarbecovirus lineage that ultimately led to SARS-CoV-2, this RBD sequence has hitherto been found in only a few pangolin viruses. Furthermore, the other key feature thought to be instrumental in the ability of SARS-CoV-2 to infect humans—a polybasic cleavage site insertion in the S protein—has not yet been seen in another close bat relative of the SARS-CoV-2 virus."


Here it is for everyone who wants to take a look (Boni et al., 2020. Nature Microbiology)