📄 Intraspecies diversity of SARS-like coronaviruses in Rhinolophus sinicus and its implications for the origin of SARS coronaviruses in humans

The Chinese rufous horseshoe bat (Rhinolophus sinicus) has been suggested to carry the direct ancestor of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) coronavirus (SCoV), and the diversity of SARS-like Co. Vs (SLCoV) within this Rhinolophus species is therefore worth investigating. Here, we demonstrate the remarkable diversity of SLCo. Vs in R. sinicus and identify a strain with the same pattern of phylogenetic incongruence (i.e. an indication of recombination) as reported previously in another SLCoV strain. Moreover, this strain possesses a distinctive 579 nt deletion in the nsp3 region that was also found in a human SCoV from the late-phase epidemic. Phylogenetic analysis of the Orf1 region suggested that the human SCo. Vs are phylogenetically closer to SLCo. Vs in R. sinicus than to SLCo. Vs in other Rhinolophus species. These findings reveal a closer evolutionary linkage between SCoV in humans and SLCo. Vs in R. sinicus, defining the scope of surveillance to search for the direct ancestor of human SCo. Vs. © 2010 SGM.

keywords 🔗 severe acute (1373) 🔗 respiratory syndrome (2004) 🔗 acute respiratory (1734)

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