新型冠状病毒变异株VOC 202012/01的全球早期传播与刺突蛋白进化特征分析

新型冠状病毒(SARS-CoV-2)自2019年底流行至今,已进化出多个不同的亚型或分支并在全球共同传播。2020年12月14日,英国报道了一种新的SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern 202012/01(VOC 202012/01)变异株,其刺突(spike,S)蛋白累积了10个氨基酸突变,传播力增强。为分析SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01变异株的全球传播与进化规律,本研究对截至到2020年12月31日的GISAID数据库中符合VOC 202012/01变异株特征的全基因组序列进行了时空分布及S蛋白进化特征分析。结果表明,VOC 202012/01变异株自2020年9月20日于英国首次出现后,在英国境内迅速蔓延,毒株数量逐月增多,并逐步扩散到全球4个大洲22个国家。在2020年9~12月传播期间,VOC 202012/01变异株的S蛋白除10个特征性位点稳定突变以外,均呈随机突变,仅有2个氨基酸突变位点存在于50条以上的序列中,行成小的分支。本文初步阐明了SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01变异株的在全球早期流行中的传播与S蛋白的进化特征,为我国应对VOC 202012/01变异株的监测与防控提供科学依据。

Global Early Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 VOC 202012/01 and Evolutionary Characteristics of Its Spike Protein

SARS-CoV-2 has evolved into many subtypes and branches since the end of 2019,and all these branches are simultaneously spreading around the world.On December 14,2020,a new SARS-CoV-2 variant was reported by the United Kingdom(UK),named Variant of Concern 202012/01(VOC 202012/01),which contained 10 amino acid mutations in the spike(S)protein and showed increased transmission ability.To analyze the global transmission and evolution of VOC 202012/01,whole genome sequences of VOC 202012/01 obtained from the GISAID database as of December 31,2020 were used to analyze the spatial and temporal distribution of VOC 202012/01 and the evolutionary characteristics of its S protein.The number of VOC202012/01 cases has increased monthly in the UK since it was first detected on September 20,2020.VOC202012/01 has gradually spread to 22 countries on four continents.During September to December of 2020,the S protein of VOC 202012/01 manifested as random mutation except for the stable mutations of the 10 characteristic amino acid sites.Only two amino acid mutation sites were shared by>50 uploaded sequences.Our results clarify the global early transmission of VOC 202012/01 and the evolutionary characteristics of its S protein,which provides a scientific basis for the surveillance,prevention and control of VOC 202012/01 in China.