Antibody escape and global spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineage A.27

Tamara Kaleta (1) , Lisa Kern (1) , Samuel Leandro Hong (2) , Martin Hölzer (3) , Georg Kochs (1) , Julius Beer (1) , Daniel Schnepf (1) , Martin Schwemmle (1) , Nena Bollen (2) , Philipp Kolb (1) , Magdalena Huber (1) , Svenja Ulferts (1) , Sebastian Weigang (1) , Gytis Dudas (4) , Alice Wittig (3, 5) , Lena Jaki (1) , Abdou Padane (6) , Adamou Lagare (7) , Mounerou Salou (8) , Egon Anderson Ozer (9) , Ndodo Nnaemeka (10) , John Kofi Odoom (11) , Robert Rutayisire (12) , Alia Benkahla (13) , Chantal Akoua-Koffi (14) , Abdoul-Salam Ouedraogo (15) , Etienne Simon-Lorière (16) , Vincent Enouf (17) , Stefan Kröger (3) , Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer (3) , Guy Baele (2) , Marcus Panning (1) , Jonas Fuchs (1)

1 Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg = University of Freiburg
2 Rega Institute
3 RKI - Robert Koch Institute [Berlin]
4 GU - Göteborgs Universitet = University of Gothenburg
5 University of Potsdam = Universität Potsdam
6 IRESSEF - Institut de Recherche en Santé, de Surveillance Épidémiologique et de Formation [Dakar, Sénégal]
7 CERMES - Centre de Recherche Médicale et Sanitaire [Niamey, Niger]
8 Université de Lomé [Togo]
9 [Northwestern University Medical School] - Feinberg School of Medicine [Northwestern University, Evanston]
10 NCDC - Nigeria Centre for Disease Control [Abuja, Nigeria]
11 University of Ghana
12 RBC - Rwanda Biomedical Center
13 Institut Pasteur de Tunis
14 CHU de Bouaké - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Bouaké
15 CHUSS - Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Souro Sanou [Bobo-Dioulasso]
16 Génomique évolutive des virus à ARN - Evolutionary genomics of RNA viruses
17 CNR - laboratoire coordonnateur - Centre National de Référence des virus des infections respiratoires (dont la grippe) - National Reference Center Virus Influenzae [Paris]

In spring 2021, an increasing number of infections was observed caused by the hitherto rarely described SARS-CoV-2 variant A.27 in south-west Germany. From December 2020 to June 2021 this lineage has been detected in 31 countries. Phylogeographic analyses of A.27 sequences obtained from national and international databases reveal a global spread of this lineage through multiple introductions from its inferred origin in Western Africa. Variant A.27 is characterized by a mutational pattern in the spike gene that includes the L18F, L452R and N501Y spike amino acid substitutions found in various variants of concern but lacks the globally dominant D614G. Neutralization assays demonstrate an escape of A.27 from convalescent and vaccine-elicited antibody-mediated immunity. Moreover, the therapeutic monoclonal antibody Bamlanivimab and partially the REGN-COV2 cocktail fail to block infection by A.27. Our data emphasize the need for continued global monitoring of novel lineages because of the independent evolution of new escape mutations.

Domains: Life Sciences [q-bio]; Infectious diseases; Virology

Tamara Kaleta, Lisa Kern, Samuel Leandro Hong, Martin Hölzer, Georg Kochs, et al.. Antibody escape and global spread of SARS-CoV-2 lineage A.27. Nature Communications, 2022, 13 (1), pp.1152. ⟨10.1038/s41467-022-28766-y⟩. ⟨pasteur-04638207⟩