Isolation of SARS-CoV-2-related coronavirus from Malayan pangolins

Kangpeng Xiao, Junqiong Zhai, Yaoyu Feng, Niu Zhou, Xu Zhang, Jie-Jian Zou, Na Li, Yaqiong Guo, Xiaobing Li, Xuejuan Shen, Zhipeng Zhang, Fanfan Shu, Wanyi Huang, Yu Li, Ziding Zhang, Rui-Ai Chen, Ya-Jiang Wu, Shi-Ming Peng, Mian Huang, Wei-Jun Xie, Qin-Hui Cai, Fang-Hui Hou, Wu Chen (), Lihua Xiao () and Yongyi Shen ()
Additional contact information
Kangpeng Xiao: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Junqiong Zhai: Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center
Yaoyu Feng: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Niu Zhou: Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center
Xu Zhang: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Jie-Jian Zou: Guangdong Provincial Wildlife Rescue Center
Na Li: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Yaqiong Guo: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Xiaobing Li: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Xuejuan Shen: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Zhipeng Zhang: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Fanfan Shu: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Wanyi Huang: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Yu Li: China Agricultural University
Ziding Zhang: China Agricultural University
Rui-Ai Chen: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Ya-Jiang Wu: Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center
Shi-Ming Peng: Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center
Mian Huang: Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center
Wei-Jun Xie: Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center
Qin-Hui Cai: Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center
Fang-Hui Hou: Guangdong Provincial Wildlife Rescue Center
Wu Chen: Guangzhou Zoo & Guangzhou Wildlife Research Center
Lihua Xiao: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University
Yongyi Shen: College of Veterinary Medicine, South China Agricultural University

Nature, 2020, vol. 583, issue 7815, 286-289

Abstract: Abstract The current outbreak of coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) poses unprecedented challenges to global health1. The new coronavirus responsible for this outbreak—severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)—shares high sequence identity to SARS-CoV and a bat coronavirus, RaTG132. Although bats may be the reservoir host for a variety of coronaviruses3,4, it remains unknown whether SARS-CoV-2 has additional host species. Here we show that a coronavirus, which we name pangolin-CoV, isolated from a Malayan pangolin has 100%, 98.6%, 97.8% and 90.7% amino acid identity with SARS-CoV-2 in the E, M, N and S proteins, respectively. In particular, the receptor-binding domain of the S protein of pangolin-CoV is almost identical to that of SARS-CoV-2, with one difference in a noncritical amino acid. Our comparative genomic analysis suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may have originated in the recombination of a virus similar to pangolin-CoV with one similar to RaTG13. Pangolin-CoV was detected in 17 out of the 25 Malayan pangolins that we analysed. Infected pangolins showed clinical signs and histological changes, and circulating antibodies against pangolin-CoV reacted with the S protein of SARS-CoV-2. The isolation of a coronavirus from pangolins that is closely related to SARS-CoV-2 suggests that these animals have the potential to act as an intermediate host of SARS-CoV-2. This newly identified coronavirus from pangolins—the most-trafficked mammal in the illegal wildlife trade—could represent a future threat to public health if wildlife trade is not effectively controlled.

Date: 2020
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DOI: 10.1038/s41586-020-2313-x

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