Preprint Review Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

SARS-CoV-2: An Overview of Virus Genetics, Transmission, and Immunopathogenesis

Mohamed A. Farrag
ORCID logo ,
Haitham M. Amer
,
Rauf Bhat
,
Maaweya E. Hamed
,
Ibrahim M. Aziz
,
Ayman Mubarak
,
Bandar Alosaimi
ORCID logo ,
Wael Alturaiki
* ORCID logo
Version 1 : Received: 20 April 2021 / Approved: 21 April 2021 / Online: 21 April 2021 (16:25:25 CEST)

A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.

Farrag, M.A.; Amer, H.M.; Bhat, R.; Hamed, M.E.; Aziz, I.M.; Mubarak, A.; Dawoud, T.M.; Almalki, S.G.; Alghofaili, F.; Alnemare, A.K.; Al-Baradi, R.S.; Alosaimi, B.; Alturaiki, W. SARS-CoV-2: An Overview of Virus Genetics, Transmission, and Immunopathogenesis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 6312. Farrag, M.A.; Amer, H.M.; Bhat, R.; Hamed, M.E.; Aziz, I.M.; Mubarak, A.; Dawoud, T.M.; Almalki, S.G.; Alghofaili, F.; Alnemare, A.K.; Al-Baradi, R.S.; Alosaimi, B.; Alturaiki, W. SARS-CoV-2: An Overview of Virus Genetics, Transmission, and Immunopathogenesis. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2021, 18, 6312.

Abstract

Nowadays, the human population is facing the third and may be the worst pandemic caused by human coronaviruses (CoVs). The virus was first reported in Wuhan, China on 31 December 2019 and spread within short time to almost all countries of the world. Genome analysis of the early virus isolates has revealed high similarity with SARS-CoV and hence the new virus was officially named SARS-CoV-2. Since CoVs have the largest genome among all RNA viruses, they can adapt many point mutation and recombination events; particularly in spike gene, that enable these viruses to rapidly change and evolve in nature. CoVs are known to cross the species boundaries by using different cellular receptors. SARS-CoV-2 is believed to originate in bats and transmitted to human being through an ill-defined intermediate host. In the current review, different aspects of SARS-CoV-2 biology and pathogenicity are discussed including virus genetics and evolution, spike protein and its role in evolution and adaptation to novel hosts, and virus transmission and persistence in nature. In addition, the immune response developed during SARS-CoV-2 infection is demonstrated with special reference to the interplay between immune cells and their role in disease progression. We believe that SARS-CoV-2 outbreak will not be the last and spillover of CoVs from bats will continue. Therefore, establishing intervention approaches to reduce the likelihood of future CoVs spillover from the natural reservoirs is a priority.

Keywords

Coronavirus; COVID-19; cross-species transmission; evolution; immune response; SARS-CoV-2

Subject

Medicine and Pharmacology, Immunology and Allergy

Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

Download PDF

Comments (0)

We encourage comments and feedback from a broad range of readers. See criteria for comments and our Diversity statement.

Leave a public comment
Send a private comment to the author(s)
* All users must log in before leaving a comment
Views 0
Downloads 0
Comments 0
Metrics 0
Get PDF Cite Share 0
Bookmark BibSonomy Mendeley Reddit Delicious
×
Alerts
Notify me about updates to this article or when a peer-reviewed version is published.
We use cookies on our website to ensure you get the best experience.
Read more about our cookies here.