Identification of potential SARS‐CoV‐2 genomic regions representing hallmarks for adaptation to different hosts

The <i>k</i>-mer-based pipeline, namely the Pathogen Origin Recognition Tool using Enriched <i>K</i>-mers (PORT-EK) identifies genomic regions enriched in the respective hosts after the comparison of multi-genomes of isolates between different host species. The enriched <i>k</i>-mer counts, which may serve as a potential marker, enable the classification and prediction of the likelihood of the host species. Altogether, PORT-EK showcased its feasibility for identifying viral genomic regions over-represented in respective hosts, illuminating the different intrinsic tropisms of coronavirus host adaptation.