Recombination alters the receptor binding and furin cleavage site in novel bat-borne HKU5-CoV-2 coronavirus
HKU5-CoV-2 is a newly discovered bat coronavirus related to MERS-CoV that can infect human cells using the ACE2 receptor, raising concerns about possible transmission from animals to humans. This study provides the first proof that recombination occurs in HKU5-CoV-2 spike protein, which leads to the changes at position 498 in the RBD-which directly interacts with the human ACE2-and at position 722/723 and 729 in the FCS, may impact how efficiently the virus infects people. These mutations might help the virus adapt to animals or humans and spread more effectively. Our research shows that recombination is important in shaping HKU5-CoV-2's ability to infect bats and potentially humans.
Authors
- Patrick J. Feehley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2749-9601)
- Gregory P. Contreras (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0057-5202)
- Feng Yu Kuo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9254-7753)
- Yen Chun Wang
- V W. Tsai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0009-7367-5889)
- Michael C. Feehley (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0217-121X)
- Ting‐Yu Yeh (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5333-5486)
- Yi‐Chen Lai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9450-5506)
- Cheng Hong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0710-8757)
- Samuel M. Liao (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-7209-956X)
Institutions
- Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center (US)
- Johns Hopkins University (US)
- National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (TW)
- Palo Alto University (US)
- Morristown High School (US)
- Taipei City Government (TW)
- Taipei Veterans General Hospital (TW)
- Taipei Municipal YangMing Hospital (TW)
- China University of Technology (TW)
- University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Microbiology Spectrum
- Published
- 2025-08-29
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1128/spectrum.01420-25
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.79