@article{69f2eda1a03b4332a0758d0b8f857c9f,
title = "Temperature Influences the Interaction between SARS-CoV-2 Spike from Omicron Subvariants and Human ACE2",
abstract = "SARS-CoV-2 continues to infect millions of people worldwide. The subvariants arising from the variant-of-concern (VOC) Omicron include BA.1, BA.1.1, BA.2, BA.2.12.1, BA.4, and BA.5. All possess multiple mutations in their Spike glycoprotein, notably in its immunogenic receptor-binding domain (RBD), and present enhanced viral transmission. The highly mutated Spike glycoproteins from these subvariants present different degrees of resistance to recognition and cross-neutralisation by plasma from previously infected and/or vaccinated individuals. We have recently shown that the temperature affects the interaction between the Spike and its receptor, the angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). The affinity of RBD for ACE2 is significantly increased at lower temperatures. However, whether this is also observed with the Spike of Omicron and sub-lineages is not known. Here we show that, similar to other variants, Spikes from Omicron sub-lineages bind better the ACE2 receptor at lower temperatures. Whether this translates into enhanced transmission during the fall and winter seasons remains to be determined.",
keywords = "ACE2 affinity, BA.4, BA.5, COVID-19, Omicron, RBD, SARS-CoV-2, Spike glycoprotein, temperature, variant of concern",
author = "Gong, {Shang Yu} and Shilei Ding and Mehdi Benlarbi and Yaozong Chen and Dani V{\'e}zina and Lorie Marchitto and Guillaume Beaudoin-Bussi{\`e}res and Guillaume Goyette and Catherine Bourassa and Yuxia Bo and Halima Medjahed and In{\`e}s Levade and Marzena Pazgier and Marceline C{\^o}t{\'e} and Jonathan Richard and J{\'e}r{\'e}mie Pr{\'e}vost and Andr{\'e}s Finzi",
note = "Funding Information: This work was supported by le Minist{\`e}re de l{\textquoteright}Economie et de l{\textquoteright}Innovation du Qu{\'e}bec, Programme de soutien aux organismes de recherche et d{\textquoteright}innovation (to A.F.) and by the Fondation du CHUM to A.F. This work was also supported by CIHR foundation grant #352417, by CIHR operating Pandemic and Health Emergencies Research grant #177958, a CIHR stream 1 and 2 for SARS-CoV-2 Variant Research (to A.F.), and by an Exceptional Fund COVID-19 from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) #41027 (to A.F.). This research was also supported by a COVID-19 Rapid Research grant (CIHR, OV3 170632), and CIHR stream 1 for SARS-CoV-2 Variant Research to M.C. A.F. is the recipient of Canada Research Chair on Retroviral Entry no. RCHS0235 950-232424 and M.C. is the recipient of Canada Research Chair in Molecular Virology and Antiviral Therapeutics no. 950-232840. G.B.B. is the recipient of an FRQS PhD fellowship. M.B. is the recipient of a CIHR master{\textquoteright}s scholarship award. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript. Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2022 by the authors.",
year = "2022",
month = oct,
doi = "10.3390/v14102178",
language = "English",
volume = "14",
journal = "Viruses",
issn = "1999-4915",
number = "10",
}