Researchers find similarities between coronaviruses, say virus found in pangolins could jump to humans

11-02-2021

As if the coronavirus mutations happening around the world were not worrisome enough, that researchers have now found similarities between coronavirus found in pangolins, and the ones (SARS-CoV-2) found in humans. Researchers have now also revealed that the coronavirus found in these animals could jump to humans, and cause infection. According to reports, scientists at the Francis Crick Institute have found important structural similarities between SARS-CoV-2 and a pangolin coronavirus, implying that the pangolin coronavirus could also infect humans. The origin of the coronavirus that has caused the current pandemic is still unknown, while some researchers believe it could have been transmitted through a bat. However, there is a big difference between bat coronaviruses and SARS-CoV-2, which suggests that there may have been at least one more animal or species in the chain of transmission. The study was published in Nature Communications. The scientists compared the structures of the spike proteins found on SARS-CoV-2, the most similar currently identified bat coronavirus RaTG13, and a coronavirus isolated from Malayan pangolins. They found that the pangolin virus was able to bind to receptors from both pangolins and humans. This differs from the bat coronavirus, which could not effectively bind with human or pangolin receptors. Antoni Wrobel, co-lead author and postdoctoral training fellow in the Structural Biology of Disease Processes Laboratory at the Crick, said, �By testing, if the spike protein of a given virus can bind with cell receptors from different species, we�re able to see if, in theory, the virus could infect this species.� �Importantly here, we�ve shown two key things. Firstly, that this bat virus would unlikely be able to infect pangolins. And secondly that a pangolin virus could potentially infect humans.� The team of researchers if further examining the spikes of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses, including other bat viruses, to better understand the mechanisms of infection and evolution.