The emergence and ongoing convergent evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 N501Y lineages
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Date
2021-09
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Elsevier
Abstract
The independent emergence late in 2020 of the B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P.1 lineages of SARS-CoV-2 prompted
renewed concerns about the evolutionary capacity of this virus to overcome public health interventions and
rising population immunity. Here, by examining patterns of synonymous and non-synonymous mutations
that have accumulated in SARS-CoV-2 genomes since the pandemic began, we find that the emergence
of these three ‘‘501Y lineages’’ coincided with a major global shift in the selective forces acting on various
SARS-CoV-2 genes. Following their emergence, the adaptive evolution of 501Y lineage viruses has involved
repeated selectively favored convergent mutations at 35 genome sites, mutations we refer to as the 501Y
meta-signature. The ongoing convergence of viruses in many other lineages on this meta-signature suggests
that it includes multiple mutation combinations capable of promoting the persistence of diverse SARS-CoV-2
lineages in the face of mounting host immune recognition.
Description
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, N501Y lineages, Viruses, Public health
Citation
D.P Martin et al. (2021) . The emergence and ongoing convergent evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 N501Y lineages. Cell, 184(20), 5189–5200.e7. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.09.003