Rita M Meganck, Caitlin E Edwards, Michael L Mallory, Rhianna E Lee, Hong Dang, Alexis B Bailey, Jason A Wykoff, Samuel C Gallant, Deanna R Zhu, Boyd L Yount, Takafumi Kato, Kendall M Shaffer, Satoko Nakano, Anne Marie Cawley, Vishwaraj Sontake, Jeremy R Wang, Robert S Hagan, Melissa B Miller, Purushothama Rao Tata, Scott H Randell, Longping V Tse, Camille Ehre, Kenichi Okuda, Richard C Boucher, Ralph S Baric
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 pandemic is characterized by the emergence of novel variants of concern (VOCs) that replace ancestral strains. Here, we dissect the complex selective pressures by evaluating variant fitness and adaptation in human respiratory tissues. We evaluate viral properties and host responses to reconstruct forces behind D614G through Omicron (BA.1) emergence. We observe differential replication in airway epithelia, differences in cellular tropism, and virus-induced cytotoxicity...
April 10, 2024: Cell Reports