SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have acquired mutations associated with an increased spike cleavage
A. Escalera, A. S. Gonzalez-Reiche, S. Aslam, I. Mena, R. L. Pearl, M. Laporte, A. Fossati, R. Rathnasinghe, H. Alshammary, A. van de Guchte, M. Bouhaddou, T. Kehrer, L. Zuliani-Alvarez, D. A. Meekins, V. Balaraman, , T. Aydillo
This study shows SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern have mutations that increase spike cleavage and fusogenic capacity, enhancing viral transmission and cell entry.
bioRxiv · Aug 5, 2021 · PreprintMicrobiology