This study shows that the SARS-CoV-2 Spike H655Y mutation changes protease preference but does not determine cellular tropism, with RBD interactions being more critical for upper airway adaptation.

bioRxiv · Jul 6, 2026 · PreprintMicrobiology

The potential of H5N1 viruses to adapt to bovine cells varies throughout evolution

Matthew L. Turnbull, Mohammad Khalid Zakaria, Nicole Upfold, Siddharth Bakshi, Callum Magill, Udeet Ranjan Das, Andrew T. Clarke, Laura Noelia Mojsiejczuk, Vanessa Herder, Kieran Dee, Nancy Liu, Monika Folwarczna, Georgios Ilia, Wilhelm Furnon, Verena Schultz, , Massimo Palmarini

This study shows that H5N1 viruses' ability to adapt to bovine cells varies across genotypes and time, with key mutations in PB2 playing a role.

Nature Communications · Dec 15, 2025Peer-reviewedMicrobiology

SARS-CoV-2 envelope protein induces LC3 lipidation via the V-ATPase-ATG16L1 axis

Carmen Figueras-Novoa, Lewis Timimi, Elena Marcassa, Raquel Taveira‐Marques, Lorin Adams, Ming Jiang, Mary Wu, Beatriz Montaner, Kevin W. Ng, Giuditta De Lorenzo, Wilhelm Furnon, Vanessa M. Cowton, Nicole Upfold, George Kassiotis, Ruth Harvey, , Rupert C. L. Beale

This study shows SARS-CoV-2 E protein induces LC3 lipidation through the V-ATPase-ATG16L1 axis, which supports viral replication rather than inhibiting it.

bioRxiv · Jun 12, 2025 · PreprintCell Biology

Global landscape of the host response to SARS-CoV-2 variants reveals viral evolutionary trajectories

Mehdi Bouhaddou, Ann‐Kathrin Reuschl, Benjamin J. Polacco, Lucy Thorne, Manisha R. Ummadi, Chengjin Ye, Romel Rosales, Adrian Pelin, Jyoti Batra, Gwendolyn Μ. Jang, Jiewei Xu, Jack M. Moen, Alicia Richards, Yuan M. Zhou, Bhavya Harjai, , Nevan J. Krogan

The paper systematically analyzes proteomic and genomic data of SARS-CoV-2 variants to identify how mutations affect viral gene expression, host interactions, and immune evasion.

bioRxiv · Oct 19, 2022 · PreprintSystems Biology