Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) recently emerged to cause widespread infections in humans. SARS-CoV-2 infections have been reported in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, where Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) causes seasonal outbreaks with a case fatality rate of ~37 %. Here we show that there exists a theoretical possibility of future recombination events between SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV RNA. Through computational analyses, we have identified homologous genomic regions within the ORF1ab and S genes that could facilitate recombination, and have analysed co-expression patterns of the cellular receptors for SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV, ACE2 and DPP4, respectively, to identify human anatomical sites that could facilitate co-infection. Furthermore, we have investigated the likely susceptibility of various animal species to MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 infection by comparing known virus spike protein–receptor interacting residues. In conclusion, we suggest that a recombination between SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV RNA is possible and urge public health laboratories in high-risk areas to develop diagnostic capability for the detection of recombined coronaviruses in patient samples.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, MERS-CoV, emergence, Recombination, predictions, 【초록키워드】 public health, ACE2, coronavirus, SARS-COV-2 infection, susceptibility, Infection, diagnostic, Saudi Arabia, Laboratory, DPP4, outbreak, humans, Patient, Co-infection, homologous, S gene, ORF1ab, Middle East, acute respiratory syndrome, genomic region, Kingdom, Fatality rate, respiratory syndrome coronavirus, interacting residues, recombination event, cellular receptor, Virus spike, widespread, co-expression, identify, develop, reported, investigated, analysed, facilitate, anatomical, cause, analyses, high-risk area, MERS-CoV RNA, 【제목키워드】 Middle East, acute respiratory syndrome, respiratory syndrome coronavirus,