ABSTRACT Since its emergence in 2019, circulating populations of the new coronavirus (CoV) continuously acquired genetic diversity. At the end of 2020, a variant named 20I/501Y.V1 (lineage B.1.1.7) emerged and replaced other circulating strains in several regions. This phenomenon has been poorly associated with biological evidence that this variant and the original strain exhibit different phenotypic characteristics. Here, we analyze the replication ability of this new variant in different cellular models using for comparison an ancestral D614G European strain (lineage B1). Results from comparative replication kinetics experiments in vitro and in a human reconstituted bronchial epithelium showed no difference. However, when both viruses were put in competition in human reconstituted bronchial epithelium, the 20I/501Y.V1 variant outcompeted the ancestral strain. All together, these findings demonstrate that this new variant replicates more efficiently and may contribute to a better understanding of the progressive replacement of circulating strains by the severe acute respiratory CoV-2 (SARS-CoV-2) 20I/501Y.V1 variant.
【저자키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, variant, in vitro, B.1.1.7, 20I/501Y.V1, replicative fitness, Ex vivo, 【초록키워드】 viruses, coronavirus, variant, in vitro, Population, Replication, Characteristics, B.1.1.7, Lineage, D614G, CoV, genetic diversity, experiment, Lineage B.1.1.7, respiratory, Bronchial epithelium, New coronavirus, cellular, Evidence, strain, no difference, both viruses, replication kinetics, circulating, phenotypic, competition, regions, European, Result, replicate, contribute, replaced, both virus, 【제목키워드】 Human, epithelium, fitness, bronchial,