Characterization of a SARS-CoV-2 EG.5.1 clinical isolate in vitro and in vivo

Ryuta Uraki; Maki Kiso; Kiyoko Iwatsuki-Horimoto; Seiya Yamayoshi; Mutsumi Ito; Shiho Chiba; Yuko Sakai-Tagawa; Masaki Imai; Yukie Kashima; Michiko Koga; Noriko Fuwa; Nobumasa Okumura; Masayuki Hojo; Noriko Iwamoto; Hideaki Kato; Hideaki Nakajima; Norio Ohmagari; Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi; Yutaka Suzuki; Yoshihiro Kawaoka

doi:10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113580

Characterization of a SARS-CoV-2 EG.5.1 clinical isolate in vitro and in vivo

Cell Rep. 2023 Dec 26;42(12):113580. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113580. Epub 2023 Dec 15.

Authors

Ryuta Uraki¹, Maki Kiso², Kiyoko Iwatsuki-Horimoto², Seiya Yamayoshi¹, Mutsumi Ito², Shiho Chiba², Yuko Sakai-Tagawa², Masaki Imai¹, Yukie Kashima³, Michiko Koga⁴, Noriko Fuwa⁵, Nobumasa Okumura⁵, Masayuki Hojo⁶, Noriko Iwamoto⁵, Hideaki Kato⁷, Hideaki Nakajima⁸, Norio Ohmagari⁵, Hiroshi Yotsuyanagi⁴, Yutaka Suzuki³, Yoshihiro Kawaoka⁹

Affiliations

¹ Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan; The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan.
² Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
³ Department of Computational Biology and Medical Sciences, Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-0882, Japan.
⁴ Department of Infectious Diseases and Applied Immunology, IMSUT Hospital of The Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan; Division of Infectious Diseases, Advanced Clinical Research Center, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan.
⁵ Disease Control and Prevention Center, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Hospital, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan.
⁶ Department of Respiratory Medicine, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Hospital, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan.
⁷ Department of Hematology and Clinical Immunology, Yokohama City University School of Medicine, Yokohama 236-0004, Japan; Infection Prevention and Control Department, Yokohama City University Hospital, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan.
⁸ Department of Stem Cell and Immune Regulation, Yokohama City University Graduate School of Medicine, Kanagawa 236-0004, Japan.
⁹ Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan; The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, Tokyo 162-8655, Japan; Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53711, USA; Pandemic Preparedness, Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 108-8639, Japan. Electronic address: yoshihiro.kawaoka@wisc.edu.

PMID: 38103202
DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2023.113580

Abstract

EG.5.1 is a subvariant of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron XBB variant that is rapidly increasing in prevalence worldwide. However, the pathogenicity, transmissibility, and immune evasion properties of isolates of EG.5.1 are largely unknown. Here, we show that there are no obvious differences in growth ability and pathogenicity between EG.5.1 and XBB.1.5 in hamsters. We also demonstrate that, like XBB.1.5, EG.5.1 is transmitted more efficiently between hamsters compared to its predecessor, BA.2. In contrast, unlike XBB.1.5, we detect EG.5.1 in the lungs of four of six exposed hamsters, suggesting that the virus properties of EG.5.1 are different from those of XBB.1.5. Finally, we find that the neutralizing activity of plasma from convalescent individuals against EG.5.1 was slightly, but significantly, lower than that against XBB.1.5 or XBB.1.9.2. Our data suggest that the different virus properties after transmission and the altered antigenicity of EG.5.1 may be driving its increasing prevalence over XBB.1.5 in humans.

Keywords: CP: Immunology; CP: Microbiology; EG.5.1; SARS-CoV-2; antigenicity; hamster model; pathogenicity; transmissibility.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Animals
Antibodies, Neutralizing
COVID-19*
Cricetinae
Humans
Immune Evasion
Morphogenesis
SARS-CoV-2*

Substances

Antibodies, Neutralizing

Supplementary concepts

SARS-CoV-2 variants