Enhanced immune #evasion of #SARS-CoV-2 variants #KP311 and #XEC through N-terminal domain #mutations

Source: Lancet Infectious Diseases, Correspondence, https://www.thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(24)00738-2/fulltext?rss=yes

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KP.3, a subvariant of JN.1, has rapidly emerged as the dominant strain of SARS-CoV-2 in several countries, and has been designated as a Variant Under Monitoring. Previous studies indicate that the unique Q493E substitution in KP.3 Spike glycoprotein enhances its receptor ACE2-binding affinity and immune evasion, enabling it to outcompete KP.2.1–6 Notably, KP.3.1.1, which only carries one additional S31 deletion compared to KP.3, has surpassed KP.3 to become the new dominant strain globally (figure A; appendix p 4).7 Meanwhile, XEC, a recombinant variant of KS.1.1 and KP.3.3, shows strong potential to become the next dominant strain, rapidly expanding across Europe and North America. Compared with KP.3, XEC has only two additional spike mutations, F59S and T22N (appendix p 4). Both S31del and T22N introduce potential glycosylation on the N-terminal domain. Consequently, there is an imperative need to characterise the antigenicity and infectivity of KP.3.1.1 and XEC.

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#abstract #coronavirus #covid #COVID19 #health #pandemic #research #sarsCov2