Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) Support the Binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Are Likely Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Shubhada K. Chothe; Padmaja Jakka; Veda Sheersh Boorla; Santhamani Ramasamy; Abhinay Gontu; Ruth H. Nissly; Justin Brown; Gregory Turner; Brent J. Sewall; Dee Ann M. Reeder; Kenneth A. Field; Julie B. Engiles; Saranya Amirthalingam; Abirami Ravichandran; Lindsey LaBella; Meera Surendran Nair; Costas D. Maranas; Suresh V. Kuchipudi

doi:10.3390/v15051103

Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) Support the Binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Are Likely Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Shubhada K. Chothe, Padmaja Jakka, Veda Sheersh Boorla, Santhamani Ramasamy, Abhinay Gontu, Ruth H. Nissly, Justin Brown, Gregory Turner, Brent J. Sewall, Dee Ann M. Reeder, Kenneth A. Field, Julie B. Engiles, Saranya Amirthalingam, Abirami Ravichandran, Lindsey LaBella, Meera Surendran Nair, Costas D. Maranas, Suresh V. Kuchipudi

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), believed to have originated from a bat species, can infect a wide range of non-human hosts. Bats are known to harbor hundreds of coronaviruses capable of spillover into human populations. Recent studies have shown a significant variation in the susceptibility among bat species to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that little brown bats (LBB) express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor and the transmembrane serine protease 2, which are accessible to and support SARS-CoV-2 binding. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that LBB ACE2 formed strong electrostatic interactions with the RBD similar to human and cat ACE2 proteins. In summary, LBBs, a widely distributed North American bat species, could be at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and potentially serve as a natural reservoir. Finally, our framework, combining in vitro and in silico methods, is a useful tool to assess the SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of bats and other animal species.

Original language	English (US)
Article number	1103
Journal	Viruses
Volume	15
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051103
State	Published - May 2023

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

Infectious Diseases
Virology

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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Chothe, S. K., Jakka, P., Boorla, V. S., Ramasamy, S., Gontu, A., Nissly, R. H., Brown, J., Turner, G., Sewall, B. J., Reeder, D. A. M., Field, K. A., Engiles, J. B., Amirthalingam, S., Ravichandran, A., LaBella, L., Nair, M. S., Maranas, C. D., & Kuchipudi, S. V. (2023). Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) Support the Binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Are Likely Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection. Viruses, 15(5), Article 1103. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051103

@article{51fdc252fd4b445685044811cd1e0b99,

title = "Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) Support the Binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Are Likely Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection",

abstract = "Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), believed to have originated from a bat species, can infect a wide range of non-human hosts. Bats are known to harbor hundreds of coronaviruses capable of spillover into human populations. Recent studies have shown a significant variation in the susceptibility among bat species to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that little brown bats (LBB) express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor and the transmembrane serine protease 2, which are accessible to and support SARS-CoV-2 binding. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that LBB ACE2 formed strong electrostatic interactions with the RBD similar to human and cat ACE2 proteins. In summary, LBBs, a widely distributed North American bat species, could be at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and potentially serve as a natural reservoir. Finally, our framework, combining in vitro and in silico methods, is a useful tool to assess the SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of bats and other animal species.",

author = "Chothe, {Shubhada K.} and Padmaja Jakka and Boorla, {Veda Sheersh} and Santhamani Ramasamy and Abhinay Gontu and Nissly, {Ruth H.} and Justin Brown and Gregory Turner and Sewall, {Brent J.} and Reeder, {Dee Ann M.} and Field, {Kenneth A.} and Engiles, {Julie B.} and Saranya Amirthalingam and Abirami Ravichandran and Lindsey LaBella and Nair, {Meera Surendran} and Maranas, {Costas D.} and Kuchipudi, {Suresh V.}",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2023 by the authors.",

year = "2023",

month = may,

doi = "10.3390/v15051103",

language = "English (US)",

volume = "15",

journal = "Viruses",

issn = "1999-4915",

publisher = "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",

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Chothe, SK, Jakka, P, Boorla, VS, Ramasamy, S, Gontu, A, Nissly, RH , Brown, J, Turner, G, Sewall, BJ, Reeder, DAM, Field, KA, Engiles, JB, Amirthalingam, S, Ravichandran, A, LaBella, L, Nair, MS, Maranas, CD & Kuchipudi, SV 2023, 'Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) Support the Binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Are Likely Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection', Viruses, vol. 15, no. 5, 1103. https://doi.org/10.3390/v15051103

TY - JOUR

T1 - Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) Support the Binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Are Likely Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

AU - Chothe, Shubhada K.

AU - Jakka, Padmaja

AU - Boorla, Veda Sheersh

AU - Ramasamy, Santhamani

AU - Gontu, Abhinay

AU - Nissly, Ruth H.

AU - Brown, Justin

AU - Turner, Gregory

AU - Sewall, Brent J.

AU - Reeder, Dee Ann M.

AU - Field, Kenneth A.

AU - Engiles, Julie B.

AU - Amirthalingam, Saranya

AU - Ravichandran, Abirami

AU - LaBella, Lindsey

AU - Nair, Meera Surendran

AU - Maranas, Costas D.

AU - Kuchipudi, Suresh V.

PY - 2023/5

Y1 - 2023/5

N2 - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), believed to have originated from a bat species, can infect a wide range of non-human hosts. Bats are known to harbor hundreds of coronaviruses capable of spillover into human populations. Recent studies have shown a significant variation in the susceptibility among bat species to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that little brown bats (LBB) express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor and the transmembrane serine protease 2, which are accessible to and support SARS-CoV-2 binding. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that LBB ACE2 formed strong electrostatic interactions with the RBD similar to human and cat ACE2 proteins. In summary, LBBs, a widely distributed North American bat species, could be at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and potentially serve as a natural reservoir. Finally, our framework, combining in vitro and in silico methods, is a useful tool to assess the SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of bats and other animal species.

AB - Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), believed to have originated from a bat species, can infect a wide range of non-human hosts. Bats are known to harbor hundreds of coronaviruses capable of spillover into human populations. Recent studies have shown a significant variation in the susceptibility among bat species to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We show that little brown bats (LBB) express angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptor and the transmembrane serine protease 2, which are accessible to and support SARS-CoV-2 binding. All-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations revealed that LBB ACE2 formed strong electrostatic interactions with the RBD similar to human and cat ACE2 proteins. In summary, LBBs, a widely distributed North American bat species, could be at risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and potentially serve as a natural reservoir. Finally, our framework, combining in vitro and in silico methods, is a useful tool to assess the SARS-CoV-2 susceptibility of bats and other animal species.

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U2 - 10.3390/v15051103

DO - 10.3390/v15051103

M3 - Article

C2 - 37243189

AN - SCOPUS:85160377060

SN - 1999-4915

VL - 15

JO - Viruses

JF - Viruses

IS - 5

M1 - 1103

ER -

Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) Support the Binding of SARS-CoV-2 Spike and Are Likely Susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Abstract

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

UN SDGs

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