新型冠状病毒刺突蛋白的变异及其对中和活性的影响

2019年底发生的COVID-19疫情迅速传播至世界各地, 使全球公共卫生体系面临严峻考验。随着疫情的持续, 新型冠状病毒(severe acute respiratory syndrane coronavirus 2, SARS-CoV-2)变异株正在不断涌现。特别是病毒刺突蛋白的突变, 可以引起病毒感染性和抗原性改变, 从而导致病毒传染性增加, 以及现有疫苗保护效力的下降, 由此引起了流行毒株的替换。这也是目前疫情未得到有效控制的原因之一。目前主要的流行变异株都出现了一定程度的特性改变, 部分变异株与原始株相比对中和单抗、免疫血清及恢复期血清的中和敏感性出现了一定程度的下降。变异株的产生既与病毒本身特点有关, 也与传播宿主改变、免疫低下人群的慢性感染有关。应密切关注和监测不断出现的变异株, 并对其功能特性进行系统研究, 为疫苗研发和免疫策略的制定提供参考。

Variation of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its effects on neutralization sensitivity

The COVID-19 epidemic that occurred at the end of 2019 spreads rapidly to all parts of the world,putting the global public health system to a severe test.With the continuation of the epidemic,SARS-CoV-2 variants are constantly emerging.In particular,the mutation of the spike protein can cause changes in the infectivity and antigenicity of the virus,resulting in an increase in the infectivity and a decline in the protective efficacy of existing vaccines,and even the replacement of epidemic strains.This is also one of the reasons why the epidemic has not been effectively controlled so far.Nowadays,the main circulating variants have changed their characteristics to a certain extent,and the neutralization sensitivity of some variants to neutralizing monoclonal antibodies,immune sera and convalescent sera has decreased to a certain extent compared with the original strains.The emergence of variants is not only related to the characteristics of the virus itself,but also to the changes of transmission host and the chronic infection in people with deficient immunity.The emerging variants should be closely monitored,and their functional characteristics should be systematically studied so as to provide data for vaccine research and development and the designation of immunization strategies.