Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 spike

Daichi Yamasoba; Izumi Kimura; Hesham Nasser; Yuhei Morioka; Naganori Nao; Jumpei Ito; Keiya Uriu; Masumi Tsuda; Jiří Zahradník; Kotaro Shirakawa; Rigel Suzuki; Mai Kishimoto; Yusuke Kosugi; Kouji Kobiyama; Teppei Hara; Mako Toyoda; Yuri Tanaka; Erika P. Butlertanaka; Ryo Shimizu; Hayato Ito; Lei Wang; Yoshitaka Oda; Yasuko Orba; Michihito Sasaki; Kayoko Nagata; Kumiko Yoshimatsu; Hiroyuki Asakura; Mami Nagashima; Kenji Sadamasu; Kazuhisa Yoshimura; Jin Kuramochi; M. Seki; Ryoji Fujiki; Atsushi Kaneda; Tadanaga Shimada; Taka‐aki Nakada; Seiichiro Sakao; Takuji Suzuki; Takamasa Ueno; Akifumi Takaori‐Kondo; Ken J. Ishii; Gideon Schreiber; Hirofumi Sawa; Akatsuki Saito; Takashi Irie; Shinya Tanaka; Keita Matsuno; Takasuke Fukuhara; Terumasa Ikeda; Kei Sato

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2022.04.035

Virological characteristics of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 spike

Daichi Yamasoba(Kobe University), Izumi Kimura(The University of Tokyo), Hesham Nasser(Suez Canal University), Yuhei Morioka(Hokkaido University), Naganori Nao(Sapporo University), Jumpei Ito(The University of Tokyo), Keiya Uriu(Tokyo Medical University), Masumi Tsuda(Hokkaido University), Jiří Zahradník(Weizmann Institute of Science), Kotaro Shirakawa(Kyoto University), Rigel Suzuki(Hokkaido University), Mai Kishimoto(Hokkaido University), Yusuke Kosugi(Kyoto University), Kouji Kobiyama(International Vaccine Institute), Teppei Hara(The University of Tokyo), Mako Toyoda(Kumamoto University), Yuri Tanaka(University of Miyazaki), Erika P. Butlertanaka(University of Miyazaki), Ryo Shimizu(Kumamoto University), Hayato Ito(Hokkaido University), Lei Wang(Hokkaido University), Yoshitaka Oda(Hokkaido University), Yasuko Orba(University of Miyazaki), Michihito Sasaki(Hokkaido University), Kayoko Nagata(Kyoto University), Kumiko Yoshimatsu(Hokkaido University), Hiroyuki Asakura(Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health), Mami Nagashima(Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health), Kenji Sadamasu(Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health), Kazuhisa Yoshimura(Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health), Jin Kuramochi(Saiseikai Utsunomiya hospital), M. Seki(Chiba University), Ryoji Fujiki(Chiba University), Atsushi Kaneda(Chiba University), Tadanaga Shimada(Chiba University), Taka‐aki Nakada(Chiba University), Seiichiro Sakao(Chiba University), Takuji Suzuki(Chiba University), Takamasa Ueno(Kumamoto University), Akifumi Takaori‐Kondo(Kyoto University), Ken J. Ishii(International Vaccine Institute), Gideon Schreiber(Weizmann Institute of Science), Hirofumi Sawa(Sapporo University), Akatsuki Saito(University of Miyazaki), Takashi Irie(Hiroshima University), Shinya Tanaka(Hokkaido University), Keita Matsuno(Sapporo University), Takasuke Fukuhara(Hokkaido University), Terumasa Ikeda(Kumamoto University), Kei Sato(National Institute of Infectious Diseases)

Cell

May 2, 2022

10.1016/j.cell.2022.04.035

Cited by 344Open Access

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Abstract

Soon after the emergence and global spread of the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron lineage BA.1, another Omicron lineage, BA.2, began outcompeting BA.1. The results of statistical analysis showed that the effective reproduction number of BA.2 is 1.4-fold higher than that of BA.1. Neutralization experiments revealed that immunity induced by COVID vaccines widely administered to human populations is not effective against BA.2, similar to BA.1, and that the antigenicity of BA.2 is notably different from that of BA.1. Cell culture experiments showed that the BA.2 spike confers higher replication efficacy in human nasal epithelial cells and is more efficient in mediating syncytia formation than the BA.1 spike. Furthermore, infection experiments using hamsters indicated that the BA.2 spike-bearing virus is more pathogenic than the BA.1 spike-bearing virus. Altogether, the results of our multiscale investigations suggest that the risk of BA.2 to global health is potentially higher than that of BA.1.

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