Science Daily July 19, 2021
Researchers in the UK have identified and sequenced a novel sarbecovirus (RhGB01) from a British horseshoe bat at the western extreme of the rhinolophid range. Their results extend both the geographic and species ranges of sarbecoviruses and suggest their presence throughout the horseshoe bat distribution. Within the spike protein receptor binding domain, but excluding the receptor binding motif, RhGB01 has a 77% (SARS-CoV-2) and 81% (SARS-CoV) amino acid homology. While apparently lacking hACE2 binding ability, and hence unlikely to be zoonotic without mutation, RhGB01 presents opportunity for SARS-CoV-2 and other sarbecovirus homologous recombination. Their findings highlight that the natural distribution of sarbecoviruses and opportunities for recombination through intermediate host co-infection are underestimated. According to the researchers preventing transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to bats is critical with the current global mass vaccination campaign against this virus…read more. Open Access TECHNICAL ARTICLEÂ
The genomic structure of RhGB01 within the entire genome, and non-structural proteins. Credit:Â Â Scientific Reports volume 11, Article number: 14723 (2021)Â