Detection of a SARS-CoV-2 variant of concern in South Africa

Journal article

Continued uncontrolled transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in many parts of the world is creating conditions for substantial evolutionary changes to the virus1,2. Here we describe a newly arisen lineage of SARS-CoV-2 (designated 501Y.V2; also known as B.1.351 or 20H) that is defined by eight mutations in the spike protein, including three substitutions (K417N, E484K and N501Y) at residues in its receptor-binding domain that may have functional importance3,4,5. This lineage was identified in South Afri...

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Authors: Tegally, H; Wilkinson, E; Giovanetti, M; Iranzadeh, A; Fonseca, V

• Publication status: Published
• Peer review status: Peer reviewed
• Publisher: Springer Nature Publisher's website
• Journal: Nature Journal website
• Volume: 592
• Issue: 7854
• Pages: 438-443
• Publication date: 2021-03-09
• Acceptance date: 2021-02-26
• DOI: 10.1038/s41586-021-03402-9
• EISSN: 1476-4687
• ISSN: 0028-0836
• Pmid: 33690265
• Language: English
• Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; humans; FFR; COVID-19; evolution, molecular; time factors; spike glycoprotein, coronavirus; immune evasion; South Africa; selection, genetic; models, molecular; mutation; phylogeography; genetic fitness; phylogeny; DNA mutational analysis