Communications Biology (Jul 2023)
Comparative pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron subvariants including BA.1, BA.2, and BA.5
- Tomokazu Tamura,
- Daichi Yamasoba,
- Yoshitaka Oda,
- Jumpei Ito,
- Tomoko Kamasaki,
- Naganori Nao,
- Rina Hashimoto,
- Yoichiro Fujioka,
- Rigel Suzuki,
- Lei Wang,
- Hayato Ito,
- Yukie Kashima,
- Izumi Kimura,
- Mai Kishimoto,
- Masumi Tsuda,
- Hirofumi Sawa,
- Kumiko Yoshimatsu,
- Yuki Yamamoto,
- Tetsuharu Nagamoto,
- Jun Kanamune,
- Yutaka Suzuki,
- Yusuke Ohba,
- The Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium,
- Isao Yokota,
- Keita Matsuno,
- Kazuo Takayama,
- Shinya Tanaka,
- Kei Sato,
- Takasuke Fukuhara
Affiliations
- Tomokazu Tamura
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Daichi Yamasoba
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
- Yoshitaka Oda
- Department of Cancer Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Jumpei Ito
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
- Tomoko Kamasaki
- Department of Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Naganori Nao
- Institute for Vaccine Research and Development, HU-IVReD, Hokkaido University
- Rina Hashimoto
- Center for iPS Cell Research and Application (CiRA), Kyoto University
- Yoichiro Fujioka
- Department of Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Rigel Suzuki
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Lei Wang
- Department of Cancer Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Hayato Ito
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Yukie Kashima
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Izumi Kimura
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
- Mai Kishimoto
- Division of Molecular Pathobiology, International Institute for Zoonosis Control, Hokkaido University
- Masumi Tsuda
- Department of Cancer Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Hirofumi Sawa
- Institute for Vaccine Research and Development, HU-IVReD, Hokkaido University
- Kumiko Yoshimatsu
- Institute for Genetic Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Yuki Yamamoto
- HiLung Inc
- Tetsuharu Nagamoto
- HiLung Inc
- Jun Kanamune
- HiLung Inc
- Yutaka Suzuki
- Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, The University of Tokyo
- Yusuke Ohba
- Department of Cell Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- The Genotype to Phenotype Japan (G2P-Japan) Consortium
- Isao Yokota
- Department of Biostatistics, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Keita Matsuno
- Institute for Vaccine Research and Development, HU-IVReD, Hokkaido University
- Kazuo Takayama
- AMED-CREST, Japan Agency for Medical Research and Development (AMED)
- Shinya Tanaka
- Department of Cancer Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- Kei Sato
- Division of Systems Virology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, The Institute of Medical Science, The University of Tokyo
- Takasuke Fukuhara
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Faculty of Medicine, Hokkaido University
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-023-05081-w
- Journal volume & issue
-
Vol. 6,
no. 1
pp. 1 – 12
Abstract
Abstract The unremitting emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants necessitates ongoing control measures. Given its rapid spread, the new Omicron subvariant BA.5 requires urgent characterization. Here, we comprehensively analyzed BA.5 with the other Omicron variants BA.1, BA.2, and ancestral B.1.1. Although in vitro growth kinetics of BA.5 was comparable among the Omicron subvariants, BA.5 was much more fusogenic than BA.1 and BA.2. Airway-on-a-chip analysis showed that, among Omicron subvariants, BA.5 had enhanced ability to disrupt the respiratory epithelial and endothelial barriers. Furthermore, in our hamster model, in vivo pathogenicity of BA.5 was slightly higher than that of the other Omicron variants and less than that of ancestral B.1.1. Notably, BA.5 gains efficient virus spread compared with BA.1 and BA.2, leading to prompt immune responses. Our findings suggest that BA.5 has low pathogenicity compared with the ancestral strain but enhanced virus spread /inflammation compared with earlier Omicron subvariants.
