The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 3 February, 2023, DOI：https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(23)00010-5

ACE2 binding and antibody evasion in enhanced transmissibility of XBB.1.5

Can Yue, Weiliang Song, Lei Wang, Fanchong Jian, Xiaosu Chen, Fei Gao, Zhongyang Shen, Youchun Wang, Xiangxi Wang, Yunlong Cao

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2 subvariants BQ.1.1 and XBB.1 have been circulating globally with superior growth advantages over most omicron mutants (appendix p 5). However, XBB.1.5, a subvariant of the recombinant mutant XBB, has shown a substantial growth advantage compared with BQ.1.1 and XBB.1. Because of its enhanced transmissibility, XBB.1.5 has rapidly become the dominant SARS-CoV-2 strain in the USA and is highly likely to cause the next global wave of COVID-19 (appendix p 5).1 XBB and XBB.1 has already been shown to be extremely evasive against the neutralisation of plasma and serum from vaccinated or convalescent individuals and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), with a greater evasive ability than the BQ.1.1 variant.2, 3, 4, 5 Compared with XBB.1, XBB.1.5 carries a Ser486Pro mutation on the spike protein, a rare two nucleotide substitution compared with the ancestral strain (appendix p 5). The mechanism behind the rapid transmission of XBB.1.5, especially the effect of Ser486Pro, requires immediate investigation.

Article link：https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1473309923000105?via%3Dihub