Guangdong Key Laboratory of Animal Conservation and Resource Utilization, Guangdong Public Laboratory of Wild Animal Conservation and Utilization, Guangdong Institute of Applied Biological Resources, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
Key Laboratory of South China Sea Fishery Resources Exploitation & Utilization, Ministry of Agriculture, South China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, College of Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
MU Center for Research on Influenza Systems Biology (CRISB), University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
Bond Life Sciences Center, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
MU Institute for Data Science and Informatics, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri, United States of America.
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Silviculture, Protection and Utilization, Guangdong Academy of Forestry, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
Institute of Animal Health, Guangdong Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
Guangdong Provincial Wildlife Rescue Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China.
The outbreak of a novel corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in the city of Wuhan, China has resulted in more than 1.7 million laboratory confirmed cases all over the world. Recent studies showed that SARS-CoV-2 was likely originated from bats, but its intermediate hosts are still largely unknown. In this study, we assembled the complete genome of a coronavirus identified in 3 sick Malayan pangolins. The molecular and phylogenetic analyses showed that this pangolin coronavirus (pangolin-CoV-2020) is genetically related to the SARS-CoV-2 as well as a group of bat coronaviruses but do not support the SARS-CoV-2 emerged directly from the pangolin-CoV-2020. Our study suggests that pangolins are natural hosts of Betacoronaviruses. Large surveillance of coronaviruses in pangolins could improve our understanding of the spectrum of coronaviruses in pangolins. In addition to conservation of wildlife, minimizing the exposures of humans to wildlife will be important to reduce the spillover risks of coronaviruses from wild animals to humans.
Phylogenetic comparison of the complete pangolin-CoV-2020 genome revealed genetic relatedness to SARS-CoV-2 and bat coronaviruses, but no direct ancestry between pangolin-CoV-2020 and SARS-CoV-2.
We assembled the complete genome of a coronavirus identified in 3 sick Malayan pangolins. The molecular and phylogenetic analyses showed that this pangolin coronavirus (pangolin-CoV-2020) is genetically related to the SARS-CoV-2 as well as a group of bat coronaviruses but do not support the SARS-CoV-2 emerged directly from the pangolin-CoV-2020.
Genes or proteins
complete genome
Analysis methods
molecular analysis; phylogenetic analysis
Reservoir Ecology1 records
Reservoir EcologyExtraction confidence 0.80
Key finding
Malayan pangolins were found to harbor a Betacoronavirus closely related to SARS-CoV-2, indicating they may act as natural reservoir hosts.
We assembled the complete genome of a coronavirus identified in 3 sick Malayan pangolins... Our study suggests that pangolins are natural hosts of Betacoronaviruses.
Method
genome assembly; molecular and phylogenetic analyses
Geographic raw
China
Country inferred
China
Zoonotic Surveillance1 records
Zoonotic SurveillanceExtraction confidence 0.70
Key finding
Coronavirus genomes were obtained from sick Malayan pangolins, confirming that pangolins can host Betacoronaviruses and underscoring the importance of continued surveillance of coronaviruses in these animals.
We assembled the complete genome of a coronavirus identified in 3 sick Malayan pangolins. The molecular and phylogenetic analyses showed that this pangolin coronavirus (pangolin-CoV-2020) is genetically related to the SARS-CoV-2 as well as a group of bat coronaviruses... Our study suggests that pangolins are natural hosts of Betacoronaviruses. Large surveillance of coronaviruses in pangolins could improve our understanding of the spectrum of coronaviruses in pangolins.
Viral Metagenomics Revealed Sendai Virus and Coronavirus Infection of Malayan Pangolins ( Manis javanica )
Liu
2019
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A novel bat coronavirus reveals natural insertions at the S1/S2 cleavage site of the Spike protein and a possible recombinant origin of HCoV-19. bioRxiv. 2020. 10.1101/2020.03.02.974139
Zhou
2020
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Isolation and Characterization of 2019-nCoV-like Coronavirus from Malayan Pangolins. bioRxiv. 2020. 10.1101/2020.02.17.951335
Bats, civets and the emergence of SARS In Wildlife and emerging zoonotic diseases: the biology, circumstances and consequences of cross-species transmission (pp. 325–344). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg; 2007
