Evaluating the effects of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutation D614G on transmissibility and pathogenicity

COG-UK Consortium; Samuel C. Robson; Angela Beckett; Katie F. Loveson; Anoop J. Chauhan; Sharon Glaysher; Scott Elliott; Yann Bourgeois; Garry P. Scarlett; Tony T. Brooks; Thomas Williams; Matthew D. Parker

doi:10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.020

Evaluating the effects of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutation D614G on transmissibility and pathogenicity

COG-UK Consortium, Samuel C. Robson, Angela Beckett, Katie F. Loveson, Anoop J. Chauhan, Sharon Glaysher, Scott Elliott, Yann Bourgeois, Garry P. Scarlett, Tony T. Brooks, Thomas Williams, Matthew D. Parker

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Abstract

Global dispersal and increasing frequency of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variant D614G are suggestive of a selective advantage but may also be due to a random founder effect. We investigate the hypothesis for positive selection of spike D614G in the United Kingdom using more than 25,000 whole genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences. Despite the availability of a large dataset, well represented by both spike 614 variants, not all approaches showed a conclusive signal of positive selection. Population genetic analysis indicates that 614G increases in frequency relative to 614D in a manner consistent with a selective advantage. We do not find any indication that patients infected with the spike 614G variant have higher COVID-19 mortality or clinical severity, but 614G is associated with higher viral load and younger age of patients. Significant differences in growth and size of 614G phylogenetic clusters indicate a need for continued study of this variant.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	64-75
Journal	Cell
Volume	184
Issue number	1
Early online date	19 Nov 2020
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.020
Publication status	Published - 7 Jan 2021

Keywords

COVID-19
epidemiology
evolution
founder effect
SARS-CoV-2
spike
UKRI
MRC
BBSRC
MR/R015600/1
BB/M010996/1
BB/M009122/1
MR/L015080/1
BB/R012504/1

Access to Document

10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.020

Evaluating the Effects of SARS-CoV-2Final published version, 3.74 MBLicence: CC BY

COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium
Robson, S. (Creator), NCBI, 29 Apr 2020
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/bioproject/?term=PRJEB37886
Dataset
Dataset: GISAID EpiCov SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing Database
Robson, S. (Creator), GISAID, 2020
https://www.epicov.org/epi3/frontend#3bd481
Dataset

STOP COVID-19: Sequencing and Tracking Of Phylogeny in COVID-19
Robson, S., Scarlett, G., Bourgeois, Y., Beckett, A., Loveson, K., Glaysher, S., Chauhan, A., Goudarzi, S., Cook, K., Fearn, C., Paul, H. & Dent, H.
UK Health Security Agency, COG-UK
1/04/20 → 31/03/23
Project: Research

Cite this

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title = "Evaluating the effects of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutation D614G on transmissibility and pathogenicity",

abstract = "Global dispersal and increasing frequency of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein variant D614G are suggestive of a selective advantage but may also be due to a random founder effect. We investigate the hypothesis for positive selection of spike D614G in the United Kingdom using more than 25,000 whole genome SARS-CoV-2 sequences. Despite the availability of a large dataset, well represented by both spike 614 variants, not all approaches showed a conclusive signal of positive selection. Population genetic analysis indicates that 614G increases in frequency relative to 614D in a manner consistent with a selective advantage. We do not find any indication that patients infected with the spike 614G variant have higher COVID-19 mortality or clinical severity, but 614G is associated with higher viral load and younger age of patients. Significant differences in growth and size of 614G phylogenetic clusters indicate a need for continued study of this variant.",

keywords = "COVID-19, epidemiology, evolution, founder effect, SARS-CoV-2, spike, UKRI, MRC, BBSRC, MR/R015600/1, BB/M010996/1, BB/M009122/1, MR/L015080/1, BB/R012504/1",

author = "{COG-UK Consortium} and Erik Volz and Verity Hill and McCrone, {John T.} and Anna Price and David Jorgensen and {\'A}ine O'Toole and Joel Southgate and Robert Johnson and Ben Jackson and Nascimento, {Fabricia F.} and Rey, {Sara M.} and Nicholls, {Samuel M.} and Colquhoun, {Rachel M.} and {da Silva Filipe}, Ana and James Shepherd and Pascall, {David J.} and Rajiv Shah and Natasha Jesudason and Kathy Li and Ruth Jarrett and Nicole Pacchiarini and Matthew Bull and Lily Geidelberg and Igor Siveroni and Cherian Koshy and Emma Wise and Nick Cortes and Jessica Lynch and Stephen Kidd and Matilde Mori and Fairley, {Derek J.} and Tanya Curran and McKenna, {James P.} and Helen Adams and Christophe Fraser and Tanya Golubchik and Robson, {Samuel C.} and Angela Beckett and Loveson, {Katie F.} and Chauhan, {Anoop J.} and Sharon Glaysher and Scott Elliott and David Bibby and David Williams and Yann Bourgeois and Scarlett, {Garry P.} and Brooks, {Tony T.} and Thomas Williams and Parker, {Matthew D.} and Sally Kay",

year = "2021",

month = jan,

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doi = "10.1016/j.cell.2020.11.020",

language = "English",

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AU - da Silva Filipe, Ana

AU - Shepherd, James

AU - Pascall, David J.

AU - Shah, Rajiv

AU - Jesudason, Natasha

AU - Li, Kathy

AU - Jarrett, Ruth

AU - Pacchiarini, Nicole

AU - Bull, Matthew

AU - Geidelberg, Lily

AU - Siveroni, Igor

AU - Koshy, Cherian

AU - Wise, Emma

AU - Cortes, Nick

AU - Lynch, Jessica

AU - Kidd, Stephen

AU - Mori, Matilde

AU - Fairley, Derek J.

AU - Curran, Tanya

AU - McKenna, James P.

AU - Adams, Helen

AU - Fraser, Christophe

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AU - Robson, Samuel C.

AU - Beckett, Angela

AU - Loveson, Katie F.

AU - Chauhan, Anoop J.

AU - Glaysher, Sharon

AU - Elliott, Scott

AU - Bibby, David

AU - Williams, David

AU - Bourgeois, Yann

AU - Scarlett, Garry P.

AU - Brooks, Tony T.

AU - Williams, Thomas

AU - Parker, Matthew D.

AU - Kay, Sally

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KW - BB/M010996/1

KW - BB/M009122/1

KW - MR/L015080/1

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SP - 64

EP - 75

JO - Cell

JF - Cell

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ER -

Evaluating the effects of SARS-CoV-2 spike mutation D614G on transmissibility and pathogenicity

Abstract

Keywords

Access to Document

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Datasets

COVID-19 Genomics UK (COG-UK) consortium

Dataset: GISAID EpiCov SARS-CoV-2 Whole Genome Sequencing Database

Projects

STOP COVID-19: Sequencing and Tracking Of Phylogeny in COVID-19

Cite this