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Increased transmission of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 (VOC 2020212/01) is not accounted for by a replicative advantage in primary airway cells or antibody escape

View ORCID ProfileJonathan C. Brown, View ORCID ProfileDaniel H. Goldhill, View ORCID ProfileJie Zhou, View ORCID ProfileThomas P. Peacock, View ORCID ProfileRebecca Frise, View ORCID ProfileNiluka Goonawardane, View ORCID ProfileLaury Baillon, View ORCID ProfileRuthiran Kugathasan, View ORCID ProfileAndreia L. Pinto, View ORCID ProfilePaul F. McKay, View ORCID ProfileJack Hassard, View ORCID ProfileMaya Moshe, View ORCID ProfileAran Singanayagam, View ORCID ProfileThomas Burgoyne, the ATACCC Investigators, PHE Virology Consortium, View ORCID ProfileWendy S. Barclay
doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.24.432576
Jonathan C. Brown
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Daniel H. Goldhill
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Jie Zhou
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Thomas P. Peacock
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Rebecca Frise
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Niluka Goonawardane
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Laury Baillon
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Ruthiran Kugathasan
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Andreia L. Pinto
2Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, UK, SW3 5UE
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Paul F. McKay
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Jack Hassard
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Maya Moshe
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Aran Singanayagam
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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Thomas Burgoyne
2Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, UK, SW3 5UE
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3NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Respiratory Infections, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
4Public Health England, UK
Wendy S. Barclay
1Department of Infectious Disease, Imperial College London, UK, W2 1PG
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  • For correspondence: w.barclay@imperial.ac.uk
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Abstract

Lineage B.1.1.7 (Variant of Concern 202012/01) is a new SARS-CoV-2 variant which was first sequenced in the UK in September 2020 before becoming the majority strain in the UK and spreading worldwide. The rapid spread of the B.1.1.7 variant results from increased transmissibility but the virological characteristics which underpin this advantage over other circulating strains remain unknown. Here, we demonstrate that there is no difference in viral replication between B.1.1.7 and other contemporaneous SARS-CoV-2 strains in primary human airway epithelial (HAE) cells. However, B.1.1.7 replication is disadvantaged in Vero cells potentially due to increased furin-mediated cleavage of its spike protein as a result of a P681H mutation directly adjacent to the S1/S2 cleavage site. In addition, we show that B.1.1.7 does not escape neutralisation by convalescent or post-vaccination sera. Thus, increased transmission of B.1.1.7 is not caused by increased replication, as measured on HAE cells, or escape from serological immunity.

Competing Interest Statement

The authors have declared no competing interest.

Footnotes

  • All authors have seen and approved the manuscript and declare no conflict of interest.

Copyright 
The copyright holder for this preprint is the author/funder, who has granted bioRxiv a license to display the preprint in perpetuity. All rights reserved. No reuse allowed without permission.
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Posted February 24, 2021.
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Increased transmission of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 (VOC 2020212/01) is not accounted for by a replicative advantage in primary airway cells or antibody escape
Jonathan C. Brown, Daniel H. Goldhill, Jie Zhou, Thomas P. Peacock, Rebecca Frise, Niluka Goonawardane, Laury Baillon, Ruthiran Kugathasan, Andreia L. Pinto, Paul F. McKay, Jack Hassard, Maya Moshe, Aran Singanayagam, Thomas Burgoyne, the ATACCC Investigators, PHE Virology Consortium, Wendy S. Barclay
bioRxiv 2021.02.24.432576; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.24.432576
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Increased transmission of SARS-CoV-2 lineage B.1.1.7 (VOC 2020212/01) is not accounted for by a replicative advantage in primary airway cells or antibody escape
Jonathan C. Brown, Daniel H. Goldhill, Jie Zhou, Thomas P. Peacock, Rebecca Frise, Niluka Goonawardane, Laury Baillon, Ruthiran Kugathasan, Andreia L. Pinto, Paul F. McKay, Jack Hassard, Maya Moshe, Aran Singanayagam, Thomas Burgoyne, the ATACCC Investigators, PHE Virology Consortium, Wendy S. Barclay
bioRxiv 2021.02.24.432576; doi: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.02.24.432576

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