Within-host evolutionary dynamics and tissue compartmentalization during acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Mireille FarjoKatia KoelleMichael A MartinLaura L GibsonKimberly K O WaldenGloria RendonChristopher J FieldsFadi G AlnajiNicholas GallagherChun Huai LuoHeba H MostafaYukari C ManabeAndrew S PekoszRebecca L SmithDavid D McManusChristopher B BrookePublished in: Journal of virology (2024)
We detail the within-host evolutionary dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 during acute infection in 31 individuals using daily longitudinal sampling. We characterized patterns of mutational accumulation for unvaccinated and vaccinated individuals, and observed that temporal variant dynamics in both groups were largely stochastic. Comparison of paired nasal and saliva samples also revealed significant genetic compartmentalization between tissue environments in multiple individuals. Our results demonstrate how selection, genetic drift, and spatial compartmentalization all play important roles in shaping the within-host evolution of SARS-CoV-2 populations during acute infection.