Emergence and spread of the potential variant of interest (VOI) B.1.1.519 of SARS-CoV-2 predominantly present in Mexico.
Abril Paulina Rodríguez-MaldonadoJoel Armando Vazquez-PerezAlberto Cedro-TandaBlanca TaboadaCelia BoukadidaClaudia Wong-ArámbulaTatiana Ernestina Nuñez-GarcíaNatividad Cruz-OrtizGisela Barrera-BadilloLucía Hernández-RivasIrma López-MartínezAlfredo Mendoza-VargasJuan Pablo Reyes-GrajedaNicolas AlcarazFernando Peñaloza-FigueroaDulibeth Gonzalez-BarreraDaniel Rangel-DeLeonLuis Alonso Herrera-MontalvoFidencio Mejía-NepomucenoAlejandra Hernández-TeránMario Mújica-SánchezEduardo Becerril-VargasJosé Arturo Martínez-OrozcoRogelio Pérez-PadillaJorge Salas-HernándezAlejandro Sánchez-FloresPavel IšaMargarita Matías-FlorentinoSantiago Ávila-RíosJosé Esteban Muñoz-MedinaConcepción Grajales-MuñizAngel Gustavo Salas-LaisAndrea Santos Coy-ArechavaletaAlfredo Hidalgo-MirandaCarlos F AriasJosé Ernesto Ramírez-GonzálezPublished in: Archives of virology (2021)
SARS-CoV-2 variants emerged in late 2020, and at least three variants of concern (B.1.1.7, B.1.351, and P1) have been reported by WHO. These variants have several substitutions in the spike protein that affect receptor binding; they exhibit increased transmissibility and may be associated with reduced vaccine effectiveness. In the present work, we report the identification of a potential variant of interest, harboring the mutations T478K, P681H, and T732A in the spike protein, within the newly named lineage B.1.1.519, that rapidly outcompeted the preexisting variants in Mexico and has been the dominant virus in the country during the first trimester of 2021.