To date, seven human Covs(HCovs) are known.
subgenomic RNAs could recombine to generate new Covs.
bats efficiently reduce the pathology triggered by Covs.
Structurally, Covs have non-segmented genomes that share a similar organization.
Highly homologous full-length and
subgenomic RNAs could recombine to generate new Covs.
The PMJVK will continue to be implemented in MCBs, MCTs and Covs.
It appeared that bats are well adapted to Covs anatomically and physiologically.
Covs have returned to the limelight due to the recent outbreak of SARS-CoV-2.
The diversity of bat Covs provides ample opportunities for the emergence of novel HCovs.
Before 2003, two human Covs(HCovs) were known to cause mild illness, such as common cold.
Coronaviruses(Covs) belong to the family Coronaviridae,
which comprises a group of enveloped, positive-sensed, single-stranded RNA viruses.
Covs are a subfamily of large
and enveloped viruses containing a single strand of sense RNA.
Nevertheless, mutation rates of Covs are about a million times higher than those of their hosts.
For many years, the four community-acquired Covs circulate in human populations,
triggering common cold in immunocompetent subjects.
Covs have been traditionally considered nonlethal pathogens to humans,
mainly causing approximately 15% of common colds 4.
For thousands of years, Covs have constantly crossed species barriers
and some have emerged as important human pathogens.
Covs have a proof-reading exoribonuclease,
deletion of which results in exceedingly high mutability and attenuation or even inviability.
Second, the large RNA genome in Covs exerts extra plasticity in genome modification for mutations and recombination,
They might also account for successful adaptation of these Covs in humans after interspecies transmission from their animal hosts.
Several SARS-like Covs(SL-Covs) have also been identified from bats,
but none except for one designated WIV1 can be isolated as live virus.
Based on the difference in protein sequences, Covs are classified into four genera(alpha-CoV,
beta-CoV, gamma-CoV and delta-CoV), among which the beta-CoV genera contains most HCovs and is subdivided into four lineages A, B, C and D.
Second, the large RNA genome in Covs exerts extra plasticity in genome modification for mutations and recombination,
thereby increasing the probability for interspecies co-evolution, which is advantageous for the emergence of novel Covs when the conditions become appropriate.
In comparison to other single-stranded RNA viruses, the estimated mutation rates of Covs could be regarded as“moderate” to“high” with
an average substitution rate being ~10-4 substitution per year per site 2, depending on the phase of CoV adaptation to novel hosts.