Virological Traits of the SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.87.1 Lineage

Abstract

Transmissibility and immune evasion of the recently emerged, highly mutated SARS-CoV-2 BA.2.87.1 are unknown. Here, we report that BA.2.87.1 efficiently enters human cells but is more sensitive to antibody-mediated neutralization than the currently dominating JN.1 variant. Acquisition of adaptive mutations might thus be needed for efficient spread in the population.S.P. acknowledges funding by the EU project UNDINE (grant agreement number 101057100), the COVID-19-Research Network Lower Saxony (COFONI) through funding from the Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony in Germany (14-76103-184, projects 7FF22, 6FF22, 10FF22) and the German Research Foundation (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG; PO 716/11-1). L.Z. acknowledges funding by the China Scholarship Council (CSC) (202006270031). A.D.-J. acknowledges funding by the European Social Fund (ZAM5-87006761) and by the Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur; 14-76103-184, COFONI Network, project 4LZF23). H.-M.J. received funding from BMBF (01KI2043, NaFoUniMedCovid19-COVIM: 01KX2021), Bavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) through the research training groups RTG1660 and TRR130, the Bayerische Forschungsstiftung (Project CORAd) and the Kastner Foundation. G.M.N.B. acknowledges funding by German Center for Infection Research (grant no 80018019238), the European Regional Development Fund Getting AIR (ZW7-85151373), and the Ministry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxony (Niedersächsisches Ministerium für Wissenschaft und Kultur; 14-76103-184, COFONI Network, project 4LZF23). The funding sources had no role in the design and execution of the study, the writing of the manuscript and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. The authors did not receive payment by a pharmaceutical company or other agency to write the publication. The authors were not precluded from accessing data in the study, and they accept responsibility to submit for publication.EU project UNDINEMinistry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony in GermanyGerman Research FoundationChina Scholarship Council (CSC)European Social FundMinistry for Science and Culture of Lower SaxonyBMBFNaFoUniMedCovid19-COVIMBavarian State Ministry for Science and the Arts and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)Bayerische Forschungsstiftung (Project CORAd)Kastner FoundationGerman Center for Infection ResearchEuropean Regional Development Fund Getting AIRMinistry for Science and Culture of Lower Saxon