Abstract

During the Omicron wave, previous variants such as BA.2, BA.4, and BA.5 were replaced by newer variants with additional mutations in the spike protein. These variants, BA.4.6, BQ.1.1, and XBB, have spread in different countries with different degrees of success. Here, we evaluated the replicative ability and pathogenicity of BA.4.6, BQ1.1, and XBB clinical isolates in male Syrian hamsters. Although we found no substantial differences in weight change among hamsters infected with these Omicron subvariants, the replicative ability of BQ.1.1 and XBB in lung tissue was higher than that of BA.4.6 and BA.5. Of note, BQ.1.1 was lethal in both male and female transgenic human ACE2 hamsters. In competition assays, XBB replicated better than BQ.1.1 in the nasal turbinate tissues of female hamsters previously infected with Omicron BA.2. These results suggest that newer Omicron subvariants in the XBB family are still evolving and should be closely monitored.

Omicron variants BQ.1.1 and XBB increased pathogenicity in wild-type hamsters, with BQ.1.1 showing higher mortality in human ACE2 transgenic hamsters compared to earlier Omicron variants..

Details

Title
Characterization of Omicron BA.4.6, XBB, and BQ.1.1 subvariants in hamsters
Author
Halfmann, Peter J. 1 ; Iwatsuki-Horimoto, Kiyoko 2   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kuroda, Makoto 1 ; Hirata, Yuichiro 3 ; Yamayoshi, Seiya 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Iida, Shun 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Uraki, Ryuta 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Ito, Mutsumi 2 ; Ueki, Hiroshi 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Furusawa, Yuri 4 ; Sakai-Tagawa, Yuko 2 ; Kiso, Maki 2 ; Armbrust, Tammy 1 ; Spyra, Sam 1 ; Maeda, Ken 5   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Wang, Zhongde 6   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Imai, Masaki 4   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Suzuki, Tadaki 3   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Kawaoka, Yoshihiro 7   VIAFID ORCID Logo 

1  University of Wisconsin-Madison, Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, USA (GRID:grid.14003.36) (ISNI:0000 0001 2167 3675) 
2  University of Tokyo, Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.26999.3d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 536X) 
3  National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Department of Pathology, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.410795.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2220 1880) 
4  University of Tokyo, Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.26999.3d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 536X); National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.45203.30) (ISNI:0000 0004 0489 0290) 
5  National Institute of Infectious Diseases, Department of Veterinary Science, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.410795.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2220 1880) 
6  Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences, College of Agriculture and Applied Sciences, Utah State University, Department of Animal, Logan, USA (GRID:grid.53857.3c) (ISNI:0000 0001 2185 8768) 
7  University of Wisconsin-Madison, Influenza Research Institute, Department of Pathobiological Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, Madison, USA (GRID:grid.14003.36) (ISNI:0000 0001 2167 3675); University of Tokyo, Division of Virology, Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.26999.3d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 536X); National Center for Global Health and Medicine Research Institute, The Research Center for Global Viral Diseases, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.45203.30) (ISNI:0000 0004 0489 0290); Infection and Advanced Research Center (UTOPIA), The University of Tokyo, Pandemic Preparedness, Tokyo, Japan (GRID:grid.26999.3d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2151 536X) 
Pages
331
Publication year
2024
Publication date
2024
Publisher
Nature Publishing Group
e-ISSN
23993642
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06015-w
ProQuest document ID
2957630530
Copyright
© The Author(s) 2024. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.