{"title":"Virus-mediated cell fusion of SARS-CoV-2 variants","authors":"Ava Amidei , Hana M. Dobrovolny","doi":"10.1016/j.mbs.2024.109144","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p><span>SARS-CoV-2 has the ability to form large multi-nucleated cells known as syncytia. Little is known about how syncytia affect the dynamics of the infection or severity of the disease. In this manuscript, we extend a mathematical model of cell–cell fusion assays to estimate both the syncytia formation rate and the average duration of the fusion phase for five strains of SARS-CoV-2. We find that the original Wuhan strain has the slowest rate of syncytia formation (</span><span><math><mrow><mn>6</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>4</mn><mo>×</mo><mn>1</mn><msup><mrow><mn>0</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>4</mn></mrow></msup><mi>/</mi><mi>h</mi></mrow></math></span>), but takes only 4.0 h to complete the fusion process, while the Alpha strain has the fastest rate of syncytia formation (0.36 /h), but takes 7.6 h to complete the fusion process. The Beta strain also has a fairly fast syncytia formation rate (<span><math><mrow><mn>9</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>7</mn><mo>×</mo><mn>1</mn><msup><mrow><mn>0</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup><mi>/</mi><mi>h</mi></mrow></math></span>), and takes the longest to complete fusion (8.4 h). The D614G strain has a fairly slow syncytia formation rate (<span><math><mrow><mn>2</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>8</mn><mo>×</mo><mn>1</mn><msup><mrow><mn>0</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>3</mn></mrow></msup><mi>/</mi><mi>h</mi></mrow></math></span>), but completes fusion in 4.0 h. Finally, the Delta strain is in the middle with a syncytia formation rate of <span><math><mrow><mn>3</mn><mo>.</mo><mn>2</mn><mo>×</mo><mn>1</mn><msup><mrow><mn>0</mn></mrow><mrow><mo>−</mo><mn>2</mn></mrow></msup><mi>/</mi><mi>h</mi></mrow></math></span> and a fusing time of 6.1 h. We note that for these SARS-CoV-2 strains, there appears to be a tradeoff between the ease of forming syncytia and the speed at which they complete the fusion process.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":51119,"journal":{"name":"Mathematical Biosciences","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.9000,"publicationDate":"2024-01-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Mathematical Biosciences","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002555642400004X","RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"数学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"BIOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has the ability to form large multi-nucleated cells known as syncytia. Little is known about how syncytia affect the dynamics of the infection or severity of the disease. In this manuscript, we extend a mathematical model of cell–cell fusion assays to estimate both the syncytia formation rate and the average duration of the fusion phase for five strains of SARS-CoV-2. We find that the original Wuhan strain has the slowest rate of syncytia formation (), but takes only 4.0 h to complete the fusion process, while the Alpha strain has the fastest rate of syncytia formation (0.36 /h), but takes 7.6 h to complete the fusion process. The Beta strain also has a fairly fast syncytia formation rate (), and takes the longest to complete fusion (8.4 h). The D614G strain has a fairly slow syncytia formation rate (), but completes fusion in 4.0 h. Finally, the Delta strain is in the middle with a syncytia formation rate of and a fusing time of 6.1 h. We note that for these SARS-CoV-2 strains, there appears to be a tradeoff between the ease of forming syncytia and the speed at which they complete the fusion process.
期刊介绍:
Mathematical Biosciences publishes work providing new concepts or new understanding of biological systems using mathematical models, or methodological articles likely to find application to multiple biological systems. Papers are expected to present a major research finding of broad significance for the biological sciences, or mathematical biology. Mathematical Biosciences welcomes original research articles, letters, reviews and perspectives.