Digging metagenomic data of pangolins revealed SARS-CoV-2 related viruses and other significant viruses.

Yang, Shixing; Shan, Tongling; Xiao, Yuqing; Zhang, Heteng; Wang, Xiaochun; Shen, Quan; Wang, Yan; Yao, Yuxin; Liu, Qi; Wang, Hao; Zhang, Wen

Pangolin metagenomic data obtained from public databases were used to assemble partial or complete viral genomes showing genetic relationship to SARS-CoV-2, Sendai virus, flavivirus, picornavirus, parvovirus and genomovirus, respectively. Most of these virus genomes showed genomic recombination signals. Phylogeny based on the SARS-CoV-2-related virus sequences assembled in this study and those recently published indicated that pangolin SARS-CoV-2-related viruses were clustered into two sub-lineages according to geographic sampling sites. These findings suggest the need for further pangolin samples, from different countries, to be collected and analyzed for coronavirus in order to elucidate whether pangolins are intermittent hosts for SARS-CoV-2. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.