Pathogenicity, tissue tropism and potential vertical transmission of SARSr-CoV-2 in Malayan pangolins

Li, Xiaobing; Xiao, Kangpeng; Chen, Xiaoyuan; Liang, Xianghui; Zhang, Xu; Zhang, Zhipeng; Zhai, Junqiong; Wang, Ruichen; Zhou, Niu; Chen, Zu-Jin; Su, Renwei; Zhou, Fuqing; Holmes, Edward C.; Irwin, David M.; Chen, Rui-Ai; He, Qian; Wu, Ya-Jiang; Wang, Chen; Du, Xue-Qing; Peng, Shi-Ming; Xie, Wei-Jun; Shan, Fen; Li, Wan-Ping; Dai, Jun-Wei; Shen, Xuejuan; Feng, Yaoyu; Xiao, Lihua; Chen, Wu; Shen, Yongyi

SARS-CoV-2 is having severe impact on public health at a global scale. Malayan pangolin SARS-CoV-2-related coronavirus (SARSr-CoV-2) is closely related to SARS-CoV-2. We show that CT scans of virus-positive pangolins reveal bilateral ground-glass opacities in lungs in similar manner to COVID-19 patients. The virus infected multiple organs in pangolins, with the lungs being the major target. Histological expression showed that ACE2 and TMPRSS2 are co-expressed with viral RNA. Transcriptome analysis revealed an inadequate interferon response, with different dysregulated chemokines and cytokines responses in pregnant and non-pregnant adults and fetuses. Viral RNA and protein were detected in three fetuses providing evidence for vertical virus transmission. In sum, our study identifies the biological framework of SARSr-CoV-2 in pangolins, revealing striking similarities to COVID-19 in humans.