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NIH Study Shows How MERS Coronavirus Evolves to Infect Different Species [2018]
- georgecmu 7y agoLink to the full article: https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(18)31148-3 https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(18)311... Key takeaway from the abstract: To evaluate how MERS-CoV evolves to infect host cells, the scientists tested 16 bat species and found that the virus could not efficiently enter cells with receptors from the common vampire bat, Desmodus rotundus. They then grew virus on cells that had vampire bat receptors and observed the virus evolving to better infect the cells. After a few generations, the virus had completely adapted to the vampire bat receptor.