A trans-complementation system for SARS-CoV-2 recapitulates authentic viral replication without virulence

  • Xianwen Zhang
  • , Yang Liu
  • , Jianying Liu
  • , Adam L. Bailey
  • , Kenneth S. Plante
  • , Jessica A. Plante
  • , Jing Zou
  • , Hongjie Xia
  • , Nathen E. Bopp
  • , Patricia V. Aguilar
  • , Ping Ren
  • , Vineet D. Menachery
  • , Michael S. Diamond
  • , Scott C. Weaver
  • , Xuping Xie
  • , Pei Yong Shi

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

The biosafety level 3 (BSL-3) requirement to culture severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a bottleneck for research. Here, we report a trans-complementation system that produces single-round infectious SARS-CoV-2 that recapitulates authentic viral replication. We demonstrate that the single-round infectious SARS-CoV-2 can be used at BSL-2 laboratories for high-throughput neutralization and antiviral testing. The trans-complementation system consists of two components: a genomic viral RNA containing ORF3 and envelope gene deletions, as well as mutated transcriptional regulator sequences, and a producer cell line expressing the two deleted genes. Trans-complementation of the two components generates virions that can infect naive cells for only one round but does not produce wild-type SARS-CoV-2. Hamsters and K18-hACE2 transgenic mice inoculated with the complementation-derived virions exhibited no detectable disease, even after intracranial inoculation with the highest possible dose. Thus, the trans-complementation platform can be safely used at BSL-2 laboratories for research and countermeasure development.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2229-2238.e13
JournalCell
Volume184
Issue number8
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 15 2021

Keywords

  • COVID-19
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • antiviral
  • coronavirus
  • diagnosis
  • vaccine

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