key: cord-1026600-q2wml3yt
authors: Garcia, Vincent; Vig, Véronique; Peillard, Laurent; Ramdani, Alaa; Mohamed, Sofiane; Halfon, Philippe
title: First description of two immune escape indian B.1.1.420 and B.1.617.1 SARS-CoV2 variants in France
date: 2021-05-12
journal: bioRxiv
DOI: 10.1101/2021.05.12.443357
sha: 1413321318405d32babd751d24a6a9681598ad51
doc_id: 1026600
cord_uid: q2wml3yt

Following the outbreak of the SARS-CoV2 virus worldwide in 2019, the rapid widespread overtime of variants suggests today an undergoing positive selection of variants which could potentially provide advantageous genetic property of the virus. Numerous variants have already been described across different countries including N501Y, E484K or L452R mutations on gene coding to spike protein. Most recently, 2 new Indian variants with N440K and E484Q and L452R mutations associated with impaired antibody response and immune reactions were identified in India. The potential consequences of emerging variants are increased transmissibility, increased pathogenicity and the ability to escape natural or vaccine-induced immunity. We described for the first time in France both variants: the N440K immune escape variant within a new strain detected in France in a couple of patients who did not have any history of travel abroad and the new E484Q and L452R Indian variant from a patient travelling from Indian to Marseille to embark on a ship as a crew member. Such study of the circulating viral strains and their variants within the increasing number of infected people worldwide will provide further insights into the viral dissemination. Hence, real time close monitoring variant could help the scientific community to prevent fast-spreading and raise alarms towards potentially harmful variants.

The first N440K escape variant was isolated from a 36-year-old French woman and her 87 husband, 37-year-old that were tested positive for the first time for SARS-CoV2 with a cycle 88 boarding and was able to transit unchecked to France where checks as many travelers as 138 possible but without being exhaustive. 139

The rapid increase of infected people will provide more genome samples and could soon 140 offer further insights into the mechanisms behind the viral dissemination of the SARS-CoV-2 141

worldwide. Hence, more coronavirus genomes need to be sequenced across the globe to 142 accurately identify the emergence of these mutants and other variants. Considering the 143 immune escape conferred by the N440K, E484Q and L452R mutation, these new variants 144 must be further surveyed to avoid fast-spreading and raises alerts if it was considered to be 145 

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Analysis of whole genome sequencing of the second one revealed 22 missense 106 mutations including a G23012C (S:E484Q) and T22917G (S:L452R), as illustrated in Figure 1A . 107 PANGO lineage assigned for this genome was B.1.617.1. The genomic sequence has been 108 deposited in GISAID (assignation: 1623852). Phylogenetic analysis showed that these strains 109 belongs to Clade 20B and 20A respectively and is distant from other variants on concern 110 known ( Figure 1B) . Accurate and timely detection of new variants that may show greater infectivity or worse 114 clinical symptoms, including immune escape, will be extremely important to prevent a 115 worsening of the pandemia. In this study, the discovery of this first N440K variation isolated 116in France within infected subjects presenting no history of recent travelling highlights the 117 importance of monitoring the impact of new viral variants. This N440K mutation, previously 118 described in India, has been reported to be resistant to class 3 monoclonal antibodies 119 (mAbs) C135 and REGN10987 that are candidates for clinical development (5) . Both C135