A Potential SARS-CoV-2 Variant of Interest (VOI)  Harboring Mutation  E484K in the Spike Protein Was Identified within Lineage B 1 1 33  Circulating  in  Brazil

Resende, Paola Cristina; Graf, Tiago; Paixão, Anna Carolina Dias; Appolinario, Luciana; Lopes, Renata Serrano; Mendonça, Anna Carolina da Fonseca; Rocha, Alice Sampaio Barreto da; Motta, Fernando Couto; Neto, Lidio Gonçalves Lima; Khouri, Ricardo; Oliveira, Camila l de; Muccillo, Pedro santos; Bezerra, João Felipe; Teixeira, Dalane Loudal Florentino; Riediger, Irina; Debur, Maria do Carmo; Rodrigues, Rodrigo Ribeiro; Leite, Anderson Brandão; Santos, Cliomar Alves dos; Gregianini, Tatiana Schaffer; Fernades, Sandra Bianchini; Bernardes, Andre Felipe Leal; Cavalcanti, Andrea Cony; Miyajima, Fabio; Sachhi, Claudio; Mattos, Tirza; Costa, Cristiano Fernandes da; Delatorre, Edson; Wallau, Gabriel L; Naveca, Felipe G; Bello, Gonzalo; Siqueira, Marilda Mendonça

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic in Brazil was dominated by two lineages designated as B.1.1.28 and B.1.1.33. The two SARS-CoV-2 variants harboring mutations at the receptor-binding domain of the Spike (S) protein, designated as lineages P.1 and P.2, evolved from lineage B.1.1.28 and are rapidly spreading in Brazil. Lineage P.1 is considered a Variant of Concern (VOC) because of the presence of multiple mutations in the S protein (including K417T, E484K, N501Y), while lineage P.

2 only harbors mutation S:

E484K and is considered a Variant of Interest (VOI). On the other hand, epidemiologically relevant B.1.1.33 deriving lineages have not been described so far. Here we report the identification of a new SARS-CoV-2 VOI within lineage B.1.1.

33 that also harbors mutation S:

E484K and was detected in Brazil between November 2020 and February 2021. This VOI displayed four non-synonymous lineage-defining mutations (NSP3:A1711V, NSP6:F36L, S:E484K, and NS7b:E33A) and was designated as lineage N.9. The VOI N.9 probably emerged in August 2020 and has spread across different Brazilian states from the Southeast, South, North, and Northeast regions.