V367F mutation in SARS-CoV-2 spike RBD emerging during the early transmission phase enhances viral infectivity through increased human ACE2 receptor binding affinity

Abstract The current global pandemic of COVID-19 is caused by a novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2. The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) is the critical determinant of viral tropism and infectivity. To investigate whether naturally occurring mutations in the RBD during the early transmission phase have altered the receptor binding affinity and infectivity, firstly we analyzed in silico the binding dynamics between mutated SARS-CoV-2 RBDs and the human ACE2 receptor. Among 32,123 genomes of SARS-CoV-2 isolates (January through March, 2020), 302 non-synonymous RBD mutants were identified and clustered into 96 mutant types. The six dominant mutations were analyzed applying molecular dynamics simulations. The mutant type V367F continuously circulating worldwide displayed higher binding affinity to human ACE2 due to the enhanced structural stabilization of the RBD beta-sheet scaffold. The increased infectivity of V367 mutants was further validated by performing receptor-ligand binding ELISA, surface plasmon resonance, and pseudotyped virus assays. Genome phylogenetic analysis of V367F mutants showed that during the early transmission phase, most V367F mutants clustered more closely with the SARS-CoV-2 prototype strain than the dual-mutation variants (V367F + D614G) which emerged later and formed a distinct sub-cluster. The analysis of critical RBD mutations provides further insights into the evolutionary trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 under negative selection pressure and supports the continuing surveillance of spike mutations to aid in the development of new COVID-19 drugs and vaccines. Importance A novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 has caused the pandemic of COVID-19. The origin of SARS-CoV-2 was associated with zoonotic infections. The spike protein receptor-binding domain (RBD) is identified as the critical determinant of viral tropism and infectivity. Thus, whether the mutations in the RBD of the circulating SARS-CoV-2 isolates have altered the receptor binding affinity and caused them more infectious, should be paid more attentions to. Given that SARS-CoV-2 is a novel coronavirus, the significance of our research is in identifying and validating the RBD mutant types emerging during the early transmission phase that have increased human ACE2 receptor binding affinity and infectivity. The RBD mutation analysis provides insights into SARS-CoV-2 evolution. The continuous surveillance of RBD mutations with increased human ACE2 affinity in human or other animals is important and necessary, particularly when the direct correlation between the virus variations and vaccine effectiveness is underdetermined during the sustained COVID-19 pandemic.