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Cited by 2Animal Virus Infections StudiesZoonotic diseases and public healthSARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research

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Ambecovirus , a novel Betacoronavirus subgenus circulating in neotropical bats, sheds new light on bat-borne coronaviruses evolution

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Wallau, Gabriel da Luz, Barbier, Eder, Machado, Lais Ceschini, da Silva, Alexandre Freitas, Dias, Yago Jose Mariz, Dezordi, Filipe Zimmer, Tomazatos, Alexandru, Horváth, Balázs, Lins, Roberto D, Bernard, Enrico, Cadar, Dániel·2025·Virus Evolution
DOI 10.1093/ve/veaf094PMC PMC12765449

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Abstract

Understanding the viral diversity harboured by wildlife is essential for effective mapping and prevention of future zoonotic outbreaks. Bats, in particular, are recognized as natural reservoirs for several high-impact zoonotic viral pathogens, including coronaviruses responsible for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), the rabies virus, diverse paramyxoviruses, Marburg, Ebola, Nipah, and Hendra viruses. However, a large extent of bat viruses remains unexplored, especially in highly biodiverse regions of the Neotropics such as Brazilian ecosystems. We used a meta-transcriptomic approach to characterize new virus genomes found in blood, oral, and anal samples collected from cave- and noncave bats from Northeast Brazil, Caatinga, and Atlantic Forest biomes. From a total of 19 coronavirus-positive bats, we have assembled two complete genomes of a new Betacoronavirus subgenus, named Ambecovirus (American betacoronavirus). The subgenus herein described is phylogenetically placed between the Sarbeco-/Hibeco-/Nobecovirus and the Merbeco-/Embecovirus clades, being basal to the former. While the conserved S2 region of the spike protein retained hallmark domains, including HR1 and HR2, the S1/S2 cleavage site and the furin cleavage site, the S1 region consistently displayed only the N-terminal domain. The receptor-binding domain from the C-terminal domai (CTD) region could not be identified due to high dissimilarity relative to known congeners. The detection of Ambercovirus in sympatric Pteronotus gymnonotus and Carollia perspicillata bats suggests potential interspecies transmission. Longitudinal sampling confirmed persistent Ambecovirus infection in P. gymnonotus over multiple years and virus dispersion at a minimum distance of 270 km between caves. The present study confirms that viral diversity in neotropical hosts remains largely unknown, not just in Brazil but likely in the other countries of the region, supporting the need for a systematic approach to virome exploration and analysis followed by in vitro experimentation to assess zoonotic potential.

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Metadata

Authors
Wallau, G. D. L., Barbier, E., Machado, L. C., da Silva, A. F., Dias, Y. J. M., Dezordi, F. Z., Tomazatos, A., Horváth, B., Lins, R. D., Bernard, E., & Cadar, D.
Affiliations
  • Departamento de Entomologia, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz , Avenida Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Bairro Cidade Universitária, 50740-465, Recife, Pernambuco ,
  • Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (BR)
  • Instituto Aggeu Magalhães (BR)
  • Núcleo de Bioinformática, Instituto Aggeu Magalhães, Fundação Oswaldo Cruz , Avenida Professor Moraes Rego s/n, Bairro Cidade Universitária, 50740-465, Recife, Pernambuco ,
  • Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine (DE)
  • Universidade Federal de Lavras (BR)
Corresponding author
Cadar, Dániel
ORCID
Venue
Virus Evolution
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2025
Volume
11
Issue
1
Pages
veaf094-veaf094
ISSN
2057-1577 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1093/ve/veaf094
PMC
PMC12765449
OpenAlex
W4417086166
Cited by
2
References
2
Citations by year
2026: 2
FWCI
1.23
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Virus Evolution (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • bioRxiv (Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory) (acceptedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • Arca - Repositório Institucional da Fiocruz (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
  • São Paulo Research Foundation (#2023/09610-8)
  • Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (307209/2023-7)
  • CAPES-Humboldt Research Fellowship
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Virus Infections Studies
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Zoonotic diseases and public health
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
Keywords
Neotropical bats, Pteronotus gymnonotus, Carollia perspicillata, viral evolution, spike protein, interspecies transmission, viral persistence, zoonotic potential, cave-dwelling bats, viral metatranscriptomics, Atlantic Forest, Caatinga

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