{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,17]],"date-time":"2026-09-17T00:13:42Z","timestamp":1789604022408,"version":"build-2803163510"},"reference-count":31,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"23","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,3]],"date-time":"2022-12-03T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1670025600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"FONDAZIONE DI SARDEGNA","award":["CRP\/20\/03"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CRP\/20\/03"]}]},{"name":"FONDAZIONE DI SARDEGNA","award":["RP12117A7670A1E8"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RP12117A7670A1E8"]}]},{"name":"PON \u201cRicerca e Innovazione\u201d","award":["CRP\/20\/03"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CRP\/20\/03"]}]},{"name":"PON \u201cRicerca e Innovazione\u201d","award":["RP12117A7670A1E8"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RP12117A7670A1E8"]}]},{"name":"CRP\u2014ICGEB RESEARCH GRANT","award":["CRP\/20\/03"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CRP\/20\/03"]}]},{"name":"CRP\u2014ICGEB RESEARCH GRANT","award":["RP12117A7670A1E8"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RP12117A7670A1E8"]}]},{"name":"Sapienza","award":["CRP\/20\/03"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["CRP\/20\/03"]}]},{"name":"Sapienza","award":["RP12117A7670A1E8"],"award-info":[{"award-number":["RP12117A7670A1E8"]}]}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJMS"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The BQ.1 SARS-CoV-2 variant, also known as Cerberus, is one of the most recent Omicron descendant lineages. Compared to its direct progenitor BA.5, BQ.1 has some additional spike mutations in some key antigenic sites, which confer further immune escape ability over other circulating lineages. In such a context, here, we perform a genome-based survey aimed at obtaining a complete-as-possible nuance of this rapidly evolving Omicron subvariant. Genetic data suggest that BQ.1 represents an evolutionary blind background, lacking the rapid diversification that is typical of a dangerous lineage. Indeed, the evolutionary rate of BQ.1 is very similar to that of BA.5 (7.6 \u00d7 10\u22124 and 7 \u00d7 10\u22124 subs\/site\/year, respectively), which has been circulating for several months. The Bayesian Skyline Plot reconstruction indicates a low level of genetic variability, suggesting that the peak was reached around 3 September 2022. Concerning the affinity for ACE2, structure analyses (also performed by comparing the properties of BQ.1 and BA.5 RBD) indicate that the impact of the BQ.1 mutations may be modest. Likewise, immunoinformatic analyses showed moderate differences between the BQ.1 and BA5 potential B-cell epitopes. In conclusion, genetic and structural analyses on SARS-CoV-2 BQ.1 suggest no evidence of a particularly dangerous or high expansion capability. Genome-based monitoring must continue uninterrupted for a better understanding of its descendants and all other lineages.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijms232315264","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,5]],"date-time":"2022-12-05T02:13:12Z","timestamp":1670206392000},"page":"15264","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":20,"title":["Genetic and Structural Data on the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BQ.1 Variant Reveal Its Low Potential for Epidemiological Expansion"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3501-714X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Fabio","family":"Scarpa","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3058-4663","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Daria","family":"Sanna","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3833-2927","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Domenico","family":"Benvenuto","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Medical Statistics and Molecular Epidemiology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5401-135X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Alessandra","family":"Borsetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"National HIV\/AIDS Research Center, Istituto Superiore di Sanit\u00e0, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Ilenia","family":"Azzena","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"},{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5042-4851","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marco","family":"Casu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6190-612X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Pier Luigi","family":"Fiori","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5849-7326","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Marta","family":"Giovanetti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Flavivirus Laboratory, Oswaldo Cruz Institute, FIOCRUZ, Rio de Janeiro 21040-900, Brazil"},{"name":"Department of Science and Technology for Humans and the Environment, University of Campus Bio-Medico di Roma, 00128 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8377-9950","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Antonello","family":"Maruotti","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department GEPLI, Libera Universit\u00e0 Ss Maria Assunta, 00193 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5921-3180","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Giancarlo","family":"Ceccarelli","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, University Hospital Policlinico Umberto I, Sapienza University of Rome, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Arnaldo","family":"Caruso","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Section of Microbiology, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Francesca","family":"Caccuri","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Molecular and Translational Medicine, Section of Microbiology, University of Brescia, 25123 Brescia, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Roberto","family":"Cauda","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"UOC Malattie Infettive, Infectious Disease Department, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, 00168 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Antonio","family":"Cassone","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Genomic, Genetic and Biology, 53100 Siena, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6822-4022","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Stefano","family":"Pascarella","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biochemical Sciences \u201cA Rossi Fanelli\u201d, Sapienza Universit\u00e0 di Roma, 00161 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-3866-9239","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Massimo","family":"Ciccozzi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Unit of Medical Statistics and Molecular Epidemiology, University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome, 00128 Rome, Italy"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2022,12,3]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"270","DOI":"10.1038\/s41586-020-2012-7","article-title":"A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin","volume":"579","author":"Zhou","year":"2020","journal-title":"Nature"},{"key":"ref_2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"6479","DOI":"10.1002\/jmv.27196","article-title":"The variants question: What is the problem?","volume":"93","author":"Zella","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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