Generation of restriction endonucleases barcode map to trace SARS-CoV-2 origin and evolution

Since the first report of SARS-CoV-2 in China in 2019, there has been a huge debate about the origin. In this work, using a different method we aimed to strengthen the observation that no evidence of genetic manipulation has been found by (1) detecting classical restriction site (RS) sequence in human SARS-CoV-2 genomes and (2) comparing them with other recombinant SARS-CoV-like virus created for experimental purposes. Finally, we propose a novel approach consisting in the generation of a restriction endonucleases site map of SARS-CoV-2 and other related coronavirus genomes to be used as a fingerprint to trace the virus evolution.

Automated summary

This study aims to strengthen the observation that there is no evidence of genetic manipulation in SARS-CoV-2 by detecting classical restriction site sequences in human genomes and comparing them with experimental recombinant SARS-CoV-like viruses. A novel approach is proposed to generate a restriction endonucleases site map of SARS-CoV-2 and related coronaviruses for tracking virus evolution.