Seasonal coronaviruses (OC43, 229E, NL63 and HKU1) are endemic to the human population, regularly infecting and reinfecting humans while typically causing asymptomatic to mild respiratory infections. It is not known to what extent reinfection by these viruses is due to waning immune memory or antigenic drift of the viruses. Here, we address the influence of antigenic drift on immune evasion of seasonal coronaviruses. We provide evidence that at least two of these viruses, OC43 and 229E, are undergoing adaptive evolution in regions of the viral spike protein that are exposed to human humoral immunity. This suggests that reinfection may be due, in part, to positively-selected genetic changes in these viruses that enable them to escape recognition by the immune system. It is possible that, as with seasonal influenza, these adaptive changes in antigenic regions of the virus would necessitate continual reformulation of a vaccine made against them.

中文翻译：

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季节性冠状病毒 OC43 和 229E 受体结合域适应性进化的证据

季节性冠状病毒（OC43、229E、NL63 和 HKU1）是人类特有的，经常感染和再感染人类，同时通常会导致无症状至轻度呼吸道感染。目前尚不清楚这些病毒的再感染在多大程度上是由于免疫记忆减弱或病毒的抗原漂移所致。在这里，我们解决了抗原漂移对季节性冠状病毒免疫逃避的影响。我们提供的证据表明，这些病毒中至少有两种，OC43 和 229E，在暴露于人体体液免疫的病毒刺突蛋白区域正在经历适应性进化。这表明再感染可能部分归因于这些病毒中的积极选择的基因变化，这些变化使它们能够逃脱免疫系统的识别。有可能与季节性流感一样，