Conserved Sequence Features in the Spike Protein Provide Evidence Suggesting the Origin of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19)-Related Viruses by Recombination between SARS virus and Another Sarbecovirus

Both SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) and SARS coronaviruses (CoVs) are members of the subgenus Sarbecovirus. To understand the origin of SARS-CoV-2, protein sequences from sarbecoviruses were analyzed to identify highly-specific molecular markers consisting of conserved inserts or deletions (termed CSIs) in the spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins that are specific for either particular clusters/lineages of these viruses or are commonly shared by …