KP.3.3.2 (S:A435S) sublineage with S:S31del (52 seqs, Canada- 5 regions, Minnesota) and then S:S446N (13 seqs, 3 regions in Canada)

[Sinickle]

Main Branch (S:S31del)
GISAID query: C10741T,C14757T,G22865T
No. of seqs: 52 (51 from multiple Canadian regions, 1 from USA)
First: EPI_ISL_19350608, Manitoba Canada, July 20
Latest: EPI_ISL_19515388, Ontario Canada, October 19

Mutations relative to KP.3.3.2:
C10741T -> C10605T, C14757T, 21653-21655del

Sub-branch (S:S446N)
GISAID Query: G16221T, G22899A
No. of seqs: 13 from 3 Canadian regions. (Saskatchewan - 6. Alberta - 4. Ontario - 3)
First: EPI_ISL_19446125, Saskatchewan Canada, September 8
Latest: EPI_ISL_19515388, Ontario Canada, October 19

Mutations relative to Main Branch:
G16221T, G22899A
This only results in S:S31del, S:S446N across the two branches

Discussion: After acquiring S:31del, this branch of KP.3.3.2 matches MC.10.1's spike which currently appears to be one most quickly growing variants today. The sub-branch with S:S446N currently makes up 13/25 of JN.1* sequences with S:S446N that have been submitted globally since July 1. Possibly the mutation is surviving on this lineage because the variant was very fit and therefore able to sustain detrimental mutations, or perhaps S:A435S has changed the favorability of S:S446N.

[FedeGueli]

Transferred from sars-cov-2-variants/lineage-proposals#2172

[FedeGueli]

57/13 now