Identification of potential SARS-CoV-2 genomic regions representing hallmarks for adaptation to different hosts.

The k-mer-based pipeline, namely the Pathogen Origin Recognition Tool using Enriched K-mers (PORT-EK) identifies genomic regions enriched in the respective hosts after the comparison of multi-genomes of isolates between different host species. The enriched k-mer counts, which may serve as a potential marker, enable the classification and prediction of the likelihood of the host species. Altogether, PORT-EK showcased its feasibility for identifying viral genomic regions over-represented in respective hosts, illuminating the different intrinsic tropisms of coronavirus host adaptation.