SARS-CoV-2 mutations: the biological trackway towards viral fitness

• Published in: Epidemiology and infection Vol. 149; p. e110
• Main Authors: Majumdar, Parinita, Niyogi, Sougata
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge, UK Cambridge University Press 30-04-2021
• Subjects: Animals; Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins - genetics; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - virology; DNA-directed RNA polymerase; Drug development; Fitness; Gene deletion; Genetic diversity; Genetic variance; Genome, Viral - genetics; Genome, Viral - physiology; Genotypes; Glycoproteins; Humans; Infectivity; Insertion; Membrane proteins; Middle East respiratory syndrome; Multigene Family; Mutation; Mutation rates; Nucleocapsids; Nucleotides; Phosphoproteins - genetics; Proteins; Public health; Recombination; Reproductive fitness; Respiratory diseases; Review; Ribonucleic acid; RNA; RNA-directed RNA polymerase; SARS-CoV-2 - genetics; SARS-CoV-2 - pathogenicity; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Spike glycoprotein; Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus - genetics; Spike protein; Structural proteins; Vaccines; Viral diseases; Viral Regulatory and Accessory Proteins - genetics; Virulence; Virulence - genetics; SARS-CoV-2; Mutation; Virulence; Transmission; Fitness
• ISSN: 0950-2688; 1469-4409; 1469-4409
• DOI: 10.1017/S0950268821001060

The outbreak of pneumonia-like respiratory disorder at China and its rapid transmission world-wide resulted in public health emergency, which brought lineage B betacoronaviridae SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) into spotlight. The fairly high mutation rate, frequent recombination and interspecies transmission in betacoronaviridae are largely responsible for their temporal changes in infectivity and virulence. Investigation of global SARS-CoV-2 genotypes revealed considerable mutations in structural, non-structural, accessory proteins as well as untranslated regions. Among the various types of mutations, single-nucleotide substitutions are the predominant ones. In addition, insertion, deletion and frame-shift mutations are also reported, albeit at a lower frequency. Among the structural proteins, spike glycoprotein and nucleocapsid phosphoprotein accumulated a larger number of mutations whereas envelope and membrane proteins are mostly conserved. Spike protein and RNA-dependent RNA polymerase variants, D614G and P323L in combination became dominant world-wide. Divergent genetic variants created serious challenge towards the development of therapeutics and vaccines. This review will consolidate mutations in different SARS-CoV-2 proteins and their implications on viral fitness.