A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
The Mutational Landscape of SARS-CoV-2
Authors: Saldivar-Espinoza Bryan, Garcia-Segura Pol, Novau-Ferré Nil, Macip Guillem, Martínez Ruben, Puigbò Pere, Cereto-Massagué Adrià, Pujadas Gerard, Garcia-Vallve Santiago
Publisher: MDPI
Publication year: 2023
Journal: International Journal of Molecular Sciences
Journal name in source: INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
Journal acronym: INT J MOL SCI
Article number: 9072
Volume: 24
Issue: 10
Number of pages: 13
ISSN: 1661-6596
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24109072
Web address : https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms24109072
Self-archived copy’s web address: https://research.utu.fi/converis/portal/detail/Publication/179870920
Mutation research is crucial for detecting and treating SARS-CoV-2 and developing vaccines. Using over 5,300,000 sequences from SARS-CoV-2 genomes and custom Python programs, we analyzed the mutational landscape of SARS-CoV-2. Although almost every nucleotide in the SARS-CoV-2 genome has mutated at some time, the substantial differences in the frequency and regularity of mutations warrant further examination. C>U mutations are the most common. They are found in the largest number of variants, pangolin lineages, and countries, which indicates that they are a driving force behind the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. Not all SARS-CoV-2 genes have mutated in the same way. Fewer non-synonymous single nucleotide variations are found in genes that encode proteins with a critical role in virus replication than in genes with ancillary roles. Some genes, such as spike (S) and nucleocapsid (N), show more non-synonymous mutations than others. Although the prevalence of mutations in the target regions of COVID-19 diagnostic RT-qPCR tests is generally low, in some cases, such as for some primers that bind to the N gene, it is significant. Therefore, ongoing monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 mutations is crucial. The SARS-CoV-2 Mutation Portal provides access to a database of SARS-CoV-2 mutations.
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