Coronavirus undergoes genetic mutations very frequently and thanks to these it is able to spread easily. This is indicated by the analysis of 442 genetic sequences of the virus contained in the international bank Gisaid and published on the ArXiv website by the mathematician Changchuan Yin, of the University of Illinois in Chicago.
They are, writes the researcher, of "few very frequent mutations in the SarsCoV2 genome", which "could be associated with changes in transmissibility and virulence" and that "could be correlated with the severity of the infection in Europe".
The main mutations concern four fundamental proteins of the coronavirus, among which the protein S, the biochemical claw that allows SarsCoV2 to attack the cells of the human respiratory system. The other proteins involved are polymerase, primase and nucleoprotein, all three fundamental for virus replication. Knowing these mutations is very important as they are four possible targets and drugs and the Covid-19 vaccines.
Coronavirus, frequent mutations facilitate its spread
2020-03-26T10:15:34.970Z
4 proteins change with which to attack cells and multiply (ANSA)
