Beyond the Spike Glycoprotein: Mutational Signatures in SARS-CoV-2 Structural Proteins.

ABSTRACT: Background: The continuous emergence of SARS-CoV-2 variants represents a major public health concern. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) enables genomic surveillance, facilitating the detection and monitoring of mutations that impact viral evolution. Methods: In this study, full-length SARS-CoV-2 genomes were analyzed between February 2022 and March 2024 as part of routine genomic surveillance conducted in Verona, Italy. Mutations in the envelope (E), membrane (M), and nucleocapsid (N) structural proteins were investigated. Only substitutions with a total prevalence of greater than 1% in the study dataset were considered. Results: A total of 178 mutations were identified across the three proteins (E: 16; M: 33; N: 129), of which 18 met the inclusion threshold (E: 3; M: 5

SUBMITTER: Tonon E 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12733084 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature