Role of Q675H Mutation in Improving SARS-CoV-2 Spike Interaction with the Furin Binding Pocket.

ABSTRACT: Genotype screening was implemented in Italy and showed a significant prevalence of new SARS-CoV-2 mutants carrying Q675H mutation, near the furin cleavage site of spike protein. Currently, this mutation, which is expressed on different SARS-CoV-2 lineages circulating worldwide, has not been thoughtfully investigated. Therefore, we performed phylogenetic and biocomputational analysis to better understand SARS-CoV-2 Q675H mutants' evolutionary relationships with other circulating lineages and Q675H function in its molecular context. Our studies reveal that Q675H spike mutation is the result of parallel evolution because it arose independently in separate evolutionary clades. In silico data show that the Q675H mutation gives rise to a hydrogen-bonds network in the spike polar region. This res

SUBMITTER: Bertelli A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8705554 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature