Mutation rate of SARS-CoV-2 and emergence of mutators during experimental evolution.

ABSTRACT:

Background and objectives

To understand how organisms evolve, it is fundamental to study how mutations emerge and establish. Here, we estimated the rate of mutation accumulation of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro and investigated the repeatability of its evolution when facing a new cell type but no immune or drug pressures.

Methodology

We performed experimental evolution with two strains of SARS-CoV-2, one carrying the originally described spike protein (CoV-2-D) and another carrying the D614G mutation that has spread worldwide (CoV-2-G). After 15 passages in Vero cells and whole genome sequencing, we characterized the spectrum and rate of the emerging mutations and looked for evidences of selection across the genomes of both strains.

Results

From the frequencies of the mu

SUBMITTER: Amicone M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8996265 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature