Potential linear B-cells epitope change to a helix structure in the spike of Omicron 21L or BA.2 predicts increased SARS-CoV-2 antibodies evasion

Prion propensity of Betacoronaviruses including SARS-CoV-2

Prions are considered as sub-viral protein particles that have exceptional ability for multiple structural or functional conformational changes, that any might affect the regulation of viral infections. The aim of this study is to utilize two computational platforms to predict the prion-forming potential of the spike protein (S) in Betacoronavirus, including SARS-CoV-2 clades. The abovementioned computational platforms included two algorithms; the Prion Aggregation Prediction Algorithm (PAPA) and the Supervised Machine Learning Algorithm Called Prion RANKing and Classification (pRANK) have been adopted due to their high classifier performance proteome-wide when compared with other algorithms, such as PLAAC-LLR and prionW. The findings of this study imply the propensity of some Betacorona viruses, including the Wild type of SARS-CoV-2 and some variants, specifically as Gamma and Delta, to develop prion-like sequence which can act as a regulator for viral pathogenicity or as a biochemical threat.

The Comparison of Mutational Progression in SARS-CoV-2: A Short Updated Overview

The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the world population adversely, posing a threat to human health. In the past few years, various strains of SARS-CoV-2, each with different mutations in its structure, have impacted human health in negative ways. The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mutations influence the virulence, antibody evasion, and Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) affinity of the virus. These mutations are essential to understanding how a new strain of SARS-CoV-2 has changed and its possible effects on the human body. This review provides an insight into the spike mutations of SARS-CoV-2 variants. As the current scientific data offer a scattered outlook on the various type of mutations, we aimed to categorize the mutations of Beta (B.1.351), Gamma (P.1), Delta (B.1.612.2), and Omicron (B.1.1.529) systematically according to their location in the subunit 1 (S1) and subunit 2 (S2) domains and summarized their consequences as a result. We also compared the miscellany of mutations that have emerged in all four variants to date. The comparison shows that mutations such as D614G and N501Y have emerged in all four variants of concern and that all four variants have multiple mutations within the N-terminal domain (NTD), as in the case of the Delta variant. Other mutations are scattered in the receptor binding domain (RBD) and subdomain 2 (SD2) of the S1 domain. Mutations in RBD or NTD are often associated with antibody evasion. Few mutations lie in the S2 domain in the Beta, Gamma, and Delta variants. However, in the Omicron variant many mutations occupy the S2 domain, hinting towards a much more evasive virus.