Emergence of a unique SARS-CoV-2 Delta sub-cluster harboring a constellation of co-appearing non-Spike mutations.
J Med Virol
; 95(1): e28413, 2023 01.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-2173199
ABSTRACT
Accumulation of diverse mutations across the structural and nonstructural genes is leading to rapid evolution of SARS-CoV-2, altering its pathogenicity. We performed whole genome sequencing of 239 SARS-CoV-2 RNA samples collected from both adult and pediatric patients across eastern India (West Bengal), during the second pandemic wave in India (April-May 2021). In addition to several common spike mutations within the Delta variant, a unique constellation of eight co-appearing non-Spike mutations was identified, which revealed a high degree of positive mutual correlation. Our results also demonstrated the dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 variants among unvaccinated pediatric patients. 41.4% of our studied Delta strains harbored this signature set of eight co-appearing non-Spike mutations and phylogenetically out-clustered other Delta sub-lineages like 21J, 21A, or 21I. This is the first report from eastern India that portrayed a landscape of co-appearing mutations in the non-Spike proteins, which might have led to the evolution of a distinct Delta subcluster. Accumulation of such mutations in SARS-CoV-2 may lead to the emergence of "vaccine-evading variants." Hence, monitoring of such non-Spike mutations will be significant in the formulation of any future vaccines against those SARS-CoV-2 variants that might evade the current vaccine-induced immunity, among both the pediatric and adult populations.
Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
COVID-19
Topics:
Vaccines
/
Variants
Limits:
Adult
/
Child
/
Humans
Language:
English
Journal:
J Med Virol
Year:
2023
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Jmv.28413
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