Prama Ghosh, Amity University Kolkata
The SARS-CoV-2 virus has infected millions around the globe since its transmission in the human host. Extensive diversification of the virus including significant molecular differences has resulted in failure to diagnose the virus. The virus undergoes continuous evolution and adaptation inside the body of the host, which helps it to survive in the host’s body.
Recently, RNA editing by APOBEC and ADAR family of enzymes has been implicated as the most significant driver of intra-host variability of the SARS-CoV-2 genomes. Insights on the consequence of RNA editing on the establishment, spread and functional outcomes of the virus can be provided by analysis of the intrahost single-nucleotide variations (iSNVs) in SARS-CoV-2 genomes at spatio-temporal scales.
On conducting a study using 1,347 transcriptomes of COVID-19 infected patients across various populations, variable prevalence of iSNVs was observed with distinctly higher levels in Indian population. The results also suggest that iSNVs can establish variants in a population. Key structural and functional changes in the Spike protein that confer antibody resistance is also contributed by these iSNVs.
Thus, iSNVs in the SARS-CoV-2 genomes could be used as surrogates for ongoing host-mediated RNA editing activity, highlighting the need to capture iSNVs for empowering more precise models for molecular epidemiology as well as for diagnostics and vaccine design.
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Reference: Intra-host variability in global SARS-CoV-2 genomes as signatures of RNA editing: implications in viral and host response outcomes
Ankit K. Pathak, Saman Fatihi, Tahseen Abbas, Bharathram Uppili, Gyan Prakash Mishra, Arup Ghosh, Sofia Banu, Rahul C. Bhoyar, Abhinav Jain, Mohit Kumar Divakar, Mohamed Imran, Mohammed Faruq, Divya Tej Sowpati, Sunil K. Raghav, Lipi Thukral, Mitali Mukerji
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