Molecular Epidemiology Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2: Mutations and Genetic Diversity One Year after Emerging


Por: Flores-Alanis, Alejandro, Cruz-Rangel, Armando, Rodriguez-Gomez, Flor, Gonzalez, James, Alberto Torres-Guerrero, Carlos, DELGADO, GABRIELA, Cravioto, Alejandro, Morales-Espinosa, Rosario

Publicada: 1 feb 2021
Resumen:
In December 2019, the first cases of the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) were identified in the city of Wuhan, China. Since then, it has spread worldwide with new mutations being reported. The aim of the present study was to monitor the changes in genetic diversity and track non-synonymous substitutions (dN) that could be implicated in the fitness of SARS-CoV-2 and its spread in different regions between December 2019 and November 2020. We analyzed 2213 complete genomes from six geographical regions worldwide, which were downloaded from GenBank and GISAID databases. Although SARS-CoV-2 presented low genetic diversity, there has been an increase over time, with the presence of several hotspot mutations throughout its genome. We identified seven frequent mutations that resulted in dN substitutions. Two of them, C14408T>P323L and A23403G>D614G, located in the nsp12 and Spike protein, respectively, emerged early in the pandemic and showed a considerable increase in frequency over time. Two other mutations, A1163T>I120F in nsp2 and G22992A>S477N in the Spike protein, emerged recently and have spread in Oceania and Europe. There were associations of P323L, D614G, R203K and G204R substitutions with disease severity. Continuous molecular surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 will be necessary to detect and describe the transmission dynamics of new variants of the virus with clinical relevance. This information is important to improve programs to control the virus.

Filiaciones:
Flores-Alanis, Alejandro:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Med, Dept Microbiol & Parasitol, Mexico City 04360, DF, Mexico

Cruz-Rangel, Armando:
 Inst Nacl Med Genom, Lab Bioquim Enfermedades Cron, Mexico City 14610, DF, Mexico

Rodriguez-Gomez, Flor:
 Univ Guadalajara, Ctr Univ Ciencias Exactas & Ingn, Dept Ciencias Computac, Guadalajara 44430, Jalisco, Mexico

Gonzalez, James:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Ciencias, Dept Biol Celular, Mexico City 04510, DF, Mexico

Alberto Torres-Guerrero, Carlos:
 Colegio Postgrad, Posgrad Edafol, Mexico City 56230, DF, Mexico

DELGADO, GABRIELA:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Med, Dept Microbiol & Parasitol, Mexico City 04360, DF, Mexico

Cravioto, Alejandro:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Med, Dept Microbiol & Parasitol, Mexico City 04360, DF, Mexico

Morales-Espinosa, Rosario:
 Univ Nacl Autonoma Mexico, Fac Med, Dept Microbiol & Parasitol, Mexico City 04360, DF, Mexico
ISSN: 20760817
Editorial
MDPI AG, ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND, Suiza
Tipo de documento: Article
Volumen: 10 Número: 2
Páginas: 1-14
WOS Id: 000622918000001
ID de PubMed: 33572190