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Production of a SARS-CoV-2 Virus-Like-Particle System to Investigate Viral Life Cycles In Vitro
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The D614G mutation in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein reduces S1 shedding and increases infectivity

Lizhou Zhang1, Cody B Jackson1, Huihui Mou1

  • 1Department of Immunology and Microbial Science, The Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, FL 33458, USA.

Biorxiv : the Preprint Server for Biology
|June 27, 2020
PubMed

Insights

The D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2 spike protein enhances viral transmission. This variant, with glycine at residue 614 (S G614), shows increased stability and infectivity compared to the aspartic acid version (S D614).

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The SARS-CoV-2 D614G mutation in the spike protein has become globally dominant.
  • This predominance suggests the mutation confers a transmission advantage.

Conclusions:

  • The D614G mutation enhances SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and transmission, likely due to increased S protein stability.
  • The findings support the epidemiological observations of the D614G variant's global spread.

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