Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 14, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancements in Multiplex Detection of Respiratory Viruses
03:53

Author Spotlight: Advancements in Multiplex Detection of Respiratory Viruses

Published on: November 10, 2023

1.5K

Emerging Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Mutation Hotspots Associated With Clinical Outcomes and

Xianwu Pang1, Pu Li2, Lifeng Zhang3

  • 1Guangxi Collaborative Innovation Center for Biomedicine, Guangxi Medical University, Nanning, China.

Frontiers in Microbiology
|November 4, 2021
PubMed

Insights

SARS-CoV-2 mutations influence COVID-19 severity. Specific mutations correlate with asymptomatic, mild, or severe outcomes, aiding in predicting epidemic strain prevalence and understanding disease mechanisms.

Area of Science:

  • Virology
  • Genomics
  • Epidemiology

Background:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, necessitates understanding genetic variations.
  • Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 genes are critical for effective treatment and prevention strategies.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze SARS-CoV-2 mutations and their association with clinical outcomes (asymptomatic, mild, severe).
  • To develop a predictive model for clinical outcomes based on identified mutation patterns in different epidemic strains.

Main Methods:

  • Analysis of high-coverage complete SARS-CoV-2 sequences from the GISAID database (Jan 2020 - Jan 2021).
  • Identification of mutation hotspots and correlation with clinical outcomes.
  • Development of a predictive model incorporating mutation data and enzyme expression (ADAR, APOBEC).

Main Results:

  • Mutations were more frequent in severe and mild cases than asymptomatic ones, with specific types (A>G, C>T, G>A) being prominent.
  • Asymptomatic outcomes linked to mutations in ORF1ab and N genes (e.g., R6997P, V30L).
  • Mild/severe outcomes associated with D614G, Q57H, S194L mutations; higher SNV frequency and nt14408 mutation in RdRp observed in severe cases.
  • Increased asymptomatic cases over time; Alpha, Beta, and Gamma strains showed high symptomatic percentages.
  • ADAR and APOBEC expression levels correlated with clinical outcomes.

Conclusions:

  • SARS-CoV-2 genomic mutations are directly associated with clinical outcomes and pandemic dynamics.
  • The developed model can predict epidemic strain prevalence and aid in studying mutation-driven severe disease mechanisms.
Keywords:
COVID-19SARS-CoV-2asymptomaticmutation hotspotssymptomatic

More Related Videos

Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 using Immuno RNA-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization05:23

Visualization of SARS-CoV-2 using Immuno RNA-Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization

Published on: December 23, 2020

6.2K
Single Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction for Comprehensive and Simultaneous Detection of Mutations in Hotspot Regions08:23

Single Droplet Digital Polymerase Chain Reaction for Comprehensive and Simultaneous Detection of Mutations in Hotspot Regions

Published on: September 25, 2018

13.5K

Related Concept Videos

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs01:05

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs

A single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP is a single nucleotide variation at a specific genomic position in a large population. It is the most prevalent type of sequence variation found in the human genome. Point mutations that occur in more than 1% of the population qualify as SNPs. These are present once every 1000 nucleotides on an average in the human genome. Replacement of a purine with another purine (A/G) or a pyrimidine with another pyrimidine (C/T) is known as a transition. In contrast,...
16.8K
Viral Mutations00:36

Viral Mutations

A mutation is a change in the sequence of bases of DNA or RNA in a genome. Some mutations occur during replication of the genome due to errors made by the polymerase enzymes that replicate DNA or RNA. Unlike DNA polymerase, RNA polymerase is prone to errors because it is not capable of “proofreading” its work. Viruses with RNA-based genomes, like HIV, therefore accrue mutations faster than viruses with DNA-based genomes. Because mutation and recombination provide the raw material...
34.7K
Mutations in Microorganisms01:18

Mutations in Microorganisms

Mutations are heritable changes in an organism’s genome involving alterations in the base sequence of DNA or RNA. These changes can influence cellular processes and phenotypic traits, potentially transforming the unaltered wild type into a mutant form. Such changes, termed forward mutations, are pivotal in shaping the genetic diversity of organisms.RNA viruses exhibit the highest mutation rates due to the absence of robust proofreading mechanisms during genome replication. In contrast,...
180
COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features01:20

COPD: Pathogenesis and Clinical Features

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a group of lung conditions that progressively worsen over time, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema. This cluster of diseases collectively leads to a gradual and irreversible decline in lung function over time.
The primary cause for the onset of COPD is cigarette smoking and exposure to air pollution. These hazardous factors initiate a chain reaction within the lungs, resulting in chronic inflammation, damage to the airways, and a...
688
Point and Frameshift Mutations01:30

Point and Frameshift Mutations

Point mutations are genetic alterations involving the change of a single nucleotide base pair in DNA. Depending on how the alteration affects protein synthesis, they can lead to various consequences.Point mutations fall into the following types:Silent mutations occur when a nucleotide change does not alter the amino acid sequence due to the redundancy of the genetic code. For instance, changing ACC to ACA still encodes threonine, leaving the protein function unaffected. This occurs because...
259
Spontaneous and Induced Mutations01:30

Spontaneous and Induced Mutations

Spontaneous mutations arise infrequently during DNA replication due to errors in the process. A key factor behind these errors is tautomeric shifts in nitrogenous bases, where bases transition from keto to enol forms or amino to imino forms. This shift can alter base-pairing rules, leading to mutations. Additionally, reactive oxygen species (ROS) arising from aerobic metabolism can damage DNA, resulting in depurination (loss of a purine base) or depyrimidination (loss of a pyrimidine base).
311