SARS-COV-2 RBD (Receptor binding domain) mutations and variants (A sectional-analytical study)

Area of Science:

• Virology
• Molecular Biology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• SARS-CoV-2 infection relies on spike protein's receptor-binding domain (RBD) binding to host ACE2 receptors.
• Variations in the RBD are critical for the emergence of variants of concern (VOCs) and variants of interest (VOIs).

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate mutations within the RBD of SARS-CoV-2 in infected patients.
• To identify the prevalence of different SARS-CoV-2 variants and their associated mutations.
• To correlate RBD mutations with clinical manifestations of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional descriptive study of 54 SARS-CoV-2 infected patients.
• Virus identification and confirmation using One-Step Real-Time qRT-PCR.
• Nested-PCR amplification of the RBD region followed by sequencing to detect mutations.

Main Results:

• The Delta variant (90.74%) was the most prevalent, followed by Alpha (5.56%) and Omicron (3.70%).
• Key amino acid substitutions N501Y, T478K, and D614G were identified as significant mutations common across Alpha, Delta, and Omicron variants.
• Lung involvement (42.59%) and fever/chills (40.74%) were the most frequent clinical signs.

Conclusions:

• SARS-CoV-2 RBD variations lead to essential amino acid substitutions, driving the emergence of new variants.
• RBD mutation profiling serves as a valuable predictor for monitoring VOCs and understanding viral outcomes.