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Viral Mutations

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...

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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,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 23, 2025

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

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

Published on: December 23, 2020

Immune evasion and ACE2 binding affinity contribute to SARS-CoV-2 evolution.

Wentai Ma^1,2, Haoyi Fu^1,2, Fanchong Jian³

¹Beijing Institute of Genomics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and China National Center for Bioinformation, Beijing, China.

Nature Ecology & Evolution

|July 13, 2023

Summary

SARS-CoV-2 evolution is driven by mutations, particularly in the Omicron subvariants, which show increased immune evasion and transmissibility. These genetic changes are influenced by antibody pressure and affect the virus's binding to ACE2.

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Last Updated: Jul 23, 2025

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Area of Science:

Virology
Genomics
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Mutations in SARS-CoV-2 can lead to immune evasion and increased transmissibility.
Omicron subvariants display significant immune evasion, indicating adaptive evolution.
Previous studies lacked a comprehensive view of SARS-CoV-2 evolutionary trajectories.

Purpose of the Study:

To analyze the evolutionary trajectory of SARS-CoV-2.
To correlate mutation incidence and fitness with immune evasion and ACE2 binding.
To understand the driving forces behind viral evolution.

Main Methods:

Analysis of all open-access SARS-CoV-2 genomes up to November 2022.
Correlation of mutation incidence and fitness changes with immune evasion and ACE2 binding affinity.
Examination of lineage-specific mutation patterns and aggregation over time.

Main Results:

Omicron lineage showed an accelerated mutation rate in the Receptor Binding Domain (RBD).
Mutation incidence in the RBD correlated positively with antibody pressure and ACE2 binding affinity.
Mutation effects on fitness were more strongly linked to ACE2 binding than immune evasion.

Conclusions:

Immune evasion and ACE2 binding affinity are key drivers of SARS-CoV-2 evolution.
The RBD region is critical for viral adaptation, influenced by antibody pressure.
SARS-CoV-2 evolution exhibits lineage-specific patterns and aggregation of mutations.