Deletions Across the SARS-CoV-2 Genome: Molecular Mechanisms and Putative Functional Consequences of Deletions in Accessory Genes

Overview

Journal Microorganisms

Specialty Microbiology

Date 2023 Jan 21

PMID 36677521

Authors

Igor B Rogozin

Andreu Saura

Anastassia Bykova

Vyacheslav Brover

Vyacheslav Yurchenko

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The analysis of deletions may reveal evolutionary trends and provide new insight into the surprising variability and rapidly spreading capability that SARS-CoV-2 has shown since its emergence. To understand the factors governing genomic stability, it is important to define the molecular mechanisms of deletions in the viral genome. In this work, we performed a statistical analysis of deletions. Specifically, we analyzed correlations between deletions in the SARS-CoV-2 genome and repetitive elements and documented a significant association of deletions with runs of identical (poly-) nucleotides and direct repeats. Our analyses of deletions in the accessory genes of SARS-CoV-2 suggested that there may be a hypervariability in and that is not associated with repetitive elements. Such recurrent search in a "sequence space" of accessory genes (that might be driven by natural selection) did not yet cause increased viability of the SARS-CoV-2 variants. However, deletions in the accessory genes may ultimately produce new variants that are more successful compared to the viral strains with the conventional architecture of the SARS-CoV-2 accessory genes.

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