Geographic and Genomic Distribution of SARS-CoV-2 Mutations

The novel respiratory disease COVID-19 has reached the status of worldwide pandemic and large efforts are currently being undertaken in molecularly characterizing the virus causing it, SARS-CoV-2. The genomic variability of SARS-CoV-2 specimens scattered across the globe can underly geographically s...

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Published inFrontiers in microbiology Vol. 11; p. 1800
Main Authors Mercatelli, Daniele, Giorgi, Federico M.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Switzerland Frontiers Media S.A 22.07.2020
Subjects
coronavirus
COVID-19
genome evolution
genomics
Microbiology
SARS-CoV-2
COVID-19
genome evolution
coronavirus
genomics
SARS-CoV-2
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Summary:The novel respiratory disease COVID-19 has reached the status of worldwide pandemic and large efforts are currently being undertaken in molecularly characterizing the virus causing it, SARS-CoV-2. The genomic variability of SARS-CoV-2 specimens scattered across the globe can underly geographically specific etiological effects. In the present study, we gather the 48,635 SARS-CoV-2 complete genomes currently available thanks to the collection endeavor of the GISAID consortium and thousands of contributing laboratories. We analyzed and annotated all SARS-CoV-2 mutations compared with the reference Wuhan genome NC_045512.2, observing an average of 7.23 mutations per sample. Our analysis shows the prevalence of single nucleotide transitions as the major mutational type across the world. There exist at least three clades characterized by geographic and genomic specificity. In particular, clade G, prevalent in Europe, carries a D614G mutation in the Spike protein, which is responsible for the initial interaction of the virus with the host human cell. Our analysis may facilitate custom-designed antiviral strategies based on the molecular specificities of SARS-CoV-2 in different patients and geographical locations.
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Edited by: Anna Kramvis, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
ORCID: Daniele Mercatelli orcid.org/0000-0003-3228-0580
This article was submitted to Virology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Microbiology
Reviewed by: Longping Victor Tse, The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, United States; Tetsuro Ikegami, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, United States
Federico M. Giorgi orcid.org/0000-0002-7325-9908
ISSN:1664-302X
1664-302X
DOI:10.3389/fmicb.2020.01800