Covid-19 repeatedly changes form due to mutations in spike proteins. The virus has changed form several times since it was first identified in Wuhan, China. This shows the rise of corona infection in different countries of the world. However, only three variants of the virus have been observed in the Chittagong region. These are Alpha, Beta and Delta variants. Outside of these three variants, something new is unlikely to come to the Chittagong region.
This information has come up in a study conducted under the leadership of Dr. Gautam Buddha Das, Vice Chancellor of Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU).
He said 300 samples were brought under study from June last year to July this year. The genome sequence of these spike proteins was completed at DNA Solutions Limited in Dhaka.
It found that 67 of the 300 samples had mutations in spike proteins. Of these, single mutations of nucleotides occurred in 43 samples and mutations of more than one nucleotide occurred in 24 samples.
These mutations have resulted in changes in the amino acids in 49 different locations of the spike protein. However, this did not significantly change the structure of the spike protein. The site of these mutations was the S1 domain of the spike protein and the S1-S2 sub-unit linker. Significant sites of mutations in amino acids are D614G, D138H, V213L and Q506H.
Dr. Gautam Buddha Das said that at the end of the study, it can be said that there was no significant change in the structure of spike protein due to mutations in nucleic acids. Therefore, no new variant of coronavirus has been observed in Chittagong region. Such mutations will not affect the effectiveness of vaccines and viral drugs.
He said the virus helps to design antiviral drugs by identifying spike proteins and specific receptors (ACE-2) in the human body. It also plays a key role in assisting in the development of more effective vaccines by identifying specific epitopes of virus proteins (preserved parts of the virus that interact with specific antibodies in the human body). It is therefore possible to produce more effective vaccines and antiviral drugs by analyzing mutations in regular spike proteins that will play a significant role in the prevention of Covid-19.
Prof. Dr. Sharmin Chowdhury, Assistant Professor Dr. Iftekhar Ahmed Rana, Scientific Activist Dr. Trideep Das, Molecular Biologist Dr. Pranesh Dutt, Dr. Md. Sirajul Islam, Dr. Tanvir Ahmad Nizami also took part in the study.