mutation Archives - Mediarabe

D614G mutation in SARS-CoV-2 increases viral fitness and infectivity

October 14, 2020

Severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) belongs to the beta-coronavirus family. Coronaviruses are positive-sense, single-stranded RNA viruses, and have one of the largest genomes among RNA viruses.

Out of the 7 known coronaviruses that have infected humans so far, 4 (HCov-229E, HCoV-OC43, HCoV-NL63, CoV-HKU1) can cause seasonal, mild respiratory symptoms in healthy people. In contrast, the SARS-CoV-1 and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) are closely related to SARS-CoV-2 and have caused the 2002-2003 SARS and 2012 MERS epidemics, respectively. The current coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a global public health emergency with over 38 million cases and 1.08 million deaths worldwide to date.

The SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) glycoprotein

The surface of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has a spike (S) glycoprotein, which is a large homo-trimeric glycoprotein that forms a crown at the virus capsid surface. Each S protomer is further divided into two domains – S1 and S2

People With This Mutation Can’t Smell Stinky Fish

October 11, 2020

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Most people carry an intact version of TAAR5, and easily recognize the fishy fragrance as mildly repulsive — an ability that might have evolved to help our ancestors avoid spoiled food. But a small number of the Icelanders in the study carried at least one “broken” copy of the gene that appeared to render them insensitive to the scent. When asked to describe it, some even mistook it for a sugary dessert, ketchup or something floral.

“They were really not even in the right ballpark,” Dr. Gísladóttir said.

A blunted sense for bad-smelling fish might sound maladaptive. But TMA doesn’t always spell trouble, especially in Iceland, where fish features prominently on many menus. The country is famous for nose-tickling dishes like rotten shark and fermented skate, which serve up about as much odor as you may imagine.

That might be why the TAAR5 mutation appears in more than 2 percent

People With This Rare Gene Mutation Can’t Smell Fishy Scents

October 9, 2020

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KEY POINTS

Researchers conducted a smell test on over 9,000 participants
Some of them couldn’t detect the fish scent or had a less intense experience
Researchers found for these people the fish’s off-putting odor might smell even like caramel

A new study has revealed a genetic mutation that makes people who carry it be less susceptible to the smell of fish. For some of these people, fish’s off-putting odor might even smell like caramel or roses.

Humans perceive smells using olfactory receptors, but of the 855 olfactory genes, about half are actually not functional. The reasons for this and why people have a “highly personalized” sense of smell remain a mystery.

To shed light on the matter, the researchers of a new study conducted a smell test wherein they presented 9,122 participants in Iceland with various smells including fish, cinnamon and liquorice, then asking them to name it and rate

Chile scientists study potential coronavirus mutation in remote Patagonia

October 9, 2020

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SANTIAGO (Reuters) – Scientists in Chile are investigating a possible mutation of the novel coronavirus in southern Patagonia, a far-flung region near the tip of the South American continent that has seen an unusually contagious second wave of infections in recent weeks.

Dr. Marcelo Navarrete of the University of Magallanes told Reuters in an interview that researchers had detected “structural changes” in the spikes on the distinctive, crown-shaped virus. He said research is underway to better understand the potential mutation and its effects on humans.

“The only thing we know to date is that this coincides in time and space with a second wave that is quite intense in the region,” Navarrete said.

The Magallanes region of Chile is largely a remote, glacier-strewn wilderness dotted with small towns and the regional hub Punta Arenas, which has seen cases of COVID-19 spike in September and October following a first wave earlier

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