Binding of dominant coronavirus strain to host cell

Context

Large-scale supercomputer simulations at the atomic level showed that the dominant ‘G form’ variant of the Covid-19-causing virus is more infectious because of its greater ability to readily bind to host receptor in the body in comparison to other variants.

What is G Variant?

• The G variant is also known as D614G is a variant of Covid-19 and is more infectious.
• Current vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 are basically based on the original D614 form of the virus.
• The dominant ‘G’ form of SARS-CoV-2 was mutated to a conformation which attaches to its host receptor more easily.
• Los Alamos National Laboratory of the US Department of Energy discovered the D614G variant in early 2020.
• Study: This new study of the G variant could offer a backbone for future vaccines.
• It also makes it more susceptible to antibodies than the original ‘D’ form.

About the Study

• The interactions among the building blocks of the spike are more symmetrical in the G variant than those in the original D strain.
• The results shows that the symmetry of interaction make the antibodies to neutralize them easily.