Researchers identify mutations of Delta, Delta Plus variants
Findings help explain COVID-19 reinfections, Delta variant infections
despite vaccination efforts

Date:
September 28, 2021
Source:
University of Missouri-Columbia
Summary:
Using bioinformatics tools and programming, researchers identified
five specific mutations that are far more prevalent in Delta Plus
infections compared to Delta infections, including one mutation,
K417N, that is present in all Delta Plus infections but not present
in nearly any Delta infections. The findings provide important
clues to researchers about the structural changes to the virus
recently and highlight the need to expand the toolbox in the fight
against COVID-19.



FULL STORY ==========================================================================
When Kamlendra Singh flew back to Missouri from India in April, he
developed a cough and fever on the plane, despite being vaccinated for
COVID-19 and testing negative for the virus right before departure.


========================================================================== Still, Singh tested positive for COVID-19, most likely due to infection
from the Delta variant, upon his arrival home in Boone County --
a diagnosis other fully vaccinated people and those who have already
tested positive for the contagious virus were experiencing. He wanted
to know why.

Following his recovery at home, Singh, a professor in the MU College
of Veterinary Medicine and Bond Life Sciences Center, teamed up with
MU undergraduate student Austin Spratt, Saathvik Kannan, a freshman at
Hickman High School, and Siddappa Byrareddy, a professor at the University
of Nebraska Medical Center, to analyze protein sequences for more than
300,000 COVID-19 samples of two emerging variants around the world,
known as Delta and Delta Plus.

Using bioinformatics tools and programming, the team identified five
specific mutations that are far more prevalent in Delta Plus infections compared to Delta infections, including one mutation, K417N, that is
present in all Delta Plus infections but not present in nearly any Delta infections. The findings provide important clues to researchers about
the structural changes to the virus recently and highlight the need to
expand the toolbox in the fight against COVID-19.

"Whether it is natural antibodies produced from previously having COVID-19
or the antibodies produced from the vaccine, we are showing structurally
how dangerous and clever the virus is by being able to mutate in a way
that the antibodies don't seem to recognize and defend against these
new variants," Spratt said. "These findings help explain why there have
been so many people testing positive for the Delta variants despite
being vaccinated or having previously been infected with COVID-19."
Singh explained that while COVID-19 vaccines have been effective, another possible tool in responding to the pandemic could be the development
of antiviral drugs that target specific areas of the virus that remain unchanged by mutations.

"There has not yet been a vaccine for HIV due to the unpredictable
variability that often comes with viruses that mutate frequently," Singh
said. "If we can develop small molecule drugs that target the part of
the virus that does not mutate, that will be the ultimate solution for combatting the virus." "Evolutionary analysis of the Delta and Delta
Plus variants of the SARS-CoV- 2 viruses" was recently published in the
Journal of Autoimmunity. Funding was provided by MU's Bond Life Sciences
Center and the National Strategic Research Institute at the University
of Nebraska.

========================================================================== Story Source: Materials provided by University_of_Missouri-Columbia. Note: Content may be edited for style and length.


========================================================================== Journal Reference:
1. Saathvik R. Kannan, Austin N. Spratt, Alisha R. Cohen, S. Hasan
Naqvi,
Hitendra S. Chand, Thomas P. Quinn, Christian L. Lorson, Siddappa N.

Byrareddy, Kamal Singh. Evolutionary analysis of the Delta and Delta
Plus variants of the SARS-CoV-2 viruses. Journal of Autoimmunity,
2021; 124: 102715 DOI: 10.1016/j.jaut.2021.102715 ==========================================================================

Link to news story: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210928155119.htm

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