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SARS-CoV-2 Omicron Mutation Is Faster than the Chase: Multiple Mutations on Spike/ACE2 Interaction Residues

  • Sinae Kim (Laboratory of Cytokine Immunology, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Konkuk University) ;
  • Tam T. Nguyen (Laboratory of Cytokine Immunology, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Konkuk University) ;
  • Afeisha S. Taitt (Laboratory of Cytokine Immunology, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Konkuk University) ;
  • Hyunjhung Jhun (Technical Assistance Center, Korea Food Research Institute) ;
  • Ho-Young Park (Research Group of Functional Food Materials, Korea Food Research Institute) ;
  • Sung-Han Kim (Department of Infectious Diseases, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Yong-Gil Kim (Division of Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine) ;
  • Eun Young Song (Department of Laboratory Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul National University, Collage of Medicine) ;
  • Youngmin Lee (Department of Medicine, Pusan Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine) ;
  • Hokee Yum (Pulmonary Science and Critical Care Medicine, Seoul Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine) ;
  • Kyeong-Cheol Shin (Center for Respiratory Disease, College of Medicine, Yeungnam University) ;
  • Yang Kyu Choi (College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University) ;
  • Chang-Seon Song (College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University) ;
  • Su Cheong Yeom (Graduate School of International Agricultural Technology, Seoul National University) ;
  • Byoungguk Kim (Division of Vaccine Clinical Research Center for Vaccine Research, National Institute of Infectious Diseases) ;
  • Mihai Netea (Department of Internal Medicine and Center for Infectious Diseases, Radboud University) ;
  • Soohyun Kim (Laboratory of Cytokine Immunology, Department of Biomedical Science and Technology, Konkuk University)
  • Received : 2021.12.14
  • Accepted : 2021.12.19
  • Published : 2021.12.31
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Abstract

Recently, a new severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) (B.1.1.529) Omicron variant originated from South Africa in the middle of November 2021. SARS-CoV-2 is also called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) since SARS-CoV-2 is the causative agent of COVID-19. Several studies already suggested that the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant would be the fastest transmissible variant compared to the previous 10 SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern, interest, and alert. Few clinical studies reported the high transmissibility of the Omicron variant but there is insufficient time to perform actual experiments to prove it, since the spread is so fast. We analyzed the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, which revealed a very high rate of mutation at amino acid residues that interact with angiostatin-converting enzyme 2. The mutation rate of COVID-19 is faster than what we prepared vaccine program, antibody therapy, lockdown, and quarantine against COVID-19 so far. Thus, it is necessary to find better strategies to overcome the current crisis of COVID-19 pandemic.

Keywords

Acknowledgement

This paper was written as part of Konkuk University's research support program for its faculty on sabbatical leave in 2022. This work was supported by the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2021R1F1A1057397). This research was supported by the Main Research Program (E0210503-01) of the Korea Food Research Institute (KFRI) funded by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

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