tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
J Virol
. 2023 Nov 21:e0151123.
doi: 10.1128/jvi.01511-23. Online ahead of print. Puzzles, challenges, and information reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 quasispecies
Esteban Domingo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Brenda Martínez-González[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Carlos García-Crespo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Pilar Somovilla[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Ana Isabel de Ávila[SUP] 1 [/SUP], María Eugenia Soria[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Antoni Durán-Pastor[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Celia Perales[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Upon the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the human population, it was conjectured that for this coronavirus the dynamic intra-host heterogeneity typical of RNA viruses would be toned down. Nothing of this sort is observed. Here we review the main observations on the complexity and diverse composition of SARS-CoV-2 mutant spectra sampled from infected patients, within the framework of quasispecies dynamics. The analyses suggest that the information provided by myriads of genomic sequences within infected individuals may have a predictive value of the genomic sequences that acquire epidemiological relevance. Possibilities to reconcile the presence of broad mutant spectra in the large RNA coronavirus genome with its encoding a 3' to 5' exonuclease proofreading-repair activity are considered. Indeterminations in the behavior of individual viral genomes provide a benefit for the survival of the ensemble. We propose that this concept falls in the domain of "stochastic thinking," a notion that applies also to cellular processes, as a means for biological systems to face unexpected needs.
Keywords: cancer heterogeneity; coronavirus; deletion; error threshold; mutant spectrum; mutation; prion; ultra-deep sequencing; viral disease control; virus complexity.
. 2023 Nov 21:e0151123.
doi: 10.1128/jvi.01511-23. Online ahead of print. Puzzles, challenges, and information reservoir of SARS-CoV-2 quasispecies
Esteban Domingo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Brenda Martínez-González[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP], Carlos García-Crespo[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Pilar Somovilla[SUP] 1 4 [/SUP], Ana Isabel de Ávila[SUP] 1 [/SUP], María Eugenia Soria[SUP] 1 3 [/SUP], Antoni Durán-Pastor[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Celia Perales[SUP] 2 3 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 38092661
- DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01511-23
Upon the emergence of SARS-CoV-2 in the human population, it was conjectured that for this coronavirus the dynamic intra-host heterogeneity typical of RNA viruses would be toned down. Nothing of this sort is observed. Here we review the main observations on the complexity and diverse composition of SARS-CoV-2 mutant spectra sampled from infected patients, within the framework of quasispecies dynamics. The analyses suggest that the information provided by myriads of genomic sequences within infected individuals may have a predictive value of the genomic sequences that acquire epidemiological relevance. Possibilities to reconcile the presence of broad mutant spectra in the large RNA coronavirus genome with its encoding a 3' to 5' exonuclease proofreading-repair activity are considered. Indeterminations in the behavior of individual viral genomes provide a benefit for the survival of the ensemble. We propose that this concept falls in the domain of "stochastic thinking," a notion that applies also to cellular processes, as a means for biological systems to face unexpected needs.
Keywords: cancer heterogeneity; coronavirus; deletion; error threshold; mutant spectrum; mutation; prion; ultra-deep sequencing; viral disease control; virus complexity.