The scientists found a new “hidden” gene in the new coronavirus that may contribute to its unique biology.
New York:
Researchers have discovered a new “hidden” gene in the novel coronavirus that may contribute to its unique biology and pandemic potential, a breakthrough that may lead to the development of new therapies against the deadly virus.
According to scientists, including those at the US Museum of Natural History, learning more about the 15 genes that make up the coronavirus genome could have a significant impact on the development of drugs and vaccines to fight the virus.
In the current study, published in the journal eLife, the researchers described overlapping genes, or “genes within genes,” in the virus that they believe play a role in virus replication within host cells.
“Gene overlap may be one of the ways that coronaviruses have evolved to replicate efficiently, thwart host immunity, or pass on,” said lead study author Chase Nelson of the American Museum of Natural History.
“Knowing that there are overlapping genes and how they work may reveal new pathways for coronavirus control, for example through antiviral drugs,” Nelson added.
The research team identified a new overlapping gene, ORF3d, in the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus that has the potential to encode a protein that is longer than expected.
They said ORF3d is also present in a previously discovered pangolin coronavirus, indicating that the gene may have undergone changes during the evolution of SARS-CoV-2 and related viruses.
According to the study, ORF3d was independently identified and shown to elicit a strong antibody response in COVID-19 patients, demonstrating that the protein produced from the new gene is manufactured during human infection.
“We don’t yet know its function or if there is clinical significance. But we predict that this gene is relatively unlikely to be detected by a T-cell response, in contrast to the antibody response. And maybe that has something to do with the shape. in which gene could it arise, “Nelson said.
The scientists explained that coronavirus genes can seem like written language, as they are made up of chains of chemically based molecules adenine, guanine, uracil, and cytosine, represented by the letters A, G, U, and C respectively.
They explained that these letters act as an information code for protein synthesis within cells.
But while language units (words) are discrete and do not overlap, the researchers said genes can overlap and be multifunctional, with information encoded cryptically depending on where you start to “read.”
While overlapping genes are difficult to detect and most scientific computer programs are not designed to find them, the scientists said they are common in viruses.
This is partly because RNA viruses have a high mutation rate, so they tend to keep the gene count low to prevent a large number of mutations, they explained.
The researchers observed that viruses have developed a “kind of data compression system” in which one letter in their genome can contribute to two or even three different genes.
“The lack of overlapping genes puts us in danger of overlooking important aspects of viral biology,” Nelson said.
“In terms of genome size, SARS-CoV-2 and its relatives are among the longest RNA viruses out there. Therefore, they are perhaps more prone to ‘genomic tricks’ than other RNA viruses.” added.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is posted from a syndicated channel.)
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