Nonstructural proteins guide coronavirus RNA synthesis, infec8ous capability and vaccine development

الملخص EN

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped, positive-sense RNA virus.

the genome of the virus consists of genetic material and structural proteins needed for the invasion of host cells.

to achieve complete transcription and replication of the viral genome, several non-structural proteins (NSPs) subunits are required to form a holoenzyme complex that defines the minimal core components for mediating coronavirus RNA synthesis.

unlike structural proteins, NSPs are more prone to drift due to selection by host immunity, which may affect viral infectious abilities.

the current study used the CoVsurver on the GISAID website for the in silico screening of significant amino acid changes to identify candidates for phenotypic changes or special epidemiological relevance in 53 genomic sequences of SARS-CoV-2 in Saudi Arabia.

the recorded unique mutations in the NSPs-like domain of the NSP2 protein were found to enhance SARS-Cov-2's contagious ability compared to SARS, its survivability rate at different temperatures and its achievement of complete transcription and replication.

Other unique mutations in NSP10, NSP13, NSP14 and NSP16, whose precise functions in RNA synthesis are not well understood, were also recorded.

proteins have attracted considerable interest in the development of antiviral therapies, therefore, understanding the structure and function of the SARS-CoV-2 polymerase complex is an essential prerequisite in developing novel therapeutic agents.