It is also an hour’s need to watch out for native coronavirus changes, the expert said. (File)
New Delhi:
A variety of novel coronavirus that carries two specific nutrients in their spike protein could avoid antibodies and make vaccines so effective, according to renowned physiologist Shahid Jameel, who says the when developing sensitivity for “homegrown” strains of the virus.
Mr Jameel, Director of the Trivedi School of Biology at Ashoka University in Haryana, said these two strains would lead to a “major change” in the structure of the part of the spike protein that binds with antibodies, making vaccines so effective against such changes. .
The spike protein of the coronavirus enables it to bind to the ACE2 receptor on host cells – a process that studies have shown to be essential for the virus to enter the cells and cause infection.
According to the virologist, at present, the data are consistent with a negative activity of neutralization of antibodies against the South African line of the coronavirus, which carries both of these mutations on the spike protein.
At GYANTEEKA, an online presentation discussion series hosted by the Indian National Academy of Youth Science (INYAS), New Delhi to spread awareness and share myths about vaccines, Mr. Jameel said these mutations are in the 501st and 484th amino acid building blocks that make up the virus’s spike proteins.
In his demonstration Saturday, the virologist said that both of these mutations occur at the interface where antibodies bind to the virus’s spike proteins.
“At the interface, there are two major amino acid residues. One is an N501Y mutation. Another emerging mutation is an E484K mutation, and if you notice, the 484 is a mutation. negative amino acid to become a positive amino acid, “he explained in his presentation, citing studies.
“If you have both 501 and 484 mutations occurring at the same time in the same virus, that virus is likely to suppress the antibody response, or it is going to make the antibodies less effective. take them home, “he said.
On Tuesday, the Health ministry said four people in the country were testing positive for infection with the South African variant, and one for the Brazilian version – the first for India.
While in India, there have been no reports of a community outbreak of this virus, Mr Jameel believes there is also an immediate need to watch out for rural changes.
“Remember that India has about 11 million diseases now, so there could be home changes and I think for that it is very important to have a genomic study, which is done at scale, “said the virologist.
“And for the government of India they have set up an inter-ministerial Group called INSA COG which will bring together 10 national laboratories to start a series at a density of around 5 percent,” he said.
Currently, the virologist said that India continues to have a density of around 0.05 per cent.
“So basically, the plan is to put up a series of one hundred times in the country,” Mr Jameel said.
A recent study by scientists CSIR-Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) in Hyderabad analyzed more than 5,000 variants of coronavirus, describing how the virus has evolved over the course of the pandemic.
He found that a variable carrying N440K mutation is much more widespread in the southern states of India.
“We now have evidence that the N440K variant is spreading much more in southern states. A closer study is needed to properly understand its distribution,” CCMB Director Rakesh Mishra said in a statement.
While changes with a defensive escape such as the South African variant have been marked by little aggression in India, Mr Mishra believes this may be due to insufficient classification of to do. “More coronavirus genomes need to be sequenced across the country to properly identify these and other new mutations,” he said.