Representational photo: BigstockResearchers from NSU are now in the process of submitting findings to genome databasesResearchers from North South University (NSU) have detected a rare mutation in spike proteins of SARS-Cov-2. Spike proteins protrude out of the viral membrane and facilitate its entry into host cells by interacting with receptors on the surface of these cells. Of these, one mutation in the crucial spike protein is being reported for the first time globally. This is the substitution of the amino acid tyrosine (Y) into the amino acid phenylalanine (F) in position 204 of the spike protein (Y204F). Whether or not this mutation has any downstream effects on the structure and function of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and thus the virus’s infectivity is a topic of further investigation.

Source: Dhaka Tribune January 14, 2021 15:08 UTC