Table 2.
Major mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 protein and its impacts.
| Mutations | Type of Mutation and Region | Impact | References |
|---|---|---|---|
| D614G | Amino acid substitution within receptor-binding motif (RBM) | - Increases infectivity. - Increases transmissibility. |
[50,51] |
| N439K | Amino acid substitution within receptor-binding motif (RBM) | - Enhances the binding affinity for the ACE2 receptor. - Reduces the neutralizing activity of some monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) and polyclonal antibodies. |
[52] |
| Y453F | Amino acid substitution within receptor-binding motif (RBM) | - Increases ACE2-binding affinity. - Enhances transmission capacity. |
[53,54] |
| Δ69–70 | Amino acid deletion in the N-terminal domain (NTD) of the spike protein | - Affects the network of NTD loops. - Increases transmission capacity. |
[55,56] |
| N501Y | Amino acid substitution within the RBD | - Strengthens S protein binding to receptor ACE2. - Facilitates immune escape (antibody). |
[42,57] |
| E484K | Amino acid substitution within the RBD | Reduces the neutralizing activity of antibodies. | [58,59] |
| K417N | Amino acid substitution in the spike protein | - Increases the interaction with hACE2. - May abolished the antibody effect. |
[60] |
| K444 Q/R/N | Amino acid substitution within the RBD | Reduces the neutralizing activity of antibodies. | [61] |
| V445E | Amino acid substitution within the RBD | Reduces the neutralizing activity of antibodies. | [42,61] |
| K150 T/Q/R/E | Amino acid substitution in NTD of the spike protein | Reduces the neutralizing activity of antibodies. | [61,62] |
| N148S | Amino acid substitution in NTD of the spike protein | Reduces the neutralizing activity of antibodies. | [61] |
| L452R | Amino acid substitution within the RBD | - Increases infectivity. - Increases viral fusogenicity. - Facilitates escape antibodies. |
[63] |
| P681R | Amino acid substitution in the spike protein | - Enhances viral fusogenicity. - Increases viral pathogenicity. |
[64] |
| F486V | Amino acid substitution within the RBD | - Facilitates escape from certain class 1 and 2 antibodies. | [65] |
| N460K | Amino acid substitution in the spike protein | - Enhances S processing. - Enhances the resistance to neutralizing antibodies. |
[66] |
| R346T | Amino acid substitution in the spike protein | - Increases viral prevalence. - Increases the ability to evade neutralizing antibodies. |
[67,68] |