In vitro Mutagenesis Neutralization of SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein B.1.1.7 Variant Containing E484K

Voiceover

Main Presenter(s)

Giacomo Fernandez Giganti

Abstract or Description

The SARS species of viruses and its ability to mutate between organisms has posed a threat for several years. In 2019 a second strain of SARS was identified as SARS-CoV-2 affecting human cells by attaching one of its four structural proteins onto the cell membrane. The spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 contains a specific sequence of RNA that contains a high affinity to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, making it capable of utilizing the mechanism of the cell to reproduce the virus RNA. Due to the capability of the virus to mutate, RNA sequences of the spike protein constantly change and can render current vaccine efforts ineffective. One of these possible mutations is the one present on the B.1.1.7 variant as E484K, known as the UK variant. To address this mutation a mutagenesis approach will be taken in designing a new RNA sequence with the purpose of creating neutralizing antibodies that would render the spike protein inefficient. The expected results of the mutagenesis experiment would contain a newly developed mRNA sequence for the mutate spike protein area containing a T7 promoter to start transcription, a set of 5’ UTR and 3’ UTR used to begin and end translation, with the mutated mRNA of the spike protein in between, and a poly-A tail with the purpose of avoiding degradation. The significance of the experiment was to carry out a mutagenesis procedure with the result of a new mRNA sequence that would not render any current vaccine progress inefficient.