Structural Genomic Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Coronaviruses

Qiong Zhang; Huai-Lan Guo; Jing Wang; Yao Zhang; Ping-Ji Deng; Fei-Feng Li

doi:10.3389/fgene.2022.801902

Structural Genomic Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 and Other Coronaviruses

Front Genet. 2022 Apr 8:13:801902. doi: 10.3389/fgene.2022.801902. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Qiong Zhang^{1

2

3}, Huai-Lan Guo^{3

4}, Jing Wang^{3

4}, Yao Zhang^{3

4}, Ping-Ji Deng^{3

4}, Fei-Feng Li^{3

4}

Affiliations

¹ School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
² Hubei Key Laboratory of Wudang Local Chinese Medicine Research, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
³ Hubei Biomedical Detection Sharing Platform in Water Source Area of South to North Water Diversion Project, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.
⁴ School of Public Health, Hubei University of Medicine, Shiyan, China.

Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of the structural genes of SARS-CoV-2 and other CoVs. We found that the sequence of the E gene was the most evolutionarily conserved across 200 SARS-CoV-2 isolates. The E gene and M gene sequences of SARS-CoV-2 and NC014470 CoV were closely related and fell within the same branch of a phylogenetic tree. The absolute diversity of E gene and M gene sequences of SARS-CoV-2 isolates was similar to that of common CoVs (C-CoVs) infecting other organisms. The absolute diversity of the M gene sequence of the KJ481931 CoV that can infect humans was similar to that of SARS-CoV-2 and C-CoVs infecting other organisms. The M gene sequence of KJ481931 CoV (infecting humans), SARS-CoV-2 and NC014470 CoV (infecting other organisms) were closely related, falling within the same branch of a phylogenetic tree. Patterns of variation and evolutionary characteristics of the N gene and S gene were very similar. These data may be of value for understanding the origins and intermediate hosts of SARS-CoV-2.

Keywords: common coronaviruses (C-CoVs); evolution; intermediate hosts; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); structural gene.