Study reveals differing attachment strengths of COVID-19 variants affecting spread

New Delhi: The Alpha coronavirus variant of concern attached itself more strongly to human cells than other variants, which helped in its rapid transmission, a new research has found.

In contrast, variants like Beta and Gamma, adept at evading immune responses, did not exhibit this increased attachment, which differently affected their spread among populations, the international research team from the US, Germany and The Netherlands found.

The changes in the virus's attachment strength to host human cells arose out of mutations in these COVID-19 variants, the researchers said in their study published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

They suggest that that future variants could merge strong attachment properties with other beneficial traits, potentially leading to faster transmission rates.

The study focussed on understanding the strength of adhesion of different COVID-19 variants to human cells and the impact of this adhesion on the virus's spread.

For their analysis, the scientists used simulations data of molecular dynamics. The data offered detailed insights into the specific roles of amino acid residues in the spike protein's binding interface. Spike protein projects out from the viral surface and aids in the entry into host cells.

The team also examined the force stability of the virus's interaction with human cells through experiments, they said in their study.

The study highlighted the importance of understanding how mutations structurally impact the interaction between current and future variants and human proteins, said Priscila Gomes, a postdoctoral researcher at Auburn University, US.

Other universities involved in the study were Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, Germany and Utrecht University, The Netherlands.