In a study published in Science yesterday, scientists report a mutation in the Delta variant of SARS-CoV-2 that enables it to infect cells more effectively than the original virus strain. Unlike many studies of SARS-CoV-2 variants that have focused on changes in the spike (S) protein, the researchers used a technique that allowed them to identify effects from tweaks to other viral proteins as well. In this case, they identified a mutation affecting the nucleocapsid (N) protein as responsible for the increased infectivity.
Specifically, the study, conducted by Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna of the University of California, Berkeley, and her colleagues, found that a mutation called R203M in Delta’s N protein significantly increased how much viral RNA made it into host cells.
The research team adapted a tool known as a virus-like particle, which contains the virus’s proteins but not its genome, reports Science in an article about the study. ...
