A Glimpse on the Evolution of RNA Viruses: Implications and Lessons from SARS-CoV-2
RNA viruses are characterised by extremely high genetic variability due to fast replication, large population size, low fidelity, and (usually) a lack of proofreading mechanisms of RNA polymerases leading to high mutation rates. Furthermore, viral recombination and reassortment may act as a signific...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Viruses |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/1/1 |
| _version_ | 1828057497020137472 |
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| author | Petra Šimičić Snježana Židovec-Lepej |
| author_facet | Petra Šimičić Snježana Židovec-Lepej |
| author_sort | Petra Šimičić |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | RNA viruses are characterised by extremely high genetic variability due to fast replication, large population size, low fidelity, and (usually) a lack of proofreading mechanisms of RNA polymerases leading to high mutation rates. Furthermore, viral recombination and reassortment may act as a significant evolutionary force among viruses contributing to greater genetic diversity than obtainable by mutation alone. The above-mentioned properties allow for the rapid evolution of RNA viruses, which may result in difficulties in viral eradication, changes in virulence and pathogenicity, and lead to events such as cross-species transmissions, which are matters of great interest in the light of current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemics. In this review, we aim to explore the molecular mechanisms of the variability of viral RNA genomes, emphasising the evolutionary trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Furthermore, the causes and consequences of coronavirus variation are explored, along with theories on the origin of human coronaviruses and features of emergent RNA viruses in general. Finally, we summarise the current knowledge on the circulating variants of concern and highlight the many unknowns regarding SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T21:13:34Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-dae1dc2d49b74c6890526d3de069f8c5 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1999-4915 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T21:13:34Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Viruses |
| spelling | doaj.art-dae1dc2d49b74c6890526d3de069f8c52023-01-20T15:46:41ZengMDPI AGViruses1999-49152022-12-01151110.3390/v15010001A Glimpse on the Evolution of RNA Viruses: Implications and Lessons from SARS-CoV-2Petra Šimičić0Snježana Židovec-Lepej1Department of Immunological and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, HR-10000 Zagreb, CroatiaDepartment of Immunological and Molecular Diagnostics, University Hospital for Infectious Diseases “Dr. Fran Mihaljević”, HR-10000 Zagreb, CroatiaRNA viruses are characterised by extremely high genetic variability due to fast replication, large population size, low fidelity, and (usually) a lack of proofreading mechanisms of RNA polymerases leading to high mutation rates. Furthermore, viral recombination and reassortment may act as a significant evolutionary force among viruses contributing to greater genetic diversity than obtainable by mutation alone. The above-mentioned properties allow for the rapid evolution of RNA viruses, which may result in difficulties in viral eradication, changes in virulence and pathogenicity, and lead to events such as cross-species transmissions, which are matters of great interest in the light of current severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemics. In this review, we aim to explore the molecular mechanisms of the variability of viral RNA genomes, emphasising the evolutionary trajectory of SARS-CoV-2 and its variants. Furthermore, the causes and consequences of coronavirus variation are explored, along with theories on the origin of human coronaviruses and features of emergent RNA viruses in general. Finally, we summarise the current knowledge on the circulating variants of concern and highlight the many unknowns regarding SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis.https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/1/1RNA virusevolutionquasispeciesmutationrecombinationcoronavirus |
| spellingShingle | Petra Šimičić Snježana Židovec-Lepej A Glimpse on the Evolution of RNA Viruses: Implications and Lessons from SARS-CoV-2 Viruses RNA virus evolution quasispecies mutation recombination coronavirus |
| title | A Glimpse on the Evolution of RNA Viruses: Implications and Lessons from SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_full | A Glimpse on the Evolution of RNA Viruses: Implications and Lessons from SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_fullStr | A Glimpse on the Evolution of RNA Viruses: Implications and Lessons from SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Glimpse on the Evolution of RNA Viruses: Implications and Lessons from SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_short | A Glimpse on the Evolution of RNA Viruses: Implications and Lessons from SARS-CoV-2 |
| title_sort | glimpse on the evolution of rna viruses implications and lessons from sars cov 2 |
| topic | RNA virus evolution quasispecies mutation recombination coronavirus |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4915/15/1/1 |
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