New Biotechnological Exploration on COVID-19 Proteins: Functions, Mutational Profiles and Molecular Targets for Drug Design Download PDF

Journal Name : SunText Review of Virology

DOI : 10.51737/2766-5003.2021.015

Article Type : Review Article

Authors : Chakraborty AK and Chanda A

Keywords : Non-structural proteins; Corona virus; RNA topoisomerase; D614G spike protein mutation; P4715L RdRP mutation; I300F nsp2 mutation

Abstract

Corona virus spread is gaining momentum worldwide and every country is losing lives and lock down has crippled normal life, education and industry with huge GDP loss. Recently, corona virus research has accelerated with discovery of many new targets and at least 20 vaccines have been under clinical trials and three vaccines already have started to inoculate million people worldwide. However, corona virus is gathering mutations in its genome at a rate 1-2 nucleotide per month fostering a chance of vaccine failure. Thus, up-gradation of knowledge is necessary and this review will search recent development on biochemistry and molecular biology of COVID-19 and related corona virus like SARS and MERS. A great deal of research has appeared in reputed journals on sixteen non-structural proteins (nsp1-nsp16). Specifically, drug discovery against nsp3 protease and nsp12 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase was phenomenal. Similarly, knowledge of spike protein interaction with ACE-2 receptor of human cells have advanced with development of effective vaccine as well as other therapeutics. Surely, we will focus on recent bioinformatics research on non-structural proteins, nsp2, nsp13 and nsp16 those have implicated as RNA Topoisomerase, RNA helicase-Capping Guanine methyl transferase and 2’-O rRNA Uridine methyl transferase respectively. We urge to develop phyto-drugs based on ancient Hindu and Chinese civilization as most corona virus proteins have been expressed and purified.a