Genomic and Proteomic Comparative Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 versus SARS-CoV-GD01

Abstract Background Since the emergence of the pandemic novel pneumonia (COVID-19) disease in Wuhan city in China in November 2019, it is becoming holistically urgent to discover and definitely determine the potential origin of causative virus of this disease, SARS-CoV2 to understand its pathogenic action an better design proper remedies. Methods Using bioinformatics analysis, the whole genome of SARS-CoV2 emerging in 2020 and its deduced proteome were compared with the corresponding information on SARS-CoV-GD01 having emerged in 2003 in China. The genomes squences of the two viruses were obtained from NCBI. Alignment of protein sequences for all genes of both genomes were performed and displayed using Clustal Omega data base. Results Bioinformatics analysis revealed 10 genes encoding 10 proteins in the SARS-CoV2 genome instead of 11 genes encoding 12 proteins in the case of SARS-CoV-GD01, where the first gene is uniquely encoding two glycoproteins. Additionally, bio-informatics analysis disclosed variations in SARS-CoV2 genome size as a result of nucleotides insertion and deletion in all genes of the virus especially orf1ab gene, spike gene, and ORF10 gene. The most conspicuous alteration is apparently noticed in the spike gene, encoding for a novel protein enabling the virus to attach to the cell membrane via the interaction with host cell receptor, initiating probably a new pathway of infection and a specific pathogenic action. This alteration is Conclusions The big alterations in the genome of SARS-CoV-2 from that of SARS-CoV-GD01 may be potentially responsible for the worldwide witnessed high virulence and accelerated spread. The qualified and quantified information presented in the current study on the SARS-CoV-2, detailing the specificity and the magnitude of genomic and proteomic alterations from SARS-CoV-GD01, developed probably during 16 years will not only enable designing right drugs and strategies of confronting the current viral version, but it may rather allow to extrapolate and foresee potential outbreaks of newer versions during the coming decades. At the time of epidemics, nonspecific ways and drugs should be resorted to for confronting emergent viral infections. Chemically modified positively charged proteins and peptides can offer a wealth of potential antiviral agents but need more clinical research.