SARS-CoV-2 NSP-12 mutations survey during the pandemic in the world

Abstract Background SARS-CoV-2 belongs to the beta coronavirus family responsible for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome pandemic. The infection first emerged in Wuhan, China, and rapidly spread worldwide. The ongoing outbreak has posed an urgent worldwide health threat due to the rapid transmittable potential and high mortality rate. Due to the critical role of none structural protein − 12 (NSP-12) in COVID-19. This study tries to investigate the link between genotype-phenotype NSP-12 variation and the prevalence of this disease. Methods We analyzed approximately 2 million Nsp12 of SARS-CoV-2 protein sequence from January 2020 until June 2021. Python programming language was utilized to preprocess and apply inclusion criteria on FASTA files to prepare a list of suitable samples for clustering samples. NSP-12 regions were aligned to the reference sequence to compare and identify mutation patterns, categorized based on frequency and continent. Results The rate of ‌NSP-12 mutation in divided geographical areas was different. Based on continental studies, the P227L and G671S mutations have multiplied over time and in European and Asian societies in recent months. According to biochemical studies, the occurrence of G671S mutation increases the stability of the protein. Conclusion We concluded that NSP-12 P227L and G671S mutations in SARS-CoV-2 are increased in recent months. Further studies will be required to investigate whether these mutations impact the severity of the disease.