The D614G mutations in the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein: Implications for viral infectivity, disease severity and vaccine design

Abstract

The development of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has prompted an extensive worldwide sequencing effort to characterise the geographical spread and molecular evolution of the virus. A point mutation in the spike protein, D614G, emerged as the virus spread from Asia into Europe and the USA, and has rapidly become the dominant form worldwide. Here we review how the D614G variant was identified and discuss recent evidence about the effect of the mutation on the characteristics of the virus, clinical outcome of infection and host immune response.

Keywords: Coronavirus; Mutation; Neutralising antibody; SARS-CoV-2; Spike.

Fig. 1

Adapted from The Institute of Basic Science, depicting entry of the SARS-CoV-2 virus via the Spike protein and subsequent uncoating, transcription and RNA replication. The SARS-CoV-2 genome is translated forming the non-structural proteins responsible for the replicase-transcriptase. The positive sense strand of gRNA is translated to form the four structural proteins and the resulting nucleocapsid. Finally, the viral particle is packaged and trafficked to the membrane [8].