Exploring the spike glycoprotein-encoding gene of SARS-CoV-2 using multifractal analysis: Unveiling structural complexity and implications for viral transmission

Abstract

The Spike protein is the key determinant of SARS-CoV-2 infectivity and immune response, making its genomic region (S gene) crucial for understanding viral evolution. Moreover, the Spike gene and its associated protein are central to the biology of SARS-CoV-2, influencing how the virus infects cells and how vaccines and treatments are designed. In this paper, we apply advanced computational methods-Multifractal Detrended Fluctuation Analysis, the complexity-entropy plane, and Chaos Game Representation-to investigate the scaling properties of the Spike protein across the Delta, Gamma, Omicron, and Zeta variants. Our analysis reveals intricate multifractal patterns with long-range correlations, reflecting this region's structural and functional diversity. The Delta and Omicron variants exhibit the highest multifractal complexity, suggesting more significant sequence heterogeneity. Additionally, parameters such as Δh, Δα and B effectively capture the distinct fractal signatures of each variant, highlighting key differences in their genomic architecture. These insights provide a deeper understanding of how sequence complexity may influence viral adaptation and evolution.

Keywords: Coronaviridae; Fractal; RNA; Viral.