SARS-CoV-2 Mutations in Brazil: From Genomics to Clinical Conditions

Due to the high rate of transmissibility, Brazil became the new COVID-19 outbreak epicenter, being a reference region to monitor how SARS-CoV-2 is mutating and spreading. Here, we combined genomic and structural biology analysis evaluate genomes isolated from different regions of Brazil. We showed that the most prevalent mutations were located in the S, N, ORF3a and ORF6 genes, which are involved in different stages of viral life cycle and its interaction with the host cells. Structural analysis brought to light the positions of these mutations on protein structures, helping studies of structure-based drug discovery and vaccine development.