COVID-19: Canadian researchers unveil first structural images of B.1.1.7 mutation

Canadian researchers on May 3 unveiled the first structural images of B.1.1.7 COVID-19 mutation, which was first detected in the UK and now accounting for a growing number of cases across India and Canada. According to a press release, the pictures were taken at near-atomic resolution and it provides critical insight as to why the B.1.1.7 variant is more infectious. The researchers at the University of British Columbia said that the images also add to the growing body of data indicating that existing vaccines are likely to remain effective in preventing mild and severe cases caused by the COVID-19 mutant. 

The research team was led by Dr Sriram Subramaniam, professor in UBC faculty of medicine's department of biochemistry and molecular biology. The researchers found of “particular interest” a mutation known as N501Y located on the coronavirus’s spike protein, which is what it uses to attach itself to human cells that it infects. Subramaniam said that the images that his team captured proved the first glimpse of the N501Y mutant and show that the changes resulting from the mutation are localised. 

“In fact, the N501Y mutation is the only mutation in the B.1.1.7 variant that is located on the portion of the spike protein that binds to the human ACE2 receptor, which is the enzyme on the surface of our cells that serves as the entry gate for Sars-CoV-2,” Subramaniam added.

According to the press note, the coronavirus is 100,000 times smaller than a pinhead and it is undetectable using a regular microscope. The researchers said that to “visualise the detailed shapes of viruses and proteins, they used cryo-electron microscopes called cryo-EM that can be up to 12 feet high. The imaging technology uses beams of electrons to picture the samples at liquid nitrogen temperatures, the team added. 

Existing vaccines likely to remain effective 

On a positive note, the researchers revealed that even though the N501Y mutant can bind and enter our cells more readily, it can still be neutralised by antibodies that block the entry of the unmutated version of the virus into cells. They said that the “important observation” adds to the growing body of evidence that the majority of antibodies elicited in the immune system by existing vaccines are likely to remain effective in protecting against the B.1.1.7 variant. 

Further, the UBC researchers said that they are additionally also examining other variants, including P.1 (Brazilian), B.1.351 (South African), B.1.427/B.1.429(Californian) and B.1.617 (Indian) variants, and trying to understand how these mutations alter how the spike protein interacts with neutralising antibodies. They said that they are also looking at how the mutations may change how the virus binds to ACE2. 

“It’s important to understand the different molecular structures of these emerging variants to determine whether they’ll respond to existing treatments and vaccines and ultimately find ways to control their spread more effectively,” the press note read. 

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