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Review
. 2021 Apr;54(2):159-163.
doi: 10.1016/j.jmii.2020.03.022. Epub 2020 Mar 31.

Genotype and phenotype of COVID-19: Their roles in pathogenesis

Leila Mousavizadeh  1 , Sorayya Ghasemi  2
Affiliations
Review

Genotype and phenotype of COVID-19: Their roles in pathogenesis

Leila Mousavizadeh et al. J Microbiol Immunol Infect. 2021 Apr.

Abstract

COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus with an outbreak of unusual viral pneumonia in Wuhan, China, and then pandemic. Based on its phylogenetic relationships and genomic structures the COVID-19 belongs to genera Betacoronavirus. Human Betacoronaviruses (SARS-CoV-2, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV) have many similarities, but also have differences in their genomic and phenotypic structure that can influence their pathogenesis. COVID-19 is containing single-stranded (positive-sense) RNA associated with a nucleoprotein within a capsid comprised of matrix protein. A typical CoV contains at least six ORFs in its genome. All the structural and accessory proteins are translated from the sgRNAs of CoVs. Four main structural proteins are encoded by ORFs 10, 11 on the one-third of the genome near the 3'-terminus. The genetic and phenotypic structure of COVID-19 in pathogenesis is important. This article highlights the most important of these features compared to other Betacoronaviruses.

Keywords: COVID-19; Genotype; Pathogenesis; Phenotype.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Schematic of a coronavirus – this new virus probably looks a lot like this. From Biowiki (http://ruleof6ix.fieldofscience.com/2012/09/a-new-coronavirus-should-you-care.html).
Figure 2
Figure 2
The genomic structure and phylogenetic tree of coronaviruses: A, the phylogenetic tree of representative CoVs, with the new coronavirus COVID-19 shown in red. B, The genome structure of four genera of coronaviruses: two long polypeptides 16 nonstructural proteins have proceeded from Pp1a and pp1b represent. S, E, M, and N are represented of the four structural proteins spike, envelope, membrane, and nucleocapsid. COVID-19; CoVs, coronavirus; HE, hemagglutinin-esterase. Viral names: HKU, coronaviruses identified by Hong Kong University; HCoV, human coronavirus; IBV, infectious bronchitis virus; MHV, murine hepatitis virus; TGEV, transmissible gastroenteritis virus.
Figure 3
Figure 3
The 5′ UTR and 3′ UTR and coding region of COVID-19, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV. The numbers of base pairs among betacoronaviruses are shown. This figure is modified from the sequence comparison and genomic organization of 2019-nCoV, 2020. The differences in the arrangement of the envelope (E), membrane (M), and nucleoprotein (N) among COVID-19, SARS-CoV, and MERS-CoV are shown at 3′ end.
Figure 4
Figure 4
The attachment protein “spike” of the new coronavirus COVID-19 andSARS-CoV use the same cellular attachment factor (ACE2) and the cellular protease TMPRSS2 for their activation. Existing, clinically approved drugs directed against TMPRSS2 inhibit SARS-CoV-2 infection of lung cells.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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