Preliminary report on severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Spike mutation T478K

Several severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) variants have emerged, posing a renewed threat to coronavirus disease 2019 containment and to vaccine and drug efficacy. In this study, we analyzed more than 1,000,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences deposited up to April 27, 2021, on the GISAID public repository, and identified a novel T478K mutation located on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. The mutation is structurally located in the region of interaction with human receptor ACE2 and was detected in 11,435 distinct cases. We show that T478K has appeared and risen in frequency since January 2021, predominantly in Mexico and the United States, but we could also detect it in several European countries.

Automated summary

In this study, analysis of more than 1,000,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences deposited on the GISAID public repository up to April 27, 2021, revealed a novel T478K mutation located on the SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein. The mutation has predominantly emerged in Mexico and the United States since January 2021, but has also been detected in several European countries.