Monkeypox virus has “accelerated evolution” and has about 50 mutations in DNA

The ongoing outbreak of monkeypox in 2022 is certainly quite different from the more scattered cases of monkeypox that have occurred in the last few years.and now Research published in Nature medicine It suggests that the genetic makeup of the virus causing the current outbreak can also be quite different. In fact, a team of Portuguese researchers who conducted this study pointed out that the monkeypox virus appears to have undergone an “accelerated evolution.”

Now, when dealing with haircuts, cakes, high school crush opinions, or yoga pants, the word “accelerated evolution” may be okay. However, such words can be of considerable concern if they are related to a virus that has already been proven to be able to kill. This study compared a sample of 15 DNA sequences from the 2022 monkeypox virus with those isolated from 2018-2019 from cases diagnosed in the United Kingdom, Israel, and Singapore after a trip from Nigeria. .. The difference was about “appropriate”, like the average 50 differences in 2022 DNA compared to 2018-2019 DNA. This is about 6-12 times what was expected during that period.

Can all these differences explain the unusual nature of this current monkeypox outbreak? Does this mean that the 2022 monkeypox virus is significantly different from previous versions? And should you panic and start hoarding toilet paper again? Well, the answer is probably, and not at all. As I covered Forbes June 19So far this year, more than 2000 people have been infected with the monkeypox virus and one has died in at least 42 countries. This is nearly 2000 more cases than the ones diagnosed in the normal year. It has spread the farthest and fastest ever since the monkeypox virus was first discovered to infect humans in 1971. In addition, this year, doctors have seen more monkeypox lesions concentrated in the human reproductive organs than before. As I explained recently Forbes.. Whenever the words “more,” “lesions,” and “genitals” come together, the reaction is rarely just “cool” or “I can’t see anything here, so disperse.”

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“Accelerating evolution” means that the monkeypox virus has changed much more than expected in a particular time period. It can be very good or bad when a friend meets you for the first time in a few years and tells you that you have experienced an “accelerated evolution”. However, as the virus evolves, it tends to become healthier, survive, and cause infections. Almost all viruses change in some way over time. After all, every time the virus makes a copy of itself, mistakes occur in the form of mutations, just as not all copies of the butt during an office holiday party are exactly the same. There is likely to be. Different types of viruses have very different mutation rates. Some viruses, such as coronavirus, have very high mutation rates and can therefore evolve fairly rapidly, while others may have much lower mutation rates.Monkeypox virus belongs Orthopox virus It also contains viruses that cause smallpox, cowpox, horsepox, and camelpox, and usually has a relatively low mutation rate of about 1-2 mutations per year.

About 50 differences in Monkey Poxvirus 2022 were about 50 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), which are specific types of mutations. The correct pronunciation of an SNP is not “snoop” like multiple Snoop doggs, but “snoop” as someone says before vasectomy. SNP is when one nucleotide in a DNA sequence is exchanged for another. Nucleotides function as components of DNA, which can change the types of amino acids that DNA encodes. Amino acids are a component of proteins, so changing amino acids can change the proteins that are produced. And the protein forms a “candy coating” of the virus, helping it do all the great things that can infect you, cause lesions, and get sick.

Some SNPs may not actually affect the subsequent functioning of the virus. Some may weaken them. Some may make them stronger. Researchers have discovered an SNP that may allow the monkeypox 2022 virus to better avoid the immune response, but this is clearly not great. For example, some of these SNPs resulted in three amino acid changes on the surface of the monkeypox virus glycoprotein B21. This may be important because the monkeypox B21 protein may be recognized by antibodies produced by the immune system. This could be similar to Thanos changing outfits, such as wearing buggy jeans, halternecks, and berets. This makes Thanos not immediately recognized as a threat. Could this make people more susceptible to infection and the virus to spread faster and more? perhaps. However, more research and data is needed to confirm this possibility.

What caused this “accelerated evolution” of the monkeypox virus? Well, the answer may be in you. This is the APOBEC3 method, not the Zen type method. The name APOBEC3 may look like a new type of antivirus software to a computer, but it actually means that apolipoprotein B mRNA edits three enzymes like catalytic polypeptides. This can be said in a nutshell. Such enzymes are usually present in your body to help the immune system prevent viral infections. APOBEC3 is like a friend who screwed in the enemy’s heart and self-destructed the enemy. These enzymes can introduce a group of mutations into the genetic material of the invading virus with the aim of causing viral dysfunction.

However, like other defense systems, this approach is not 100% certain. In some cases, rather than destroying the virus, a group of such mutations could continue to spread and create altered forms of the virus that could become even more potent. I have. The study found that some of the mutation patterns found in the 2022 monkeypox virus were consistent with the types of mutations introduced by APOBEC3. However, this was not sufficient evidence for the research team to establish APOBEC3 as the cause of the observed “accelerated evolution.” This is yet another situation that requires more research and data.

Again, monkeypox virus is not the same as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They cause the same kind of problems and do not deserve the same response. Monkeypox virus is unlikely to evolve as rapidly as coronavirus. Therefore, do not expect the same number of monkeypox variants found in SARS-CoV-2 to appear at the same rate. Still, it is important to have a better understanding of how the monkeypox virus is evolving. What happened with the monkeypox virus is to be careful not to sleep with a virus that can cause illness. That is, don’t miss them or put them on your pillow. Just because you know someone or something for a while doesn’t mean he, she, or it can’t come up with some surprises.