A Framework to Connect Viral Quasispecies, Microbiome, and Host

Authors : Leman Nur Nehri, Seher Elif Koçoğlu

Pages : 73-88

Doi:10.58854/jicm.1465143

View : 57 | Download : 78

Publication Date : 2024-09-30

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the potential interactions between SARS-CoV-2 Spike protein variants and the host microbiota. While the Spike protein is known for its role in mediating viral entry into host cells, its impact on the host’s microbial communities remains unclear. Given the microbiota’s critical role in modulating immune responses and maintaining host homeostasis, understanding these interactions could provide new insights into disease progression and immune evasion mechanisms associated with COVID-19. By leveraging parameters extracted from the current literature and analyzing publicly available datasets, we seek to elucidate how these interactions might influence the severity of COVID-19 and the pathogenesis of emerging viral variants. This research may also highlight potential therapeutic targets for mitigating the effects of SARS-CoV-2 and its evolving forms. Methods: This study investigates the interaction between Spike protein variants of SARS-CoV-2 and the host microbiota. To this end, the associations between various SARS-CoV-2 variants and different host factors derived from urban ecosystems have been statistically analyzed. Specifically, the influence of these host factors, which are linked to distinct microbiota compositions, on the interaction with Spike protein variants has been evaluated. A Bayesian Network approach has been employed for this analysis to model the complex relationships and dependencies among the host factors and microbiota compositions. Results: This study investigates the interaction between Spike protein variants of SARS-CoV-2 and host factors. Hypothesis 1 (H1) posits that specific combinations of various host factors can explain the infectivity of SARS-CoV-2. The analyses reveal that 20 SARS-CoV-2 variants and mutants are significantly affected by various parameters (Table 2), indicating that H1 cannot be rejected. Additionally, it is suggested that the connections mentioned in H1 indicate the presence of a carrier within the host, potentially the microbiome. Hypothesis 2 (H2) proposes that the microbiota serves as the primary carrier of host factors, influencing the selection of specific SARS-CoV-2 mutants. To test this hypothesis, a Bayesian Network was constructed (Figure 3), which identified the probabilistic relationships between potential microbiota compositions and Spike variants. Conclusion: As a result, it is suggested that different Spike protein variants may be present in hosts with varying microbial compositions. Additionally, the microbiota could serve as a carrier that influences the selection of viral mutants in hosts within the population, potentially impacted by external factors such as environmental conditions and human interactions.
Keywords : COVID-19, Mikrobiyom, Spike Proteini, Viral Varyant, Konak Faktörler