Mutation Effect – Libero Quotidiano

The delta variable disappears due to “self-extinction”. The good news comes from Japan According to Japanese scientists, there are currently only 140 cases per day despite the appearance of the delta variant three months ago. At the end of the summer, Japan experienced the strongest wave. In August, there was a peak of about 23,000 cases per day. Seven days ago, the wave stopped and almost completely disappeared. Tokyo, which recorded only 16 new cases.

Scientists from the National Institute of Genetics and Mishima University predicted the sudden collapse of cases due to the fact An increase in mutations will result in “self-extinguishing”. When the virus replicates, its genes are subject to random “transcription errors,” Over time, they lead to changes in the structure of viruses.

Mutations can enable it to spread, evade immunity, or cause serious illness. But sometimes, according to experts, such mutations reach a “dead end in evolution.” According to Japanese scientists, the delta variant has accumulated an excess of mutations in a protein called nsp14, which is responsible for correcting transcription errors during viral replication. This would have led the delta variant to self-destruct. “We were literally shocked of the results. In Japan, the delta variant was highly transmissible and rejected the other variants. We believe that as mutations accumulate, it has become a defective virus, no longer able to replicate itself. Given that cases did not increase, we believe that during mutations in a certain extent The point is heading towards natural extinctionProfessor Inoue explains.