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arXiv · 2005.07550

Assessing the impacts of mutations to the structure of COVID-19 spike protein via sequential Monte Carlo

Samuel W. K. Wong
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Abstract

Proteins play a key role in facilitating the infectiousness of the 2019 novel coronavirus. A specific spike protein enables this virus to bind to human cells, and a thorough understanding of its 3-dimensional structure is therefore critical for developing effective therapeutic interventions. However, its structure may continue to evolve over time as a result of mutations. In this paper, we use a data science perspective to study the potential structural impacts due to ongoing mutations in its amino acid sequence. To do so, we identify a key segment of the protein and apply a sequential Monte Carlo sampling method to detect possible changes to the space of low-energy conformations for different amino acid sequences. Such computational approaches can further our understanding of this protein structure and complement laboratory efforts.

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BibTeXRIS

Samuel W. K. Wong. 2020-05-01. Assessing the impacts of mutations to the structure of COVID-19 spike protein via sequential Monte Carlo. https://doi.org/10.6339/jds.202007_18(3).0017

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