Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34453107›Full record

ArticleExperimental & molecular medicine2021

Mutational spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 during the global pandemic.

Kijong Yi, Su Yeon Kim, Thomas Bleazard, Taewoo Kim, Jeonghwan Youk, Young Seok Ju

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Experimental & molecular medicine, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
32citing papers in PubMed
17.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

32 citing papers in PubMed, 86 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. bronko: ultrafast, alignment-free detection of viral genome variation.bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology · 2026
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  20. "Mutation blacklist" and "mutation whitelist" of SARS-CoV-2.Journal of biosafety and biosecurity · 2022
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.

Kijong YiGraduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Korea.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1656-1243
Su Yeon KimGraduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Korea.
Thomas BleazardNational Institute for Biological Standards and Control, Blanche Lane, South Mimms, Potters Bar, Hertfordshire, EN6 3QG, UK.
Taewoo KimGraduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Korea.
Jeonghwan YoukGraduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Korea.
Young Seok JuGraduate School of Medical Science and Engineering, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon, 34141, Korea. ysju@kaist.ac.kr.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5514-4189
Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology · KRNational Institute for Biological Standards and Control · GB

Funding

Ministry of Health and Welfare (Ministry of Health, Welfare and Family Affairs) HI16c2387, HI17C1836National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) NRF-2019H1D3A2A02061168National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) NRF-2020R1A3B2078973
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Viruses accumulate mutations under the influence of natural selection and host-virus interactions. Through a systematic comparison of 351,525 full viral genome sequences collected during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we reveal the spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 mutations. Unlike those of other viruses, the mutational spectrum of SARS-CoV-2 exhibits extreme asymmetry, with a much higher rate of C>U than U>C substitutions, as well as a higher rate of G>U than U>G substitutions. This suggests directional genome sequence evolution during transmission. The substantial asymmetry and directionality of the mutational spectrum enable pseudotemporal tracing of SARS-CoV-2 without prior information about the root sequence, collection time, and sampling region. This shows that the viral genome sequences collected in Asia are similar to the original genome sequence. Adjusted estimation of the dN/dS ratio accounting for the asymmetrical mutational spectrum also shows evidence of negative selection on viral genes, consistent with previous reports. Our findings provide deep insights into the mutational processes in SARS-CoV-2 viral infection and advance the understanding of the history and future evolution of the virus.

Indexed as

COVID-19Evolution, MolecularGenome, ViralHumansMutationSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID34453107
PMCPMC8393781
OpenAlexW3193925370

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.