Molecular Investigations of Selected Spike Protein Mutations in SARS-CoV-2: Delta and Omicron Variants and Omicron BA.2 Sub Variant

Among the multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants recently reported, the delta variant has generated most perilous and widespread effects. Another variant, omicron, has been identified specifically for its high transmissibility. Omicron contains numerous spike (S) protein mutations and in numbers much larger than those of its predecessor variants. BA.2, a sub variant of omicron, has recently emerged with more spreadable infectivity as compared to the original omicron species. BA.2 also contains several new and additional mutations in its spike protein, and represents the globally most prevalent form of SARS-CoV-2 at the present time. In this report we discuss some essential structural aspects and time-based structure changes of a selected set of spike protein mutations within the delta and omicron variants, including those of omicron BA.2. The expected impact of multiple-point mutations within the spike protein’s receptor-binding domain (RBD) and S1 are also discussed. It is expected that the structural data discussed in this report will be helpful to identify drug targets and to neutralize antibodies for the evolving variants/sub variants of SARS-CoV-2.