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As studies continue to reveal the behavior of the Corona virus, which has baffled the world for nearly two years, scientists at the Virus Research Center at the University of Glasgow in Scotland have identified a gene that affects hardness with which a person can tolerate Covid-19 infection. .
At the same time, the researchers, whose study was published in the journal “Science”, warned of the risk of the emergence of new strains of the Corona virus, ignoring the natural protection that this gene provides to some people. .
The study also pointed out that one of the types of proteins produced in the body using the “OAS1” gene is able to effectively identify the “SARS Cove 2” virus and prevent the severe course of the disease. .
destroy viruses
The OAS1 gene, known to science, initiates a cycle of processes that activates ribonuclease L, an enzyme that destroys viruses that have entered cells and stimulates immune responses to fight infection.
However, the study authors point out that according to the “instructions” in “OAS1”, one of two isoforms of the protein that recognizes viruses and elicits an immune response can be produced, short “p42” or long “p46. “, and only the latter is effective against the coronavirus, which caused the epidemic, in which a particular group of molecules attaches to it, which facilitates the interaction of the protein with cell membranes (they are called proteins prenylated).
In addition, the study indicated the importance of noting that the pre-expression of “OAS1” is associated with protection against severe forms of “Covid 19”, and this indicates that this immune mechanism is an important part of the protective antiviral response. “
In Africa and Europe
These results were obtained on the basis of the study of the genomes of 499 people who were hospitalized with the Corona virus in 212 of them, the body did not produce “p46”, and among this group, the risk of death and ICU admission was one and a half times higher than the other group.
They also indicated that not everyone has the variant of the gene responsible for the production of the isoform “p46”, which recognizes the structural elements of the Corona virus well, as the researchers indicate that it is more prevalent. among the peoples of Africa and immigrants to this continent. than anywhere else, and they mentioned that Less common among residents of Peru’s capital, Lima (11% of cases), and to a greater extent among representatives of the Ishan people in Nigeria (70% of cases). While the Europeans are in second place.
Scientists believe that the susceptibility of many populations to COVID-19 may depend precisely on the prevalence of the “appropriate” variant of OAS1 in the population.
Expressive African Corona
gimmick and fast spread
As Professor Sam Wilson, director of the Glasgow Virus Research Center points out, it is possible that the Covid-19 virus will learn over time to bypass this defense mechanism, which it has never encountered before. The OAS1 gene is not present in the putative primary carriers of SARS-CoV-2, the horseshoe bats.
And UK TV broadcaster “ITV” quoted Wilson as saying that research “showed that the coronavirus that caused the SARS outbreak in 2003 had learned to stay away from OAS1, noting that the new mutations of “SARS-Cove-2” if you could This scheme could become more susceptible to infection and spread more easily among the unvaccinated population, who saw the need for continued surveillance for new “SARS-Cove-2 mutations “.
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