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Khabre desk
Recent reporting, analysis and explainers from the viral evolution desk.
science
A bioRxiv preprint comparing human H1N1 strains collected from 1977 to 2024 reports a recurring preference for α2,6-sialylated glycans. The study also found changes in binding avidity and a binding-null egg-adapted mutant.
science
A bioRxiv preprint reports that MERS-CoV spike substitutions L507I and L507H reduced binding to soluble DPP4 while preserving entry into cells with high DPP4 levels. Polymorphisms at the same site found in patient virus sequences showed stronger resistance in the study’s VSV-based cell system.
science
A Nature study tested nearly all single amino-acid mutations in RSV’s fusion protein and measured their effects on two antibodies used to prevent severe disease in infants. Resistance-associated sequence patterns were rare in current surveillance data, while the results provide a framework for tracking viral escape.