SARS-CoV-2 virus can alter our DNA, lead to long Covid: Study

A recent study published in the journal Nature Microbiology found that people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus might experience changes in their genome structure that could explain their immunity-related symptoms and risk of long Covid. According to the study, the virus can attack chromatin which is a structure where genetic materials in our cells are stored. 

Studies have suggested that some viruses can hijack or change our chromatin, to reproduce in our cells but whether or how SARS-CoV-2 may affect our chromatin was previously unknown. “We found that many well-formed chromatin architectures of a normal cell become de-organised after infection,” said Wenbo Li, senior author of the study and associate professor at the United States-based University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, as per PTI. 

He gave an example of one type of chromatin architecture termed A/B compartments that “can be analogous to the yin and yang portions of our chromatin.” However, after a person was infected with the SARS-CoV-2 they found that the yin and yang portions of the chromatin lose their “normal shapes and start to mix together,” said Li. Furthermore, not only can the shape but also the chemical composition of chromatin be altered by SARS-CoV-2, the study found. 

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According to a scientist who was a part of the study, Xiaoyi Yuan, the changes in “chemical modifications of chromatin were known to exert long-term effects on gene expression and phenotypes”, reported PTI. Therefore, their research might provide an “unrealised new perspective to understand the viral impacts on host chromatin that can associate with long Covid,” Yuan added. 

The mixing of chromatin might be the cause of some key genes like interleukin-6 to change, the study suggests. The interleukin-6 is a significant inflammation gene and this mixing and change can cause a cytokine storm in severe COVID-19 patients. A cytokine storm is a severe immune reaction where the body releases too many cytokines very quickly. While they play an important role in normal immune responses, a large amount released in the body at once can be harmful. 

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“This study elucidated to us how SARS-CoV-2 can uniquely alter our chromatin to cause COVID-19 symptoms. Future work will focus on understanding the mechanisms of how SARS-CoV-2 can achieve this” said Li, as per PTI. Researchers also hope that these findings can pave the way for future research and understanding of the long-term effects of the virus. 
 

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