Scientists have found a new mutation at the so-called “Stels-Oomikron” – the new subtype of the V.2 Omicron strain of coronavirus, writes Gazeta.ru.
According to researchers, the changes affected the ORF3A protein, which causes inflammatory reactions in cells, and is also responsible for moving the virus inside the human cell.
It is reported that the new version of the subspecies Ba.2 accounts for about 24% of all cases of infection in Denmark.
“This protein plays a role in moving the virus inside and inside the cell,” said Mikhail Bolkkov, a researcher of the Department of Immunoochemistry of the Ural Federal University.
According to the expert, it affects autophage in a cell (the ability to disassemble proteins back to amino acids).
“There are such bubbles, chemical tanks in which unnecessary proteins are destroyed. And viruses are deceived by enzymes in these bubbles and use them as containers to move inside the cell,” he said.