Accumulation of diverse mutations across the structural and nonstructural genes is leading to rapid evolution of SARS‐CoV‐2, altering its pathogenicity. We performed whole genome sequencing of 239 SARS‐CoV‐2 RNA samples collected from both adult and pediatric patients across eastern India (West Bengal), during the second pandemic wave in India (April–May 2021). In addition to several common spike mutations within the Delta variant, a unique constellation of eight co‐appearing non‐Spike mutations was identified, which revealed a high degree of positive mutual correlation. Our results also demonstrated the dynamics of SARS‐CoV‐2 variants among unvaccinated pediatric patients. 41.4% of our studied Delta strains harbored this signature set of eight co‐appearing non‐Spike mutations and phylogenetically out‐clustered other Delta sub‐lineages like 21J, 21A, or 21I. This is the first report from eastern India that portrayed a landscape of co‐appearing mutations in the non‐Spike proteins, which might have led to the evolution of a distinct Delta subcluster. Accumulation of such mutations in SARS‐CoV‐2 may lead to the emergence of “vaccine‐evading variants.” Hence, monitoring of such non‐Spike mutations will be significant in the formulation of any future vaccines against those SARS‐CoV‐2 variants that might evade the current vaccine‐induced immunity, among both the pediatric and adult populations.
Background: DNA methylation (DNAm) may play an important role in birth outcomes.
Material and Methods: Genome wide DNAm was analysed in peripheral blood DNA of women at multiple time points during gestation. A novel empirical method was used to identify CpG sites with high temporal variance in methylation associating with preterm birth.
Results: High variability at 1296 CpG sites from the promoter regions of 1197 genes significantly associated with PTB. These genes belonged to pathways involved in signalling by platelet derived growth factor, platelet homeostasis, collagen degradation, extracellular matrix and circadian clock.
Conclusions: The findings provide novel information which might help in development of predictive biomarkers of preterm birth outcome.
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