Mount Sinai scientists, in collaboration with researchers from the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII) in Madrid, Spain, have located and identified alterations in the mpox virus genome that potentially correlate with changes in the virus’s transmissibility observed in the 2022 outbreak.
The findings were published April 18 in Nature Communications.
To carry out the study, researchers analyzed samples from 46 patients infected with MPXV whose diagnosis and sequencing were carried out at the ISCIII at the beginning of the 2022 mpox outbreak. The team performed high-quality sequencing of each study participant’s complete mpox virus genome to determine possible correlations between genomic variations in the different groups of sequences and epidemiological links associated with the virus’s ability to evolve, transmit, and infect.
According to the research team, recurrent observed genomic changes were located in areas of the genome that could be related to viral adaptation. Those specific locations would contribute to modulating the viral replication cycle, adaptability, and path of entry and egress. These alterations appear in areas known as low complexity genomic regions, which are particularly difficult to sequence and analyze, explaining why they were overlooked before. This highly sophisticated complete genome sequencing was made possible through the use of two advanced sequencing technologies: single-molecule long-read sequencing (to cover highly repetitive regions) and deep short sequencing reads (to provide accuracy and depth).
By detailing the genomic alterations within these repetitive genomic sequences and linking them to critical viral functions, researchers provide a plausible explanation for the heightened transmissibility observed during the 2022 mpox outbreak.
