Slack / Private Message Drop — page 542

[2021-02-23 00:07:19] [Andrew Rambaut] A.23.1 also has a cluster in the UK with E484K [2021-02-23 00:10:36] [Eddie Holmes] Fascinating. So, D614G or Q613H (and perhaps linked mutations) push the virus down a particular evolutionary 'corridor' which then means that only certain subsequent mutations will follow? [2021-02-23 00:18:34] [Andrew Rambaut] Interestingly it seems that P681R arose after Q613H: [shared file(s): A.23.1_2021-02-02.tree.png] [2021-02-23 00:25:41] [Eddie Holmes] Ha. So that parallels P681H in B.1.1.7? [2021-02-23 00:41:31] [Eddie Holmes] Reminds me of this: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/328/5983/1272 [2021-02-23 04:48:31] [Robert Garry] V367F interesting in the CTD - probably more effect on the "flipping up" of the RBD. [2021-02-23 06:40:30] [Kristian Andersen] Reminds me of "keystone" mutations in Polio vaccine reversion too. Nate and I summarized an Andino paper on that a while back - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28340335/ [2021-02-23 07:59:07] [Robert Garry] Yes indeed A.23.1 very significant. Great tree @Andrew Rambaut Seems to me that a "WTF just happened" paper has a lot of precedence. Yeah a lot of good thinking in the Grumbaugh/Andersen commentary... https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.0030263 Also the Chik paper you discuss is also relevant - the key mutation near the fusion peptide. And then of course this one you also discussed. https://science.sciencemag.org/content/336/6088/1534 [2021-02-23 13:54:14] [Kristian Andersen] Just got contacted by the Office of the President for an off-the-record conversation about COVID origins.... Hmmmm, I wonder if they have anything - or more likely not. This should be interesting. Bob, did you get a request too? [2021-02-23 13:56:49] [Eddie Holmes] Seriously? Not a scam? My guess is that they are just interested in general info. and why we think the way we do. [2021-02-23 13:57:03] [Robert Garry] No - but I'm sure you will set them on the right track. [2021-02-23 13:58:11] [Eddie Holmes] They would not be the people who would release the key info.