Emergence of unique SARS-CoV-2 ORF10 variants and their impact on protein structure and function

The devastating impact of the ongoing coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on public health, caused by the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has made targeting the COVID-19 pandemic a top priority in medical research and pharmaceutical development. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 mutations is essential for the comprehension of SARS-CoV-2 variant diversity and their impact on virulence and pathogenicity. The SARS-CoV-2 open reading frame 10 (ORF10) protein interacts with multiple human proteins CUL2, ELOB, ELOC, MAP7D1, PPT1, RBX1, THTPA, TIMM8B, and ZYG11B expressed in lung tissue. Mutations and co-occurring mutations in the emerging SARS-CoV-2 ORF10 variants are expected to impact the severity of the virus and its associated consequences. In this article, we highlight 128 single mutations and 35 co-occurring mutations in the unique SARS-CoV-2 ORF10 variants. The possible predicted effects of these mutations and co-occurring mutations on the secondary structure of ORF10 variants and host protein interactomes are presented. The findings highlight the possible effects of mutations and co-occurring mutations on the emerging 140 ORF10 unique variants from secondary structure and intrinsic protein disorder perspectives. •Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 mutations is essential for understanding virulence and pathogenicity.•The SARS-CoV-2 ORF10 protein interacts with multiple human proteins.•Mutations in the emerging SARS-CoV-2 ORF10 variants can affect the severity of the viral infection.•We analyzed 128 single mutations and 35 co-occurring mutations in the unique ORF10 variants.•The effects of these mutations various properties of ORF10 are analyzed.