(R)evolution of Viruses: Introduction to biothermodynamics of viruses

Marko E Popović; Vojin Tadić; Marta Popović

doi:10.1016/j.virol.2024.110319

(R)evolution of Viruses: Introduction to biothermodynamics of viruses

Virology. 2024 Nov 29:603:110319. doi: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110319. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Marko E Popović¹, Vojin Tadić², Marta Popović³

Affiliations

¹ University of Belgrade, Institute of Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Njegoševa 12, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia. Electronic address: [email protected].
² Department for Experimental Testing of Precious Metals, Mining and Metallurgy Institute, Zeleni Bulevar 35, 19210, Bor, Serbia.
³ University of Belgrade, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000, Belgrade, Serbia.

PMID: 39642612
DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2024.110319

Abstract

As of 26 April 2024, the International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses has registered 14690 virus species. Of these, only several dozen have been chemically and thermodynamically characterized. Every virus species is characterized by a specific empirical formula and thermodynamic properties - enthalpy, entropy and Gibbs energy. These physical properties are used in a mechanistic model of virus-host interactions at the cell membrane and in the cytoplasm. This review article presents empirical formulas and Gibbs energies for all major variants of SARS-CoV-2. This article also reports and suggests a mechanistic model of evolutionary changes, with the example of time evolution of SARS-CoV-2 from 2019 to 2024.

Keywords: Infectivity; Mechanistic model; Pathogenicity; SARS-CoV-2; Virus; Virus lifecycle; Virus-host interaction.

Publication types

Review