Native american genomic variability and its possible influence on the response to pathogens

• Grant number: 20/10136-0
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): November 01, 2020
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Genetics - Human and Medical Genetics
• Principal researcher: Tábita Hünemeier
• Grantee: Renan Barbosa Lemes
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 20/05326-5 - Genomic and epidemiological aspects of the COVID-19 in native Brazilian populations, AP.R

Abstract

The present project aims at sequencing 40 complete genomes of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 from two Native American populations in Espírito Santo (Brazil) in order to unveil their genomic variability and its possible relationship with the clinical outcomes presented. The specific objectives of the project are: a. Elucidate native American native variability and its relationship to the spread and evolution of COVID-19. B. Establish the genetic susceptibility of these individuals to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and their dependence on pre-existing clinical factors (i.e. diabetes, tuberculosis). c. In silico modeling of the protein changes resulting from mutations in regions encoding genes already related to the evolution of COVID-19 (i.e. ACE2, IL-6, TMPRSS2), as well as highly differentiated genomic regions in individuals with different clinical outcomes. d. To verify the impact of the mutations found in the native population in the admixed individuals of the DNA do Brazil project (1000 Brazilians already sequenced), who present different degrees of miscegenation with Native Americans.