Banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO: ANNE ALBUQUERQUE FILGUEIRA

Uma banca de QUALIFICAÇÃO de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : ANNE ALBUQUERQUE FILGUEIRA
DATE: 26/05/2026
TIME: 14:30
LOCAL: Sala da pós graduação
TITLE:

GENETIC CHARACTERIZATION OF THE SARS-COV-2 XFG VARIANT CIRCULATING IN THE STATE OF RIO GRANDE DO NORTE

 

KEY WORDS:

Phylogenetic Analysis; Viral Evolution; XFG; SARS

PAGES: 68
BIG AREA: Ciências Biológicas
AREA: Microbiologia
SUMMARY:

Coronaviruses belong to the order Nidovirales and the family Coronaviridae. This group are zoonotic viruses with great potential to cause a wide range of respiratory, enteric, and neurological diseases in a broad spectrum of vertebrate animals. The SARS-CoV-2 viral particle contains a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome (+ssRNA), approximately 25–32 kb in length. Since the beginning of the pandemic, genetic analyses have
revealed that SARS-CoV-2 has undergone numerous mutations, giving rise to multiple lineages and
sublineages. Currently, the most recent circulating SARS-CoV-2 variant is designated XFG. This
variant belongs to the Omicron family and results from recombination between the LF.7 and
LP.8.1.2 lineages. In addition to Brazil, XFG has already been detected in thirty-eight countries and
is classified by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a variant under monitoring. The objective
of this study was to infer the origin and evolutionary dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 XFG variant
identified in the state of Rio Grande do Norte, as well as to analyze its phylogenetic relationships
with the LF.7 and LP.8.1.2 lineages. A total of 382 genomic sequences of the XFG variant were
retrieved from the GISAID platform (Global Initiative on Sharing All Influenza Data). The samples
originated from South American countries and were collected between August and September
2025. Sequence alignment was performed using MEGA X and MAFFT v7.0 software, while
phylogenetic analyses were conducted using the Nextstrain platform and MEGA X. Partial results
suggest that the recombinant XFG variant circulating in Rio Grande do Norte shows a phylogenetic
relationship with sequences originating from Ireland. Furthermore, XFG presents additional
relevant mutations in the Spike protein, including V445R, N487D, Q493E e a deleção V483del,
which may be associated with functional changes in the glycoprotein.

 

 

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externo ao Programa - 2985070 - JONAS IVAN NOBRE OLIVEIRA - nullInterno - 348473 - JOSE VERISSIMO FERNANDES
Presidente - 1715230 - JOSELIO MARIA GALVAO DE ARAUJO