An in silico Approach for Analysis of Mutational Rate in Generations of Hepatitis B Virus

There is increasing evidence that Hepatitis B virus (HBV) has evolved into different genotypes and sub-genotypes in response to treatment. These differences emerge from constant mutations in the structural and non-structural parts within the genomes. These mutations decrease the susceptibility regions of the genome for the treatment and might increase the overall resistance. The aim was to apply in silico approaches to study the mutational rate and pattern at genome and gene levels of HBV across generations. A total of eight generation sequences were collected. All sequences were aligned and analyzed using Window Sliding Alignment method (WSA). A total of 9.99% mutations in genome, 1.32% in surface antigen gene, 3.44% in core protein gene, 17.24% in Polymerase gene and 17.68% in predicted Polymerase gene were found. The study shows and supports the previous finding of high mutational rate in Polymerase gene.