SARS-CoV(BJ01)基因预测及功能推测

通过对有关SARS—Cov文献的调研,指出了有关基因预测和功能研究的不足。为制备有效的药物和疫苗,对SARS—CoV(BJ01)重新进行了基因预测和功能推测。比较12种基因预测方法对冠状病毒属中已知基因的预测优劣,选用Heuristic models、Gene Identification、ZCURVE—CoV和ORF FINDER4种较好的方法来预测基因,然后运用AT—Gpr分析第一起始密码子的可能性及是否符合Kozak规则,同时搜索转录调控序列,以提高基因预测的准确性。共预测出34个ORF,排除NCBI及有关文献中完全相同或有微弱差别的13个,得到21个大于50个氨基酸的可能新基因。对于预测出的蛋白质,运用ProtParam分析它们的物理化学特征,用SignaIP分析蛋白是否有信号肽,用BLAST、FASTA分析是否有相似序列,用TMPred、TMHMM、PFAM和HMMTOP分析结构域或模体,以提高基因功能推测的可靠性。根据4种基因预测方法使用情况、与其他冠状病毒属已知基因匹配分值、匹配预期值、已知基因与预测基因长度差别,将21个可能的新基因按出现可能性分为4类。同时对结果进行了讨论。     

Heterologous expression of SARS-CoV ORF10 and X5 genes in E. coli and Streptomyces lividans TK24

In previous studies a variety of novel accessory genes has been identified that were interspersed among the structural genes of the SARS-CoV (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus) genome. The predicted unknown proteins (PUPs) encoded by the accessory genes, which are considered to be unique to the SARS-CoV genome, might play important roles in the SARS-CoV infection. Two of these genes, called ORF10 and X5, were synthesized and introduced into E. coli and Streptomyces lividans TK24, respectively. SDS-PAGE and Western blot revealed that the ORF10 and X5 genes have been expressed in the two hosts. This is the first report of heterologous expression of ORF10 and X5 genes in E. coli and S. lividans TK24. This work makes it possible to study the structure and potential functions of proteins encoding by these two genes.     

Mitochondrial location of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 3b protein

Severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV), a distant member of the Group 2 coronaviruses, has recently been identified as the etiological agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The genome of SARS-CoV contains four structural genes that are homologous to genes found in other coronaviruses, as well as six subgroup-specific open reading frames (ORFs). ORF3 encodes a predicted 154-amino-acid protein that lacks similarity to any known protein, and is designated 3b in this article. We reported previously that SARS-CoV 3b is predominantly localized in the nucleolus, and induces G0/G1 arrest and apoptosis in transfected cells. In this study, we show that SARS-CoV 3b fused with EGFP at its N- or C- terminus co-localized with a mitochondria-specific marker in some transfected cells. Mutation analysis of SARS-CoV 3b revealed that the domain spanning amino acids 80 to 138 was essential for its mitochondria localization. These results provide new directions for studies of the role of SARS-CoV 3b protein in SARS pathogenesis.     

A severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus-specific protein enhances virulence of an attenuated murine coronavirus

Most animal species that can be infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) do not reproducibly develop clinical disease, hindering studies of pathogenesis. To develop an alternative system for the study of SARS-CoV, we introduced individual SARS-CoV genes (open reading frames [ORFs]) into the genome of an attenuated murine coronavirus. One protein, the product of SARS-CoV ORF6, converted a sublethal infection to a uniformly lethal encephalitis and enhanced virus growth in tissue culture cells, indicating that SARS-CoV proteins function in the context of a heterologous coronavirus infection. Furthermore, these results suggest that the attenuated murine coronavirus lacks a virulence gene residing in SARS-CoV. Recombinant murine coronaviruses cause a reproducible and well-characterized clinical disease, offer virtually no risk to laboratory personnel, and should be useful for elucidating the role of SARS-CoV nonstructural proteins in viral replication and pathogenesis.     

SARS—CoV N蛋白与病毒mRNA相互作用的初步研究

SARS冠状病毒(SARS-CoV)是一种新型的冠状病毒,其基因组大小约为30,000 nt,为单股正链RNA。病毒基因中的1-72个核甘酸为前导序列。核衣壳(Nucleocapsid,N)蛋白是冠状病毒的主要结构蛋白,它在病毒基因转录,翻译以及病毒颗粒包装中起重要作用。在本研究中,我们通过PCR的方法从SARS-CoV cDNA中克隆N基因,将基因克隆到大肠杆菌表达载体中,经表达纯化获得大量重组蛋白,通过亲和层析和凝胶过滤层析获得高纯度的N蛋白。同时构建前导RNA的转录模板,经体外转录得到地高辛标记的RNA。使用Northwestern分析技术,我们证实纯化的N蛋白在体外可以与RNA发生特异性的结合。N蛋白与病毒RNA的结合特性及其在病毒生活周期中的所起作用的初步研究,为下一步设计出有效的阻断病毒周期从而达到抗病毒目的的药物或疫苗奠定了基础。     

Unique and conserved features of genome and proteome of SARS-coronavirus,an early split-off from the coronavirus group 2 lineage

The genome organization and expression strategy of the newly identified severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) were predicted using recently published genome sequences. Fourteen putative open reading frames were identified, 12 of which were predicted to be expressed from a nested set of eight subgenomic mRNAs. The synthesis of these mRNAs in SARS-CoV-infected cells was confirmed experimentally. The 4382- and 7073 amino acid residue SARS-CoV replicase polyproteins are predicted to be cleaved into 16 subunits by two viral proteinases (bringing the total number of SARS-CoV proteins to 28). A phylogenetic analysis of the replicase gene, using a distantly related torovirus as an outgroup, demonstrated that, despite a number of unique features, SARS-CoV is most closely related to group 2 coronaviruses. Distant homologs of cellular RNA processing enzymes were identified in group 2 coronaviruses, with four of them being conserved in SARS-CoV. These newly recognized viral enzymes place the mechanism of coronavirus RNA synthesis in a completely new perspective. Furthermore, together with previously described viral enzymes, they will be important targets for the design of antiviral strategies aimed at controlling the further spread of SARS-CoV.     

SARS病毒与其他冠状病毒的基因组比较

本文利用生物信息学方法比较SARS病毒和其他冠状病毒基因组。通过数据库搜索,找出与SARS病毒基因组相似的核酸或蛋白质序列,并对相似序列进行比对,分析它们的共性和差异。结果表明,SARS病毒在基因组的组织上及结构蛋白质方面与现有冠状病毒有比较大的相似性,SARS病毒基因组与冠状病毒基因组相关。但是,SARS病毒基因组还存在一些特异性序列,ORF1a和S蛋白(特别是S1)的变化以及SARS—CoV特异性的非结构蛋白可能是SARS发病机理与传染特性区别于其他冠状病毒的分子基础。在全基因组水平上进行核酸单词出现频率分析,结果表明,SARS病毒远离已知的其他冠状病毒,单独成为一类。