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The Nonstructural Proteins Directing Coronavirus RNA Synthesis and Processing.
The Nonstructural Proteins Directing Coronavirus RNA Synthesis and Processing.
- Source :
-
Advances in virus research [Adv Virus Res] 2016; Vol. 96, pp. 59-126. Date of Electronic Publication: 2016 Sep 14. - Publication Year :
- 2016
-
Abstract
- Coronaviruses are animal and human pathogens that can cause lethal zoonotic infections like SARS and MERS. They have polycistronic plus-stranded RNA genomes and belong to the order Nidovirales, a diverse group of viruses for which common ancestry was inferred from the common principles underlying their genome organization and expression, and from the conservation of an array of core replicase domains, including key RNA-synthesizing enzymes. Coronavirus genomes (~26-32 kilobases) are the largest RNA genomes known to date and their expansion was likely enabled by acquiring enzyme functions that counter the commonly high error frequency of viral RNA polymerases. The primary functions that direct coronavirus RNA synthesis and processing reside in nonstructural protein (nsp) 7 to nsp16, which are cleavage products of two large replicase polyproteins translated from the coronavirus genome. Significant progress has now been made regarding their structural and functional characterization, stimulated by technical advances like improved methods for bioinformatics and structural biology, in vitro enzyme characterization, and site-directed mutagenesis of coronavirus genomes. Coronavirus replicase functions include more or less universal activities of plus-stranded RNA viruses, like an RNA polymerase (nsp12) and helicase (nsp13), but also a number of rare or even unique domains involved in mRNA capping (nsp14, nsp16) and fidelity control (nsp14). Several smaller subunits (nsp7-nsp10) act as crucial cofactors of these enzymes and contribute to the emerging "nsp interactome." Understanding the structure, function, and interactions of the RNA-synthesizing machinery of coronaviruses will be key to rationalizing their evolutionary success and the development of improved control strategies.<br /> (© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Acid Anhydride Hydrolases genetics
Acid Anhydride Hydrolases metabolism
Animals
Humans
Methyltransferases genetics
Methyltransferases metabolism
Protein Domains
RNA Helicases genetics
RNA Helicases metabolism
RNA, Viral biosynthesis
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus metabolism
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome pathology
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome virology
Viral Nonstructural Proteins metabolism
Gene Expression Regulation, Viral
RNA, Viral genetics
Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus genetics
Viral Nonstructural Proteins genetics
Virus Replication
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1557-8399
- Volume :
- 96
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Advances in virus research
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 27712628
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.aivir.2016.08.008