Structure Of A Conserved RNA Element In The SARS Virus Genome Determined

2005-02-03T11:35:00.000-08:00

Date: 2005-02-03

The genome of the SARS virus is a single strand of RNA that folds into regular repeating patterns to form secondary structures such as helices. These then fold and bend in three dimensions to form complex tertiary structures. William Scott and colleagues have used X-ray crystallography to measure the exact positions of individual ribonucleotides and the interactions between them in a small segment of the SARS virus genome called the s2m element. This element sits at one end of the viral genome, and, as the researchers show, its sequence is highly conserved in related coronaviruses. Furthermore, unlike the rest of the SARS genome, which changes rapidly, the s2m element is absolutely conserved in SARS variants obtained from patients during the SARS epidemic. This strong sequence conservation indicates that the tertiary structure of s2m could be important for viral function, and when the researchers solved the three-dimensional crystal structure of the element, they found that it had a unique tertiary structure. In particular, there was a right-angle kink in its helical axis and a tunnel with a net negative charge.

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Public Library Of Science

RNA Silencing

Structure Of A Conserved RNA Element In The SARS Virus Genome Determined