Differential stepwise evolution of SARS coronavirus functional proteins in different host species.

ABSTRACT:

Background

SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was identified as the etiological agent of SARS, and extensive investigations indicated that it originated from an animal source (probably bats) and was recently introduced into the human population via wildlife animals from wet markets in southern China. Previous studies revealed that the spike (S) protein of SARS had experienced adaptive evolution, but whether other functional proteins of SARS have undergone adaptive evolution is not known.

Results

We employed several methods to investigate selective pressure among different SARS-CoV groups representing different epidemic periods and hosts. Our results suggest that most functional proteins of SARS-CoV have experienced a stepwise adaptive evolutionary pathway. Similar to previous studi

SUBMITTER: Tang X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2676248 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature