Structural phylogenetic analysis reveals lineage-specific RNA repetitive structural motifs in all coronaviruses and associated variations in SARS-CoV-2.

ABSTRACT: In many single-stranded (ss) RNA viruses, the cis-acting packaging signal that confers selectivity genome packaging usually encompasses short structured RNA repeats. These structural units, termed repetitive structural motifs (RSMs), potentially mediate capsid assembly by specific RNA-protein interactions. However, general knowledge of the conservation and/or the diversity of RSMs in the positive-sense ssRNA coronaviruses (CoVs) is limited. By performing structural phylogenetic analysis, we identified a variety of RSMs in nearly all CoV genomic RNAs, which are exclusively located in the 5'-untranslated regions (UTRs) and/or in the inter-domain regions of poly-protein 1ab coding sequences in a lineage-specific manner. In all alpha- and beta-CoVs, except for Embecovirus spp, tw

SUBMITTER: Chen SC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8206606 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature