SARS-CoV NSP8

The SARS coronavirus, sometimes shortened to SARS-CoV, is the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). SARS coronavirus is a positive and single stranded RNA virus belonging to a family of enveloped coronaviruses. Its genome is about 29.7kb, which is one of the largest among RNA viruses. The SARS virus has 13 known genes and 14 known proteins. There are 265 nucleotides in the 5'UTR and 342 nucleotides in the 3'UTR. SARS is similar to other coronaviruses in that its genome expression starts with translation of two large ORFs, 1a and 1b, both of which are polyproteins. SARS-CoV nsp7 and nsp8 are non-structural proteins that are involved in the replication and transcription of the SARS coronavirus. Nsp8 serves as an RNA primase, colocalizes with RdRP to replicate SARS-CoV, and is capable of de novo initiation. Nsp7 interactions with nsp8 boost RNA-dependent RNA polymerase and also increases RNA binding by nsp8.

SARS coronavirus non-structural protein 8