Does form meet function in the coronavirus replicative organelle?
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Updated: Apr 26, 2026

Generation and Assembly of Virus-Specific Nucleocapsids of the Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Published on: July 27, 2021
Benjamin W Neuman1, Megan M Angelini2, Michael J Buchmeier3
1School of Biological Sciences, University of Reading, Reading, Berkshire, UK.
Abstract:
If we use the analogy of a virus as a living entity, then the replicative organelle is the part of the body where its metabolic and reproductive activities are concentrated. Recent studies have illuminated the intricately complex replicative organelles of coronaviruses, a group that includes the largest known RNA virus genomes. This review takes a virus-centric look at the coronavirus replication transcription complex organelle in the context of the wider world of positive sense RNA viruses, examining how the mechanisms of protein expression and function act to produce the factories that power the viral replication cycle.
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