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Published on: December 23, 2020
In silico identification of conserved cis-acting RNA elements in the SARS-CoV-2 genome
1Department of Medical Applied Sciences, Unayzah Community College, Qassim University, Unayzah, Saudi Arabia.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to computationally predict conserved RNA sequences and structures known as cis-acting RNA elements (CREs) in the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) genome.
Materials & Methods:
Bioinformatics tools were used to analyze and predict CREs by obtaining viral sequences from available databases.
Results:
Computational analysis revealed the presence of RNA stem-loop structures within the 3' end of the ORF1ab region analogous to previously identified SARS-CoV genomic packaging signals. Alignment-based RNA secondary structure predictions of the 5' end of the SARS-CoV-2 genome also identified conserved CREs.
Conclusion:
These CREs may be potential vaccine and/or antiviral therapeutic targets; however, further studies are warranted to confirm their roles in the SARS-CoV-2 life cycle.
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