Related Experiment Video
Updated: Dec 4, 2025
08:41
Live Imaging and Quantification of Viral Infection in K18 hACE2 Transgenic Mice Using Reporter-Expressing Recombinant SARS-CoV-2
Published on: November 5, 2021
3.1K
SARS-CoV-2-specific virulence factors in COVID-19
Ashutosh Kumar1,2, Pranav Prasoon1,3, Chiman Kumari1,4
1Etiologically Elusive Disorders Research Network (EEDRN), New Delhi, India.
Journal of Medical Virology
|October 21, 2020
Summary
New research identifies severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)-specific virulence factors. These factors explain COVID-19 pathology, impacting infectivity, transmissibility, and vaccine response.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Pathology
- Immunology
Background:
- Limited understanding of SARS-CoV-2 virulence factors hinders effective COVID-19 treatment.
- Previous coronaviruses causing pandemics lacked specific virulence factors identified in SARS-CoV-2.
Purpose of the Study:
- To summarize recent findings on SARS-CoV-2-specific virulence factors.
- To elucidate the role of these factors in COVID-19 pathogenesis and host response.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of recent empirical studies on SARS-CoV-2.
- Analysis of structural and nonstructural viral components.
- Examination of viral-host interactions.
Main Results:
- Identification of unique SARS-CoV-2 features like the FURIN cleavage site and SCoV2-PLpro.
- Demonstration of dynamic spike protein conformational changes enhancing infectivity.
- Evidence linking virulence factors to increased transmissibility and disease severity.
Conclusions:
- SARS-CoV-2 possesses specific virulence factors contributing to its high pathogenicity.
- These factors influence viral spread, disease outcome, and immune responses, including vaccine efficacy.
Related Concept Videos
01:03Rous Sarcoma Virus (RSV) and Cancer
5.9K
Rous Sarcoma virus or RSV was discovered by F. Peyton Rous in the year 1911 as a filterable transmissible agent that could cause tumors in chickens. He won a Nobel Prize for this discovery in 1966. His experiments clearly demonstrated that some cancers could be caused by infectious agents and led to the discovery of many more cancer-causing viruses in animals as well as humans.
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
RSV is a retrovirus that contains two copies of a plus-strand RNA genome. Its genome consists of four main open...
5.9K
01:05Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms-SNPs
17.6K
A single nucleotide polymorphism or SNP is a single nucleotide variation at a specific genomic position in a large population. It is the most prevalent type of sequence variation found in the human genome. Point mutations that occur in more than 1% of the population qualify as SNPs. These are present once every 1000 nucleotides on an average in the human genome. Replacement of a purine with another purine (A/G) or a pyrimidine with another pyrimidine (C/T) is known as a transition. In contrast,...
17.6K
02:50Conjugated Proteins
24.6K
Simple proteins and protein complexes contain only amino acids. In contrast, many other proteins, called conjugated proteins, covalently bond with non-protein moieties.
Nucleoproteins are protein complexes that contain nucleic acids, categorized as deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNPs) or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) respectively. The nucleosome is a typical example of a DNP where nuclear DNA is associated with histone proteins. The major antigen for the Covid-19 virus SARS-CoV is an RNP that is critical...
Nucleoproteins are protein complexes that contain nucleic acids, categorized as deoxyribonucleoproteins (DNPs) or ribonucleoproteins (RNPs) respectively. The nucleosome is a typical example of a DNP where nuclear DNA is associated with histone proteins. The major antigen for the Covid-19 virus SARS-CoV is an RNP that is critical...
24.6K
02:28Leaky Scanning
5.5K
During most eukaryotic translation processes, the small 40S ribosome subunit scans an mRNA from its 5' end until it encounters the first start AUG codon. The large 60S ribosomal subunit then joins the smaller one to initiate protein synthesis. The location of the translation initiation is largely determined by the nucleotides near the start codon as there may be multiple translation initiation sites present on the mRNA. Marilyn Kozak discovered that the sequence RCCAUGG (where R...
5.5K
00:56Viral Structure
72.2K
Viruses are extraordinarily diverse in shape and size, but they all have several structural features in common. All viruses have a core that contains a DNA- or RNA-based genome. The core is surrounded by a protective coat of proteins called the capsid. The capsid is composed of subunits called capsomeres. The capsid and genome-containing core are together known as the nucleocapsid.
72.2K
01:29Viruses with RNA Genomes
502
RNA viruses are categorized into positive-strand, negative-strand, or double-stranded groups based on their genomic structure and replication mechanisms. This classification dictates how they exploit host cellular machinery for protein synthesis and replication. Some RNA viruses also utilize reverse transcription as part of their life cycle, further diversifying their replication strategies.Positive-Strand RNA VirusesPositive-strand RNA viruses have genomes that function directly as messenger...
502