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A Putative long-range RNA-RNA interaction between ORF8 and Spike of SARS-CoV-2
Okiemute Beatrice Omoru1, Filipe Pereira2,3, Sarath Chandra Janga1,4,5
1Department of Biohealth Informatics, School of Informatics and Computing, Indiana University Purdue University, Indianapolis, IN, United States of America.
Plos One
|September 1, 2022
Summary
Researchers discovered a unique, stable RNA-RNA interaction in SARS-CoV-2, involving the Spike and ORF8 regions. This finding may explain differences in viral behavior and impact sub-genomic RNA production rates.
Area of Science:
- Virology
- Molecular Biology
- Genomics
Background:
- Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) causes COVID-19, a global pandemic.
- SARS-CoV-2 is related to SARS-CoV-1, a virus known for its high lethality.
- Understanding viral differences in spread and mortality is crucial.
Purpose of the Study:
- To perform a comparative analysis of long-range RNA-RNA interactions in SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.
- To identify novel interactions, particularly those involving the Spike region.
- To investigate potential impacts on viral life cycle and sub-genomic RNA production.
Main Methods:
- In-silico fragment-based prediction of RNA-RNA interactions.
- Comparative analysis of reference sequences for SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2.
- Analysis of sequence variation patterns from global data.
Main Results:
- Identified a thermodynamically stable, long-range RNA-RNA interaction unique to SARS-CoV-2.
- This interaction occurs between the Spike (nt 23660-23703) and ORF8 (nt 28025-28060) regions.
- Sequence variation data supported the stability of a specific sub-region within this interaction.
Conclusions:
- Novel long-range RNA-RNA interactions, like the one identified between Spike and ORF8, are present in SARS-CoV-2.
- These interactions may influence viral RNA processing and protein production.
- Further research into these interactions could elucidate differences in viral pathogenesis.
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