Insights into SARS-CoV Transcription and Replication from the Structure of the Nsp7-nsp8 Hexadecamer

Overview

Journal Nat Struct Mol Biol

Specialties Cell Biology
Molecular Biology

Date 2005 Oct 18

PMID 16228002

Citations 172

Authors

Yujia Zhai

Fei Sun

Xuemei Li

Hai Pang

Xiaoling Xu

Mark Bartlam

Zihe Rao

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Coronavirus replication and transcription machinery involves multiple virus-encoded nonstructural proteins (nsp). We report the crystal structure of the hexadecameric nsp7-nsp8 supercomplex from the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus at 2.4-angstroms resolution. nsp8 has a novel 'golf-club' fold with two conformations. The supercomplex is a unique hollow, cylinder-like structure assembled from eight copies of nsp8 and held tightly together by eight copies of nsp7. With an internal diameter of approximately 30 angstroms, the central channel has dimensions and positive electrostatic properties favorable for nucleic acid binding, implying that its role is to confer processivity on RNA-dependent RNA polymerase.

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