ORF8-Related Genetic Evidence for Chinese Horseshoe Bats as the Source of Human Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus

J Infect Dis. 2016 Feb 15;213(4):579-83. doi: 10.1093/infdis/jiv476. Epub 2015 Oct 3.

Abstract

Several lineage B betacoronaviruses termed severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-like CoVs (SL-CoVs) were identified from Rhinolophus bats in China. These viruses are characterized by a set of unique accessory open reading frames (ORFs) that are located between the M and N genes. Among unique accessory ORFs, ORF8 is most hypervariable. In this study, the ORF8s of all SL-CoVs were classified into 3 types, and, for the first time, it was found that very few SL-CoVs from Rhinolophus sinicus have ORF8s that are identical to that of human SARS-CoV. This finding provides new genetic evidence for Chinese horseshoe bats as the source of human SARS-CoV.

Keywords: ORF8; bats; origin; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • China
  • Chiroptera / virology*
  • Cluster Analysis
  • Evolution, Molecular*
  • Genotype
  • Humans
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • RNA, Viral / genetics
  • Sequence Analysis, DNA
  • Sequence Homology
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / classification
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / genetics*
  • Viral Matrix Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • RNA, Viral
  • Viral Matrix Proteins
  • sars7a protein, SARS virus

Associated data

  • GENBANK/JX993987
  • GENBANK/JX993988
  • GENBANK/KF636752
  • GENBANK/KJ473811
  • GENBANK/KJ473812
  • GENBANK/KJ473813
  • GENBANK/KJ473814
  • GENBANK/KJ473815
  • GENBANK/KJ473816
  • GENBANK/KJ473817
  • GENBANK/KJ473818
  • GENBANK/KJ473819
  • GENBANK/KJ473820
  • GENBANK/KJ473821
  • GENBANK/KJ473822
  • SRA/SRA051252