RT Journal Article SR Electronic(1) A1 Thiel, Volker A1 Ivanov, Konstantin A. A1 Putics, Ákos A1 Hertzig, Tobias A1 Schelle, Barbara A1 Bayer, Sonja A1 Weißbrich, Benedikt A1 Snijder, Eric J. A1 Rabenau, Holger A1 Doerr, Hans Wilhelm A1 Gorbalenya, Alexander E. A1 Ziebuhr, JohnYR 2003 T1 Mechanisms and enzymes involved in SARS coronavirus genome expression JF Journal of General Virology, VO 84 IS 9 SP 2305 OP 2315 DO https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.19424-0 PB Microbiology Society, SN 1465-2099, AB A novel coronavirus is the causative agent of the current epidemic of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Coronaviruses are exceptionally large RNA viruses and employ complex regulatory mechanisms to express their genomes. Here, we determined the sequence of SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV), isolate Frankfurt 1, and characterized key RNA elements and protein functions involved in viral genome expression. Important regulatory mechanisms, such as the (discontinuous) synthesis of eight subgenomic mRNAs, ribosomal frameshifting and post-translational proteolytic processing, were addressed. Activities of three SARS coronavirus enzymes, the helicase and two cysteine proteinases, which are known to be critically involved in replication, transcription and/or post-translational polyprotein processing, were characterized. The availability of recombinant forms of key replicative enzymes of SARS coronavirus should pave the way for high-throughput screening approaches to identify candidate inhibitors in compound libraries., UL https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/jgv/10.1099/vir.0.19424-0