Full-length genome sequences of two SARS-like coronaviruses in horseshoe bats and genetic variation analysis Ren, Wuze and Li, Wendong and Yu, Meng and Hao, Pei and Zhang, Yuan and Zhou, Peng and Zhang, Shuyi and Zhao, Guoping and Zhong, Yang and Wang, Shengyue and Wang, Lin-Fa and Shi, Zhengli,, 87, 3355-3359 (2006), doi = https://doi.org/10.1099/vir.0.82220-0, publicationName = Microbiology Society, issn = 0022-1317, abstract= Bats were recently identified as natural reservoirs of SARS-like coronavirus (SL-CoV) or SARS coronavirus-like virus. These viruses, together with SARS coronaviruses (SARS-CoV) isolated from human and palm civet, form a distinctive cluster within the group 2 coronaviruses of the genus Coronavirus, tentatively named group 2b (G2b). In this study, complete genome sequences of two additional group 2b coronaviruses (G2b-CoVs) were determined from horseshoe bat Rhinolophus ferrumequinum (G2b-CoV Rf1) and Rhinolophus macrotis (G2b-CoV Rm1). The bat G2b-CoV isolates have an identical genome organization and share an overall genome sequence identity of 88–92 % among themselves and between them and the human/civet isolates. The most variable regions are located in the genes encoding nsp3, ORF3a, spike protein and ORF8 when bat and human/civet G2b-CoV isolates are compared. Genetic analysis demonstrated that a diverse G2b-CoV population exists in the bat habitat and has evolved from a common ancestor of SARS-CoV., language=, type=