📄 Coronaviridae and SARS-associated Coronavirus Strain HSR1

During the recent severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) outbreak, the etiologic agent was identified as a new coronavirus (CoV). We have isolated a SARS-associated CoV (SARS-CoV) strain by injecting Vero cells with a sputum specimen from an Italian patient affected by a severe pneumonia; the patient traveled from Vietnam to Italy in March 2003. Ultrastructural analysis of infected Vero cells showed the virions within cell vesicles and around the cell membrane. The full-length viral genome sequence was similar to those derived from the Hong-Kong Hotel M isolate. By using both real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction Taq. Man assay and an infectivity plaque assay, we determined that approximately 360 viral genomes were required to generate a PFU. In addition, heparin (100 mg/mL) inhibited infection of Vero cells by 50%. Overall, the molecular and biologic characteristics of the strain HSR1 provide evidence that SARS-CoV forms a fourth genetic coronavirus group with distinct genomic and biologic features.

keywords 🔗 severe acute (1373) 🔗 transcription-polymerase chain (58) 🔗 genome sequence (133) 🔗 reverse transcription (205) 🔗 polymerase chain (300) 🔗 viral genome (96) 🔗 real-time reverse (87) 🔗 reverse transcription-polymerase (55) 🔗 respiratory syndrome (2004) 🔗 acute respiratory (1734) 🔗 chain reaction (303)

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