SARS Sequenced
Posted on Thursday 17 April 2003
Scientists have announced that they have sequenced the
SARS virus. SARS is thought to be caused by a type of
virus called a coronavirus which has an irregular shape
but with 'crown-like' appearance. Most human
coronaviruses do not grow in cultured cells and so
relatively little is known about them. Fortunately,
SARS has been able to be successfully cultivated in
primate cells.
Labs crack killer's code Scientists have worked out the genetic sequence of the virus that is thought to cause severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). The code supports the idea that the disease leapt from animals into humans - and should help to refine a diagnostic test.This is what the SARS virus looks like
Over the weekend, two research groups separately revealed the complete genetic make-up of the suspected SARS virus, called a coronavirus. The flu-like disease has infected an estimated 3,169 people and killed 144 since November last year.
The sequence suggests that the coronavirus is "far from anything known before", says Herbert Schmitz of the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine in Hamburg, Germany. Although it is more than 75% identical to known animal and human viruses in some regions, it diverges widely in others.
And here's that sequence that they've been talking about. Let me hum a few bars for you.
ctacccagga aaagccaacc aacctcgatc tcttgtagat ctgttctcta aacgaacttt aaaatctgtg tagctgtcgc tcggctgcat gcctagtgca cctacgcagt ataaacaata ataaatttta ctgtcgttga caagaaacga gtaactcgtc cctcttctgc agactgctta cggtttcgtc cgtgttgcag tcgatcatca gcatacctag gtttcgtccg ggtgtgaccg aaaggtaaga tggagagcct tgttcttggt gtcaacgaga aaacacacgt ccaactcagt ttgcctgtcc ttcaggttag agacgtgcta gtgcgtggct tcggggactc tgtggaagag gccctatcgg aggcacgtga acacctcaaa aatggcactt gtggtctagt agagctggaa aaaggcgtac tgccccagct tgaacagccc tatgtgttca ttaaacgttc tgatgcctta agcaccaatc acggccacaa ggtcgttgag ctggttgcag aaatggacgg cattcagtac ggtcgtagcg gtataacact gggagtactc gtgccacatg tgggcgaaac cccaattgca taccgcaatg ttcttcttcg taagaacggt aataagggag ccggtggtca tagctatggc atcgatctaa agtcttatga cttaggtgac gagcttggca ctgatcccat tgaagattat gaacaaaact ggaacactaa gcatggcagt ggtgcactcc gtgaactcac tcgtgagctc aatggaggtg cagtcactcg ctatgtcgac aacaatttct gtggcccaga tgggtaccct cttgattgca tcaaagattt tctcgcacgc gcgggcaagt caatgtgcac tctttccgaa caacttgatt acatcgagtc gaagagaggt gtctactgct gccgtgacca tgagcatgaa attgcctggt tcactgagcg ctctgataag agctacgagc accagacacc cttcgaaatt aagagtgcca agaaatttga cactttcaaa ggggaatgcc caaagtttgt gtttcctctt aactcaaaag tcaaagtcat tcaaccacgt gttgaaaaga aaaagactga gggtttcatg gggcgtatac gctctgtgta ccctgttgca tctccacagg agtgtaacaa tatgcacttg tctaccttga tgaaatgtaa tcattgcgat gaagtttcat ggcagacgtg cgactttctg aaagccactt gtgaacattg tggcactgaa aatttagtta ttgaaggacc tactacatgt gggtacctac ctactaatgc tgtagtgaaa atgccatgtc ctgcctgtca agacccagag...Catchy isn't it? See also:
Coronaviruses - the cause of SARS
