__Home | Our Work | Ares Lab | HHMI | UCSC Genome Browser | PubMed | Seminars
SARS s2m Motif
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) is caused by a highly contagious virus responsible for flu-like symptoms that resulted in hundreds of deaths in the worldwide outbreak of 2003. The SARS virus genome has a 32-nucleotide RNA element at the 3í end, of unknown function, called the s2m motif, which is highly conserved within the coronavirus and astrovirus family. Since the SARS virus replicates in the cytoplasm, how an interaction of the s2m motif with cellular factors might promote the growth of the SARS virus is unknown. We will test whether the s2m motif binds to a specific factor in vivo using the yeast-three-hybrid assay. We hope to show whether the s2m motif binds directly in vivo or may require one or more additional proteins. These studies should provide insight into how the SARS s2m element functions.

Next: Malaria browser | Our Work | Home

Top left: Aaron Shapiro; Top right: Neli Brod.
Left to right: Agustin Morales, Alexis Rojas, Candra Lancaster, Alejandro Orozco
s2m motif from "The structure of a rigorously conserved RNA element within the SARS virus genome". Robertson MP, Igel H, Baertsch R, Haussler D, Ares M Jr, Scott WG. The Center for the Molecular Biology of RNA,
University of California, Santa Cruz, USA