Coronaviridae and SARS-associated coronavirus strain HSR1.
During the recent severe acute respiratory (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 TaqMan assay and an infectivity plaque assay, we determined that approximately 360 viral genomes were required to generate a PFU. In addition, heparin (100 microg/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.
Vicenzi
Elisa
E
P2-P3 Laboratories, DIBIT, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Via Olgettina n. 58, 20132 Milan, Italy. vicenzi.elisa@hsr.it
Canducci
Filippo
F
Pinna
Debora
D
Mancini
Nicasio
N
Carletti
Silvia
S
Lazzarin
Adriano
A
Bordignon
Claudio
C
Poli
Guido
G
Clementi
Massimo
M
D000818:Animals; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000821:virology*; D016679:Genome, Viral; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000472:pathogenicity; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000821:virology*; D013183:Sputum / Q000821:virology; D014709:Vero Cells