title: Genetic variation of SARS coronavirus in Beijing Hospital.
abstract: To characterize genetic variation of severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) transmitted in the Beijing area during the epidemic outbreak of 2003, we sequenced 29 full-length S genes of SARS-CoV from 20 hospitalized SARS patients on our unit, the Beijing 302 Hospital. Viral RNA templates for the S-gene amplification were directly extracted from raw clinical samples, including plasma, throat swab, sputum, and stool, during the course of the epidemic in the Beijing area. We used a TA-cloning assay with direct analysis of nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction products in sequence. One hundred thirteen sequence variations with nine recurrent variant sites were identified in analyzed S-gene sequences compared with the BJ01 strain of SARS-CoV. Among them, eight variant sites were, we think, the first documented. Our findings demonstrate the coexistence of S-gene sequences with and without substitutions (compared to BJ01) in samples analyzed from some patients.
authors.affiliation: Beijing Institute of Infectious Diseases, Beijing 302 Hospital, Beijing, China.
authors.forename: Dongping
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Fuliang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Chu
authors.forename: Yonggang
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: Lingxia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: George F
authors.initials: GF
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Fu-Sheng
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D021821:Communicable Diseases, Emerging / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D004196:Disease Outbreaks; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D006760:Hospitalization; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins / Q000235:genetics; D008875:Middle Aged; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis / Q000302:isolation & purification; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D008562:Membrane Glycoproteins; D012367:RNA, Viral; D064370:Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus; D014759:Viral Envelope Proteins; C578557:spike glycoprotein, SARS-CoV