title: The putative protein 6 of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-associated coronavirus: expression and functional characterization.
abstract: The SARS-CoV open reading frame 6 (ORF6) is transcribed into mRNA6 and encodes a putative 7.5 kDa accessory protein, SARS 6, with unknown function. In this study, we have confirmed the SARS 6 protein expression in lung and intestine tissues of the SARS patients and in SARS-CoV infected Vero E6 cells by immunohistochemistry. Further studies by immunoblot and confocal microscopy analyses revealed the expression and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) localization of the recombinant SARS 6 protein in mammalian cells. Expression of SARS 6 protein in mammalian cells elicits biological activity of stimulating cellular DNA synthesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, MMW509C, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, NT, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Geng
authors.forename: Yuet-Man
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Wai-Sing
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Chan
authors.forename: Anthony Wing-Ip
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Lo
authors.forename: Deborah Mun-Yee
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Au
authors.forename: Mary Miu-Yee
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Waye
authors.forename: Yuan-Yuan
authors.initials: YY
authors.lastname: Ho
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D016466:CHO Cells; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D006224:Cricetinae; D004247:DNA / Q000096:biosynthesis; D004721:Endoplasmic Reticulum / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D007422:Intestines / Q000473:pathology; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D016366:Open Reading Frames; D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000737:chemistry*; D045169:Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000821:virology; D014709:Vero Cells; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D011993:Recombinant Fusion Proteins; D014764:Viral Proteins; C507223:protein 6, SARS virus; D049452:Green Fluorescent Proteins; D004247:DNA