Gene found in coronaviruses of the genus Betacoronavirus
ORF7b is a gene found in coronaviruses of the genus Betacoronavirus , which expresses the accessory protein Betacoronavirus NS7b protein .[ 1] It is a short, highly hydrophobic transmembrane protein of unknown function .[ 1] [ 2]
Structure
ORF7b protein is a transmembrane protein with a single transmembrane helix whose membrane topology orients the C-terminus in the cytosol .[ 1] In SARS-CoV , it is 44 amino acid residues and in SARS-CoV-2 it is 43 residues, with about 85% sequence identity .[ 2]
Expression and localization
ORF7b is an overlapping gene that overlaps ORF7a .[ 3] The protein is probably expressed from subgenomic RNA through leaky scanning .[ 1] In SARS-CoV, it is localized to the Golgi apparatus , which requires the transmembrane helix sequence.[ 1] [ 4] In SARS-CoV-2, it has been reported to associate with the endoplasmic reticulum .[ 5]
Function
The function of the ORF7b protein is not well characterized. It is not essential for viral replication ,[ 1] [ 3] though there is inconsistent evidence from studies of SARS-CoV on whether its deletion affects replication.[ 1] [ 6] In SARS-CoV, it has been identified incorporating into virions , suggesting it is a minor viral structural protein .[ 1] [ 7] A SARS-CoV-2 variant with a deletion mutation in the ORF7b region, resulting in a fusion protein between ORF7b and ORF8 , has been identified, of unclear significance.[ 2] [ 8]
References
^ a b c d e f g h Liu DX, Fung TS, Chong KK, Shukla A, Hilgenfeld R (September 2014). "Accessory proteins of SARS-CoV and other coronaviruses" . Antiviral Research . 109 : 97–109. doi :10.1016/j.antiviral.2014.06.013 . PMC 7113789 . PMID 24995382 .
^ a b c Redondo N, Zaldívar-López S, Garrido JJ, Montoya M (7 July 2021). "SARS-CoV-2 Accessory Proteins in Viral Pathogenesis: Knowns and Unknowns" . Frontiers in Immunology . 12 : 708264. doi :10.3389/fimmu.2021.708264 . hdl :10261/249329 . PMC 8293742 . PMID 34305949 .
^ a b Pekosz A, Schaecher SR, Diamond MS, Fremont DH, Sims AC, Baric RS (2006). "Structure, Expression, and Intracellular Localization of the SARS-CoV Accessory Proteins 7a and 7b". The Nidoviruses . Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology. Vol. 581. pp. 115–120. doi :10.1007/978-0-387-33012-9_20 . ISBN 978-0-387-26202-4 . PMC 7123408 . PMID 17037516 .
^ Schaecher SR, Diamond MS, Pekosz A (October 2008). "The transmembrane domain of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ORF7b protein is necessary and sufficient for its retention in the Golgi complex" . Journal of Virology . 82 (19): 9477–9491. doi :10.1128/JVI.00784-08 . PMC 2546951 . PMID 18632859 .
^ Zhang J, Cruz-Cosme R, Zhuang MW, Liu D, Liu Y, Teng S, et al. (November 2020). "A systemic and molecular study of subcellular localization of SARS-CoV-2 proteins" . Signal Transduction and Targeted Therapy . 5 (1): 269. doi :10.1038/s41392-020-00372-8 . PMC 7670843 . PMID 33203855 .
^ McBride R, Fielding BC (November 2012). "The role of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-coronavirus accessory proteins in virus pathogenesis" . Viruses . 4 (11): 2902–2923. doi :10.3390/v4112902 . PMC 3509677 . PMID 23202509 .
^ Schaecher SR, Mackenzie JM, Pekosz A (January 2007). "The ORF7b protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is expressed in virus-infected cells and incorporated into SARS-CoV particles" . Journal of Virology . 81 (2): 718–731. doi :10.1128/JVI.01691-06 . PMC 1797472 . PMID 17079322 .
^ Su YC, Anderson DE, Young BE, Linster M, Zhu F, Jayakumar J, et al. (July 2020). "Discovery and Genomic Characterization of a 382-Nucleotide Deletion in ORF7b and ORF8 during the Early Evolution of SARS-CoV-2" . mBio . 11 (4). doi :10.1128/mBio.01610-20 . hdl :11343/277716 . PMC 7374062 . PMID 32694143 .