Description
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped positive-stranded RNA virus and the causative agent of COVID-19, a primarily respiratory illness characterized by fever, cough, and shortness of breath that can lead to life-threatening complications.1,2,3,4,5 The SARS-CoV-2 genome contains approximately 30 kilobases and 14 open reading frames (ORFs) that encode four structural proteins: spike, envelope, membrane, and nucleocapsid, as well as 16 non-structural proteins and 9 accessory factors.6 SARS-CoV-2 non-structural protein 8 (nsp8) is encoded within ORF1ab and is a cofactor and component of the SARS-CoV-2 decameric RNA replication transcriptional complex. It functions as an anchoring scaffold for the RNA transcription complex, with its N-terminal domain (NTD) binding to the RNA-dependent polymerase (RdRp) nsp12, the helicase nsp13, and RNA.7 SARS-CoV-2 nsp8 also functions as a virulence factor, binding to the host 7SL RNA component of the signal recognition particle to suppress membrane protein trafficking and impair host antiviral responses.8WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.
