A novel fingerprint map for detecting SARS-CoV

• Published in: Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis Vol. 41; no. 1; pp. 246 - 250
• Main Authors: Gao, Lei, Ding, Yong-Sheng, Dai, Hua, Shao, Shi-Huang, Huang, Zhen-De, Chou, Kuo-Chen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 11-04-2006; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Algorithms; Analysis; Analytical, structural and metabolic biochemistry; Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Chemistry Techniques, Analytical - methods; China; Fingerprint map; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General pharmacology; Genetic Techniques; Graphical approach; Humans; Medical sciences; Mice; Models, Theoretical; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Rats; SARS coronavirus; SARS Virus - genetics; SARS-CoV; Sequence Analysis, DNA - methods; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - diagnosis; Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - genetics; Short Communication; Spike protein; Z-curve; China; ACE2; Angiotensin-converting enzyme 2; Spike protein; SARS-CoV; Fingerprint map; Z-curve; Graphical approach; S protein; Lung disease; Respiratory disease; Enzyme; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Infection; Peptidases; Peptidyl-dipeptidase A; Viral disease; Fingerprint method; Hydrolases; Peptidyl-dipeptidases
• ISSN: 0731-7085; 1873-264X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jpba.2005.09.031

Spike (S) protein is the most important membrane protein on the surface of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV). It associates with cellular receptors to mediate infection of their target cells. Inspired by such a mechanism, an in-depth investigation into the genome sequences of S protein of SARS-CoV and its receptor are conducted thru a mathematical transformation and graphic approach. As an outcome, a novel method for visualizing the characteristic of SARS-CoV is suggested. An extensive comparison among a large number of genome sequences has proved that the characteristic thus revealed is unique for SARS-CoV. As such, the characteristic can be regarded as the fingerprint map of SARS-CoV for diagnostic usage. Moreover, the conclusion has been further supported in a real case in Guangdong province of China. The fingerprint map proposed here has the merits of clear visibility and reliability that can serve as a complementary clinical tool for detecting SARS-CoV, particularly for the cases where the results obtained by the conventional methods are uncertain or conflicted with each other.