The Hindu : SARS virus genome sequenced

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 02, 2003

International

International

SARS virus genome sequenced

A Chinese woman walks near a barricade with a sign that reads: "Be advised: vehicles and people not from this village are not allowed entry" on a road leading into a village on the outskirts of Beijing on Thursday. China reported 11 more SARS deaths on Thursday, taking the toll to 170 — AP

WASHINGTON MAY 1. Two nearly identical sequences of the SARS virus genetic structure have been reviewed and authenticated by experts.

The publication of the virus genome, which is being rushed into print by Science journal, should help researchers find drugs to treat the deadly respiratory illness and to develop a vaccine to prevent the infection. Science is one of the world's leading scientific journals.

A team of Canadians first sequenced a strain of the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome, or SARS, using specimens taken from a patient in Toronto, journal officials said on Thursday. Another form of the virus, called the Urbani strain, was sequenced shortly afterward by a U.S.-led team. The Urbani strain was earlier linked to a lung disease by Dutch researchers. The sequences were posted on the Internet on April 15 but are only now being peer-reviewed, a scientific step that lends credence to the accuracy of the work. ``Both research teams produced these genomic sequences quickly and efficiently, in a model of cooperation among various groups,'' said Don Kennedy, editor-in-chief of Science. ``Because this information is crucial to the public health, Science is making it immediately available following an important and promptly conducted peer review.''

Experts said the authenticated gene sequences will enable researchers to more quickly develop diagnostic tests and vaccines to combat the rapidly spreading, highly contagious respiratory disease. Researchers, however, said they found key differences in genetic sequences, suggesting that SARS is a novel form of coronavirus and not a recent mutation of a known variety.

Both of the sequencing studies have identified genetic pieces of the virus that may contain instructions for protein production, along with genes that enable the virus to infect cells and to reproduce. ``These findings set the stage for further investigation into the viral proteins' functions, possibly uncovering new targets for therapies or vaccines,'' the journal said in a statement. — AP