H-1, C-13 and N-15 chemical shift assignment of the stem-loops 5b+c from the 5 '-UTR of SARS-CoV-2

The ongoing pandemic of the respiratory disease COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 (SCoV2) virus. SCoV2 is a member of the Betacoronavirus genus. The 30 kb positive sense, single stranded RNA genome of SCoV2 features 5'- and 3'-genomic ends that are highly conserved among Betacoronaviruses. These genomic ends contain structured cis-acting RNA elements, which are involved in the regulation of viral replication and translation. Structural information about these potential antiviral drug targets supports the development of novel classes of therapeutics against COVID-19. The highly conserved branched stem-loop 5 (SL5) found within the 5'-untranslated region (5'-UTR) consists of a basal stem and three stem-loops, namely SL5a, SL5b and SL5c. Both, SL5a and SL5b feature a 5'-UUUCGU-3' hexaloop that is also found among Alphacoronaviruses. Here, we report the extensive H-1, C-13 and N-15 resonance assignment of the 37 nucleotides (nts) long sequence spanning SL5b and SL5c (SL5b +c), as basis for further in-depth structural studies by solution NMR spectroscopy.

Automated summary

The ongoing pandemic of COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which belongs to the Betacoronavirus genus. The genome of SCoV2 contains conserved RNA elements that are involved in viral replication and translation. Studying the structure of these elements can support the development of new therapeutics against COVID-19.