Key result
Protein disorder prediction suggests MERS-CoV hard shells support high oral-fecal transmission and environmental persistence.
Protein intrinsic disorder prediction suggests MERS-CoV has a high potential for oral-fecal transmission due to its hard inner and outer shells.
May guide infection control for potential MERS-CoV fecal-oral spread; leaves open experimental validation of predicted shell stability.
A novel coronavirus, MERS-CoV (NCoV, HCoV-EMC/2012), originating from the Middle-East, has been discovered. Incoming data reveal that the virus is highly virulent to humans. A model that categorizes coronaviuses according to the hardness of their shells was developed before the discovery of MERS-CoV. Using protein intrinsic disorder prediction, coronaviruses were categorized into three groups that can be linked to the levels of oral-fecal and respiratory transmission regardless of genetic proximity. Using this model, MERS-CoV is placed into disorder group C, which consists of coronaviruses that have relatively hard inner and outer shells. The members of this group are likely to persist in the environment for a longer period of time and possess the highest oral-fecal components but relatively low respiratory transmission components. Oral-urine and saliva transmission are also highly possible since both require harder protective shells. Results show that disorder prediction can be used as a tool that suggests clues to look for in further epidemiological investigations.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Goh et al. (2013) studied MERS-CoV. Protein intrinsic disorder prediction was evaluated on Categorization of coronaviruses according to shell hardness and transmission routes. Protein intrinsic disorder prediction places MERS-CoV into disorder group C, suggesting it has hard inner and outer shells that support high oral-fecal transmission and environmental persistence.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: