Identification of host factors that bind to the 5′ end of the MERS-CoV RNA genome

Plain language summaryMERS-CoV is a virus that causes a severe illness in the nose, mouth and throat of humans. It is a zoonotic virus, which means that it can spread from animals to humans. MERS-CoV was first found in Saudi Arabia in 2012 and continues to pose a threat to public health. Interactions between the virus and human cells and proteins are important to establishing infection. Understanding these interactions is important for the development of drugs to treat viral infections. Here, we have identified some proteins that interact with MERS-CoV. Tweetable abstractA proteomic approach for the identification of cellular proteins that interact with the 5 '-terminal region of MERS-CoV RNA genome. #MERS-CoV #RNA_viruses. Aim: The aim of this study was to identify host factors that interact with the 5 ' end of the MERS-CoV RNA genome. Materials & methods: RNA affinity chromatography followed by mass spectrometry analysis was used to identify the binding of host factors in Vero E6 cells. Results: A total of 59 host factors that bound the MERS-CoV RNA genome in non-infected Vero E6 cells were identified. Most of the identified cellular proteins were previously reported to interact with the genome of other RNA viruses. We validated our mass spectrometry results using western blotting. Conclusion: These data enhance our knowledge about the RNA-host interactions of coronaviruses, which could serve as targets for developing antiviral therapeutics against MERS-CoV.