Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped positive-stranded RNA virus and the causative agent of COVID-19, a primarily respiratory illness characterized by fever, cough, and shortness of breath that can lead to life-threatening complications.1,2,3,4,5 The SARS-CoV-2 genome contains approximately 30 kilobases and 14 open reading frames (ORFs) that encode four structural proteins: spike, envelope, membrane, and nucleocapsid, as well as 16 non-structural proteins and 9 accessory factors.6 SARS-CoV-2 nsp16 methyltransferase (recombinant) is a 2'-O-methyltransferase (2'-O-MTase) and has a role in 5'-end capping of viral mRNAs.7,8 In coronaviruses, nsp16 forms a complex with nsp10 to methylate nascent mRNAs at the ribose 2'-O position, creating a Cap-1 structure that facilitates increased translation of viral mRNAs and reduced innate immune recognition by the host cell.8,9 Deficiency of nsp16 in the related virus SARS-CoV reduces viral RNA synthesis by approximately 10-fold in vitro, and mutations in the nsp16 KDKE catalytic tetrad in mouse-adapted SARS-CoV attenuate the virus in vivo.8,10 An nsp10-derived peptide inhibitor of the nsp16/nsp10 complex increases survival in a mouse model of infection with the coronavirus mouse hepatitis virus (MHV).9 Cayman's SARS-CoV-2 nsp16 Methyltransferase (recombinant) protein consists of 299 amino acids and has a calculated molecular weight of 33.46 kDa.WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.
