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Cited by 305SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 ResearchSARS-CoV-2 detection and testingAnimal Virus Infections Studies

SARS-CoV-2 genomic and subgenomic RNAs in diagnostic samples are not an indicator of active replication

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Alexandersen, Soren, Chamings, Anthony, Bhatta, Tarka Raj·2020·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/s41467-020-19883-7PMC PMC7695715

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Abstract

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) was first detected in late December 2019 and has spread worldwide. Coronaviruses are enveloped, positive sense, single-stranded RNA viruses and employ a complicated pattern of virus genome length RNA replication as well as transcription of genome length and leader containing subgenomic RNAs. Although not fully understood, both replication and transcription are thought to take place in so-called double-membrane vesicles in the cytoplasm of infected cells. Here we show detection of SARS-CoV-2 subgenomic RNAs in diagnostic samples up to 17 days after initial detection of infection and provide evidence for their nuclease resistance and protection by cellular membranes suggesting that detection of subgenomic RNAs in such samples may not be a suitable indicator of active coronavirus replication/infection.

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Alexandersen, S., Chamings, A., & Bhatta, T. R.
Affiliations
Deakin University (AU)
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2020-11-27
Volume
11
Issue
1
Pages
6059-6059
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41467-020-19883-7
PMC
PMC7695715
OpenAlex
W3107258715
Cited by
305
References
7
Citations by year
2026: 12 · 2025: 21 · 2024: 41 · 2023: 51 · 2022: 86 · 2021: 83 · 2020: 11
FWCI
7.33
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • medRxiv (acceptedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • Figshare (submittedVersion, cc-by)
Funders
  • Deakin University (NA)
  • Department of Health | National Health and Medical Research Council (GNT9000413)
  • Barwon Health
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Infectious Diseases › SARS-CoV-2 detection and testing
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Animal Virus Infections Studies
Keywords
SARS-CoV-2, subgenomic RNA, viral RNA replication, viral transcription, diagnostic samples, nuclease resistance, double-membrane vesicles, coronavirus infection
MeSH terms
COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19 Testing, Adult, Cytoplasm, Female, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Nasopharynx, Oropharynx, RNA, Viral, Time Factors, Virus Replication, Polymerase Chain Reaction, Genome, Viral, Host-Pathogen Interactions, Young Adult, High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing

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