A negative feedback model to explain regulation of SARS-CoV-2 replication and transcription

Gao, Shan; Cheng, Zhi; Jin, Xiufeng; Wang, Fang; Xuan, Yibo; Zhou, Hao; Liu, Chang; Ruan, Jishou; Duan, Guangyou; Li, Xin

Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Although a preliminary understanding of the replication and transcription mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 has recently emerged, their regulation remains unclear. Results Based on reanalysis of public data, we propose a negative feedback model to explain the regulation of replication and transcription in—but not limited to—SARS-CoV-2. The key step leading to new discoveries was the identification of the cleavage sites of nsp15—an RNA uridylate-specific endoribonuclease, encoded by CoVs. According to this model, nsp15 regulates the synthesis of subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs) and genomic RNAs (gRNAs) by cleaving transcription regulatory sequences in the body. The expression level of nsp15 determines the relative proportions of sgRNAs and gRNAs, which in turn change the expression level of nps15 to reach equilibrium between the replication and transcription of CoVs. Conclusions The replication and transcription of CoVs are regulated by a negative feedback mechanism that influences the persistence of CoVs in hosts. Our findings enrich fundamental knowledge in the field of gene expression and its regulation, and provide new clues for future studies. One important clue is that nsp15 may be an important and ideal target for the development of drugs (e.g. uridine derivatives) against CoVs.