Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40895568›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in immunology2025

A fusion ORF3a-E subgenomic RNA involved in SARS-CoV-2 infection efficacy by influencing cellular protein synthesis.

Yifan Zhang, Jing Li, Xinglong Zhang, Xin Zhang, Jiali Li, Heng Li, Xin Zhao, Zihan Zhang, Yingyan Li, Keqi Chen and 3 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in immunology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

13 authors.

Yifan Zhang *Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Jing Li *Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Xinglong ZhangInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Xin ZhangInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Jiali LiInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Heng LiInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Xin ZhaoInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Zihan ZhangInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Yingyan LiInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Keqi ChenInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Shasha PengInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Haijing ShiInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.
Longding LiuInstitute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming, Yunnan, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Subgenomic RNAs (sgRNAs) are discontinuous transcription products of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) that are involved in viral gene expression and replication, but their exact functions are still being studied. Here, we report the identification of a nested ORF3a-sgRNA, the fusion ORF3a-E-sgRNA, which is involved in the infection process of SARS-CoV-2. This sgRNA encodes both ORF3a and E and can be detected throughout the viral life cycle in SARS-CoV-2-infected cells with high copy numbers. ORF3a-E-sgmRNA guides ORF3a translation and promotes the expression of cellular ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3), increasing translation levels. Single-cell sequencing of a SARS-CoV-2-infected human bronchial epithelial cell line (16HBE) revealed that maintenance of this stable translational environment by ORF3a-E-sgmRNA is important for SARS-CoV-2 assembly and release capabilities and is also beneficial for viral evasion of host innate immunity. More importantly, the transcription level of ORF3a-E-sgRNA may contribute to differences in infection processes between the Wuhan strain and the XBB strain of SARS-CoV-2.

Indexed as

Coronavirus Envelope ProteinsCOVID-19Protein BiosynthesisRNA, ViralSARS-CoV-2Viral Envelope ProteinsViroporin ProteinsCell LineEpithelial CellsHumansRibosomal ProteinsSubgenomic RNAVirus ReplicationCoronavirus Envelope ProteinsORF3a protein, SARS-CoV-2Ribosomal ProteinsRNA, ViralSubgenomic RNAViral Envelope ProteinsViroporin ProteinsribosomeSARS-CoV-2single-cell sequencesubgenomic RNAviral replication

Identifiers

PMID40895568
PMCPMC12395053

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.