N-terminal domain of gammacoronavirus Nonstructural protein 15 (Nsp15), and related proteins
Coronavirus (CoV) Nsp15 is a nidovirus endoribonuclease (NendoU). NendoUs are uridylate-specific endoribonucleases, which release a cleavage product containing a 2',3'-cyclic phosphate at the 3' terminal end. NendoUs include coronavirus Nsp15 and arterivirus Nsp11, both of which may participate in the viral replication process and in the evasion of the host immune system. This NTD structure (approximately 60 residues) present in coronavirus Nsp15, is missing in Nsp11. CoV Nsp15 has an N-terminal domain, a middle (M) domain, and a C-terminal catalytic (NendoU) domain. Nsp15 from alpha- and betaCoVs such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS)-CoV, human Coronavirus 229E (HCoV229E), and Murine Hepatitis Virus (MHV) form a functional hexamer. The active form of the Nsp15 of Turkey CoV (TCoV), a gammaCoV, has been reported to be a homohexamer. Residues in this N-terminal domain may be important for hexamer formation.