Bioinformatic Analysis of Putative Gene Products Encoded in SARS—HCoV Genome

The cause of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been identified as a new coronavirus named as SARS-HCoV. Using bioinformatic methods, we have performed a detailed domain search. In addition to the viral structure proteins, we have found that several putative polypeptides share sequence similarity to known domains or proteins. This study may provide a basis for future studies on the infection and replication process of this notorious virus.