Tsinghua University-Institute of Biophysics, CAS Joint Research Group for Structural Biology
○Zihe Rao

Zihe Rao's group has been active in SARS basic research since the 2003 global outbreak, and was the first to determine the crystal structure of a key replicase protein encoded by the SARS coronavirus (SARS-CoV) - the main protease or Mpro - and its complex with an inhibitor. His group has since made a number of important breakthroughs in SARS research, and the major achievements include: wide spectrum inhibitor design targeting coronavirus Mpro; the elucidation of the autocleavage mechanism of coronavirus Mpro; the structures of the spike (S) protein fusion cores from SARS-CoV and MHV; the structure of the super-complex between two SARS non-structural proteins, nsp7 and nsp8; the dodecamer structure of the SARS non-structural protein nsp10; and the hexamer structure of the MHV non-structural protein nsp15, an endoribonuclease. With more than 18 protein and complex structures from SARS-CoV and related coronaviruses to date, Zihe Rao's group has provided important structural insights into coronavirus replication/transcription.

References: [1] Yang, H. et al. & Rao, Z. (2005). PLoS Biol 3, e324. [2] Zhai, Y. et al. & Rao, Z. (2005). Nat Struct Mol Biol 12, 980-6. [3] Bartlam, M., Yang, H. & Rao, Z. (2005). Curr Opin Struct Biol 15, 664-72.[4] Xu, Y. et al. & Rao, Z. (2004). J Biol Chem 279, 30514-22. [5] Xu, Y. et al. & Rao, Z. (2004). J Biol Chem 279, 49414-9. [6] Xu, Y. et al & Rao, Z. (2004). Biochemistry 43, 14064-71. [7] Yang, H. et al. & Rao, Z. (2003). Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 100, 13190-5.