Deletion of the s2m RNA structure in the avian coronavirus Infectious Bronchitis Virus and Human Astrovirus results in sequence insertions

An RNA structure, denoted the s2m motif consisting of 41 nucleotides is located within the 3 untranslated region and is shared between some coronavirus species including Infectious Bronchitis Virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 Using a reverse genetic system to generate recombinant viruses we investigated the requirement of the s2m motif in the replication of IBV a globally distributed economically important Gammacoronavirus that infects poultry causing respiratory disease