Coronavirion

Recent biochemical studies have revealed that the single-stranded RNA of several coronaviruses is polyadenylated, indicating that it is probably of positive polarity, and the genome of infectious bronchitis virus has been reported to be infectious, supporting evidence that the coronavirion RNA has a message function.

Coronavirions are pleomorphic, although generally spherical, 60 to 220 nm in diameter and bear widely spaced, club-shaped surface projections about 20 nm in length.

Our cryo-tomograms of whole coronavirions provide direct insight into the 3D structure of CoVs, revealing important features of the virion envelope and the RNP.