Cap-0 specific (nucleoside-2'-O-)-methyltransferase of nidovirales
Cap-0 specific (nucleoside-2'-O-)-methyltransferase (2'OMTase) catalyzes the methylation of Cap-0 (m7GpppNp) at the 2'-hydroxyl of the ribose of the first nucleotide, using S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) as the methyl donor. This reaction is the fourth and last step in mRNA capping, the creation of the stabilizing five-prime cap (5' cap) on mRNA. Nidovirales viruses, which comprise a family of ss(+)RNA viruses, cap their mRNAs. For one member, coronavirus, the 2'OMTase activity is located in the non-structural protein 16 (Nsp16). For others, the 2'OMTase activity may be located in replicase polyprotein 1ab.