Background:The widespread threat of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) to human life has spawned challenges to develop fast and accurate analytical methods for its early diagnosis and to create a safe antiviral vaccine for preventive use. Consequently, we thoroughly investigated the immunoreactivities with patient sera of a series of synthesized peptides from SARS-coronavirus structural proteins. Methods: We synthesized 41 peptides ranging in size from 16 to 25 amino acid residues of relatively high hydrophilicity. The immunoreactivities of the peptides with SARS patient sera were determined by ELISA. Results: Four epitopic sites, S599, M137, N66, and N371-404, located in the SARS-coronavirus S, M, and N proteins, respectively, were detected by screening synthesized peptides. Notably, N371 and N385, located at the COOH terminus of the N protein, inhibited binding of antibodies to SARS-coronavirus lysate and bound to antibodies in >94% of samples from SARS study patients. N385 had the highest affinity for forming peptide-antibody complexes with SARS serum.

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The readily available permanganate, KMnO 4 , was successfully utilized in the synthesis of manganese oxide octahedral molecular sieve (OMS-1) with the todorokite type structure. The magnesium concentration in the starting materials was systematically varied to study the synthetic chemistry of Mg-OMS-1. The techniques such as powder XRD, ICP, TGA, TPD, and redox titrations were all applied to characterize the as-synthesized Mg-OMS-1 samples. The correlation between the amount of magnesium in the starting materials and the properties of Mg-OMS-1 results in differences in (1) colors, (2) crystalline purity, and (3) thermal stabilities. Magnesium(II) ions are believed to be doped into the framework of the OMS-1 structure, but the major amount of Mg 2+ mainly behaves as a template and is located in the tunnels of OMS-1. Two interesting Mg 2+ concentration windows have been observed, one for the starting materials and another for the Mg 2+ ions in the framework of Mg-OMS-1 which cover the magnesium concentration range where good quality Mg-OMS-1 can be formed.

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