The scheme highlights the conservation of the so-called nidovirus 'core replicase', consisting of the ORF1a-encoded main protease (Mpro) flanked by two transmembrane (TM) domains, followed by the ORF1b-encoded NiRAN nucleotidyl transferase (NT), RNA polymerase (RdRp), zinc binding domain (Z) and superfamily 1 helicase (HEL1).