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The Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Protein Is Dynamically Associated with the Replication-Transcription Complexes

2010; American Society for Microbiology; Volume: 84; Issue: 21 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1128/jvi.00569-10

1098-5514

Monique H. Verheije, Marne C. Hagemeijer, Mustafa Ulaşlı, Fulvio Reggiori, Peter J. M. Rottier, Paul S. Masters, Cornelis A. M. de Haan,

interferon and immune responses

ABSTRACT The coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) protein is a virion structural protein. It also functions, however, in an unknown way in viral replication and localizes to the viral replication-transcription complexes (RTCs). Here we investigated, using recombinant murine coronaviruses expressing green fluorescent protein (GFP)-tagged versions of the N protein, the dynamics of its interactions with the RTCs and the domain(s) involved. Using fluorescent recovery after photobleaching, we showed that the N protein, unlike the nonstructural protein 2, is dynamically associated with the RTCs. Recruitment of the N protein to the RTCs requires the C-terminal N2b domain, which interacts with other N proteins in an RNA-independent manner.