CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogenic Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Savaid Medical School, University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
Viruses. 2021 Jun 10;13(6):1115. doi: 10.3390/v13061115.
The impact of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) on the world is still expanding. Thus, there is an urgent need to better understand this novel virus and find a way to control its spread. Like other coronaviruses, the nucleocapsid (N) protein is one of the most crucial structural components of SARS-CoV-2. This protein shares 90% homology with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus N protein, implying functional significance. Based on the evolutionary conservation of the N protein in coronavirus, we reviewed the currently available knowledge regarding the SARS-CoV-2 N protein in terms of structure, biological functions, and clinical application as a drug target or vaccine candidate.
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒 2（SARS-CoV-2）对世界的影响仍在扩大。因此，迫切需要更好地了解这种新型病毒并找到控制其传播的方法。与其他冠状病毒一样，核衣壳（N）蛋白是 SARS-CoV-2 最重要的结构组成部分之一。这种蛋白与严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒的 N 蛋白同源性高达 90%，表明其具有重要的功能意义。基于冠状病毒 N 蛋白的进化保守性，我们综述了目前关于 SARS-CoV-2 N 蛋白在结构、生物学功能以及作为药物靶点或疫苗候选物的临床应用方面的相关知识。
