| Primary Identifier | IPR037195 | Type | Homologous_superfamily |
| Short Name | Nucleocapsid_N |
| description | The Nucleocapsid (N) protein is a highly immunogenic phosphoprotein also implicated in viral genome replication and in modulating cell signalling pathways. The N protein interacts with genomic and subgenomic RNA molecules. Together with the envelope protein M, it participates in genome condensation and packaging. The N protein is a highly immunogenic and abundantly expressed protein during infection, capable of inducing protective immune responses against SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 [, , , , ].Coronavirus (CoV) nucleocapsid (N) proteins have 3 highly conserved domains. The N-terminal domain (NTD) (N1b), the C-terminal domain (CTD)(N2b) and the N3 region. The N1b and N2b domains from SARS CoV, infectious bronchitis virus (IBV), human CoV 229E and mouse hepatic virus (MHV) display similar topological organisations. N proteins form dimers, which are asymmetrically arranged into octamers via their N2b domains []. Both domains contribute to the binding of viral RNA genome [, ].This entry represents the N-terminal domain of the nucleocapsid (N) protein predominantly from Coronavirus. It exhibits a U-shaped structure, with two arms rich in basic residues, providing a module for specific interaction with RNA [, ]. The overall structure of the N-terminal domain found in SARS-CoV-2 is similar to other reported coronavirus nucleocapsid protein N-terminal domains, but the surface charge distribution patterns are different. This domain also interacts with the viral membrane protein during virion assembly and plays a critical role in enhancing the efficiency of virus transcription and assembly. It has been identified as an important drug target []. |
