The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein is dynamic, disordered, and phase separates with RNA

Jasmine Cubuk; Jhullian J. Alston; J. Jeremías Incicco; Sukrit Singh; Melissa D. Stuchell-Brereton; Michael D. Ward; Maxwell I. Zimmerman; Neha Vithani; Daniel Griffith; Jason A. Wagoner; Gregory R. Bowman; Kathleen B. Hall; Andrea Soranno; Alex S. Holehouse

doi:10.1038/s41467-021-21953-3

Nature Communications (Mar 2021)

The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein is dynamic, disordered, and phase separates with RNA

Jasmine Cubuk,
Jhullian J. Alston,
J. Jeremías Incicco,
Sukrit Singh,
Melissa D. Stuchell-Brereton,
Michael D. Ward,
Maxwell I. Zimmerman,
Neha Vithani,
Daniel Griffith,
Jason A. Wagoner,
Gregory R. Bowman,
Kathleen B. Hall,
Andrea Soranno,
Alex S. Holehouse

Affiliations

Jasmine Cubuk: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Jhullian J. Alston: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
J. Jeremías Incicco: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Sukrit Singh: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Melissa D. Stuchell-Brereton: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Michael D. Ward: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Maxwell I. Zimmerman: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Neha Vithani: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Daniel Griffith: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Jason A. Wagoner: Laufer Center for Physical and Quantitative Biology, Stony Brook University
Gregory R. Bowman: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Kathleen B. Hall: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Andrea Soranno: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine
Alex S. Holehouse: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics, Washington University School of Medicine

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-21953-3
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 17

Abstract

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SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein is responsible for viral genome packaging. Here the authors employ single-molecule spectroscopy with all-atom simulations to provide the molecular details of N protein and show that it undergoes phase separation with RNA.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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