Abstract
Human coronavirus OC43 (HCoV-OC43) is the coronavirus most associated with “common colds”, infections of the upper respiratory tract. Previously, we reported that direct interactions of nucleocapsid (N) protein and C-terminal domain of Spike protein (Spike CD) are essential for replication of SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. Thus, we developed a novel ELISA-based strategy targeting these specific interactions to detect SARS-CoV-2 and MERS-CoV. Here, we investigated whether the same principles apply to HCoV-OC43. We discovered that the S protein of HCoV-OC43 interacts with N protein and that cell penetrating Spike CD peptide inhibits virus protein expression and replication of HCoV-OC43. The interaction between HCoV-OC43 S and N proteins were recapitulated with a recombinant HCoV-OC43 Spike CD fusion protein and a recombinant HCoV-OC43 N fusion protein in vitro . By producing an anti-HCoV-OC43 N protein-specific monoclonal antibody, we established a virus detection system based on the interaction between recombinant Spike CD and N protein of HCoV-OC43. We suggest that the interaction between Spike CD and N protein is conserved in coronaviruses and therefore could be a target for therapeutics against both novel coronavirus and its variants.
Keywords: ELISA; HCoV-OC43; anti-HCoV-OC43 N antibody; bait and prey; nucleocapsid protein; spike protein; virus detection.
【저자키워드】 HCoV-OC43, ELISA, Spike protein, nucleocapsid protein, anti-HCoV-OC43 N antibody, bait and prey, virus detection., 【초록키워드】 SARS-CoV-2, coronavirus, S protein, spike, Therapeutics, monoclonal antibody, Human, Infection, HCoV-OC43, peptide, in vitro, MERS, virus, MERS-CoV, variants, ELISA, Spike protein, nucleocapsid protein, Novel coronavirus, Replication, Human coronavirus, Protein, nucleocapsid, HCoV, virus detection, N protein, target, fusion protein, human coronavirus OC43, upper respiratory tract, OC43, Interaction, C-terminal domain, protein expression, colds, anti-HCoV-OC43, N proteins, replication of SARS-CoV-2, Penetrating, Cell, prey, detect, conserved, reported, investigated, inhibit, coronavirus, interact, the S protein, producing, 【제목키워드】 spike, detection, Spike protein, suppression, targeting,