title: The dimer interface of the SARS coronavirus nucleocapsid protein adapts a porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus-like structure.
abstract: We have employed NMR to investigate the structure of SARS coronavirus nucleocapsid protein dimer. We found that the secondary structure of the dimerization domain consists of five alpha helices and a beta-hairpin. The dimer interface consists of a continuous four-stranded beta-sheet superposed by two long alpha helices, reminiscent of that found in the nucleocapsid protein of porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus. Extensive hydrogen bond formation between the two hairpins and hydrophobic interactions between the beta-sheet and the alpha helices render the interface highly stable. Sequence alignment suggests that other coronavirus may share the same structural topology.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Academia Sinica, Nankang, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Chung-ke
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Shih-Che
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Sue
authors.forename: Tsan-hung
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Chiu-Min
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Cheng-Kun
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Yen-Chieh
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Chiang
authors.forename: Shin-jye
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Hsin-Hao
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Hsiao
authors.forename: Wen-Jin
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Chi-Fon
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Tai-huang
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D019281:Dimerization; D006860:Hydrogen Bonding; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019906:Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D019316:Porcine respiratory and reproductive syndrome virus / Q000737:chemistry; D017433:Protein Structure, Secondary; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000737:chemistry; D016415:Sequence Alignment
chemical_list: D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins