title: Subcellular localization of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus nucleocapsid protein.
abstract: The coronavirus nucleocapsid (N) protein is a viral RNA-binding protein with multiple functions in terms of virus replication and modulating cell signalling pathways. N protein is composed of three distinct regions containing RNA-binding motif(s), and appropriate signals for modulating cell signalling. The subcellular localization of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) N protein was studied. In infected cells, SARS-CoV N protein localized exclusively to the cytoplasm. In contrast to the avian coronavirus N protein, overexpressed SARS-CoV N protein remained principally localized to the cytoplasm, with very few cells exhibiting nucleolar localization. Bioinformatic analysis and deletion mutagenesis coupled to confocal microscopy and live-cell imaging, revealed that SARS-CoV N protein regions I and III contained nuclear localization signals and region II contained a nucleolar retention signal. However, cytoplasmic localization was directed by region III and was the dominant localization signal in the protein.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Garstang Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: Jaehwan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: You
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Garstang Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: Brian K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Dove
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB, CSIC), Campus Univ. Autonoma, 3 Darwin Street, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Enjuanes
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB, CSIC), Campus Univ. Autonoma, 3 Darwin Street, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Marta L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: DeDiego
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Centro Nacional de Biotecnología (CNB, CSIC), Campus Univ. Autonoma, 3 Darwin Street, Cantoblanco, 28049 Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: Enrique
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.affiliation: Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: Gareth
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Howell
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency, London NW9 5HT, UK.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Heinen
authors.affiliation: Health Protection Agency, London NW9 5HT, UK.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zambon
authors.affiliation: Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.|Institute of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Garstang Building, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK.
authors.forename: Julian A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Hiscox
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D002466:Cell Nucleolus / Q000737:chemistry; D002522:Chlorocebus aethiops; D019295:Computational Biology; D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D003593:Cytoplasm / Q000737:chemistry*; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins / Q000032:analysis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D017434:Protein Structure, Tertiary; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D017384:Sequence Deletion; D017385:Sequence Homology; D014709:Vero Cells
chemical_list: D000086462:Coronavirus Nucleocapsid Proteins; D019913:Nuclear Localization Signals; D019590:Nucleocapsid Proteins