Coronaviruses are responsible for upper and lower respiratory tract infections in humans. It is estimated that 1 to 10% of the population suffers annually from cold-like symptoms related to infection with human coronavirus NL63 (HCoV-NL63), an alphacoronavirus. The nucleocapsid (N) protein, the major structural component of the capsid, facilitates RNA packing, links the capsid to the envelope, and is also involved in multiple other processes, including viral replication and evasion of the immune system. Although the role of N protein in viral replication is relatively well described, no structural data are currently available regarding the N proteins of alphacoronaviruses. Moreover, our understanding of the mechanisms of RNA binding and nucleocapsid formation remains incomplete. In this study, we solved the crystal structures of the N-and C-terminal domains (NTD, residues 10 to 140, and CTD, residues 221 to 340, respectively) of the N protein of HCoV-NL63, both at a 1.5-Å resolution. Based on our structure of NTD solved here, we proposed and experimentally evaluated a model of RNA binding. The structure of the CTD reveals the mode of N protein dimerization. Overall, this study expands our understanding of the initial steps of N protein-nucleic acid interaction and may facilitate future efforts to control the associated infections.IMPORTANCE Coronaviruses are responsible for the common cold and other respiratory tract infections in humans. According to multiple studies, 1 to 10% of the population is infected each year with HCoV-NL63. Viruses are relatively simple organisms composed of a few proteins and the nucleic acids that carry the information determining their composition. The nucleocapsid (N) protein studied in this work protects the nucleic acid from the environmental factors during virus transmission. This study investigated the structural arrangement of N protein, explaining the first steps of its interaction with nucleic acid at the initial stages of virus structure assembly. The results expand our understanding of coronavirus physiology and may facilitate future efforts to control the associated infections.

Human coronavirus (HCoV) NL63 was first described in 2004 and is associated with respiratory tract disease of varying severity. At the genetic and structural level, HCoV-NL63 is similar to other members of the Coronavirinae subfamily, especially human coronavirus 229E (HCoV-229E). Detailed analysis, however, reveals several unique features of the pathogen. The coronaviral nucleocapsid protein is abundantly present in infected cells. It is a multi-domain, multi-functional protein important for viral replication and a number of cellular processes. The aim of the present study was to characterize the HCoV-NL63 nucleocapsid protein. Biochemical analyses revealed that the protein shares characteristics with homologous proteins encoded in other coronaviral genomes, with the N-terminal domain responsible for nucleic acid binding and the C-terminal domain involved in protein oligomerization. Surprisingly, analysis of the subcellular localization of the N protein of HCoV-NL63 revealed that, differently than homologous proteins from other coronaviral species except for SARS-CoV, it is not present in the nucleus of infected or transfected cells. Furthermore, no significant alteration in cell cycle progression in cells expressing the protein was observed. This is in stark contrast with results obtained for other coronaviruses, except for the SARS-CoV.

The human coronavirus NL63 was identified in 2004 and subsequent studies showed its worldwide distribution. Infection with this pathogen is associated with upper and lower respiratory tract diseases of mild to moderate severity. Furthermore, HCoV-NL63 is the main cause of croup in children. Within this study an optimal protocol for freeze-drying that allows safe and effective preservation of HCoV-NL63 infectious material was developed. Lyophilized virus preparations can be stored either at ambient temperature or at +4°C. In the latter case samples may be stored for at least two months. Surprisingly, conducted analysis showed that HCoV-NL63 virions are exquisitely stable in liquid media and can be stored also without preservatives at ambient temperature for up to 14 days.

Feline coronaviruses encode five accessory proteins with largely elusive functions. Here, one of these proteins, called 7b (206 residues), was investigated using a reverse genetic approach established for feline infectious peritonitis virus (FIPV) strain 79-1146. Recombinant FIPVs (rFPIVs) expressing mutant and/or FLAG-tagged forms of 7b were generated and used to investigate the expression, processing, glycosylation, localization and trafficking of the 7b protein in rFIPV-infected cells, focusing on a previously predicted ER retention signal, KTEL, at the C-terminus of 7b. The study revealed that 7b is N-terminally processed by a cellular signalase. The cleavage site, 17-Ala|Thr-18, was unambiguously identified by N-terminal sequence analysis of a 7b processing product purified from rFIPV-infected cells. Based on this information, rFIPVs expressing FLAG-tagged 7b proteins were generated and the effects of substitutions in the C-terminal 202KTEL206 sequence were investigated. The data show that (i) 7b localizes to and is retained in the medial- and/or trans-Golgi compartment, (ii) the C-terminal KTEL sequence acts as a Golgi [rather than an endoplasmic reticulum (ER)] retention signal, (iii) minor changes in the KTEL motif (such as KTE, KTEV, or the addition of a C-terminal tag) abolish Golgi retention, resulting in relocalization and secretion of 7b, and (iv) a KTEL-to-KDEL replacement causes retention of 7b in the ER of rFIPV-infected feline cells. Taken together, this study provides interesting new insights into an efficient Golgi retention signal that controls the cellular localization and trafficking of the FIPV 7b protein in virus-infected feline cells.

No abstract