Open Access

Role of SARS‑CoV‑2 nucleocapsid protein in affecting immune cells and insights on its molecular mechanisms

  • Authors:
    • Yan Lu
    • Ziyu Ye
    • Xinlan Liu
    • Liqian Zhou
    • Xiang Ding
    • Yiling Hou
  • View Affiliations

  • Published online on: September 12, 2023     https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2023.12203
  • Article Number: 504
  • Copyright: © Lu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Attribution License.

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Abstract

The present study aimed to explore the immune regulatory function of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) nucleocapsid (N) protein and related mechanisms. In a series of protein activity experiments, SARS‑CoV‑2 N protein promoted proliferation of three immune cell lines: mouse Raw264.7, human Jurkat and human Raji in a dose‑dependent manner. A total of 10 µg/ml N protein could significantly change cell cycle progression of the aforementioned three immune cell lines and could promote quick entry of Raw264.7 cells into G2/M phase from S phase to achieve rapid growth. Additionally, the N protein could also stimulate Raw264.7 cells to secrete a number of proinflammatory factors such as TNF‑α, IL‑6 and IL‑10. RNA sequencing analysis indicated that the N protein changed the expression of certain genes involved in immune‑related functions and four important signaling pathways, including JAK‑STAT, TNF, NF‑κB and MAPK signaling pathways, which suggested that the N protein may not only regulate the expression of genes involved in the process of resisting viral infection in macrophages of the immune system, but also change cellular signal processing.
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November-2023
Volume 26 Issue 5

Print ISSN: 1792-0981
Online ISSN:1792-1015

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Copy and paste a formatted citation
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Spandidos Publications style
Lu Y, Ye Z, Liu X, Zhou L, Ding X and Hou Y: Role of SARS‑CoV‑2 nucleocapsid protein in affecting immune cells and insights on its molecular mechanisms. Exp Ther Med 26: 504, 2023
APA
Lu, Y., Ye, Z., Liu, X., Zhou, L., Ding, X., & Hou, Y. (2023). Role of SARS‑CoV‑2 nucleocapsid protein in affecting immune cells and insights on its molecular mechanisms. Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine, 26, 504. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2023.12203
MLA
Lu, Y., Ye, Z., Liu, X., Zhou, L., Ding, X., Hou, Y."Role of SARS‑CoV‑2 nucleocapsid protein in affecting immune cells and insights on its molecular mechanisms". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 26.5 (2023): 504.
Chicago
Lu, Y., Ye, Z., Liu, X., Zhou, L., Ding, X., Hou, Y."Role of SARS‑CoV‑2 nucleocapsid protein in affecting immune cells and insights on its molecular mechanisms". Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine 26, no. 5 (2023): 504. https://doi.org/10.3892/etm.2023.12203