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. 2020 Sep 15:6:65.
doi: 10.1038/s41421-020-00208-3. eCollection 2020.

SARS-CoV-2 N protein antagonizes type I interferon signaling by suppressing phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT1 and STAT2

Jingfang Mu  1   2 , Yaohui Fang  1 , Qi Yang  1 , Ting Shu  1   2 , An Wang  1   3 , Muhan Huang  1   2 , Liang Jin  4 , Fei Deng  1   2 , Yang Qiu  1   2 , Xi Zhou  1   2   3   4
Affiliations

SARS-CoV-2 N protein antagonizes type I interferon signaling by suppressing phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT1 and STAT2

Jingfang Mu et al. Cell Discov. .
No abstract available

Keywords: Immunology; Molecular biology.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interestThe authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. SARS-CoV-2 N protein antagonizes IFN signaling.
a, c, d 293T cells were co-transfected with plasmids as indicated. At 24 h post transfection (hpt), cells were then infected with SeV (a), or treated with IFN-2α (c) or IFN-β (d), and at 12 hpi, the reporter activity was detected by dual luciferase reporter system. b 293T cells were transfected with the plasmid as indicated. At 24 hpt, cells were then infected with SeV. Total RNAs were extracted at 12 hpi. The mRNA levels of ISG56 were measured by qRT-PCR. e 293T cells were transfected with the plasmid as indicated. At 24 hpt, cells were then infected with SeV and cell lysates were harvested and analyzed by western blotting. f 293T cells were transfected with the plasmid as indicated. At 24 hpt, cells were then treated with or without IFN-β for 15 or 30 min. Cell lysates were harvested and analyzed by western blotting. g 293T cells were transfected with plasmids as indicated. At 24 hpt, cells were subjected to immunofluorescence staining with antibodies as indicated. Scale bars, 20 μm. h 293T cells were transfected with the plasmid as indicated. At 48 hpt, the cells were harvested and subjected to co-IP assay. i 293T cells were transfected with the plasmid as indicated. At 24 hpt, cells were then treated with or without IFN-β for 30 min. Cells were subjected to cell fractionation assay. j, k HepG2 cells were transfected with the plasmid as indicated. At 24 hpt, cells were infected with SARS-CoV-2 at a MOI of 0.1. At 24 hpi, total RNAs were extracted and the levels of SARS-CoV-2 RNA (j) and ISG15 (k) were measured by qRT-PCR analysis. l HepG2 cells were transfected with the plasmid as indicated. At 24 hpt, cells were infected with or without SARS-CoV-2 at a MOI of 0.1, and at 24 hpi, cell lysates were harvested and analyzed by western blotting. m Working model. SARS-CoV-2-encoded structural protein N interacts with STAT1 and STAT2, and suppresses the phosphorylation and nuclear translocation of STAT1 and STAT2, which blocks IFN signaling. Student’s t-test was used for estimation of statistical significance. *P < 0.05 and **P < 0.01. Data are shown as means ± SD from three independent experiments. The densities of blots were analyzed with ImageJ software.
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