While vaccines target the molecular mechanisms responsible for infection of the cell via the Spike protein, it is equally important to target the viral replication machinery in patients already infected with the virus.
Researchers at the IBS (Protein Dynamics and Flexibility by NMR Group) characterised the nucleoprotein (N) of SARS-CoV-2, the most abundant protein produced by the virus, that protects the viral genome against the intracellular host immune system. They used NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy give the first molecular description of an essential interaction between two proteins from SARS-CoV-2, providing new insight which could inspire innovative inhibitory strategies to combat COVID-19. Press release (currently only available in French).