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Updated: Aug 11, 2025

Identification of Nucleolar Factors During HIV-1 Replication Through Rev Immunoprecipitation and Mass Spectrometry
Published on: June 26, 2019
Nucleolin mediates SARS-CoV-2 replication and viral-induced apoptosis of host cells
Vanessa F Merino1, Yu Yan2, Alvaro A Ordonez3
1Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Science, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Abstract:
Host-oriented antiviral therapeutics are promising treatment options to combat COVID-19 and its emerging variants. However, relatively little is known about the cellular proteins hijacked by SARS-CoV-2 for its replication. Here we show that SARS-CoV-2 induces expression and cytoplasmic translocation of the nucleolar protein, nucleolin (NCL). NCL interacts with SARS-CoV-2 viral proteins and co-localizes with N-protein in the nucleolus and in stress granules. Knockdown of NCL decreases the stress granule component G3BP1, viral replication and improved survival of infected host cells. NCL mediates viral-induced apoptosis and stress response via p53. SARS-CoV-2 increases NCL expression and nucleolar size and number in lungs of infected hamsters. Inhibition of NCL with the aptamer AS-1411 decreases viral replication and apoptosis of infected cells. These results suggest nucleolin as a suitable target for anti-COVID therapies.
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