Mapping SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Function with Nanobodies

Abstract

The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein is essential for viral RNA packaging, replication, and immune modulation. Despite its central role, the mechanistic contributions of its individual domains, the N-terminal domain (NTD), C-terminal domain (CTD), and the intrinsically flexible linker (LINK), remain poorly defined, largely due to the proteins structural complexity. In this study, we developed a panel of twelve alpaca-derived nanobodies (VHHs) targeting the NTD, CTD, and LINK regions of N. Using ELISA and biolayer interferometry, we characterized their binding affinities, and we mapped their epitopes via hydrogen-deuterium exchange-mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) and structural modeling. When expressed intracellularly, these VHHs inhibited SARS-CoV-2 infection. In vitro, they disrupted phase separation of the N protein, a critical step in viral replication. Strikingly, VHHs targeting each domain independently blocked both phase condensation and viral replication, underscoring the functional importance of all three regions. These findings establish domain-specific VHHs as versatile tools for dissecting N biology, with promising therapeutic potential. ImportanceSARS-CoV-2 and emerging coronaviruses remain a major global health threat, yet critical gaps persist in our understanding of their molecular pathogenesis. The nucleocapsid (N) protein, the most abundantly expressed SARS-CoV-2 antigen, plays essential roles beyond genome packaging, including immune evasion and intracellular organization. Here, we generate and characterize a panel of domain-specific nanobodies (VHHs) that enable precise dissection of Ns functional architecture. Using integrated biochemical, structural, and virological approaches, we uncover distinct mechanisms of viral inhibition, including disruption of phase condensation through a conserved linker region. These findings address long-standing knowledge gaps about a multifunctional viral protein and establish VHHs as powerful, modular tools for probing coronavirus biology, with broad potential for therapeutic, diagnostic, and cell biology applications.