Copper(II) Binding to the Intrinsically Disordered C-Terminal Peptide of SARS-CoV-2 Virulence Factor Nsp1

The first encoded SARS-CoV-2 protein (Nsp1) binds to the human 40S ribosome and blocks synthesis of host proteins, thereby inhibiting critical elements of the innate immune response. The final 33 residues of the natively unstructured Nsp1 C-terminus adopt a helix-turn-helix geometry upon binding to the ribosome. We have characterized the fluctuating conformations of this peptide using circular dichroism spectroscopy along with measurements of tryptophan fluorescence and energy transfer. Tryptophan fluorescence decay kinetics reveal that copper(II) binds to the peptide at micromolar concentrations, and electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy indicates that the metal ion coordinates to the lone histidine residue.

Automated summary

The first encoded protein of SARS-CoV-2, Nsp1, binds to the human 40S ribosome and inhibits the synthesis of host proteins, thereby suppressing the innate immune response. The last 33 residues of the unstructured C-terminus of Nsp1 adopt a specific geometric structure upon binding to the ribosome.