NMR investigation of structural heterogeneity and ligand recognition in the SARS-COV-2 nucleocapsid protein

This study characterizes the nucleocapsid (N) protein of SARS-CoV-2 at atomic resolution using solution NMR spectroscopy. A stepwise approach, progressing from the N-terminal domain to the N-terminal region and the full-length protein, reveals the functional role of intrinsically disordered regions in modulating structural dynamics and molecular interactions. Binding studies with low-molecular-weight heparins highlight a ligand length dependent increase in affinity, providing insight into N protein interactions with polyanionic molecules.