SARS-CoV-2 Nucleocapsid Protein Is Not Responsible for Over-Activation of Complement Lectin Pathway

Abstract

The nucleocapsid (N) protein of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is a viral structural protein that is abundant in the circulation of infected individuals. Previous published studies reported controversial data about the role of the N protein in the activation of the complement system. It was suggested that the N protein directly interacts with mannose-binding lectin-associated serine protease-2 (MASP-2) and stimulates lectin pathway overactivation/activity. In order to check these data and to reveal the mechanism of activation, we examined the effect of the N protein on lectin pathway activation. We found that the N protein does not bind to MASP-2 and MASP-1 and it does not stimulate lectin pathway activity in normal human serum. Furthermore, the N protein does not facilitate the activation of zymogen MASP-2, which is MASP-1 dependent. Moreover, the N protein does not boost the enzymatic activity of MASP-2 either on synthetic or on protein substrates. In some of our experiments, we observed that MASP-2 digests the N protein. However, it is questionable, whether this activity is biologically relevant. Although surface-bound N protein did not activate the lectin pathway, it did trigger the alternative pathway in 10% human serum. Additionally, we detected some classical pathway activation by the N protein. Nevertheless, we demonstrated that this activation was induced by the bound nucleic acid, rather than by the N protein itself.