JNK Kinase Controls HCoV-229E Nucleocapsid Phosphorylation

Publication date: Sep 19, 2025

This understanding may translate into strategies that impede viral assembly, thereby curtailing viral spread. Another critical aspect discussed is the potential impact of JNK-mediated phosphorylation on immune evasion. These phosphorylation events potentially influence how viral ribonucleoproteins engage with the viral RNA and assemble into virus particles. Experimental results from Brggemann et al. Phosphorylation can influence the N proteins ability to shield viral RNA from host pattern recognition receptors, thereby dampening antiviral immune responses. By pinpointing JNKs role in N protein phosphorylation, the researchers have illuminated one aspect of the viral life cycle that contributes to efficient virion production. While inhibiting JNK can suppress viral replication, it also carries the risk of perturbing essential cellular functions regulated by this kinase. Through kinase assays, mass spectrometry, and mutagenesis experiments, they mapped the phosphorylation landscape of the N protein and identified the precise serine and threonine residues phosphorylated by JNK. This functional link underscores JNK kinase not merely as a bystander in viral infection but as an active participant co-opted by HCoV-229E to optimize its replication machinery.

Original Article