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. 2022 Nov 15;228(1):152302. doi: 10.1016/j.imbio.2022.152302

Table 1.

Brief description of various structural, non-structural, and accessory proteins of SARS-CoV-2.

Protein name Length (aa) Function Binding site/ catalytic residues Different domain and motifs Drug binding sites Ref.
S (Spike) 1273 Mediates binding to ACE2 K417, E484, N487, F486, N501 NTD (14–306),
RBD (331–528), CTD1 (529–591), CTD2 (592–686), HR1 (910–985),
HR2 (1163–1211), TM (1212–1234),
CT (1235–1273)
CTD of S1: V382 L390, C391, T393, T430, L517, A520, A522, L527, N544, L546, N564, F565, F782, A1056
S2 Domain: I870, D867, A1056, P1057, G1059, H1058, S730, M 730
M731, Y733, V860, L861, P863
(Chowdhury et al., 2020, Zhang et al., 2021)
E (Envelope) 75 Involved in virus morphogenesis and assembly E8, N15, L18, L21, V25, L28, A32, T35 NTD (1–8),
TM (9–38),
CTD (39–75)
T9, G10, T11, I13, A36, L37, S16, N15, I33, E8, N15 (Bhowmik et al., 2020, Mandala et al., 2020)
M (Membrane) 222 Important for the budding process of coronaviruses NTD (1–19),
Triple-TM (20–100), CTD (101–222),
Motifaromatic-XX-aromatic motif (91-WXXY-94),
Di-leucine motif (219-LL-220)
Y50, L51, L54, L93, A98 (Bhowmik et al., 2020, Yan et al., 2022)
N (Nucleocapsid) 419 Promotes genome
packaging, RNA
chaperoning,
intracellular protein
transport, DNA
degradation,
interference in host
translation
A50, T57, H59, R89,
R92, I94, S105,
R107, R149, Y172
NTD (1–50),
RBD (51–174),
Linker (175–246), Dimerization domain (247–365),
CTD (366–419)
N48, N49, T50, A51, R89, Y112, Y110 (Bhowmik et al., 2020, Cubuk et al., 2021, Khan et al., 2021b)
NSP1 180 Recommended as leader protein which inhibit host translation and degrade host mRNAs P153-N160,
S166-N178
NTD (1–128),
CTD (148–180),
Motif KH (164–165)
V35, E36, L39, V89, Y97, F143, F157, Q158 (Schubert et al., 2020, Singh et al., 2021)
NSP2 638 Binds to prohibitin 1 (PHB1) and 2 (PHB2) V126, A127, C132, V157, L169, C240, Y242, W243, T256,
G257
NTD (1–345), CTD (438–638) P15, D16, N94, V96, A227 (Ma et al., 2021, Maiti et al., 2020)
NSP3 (PLpro) 1945 Responsible for cleaving of NSP1, NSP2, and NSP3 from the N-terminal region of pp1a and 1ab C111, H272, D286 UbI1 (1–108),
HVR (109–206),
Mac1 or X  (207–386),
SUD (387–745),
UbI2 (746–805),
PLPro (806–1058),
NBD (1059–1200),
MD (1201–1340),
TM (1341–1567),
Y domain (1568–1945)
L162, G163, D164, E167, P247, P248, Y264, Y268, Q269, Y273 (Fu et al., 2021, Osipiuk et al., 2021, Yan et al., 2022)
NSP4 500 Potential transmembrane scaffold protein which helps modify ER membranes NA TM1 (10–30),
TM2 (280–300).
TM3 (305–330),
TM4 (355–380),
CTD (381–500)
NA (Santerre et al., 2021, Yan et al., 2022)
NSP5 (3CLpro) 306 Cleaves viral polyprotein C145, H41 N-finger (1–9),
Domain-I (10–99),
Domain-II (100–182),
Domain-III (198–303)
T24, T25, T26, H41, F140, L141, N142, G143, C145, H163, E166, P168, H172, Q189, T190, A191, Q192 (Jin et al., 2020, Khan et al., 2021b, Rahman et al., 2020)
NSP6 290 Induction of autophagosomes from host ER (Cottam et al., 2014, Cottam et al., 2014) NA NA NA
NSP7 83 Forms hexadecameric complex with nsp8 for viral replication and participate as a cofactor for nsp12 S4, D5, K7, C8, H36, L40, N37, V33 S15, L14, V11, A30, W29, E23 Replicase domain (1–83) R21, K43, D44 (Wilamowski et al., 2021)
NSP8 198 Makes heterodimer with nsp7 and nsp12 P183, Y149, V131, M129, P133, A125, K127, V130, P121, L122, A110, L128, N118, I119, T123, K79, L117, I106, N109, P116, V115, M94, D112, C114, D99, L95, N104, L91, V83, L98, F92, A162, T84, R80, Q88, M90, I185, M87, A86 Shaft domain (6–104),
Head domain (105–196)
A102, A150, R190, A194 (Wilamowski et al., 2020)
NSP9 198 RNA-binding protein which may participate in viral replication N33, G100, M101,
V102, L103, G104,
S105
Single domain protein (1–109)
Motif GxxxG (100–104)
M12, S13, N33, T35, F40, L42, L94, N98 (Khan et al., 2021b, Littler et al., 2021a)
NSP10 139 Forms heterodimer complex with nsp14 and nsp16, acting as a cofactor for both and stimulates ExoN (viral exoribonuclease) and 2-O-methyltransferase activity N3, V4, T5, F8, K9, D10, P20, T21, Q22, P24, T25, H26, L27, L38, C39, D41, F60, K61, M62, N63, Y64, V66, Y69, T127, N129, N130, T131, K196, K200, I201 Single domain protein (1–139) V21, D22, A26, G35, Q36, P37, I38, GLY52, Q65, R78, P107, V108 (Halder, 2021, Lin et al., 2021)
NSP11 13 Unknown NA NA NA NA
NSP12 (RdRp) 932 Replication and methylation Y420, F415, F441, F440, F442, N552, A443, P412, G413, D445, Q444, T409, N447, R392, D390, L391, L389, N403, V405, L388, T402, L387, N386, A379, P323, L270, F396, F326, V398, L271, L514, P328, M666, V330, Y273, T324, T344, L329, P339, M380, R331, V338, K332, Y374, F340, A383, D336, S384, V341, S518, F407, L371, F368, D523, W509, S759, D760, D761
NiRAN (1–250),
C-terminal RdRp (398–932),
Motif G (499–511),
Motif F (544–560),
Motif A (612–626),
Motif B (678–710),
Motif C (753–767),
Motif D (771–796),
Motif E (810–820)
M542, K545, S549, K551, R553, R555, V557, D618, C622, ASP623, S682, S759, D760, D761, R836 (Ahmed et al., 2020, Khan et al., 2021b, Zhang et al., 2020c)
NSP13 (Helicase) 596 A helicase core domain participates in binding interaction with ATP. Zn-binding domain is involving in replication and transcription R178, H230, N361, S468, T532, D534 ZBD (1–100),
SD (101–150),
1B domain (151–261),
1A domain (262–442),
2A domain (443–601)
V45, Y70, F90, P283, G285, T286, G287, K288, H290, R443, E540 (Chen et al., 2020, Malone et al., 2021, Yan et al., 2021)
NSP14 (ExoN) 527 Acting on both ssRNA and dsRNA in a 3′ to 5′ direction and a N7-guanine methyltransferase activity D90, E92, E191, H268, D273 Flanking region (1–50),
ExoN (51–287),
N7-MTase (288–527),
DEDD motif
W385, N386,
Y420, F426, F506
(Devkota et al., 2021, Tahir, 2021)
NSP15 346 Uridine-specific endoribonuclease activity H235, H250, K290,
T341, Y343, S294
N-domain (1–64),
Middle domain (65–182),
endoU (207–347)
F44, E45, D92, H250, Y290, V292, C293, S294, Y343 (Khan et al., 2021b, Kim et al., 2021)
NSP16 298 RNA-cap methyltransferase


K46, D130, K170, E203 NTD (1–29),
Mtase domain (30–210),
CTD (211–298)
A80, T83, A84, L86, T94, L95, L96, V97, D98, S99, D100 (Rosas-Lemus et al., 2020, Vithani et al., 2021)
ORF3a 275 Infection, inducing apoptosis NA NTD (1–34)
TM1 (35–56),
TM2 (76–99),
TM3 (103–125),
CR domain (127–133),
CTD (208–264),
TRAF3-binding motif (36–40),
CBM (141–149),
Motif YXXΦ (160–163),
Motif EXD (171–173)
Y61, I62, I63, T64, I118, V121, R122, Y206 (Kern et al., 2021)
ORF6 61 Type 1 IFN antagonist D53, E55, M58, E59, D61 Interaction motif (56–61) NA (Gordon et al., 2020, Li et al., 2022)
ORF7a 121 Triggers an immune response in host cells NA Signal peptide (1–15),
Ig-like ectodomain (16–96),
TM region (97–116),
ER retention motif (117–121)
E33, C35, S36, S37, T39, Y40, E41, G42, S44, P45, F46, P48, F65 (Gorgulla et al., 2021)
ORF8 121 Disrupts IFN-I signaling when exogenously overexpressed in cells P85, F86, T87, I88, N89, C90, Q91, E92 D1 domain (1–15),
D2 domain (16–121),
Catalytic core motif (85–92)
I47-L60, V62, D63, Y73–I76, Y79, T80, Q91, K94, L95 (Cavasotto et al., 2021, Hassan et al., 2021)

NTD = N-terminal Domain, RBD = Receptor Binding Domain, CTD = C-terminal Domain, TM = Transmembrane Domain, UbI1 = ubiquitin-like domain 1, SUD = SARS-unique domain, HVR = hypervariable region, PL2pro = papain-like protease, MD = Marker domain, NBD = nucleic acid-binding domain, ZBD = zinc-binding domain, SD = stalk domain.