Viral N Protein Hijacks Deaminase-containing RNA Granules to Enhance SARS-CoV-2 Mutagenesis

Host cell-encoded deaminases act as antiviral restriction factors to impair viral replication and production through introducing mutations in the viral genome. We sought to understand whether deaminases are involved in SARS-CoV-2 mutation and replication, and how the viral factors interact with deaminases to trigger these processes. Here, we show that APOBEC and ADAR deaminases act as the driving forces for SARS-CoV-2 mutagenesis, thereby blocking viral infection and production. Mechanistically, SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein, which is responsible for packaging viral genomic RNA, interacts with host deaminases and co-localizes with them at stress granules to facilitate viral RNA mutagenesis. N proteins from several coronaviruses interact with host deaminases at RNA granules in a manner dependent on its F17 residue, suggesting a conserved role in modulation of viral mutagenesis in other coronaviruses. Furthermore, mutant N protein bearing a F17A substitution cannot localize to deaminase-containing RNA granules and leads to reduced mutagenesis of viral RNA, providing support for its function in enhancing deaminase-dependent viral RNA editing. Our study thus provides further insight into virus-host cell interactions mediating SARS-CoV-2 evolution.