Betacoronaviruses are in one genera of coronaviruses including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (MERS-CoV), etc. These viruses threaten public health and cause dramatic economic losses. The nucleocapsid (N) protein is a structural protein of betacoronaviruses with multiple functions such as forming viral capsids with viral RNA, interacting with viral membrane protein to form the virus core with RNA, binding to several cellular kinases for signal transductions, etc. In this review, we highlighted the potential of the N protein as a suitable antiviral target from different perspectives, including structure, functions, and antiviral strategies for combatting betacoronaviruses.

β冠状病毒属于冠状病毒的一个属，包括严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）、严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒（SARS-CoV）、中东呼吸综合征相关冠状病毒（MERS-CoV）等。这些病毒威胁公众健康并造成巨大的经济损失。核衣壳（N）蛋白是β冠状病毒的一种结构蛋白，具有多种功能，如与病毒RNA形成病毒衣壳、与病毒膜蛋白相互作用与RNA形成病毒核心、与多种细胞激酶结合进行信号转导等。回顾中，我们从不同的角度强调了 N 蛋白作为合适的抗病毒靶点的潜力，包括结构、功能和对抗 β 冠状病毒的抗病毒策略。