A screen for modulation of nucleocapsid protein condensation identifies small molecules with anti-coronavirus activity

Biomolecular condensates formed by liquid-liquid phase separation have been implicated in multiple diseases. Modulation of condensate dynamics by small molecules has therapeutic potential, but so far, few condensate modulators have been disclosed. The SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid (N) protein forms phase separated condensates that are hypothesized to play critical roles in viral replication, transcription and packaging, suggesting that N condensation modulators might have anti-coronavirus activity across multiple strains and species. Here, we show that N proteins from all seven human coronaviruses (HCoVs) vary in their tendency to undergo phase separation when expressed in human lung epithelial cells. We developed a cell-based high-content screening platform and identified small molecules that both promote and inhibit condensation of SARS-CoV-2 N. Interestingly, these host-targeted small molecules exhibited condensate-modulatory effects across all HCoV Ns. Some have also been reported to exhibit antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2, HCoV-OC43 and HCoV-229E viral infections in cell culture. Our work reveals that the assembly dynamics of N condensates can be regulated by small molecules with therapeutic potential. Our approach allows for screening based on viral genome sequences alone and might enable rapid paths to drug discovery with value for confronting future pandemics.