Nucleocapsid protein CCHC-type zinc finger domain (NC CCHC-type zinc finger (no widely used short standard abbreviation for this specific domain; "NC" is used for the entire protein))

The **Nucleocapsid protein CCHC-type zinc finger domain** is a highly conserved structural motif found in the nucleocapsid protein (NC) of retroviruses, including HIV-1 and HIV-2. This domain consists of sequences with the pattern Cys-X2-Cys-X4-His-X4-Cys (CCHC), forming a zinc finger that coordinates a zinc ion. Most frequently, retroviral NC proteins contain one or two such domains. These zinc fingers are crucial for binding and chaperoning viral genomic RNA, facilitating its proper folding, dimerization, and packaging during virion assembly. The CCHC domain also assists in nucleic acid strand transfer during reverse transcription, an essential step in the viral replication cycle[1][2][3][4][5][7]. Disruption of their zinc-binding or structural integrity abolishes the chaperone function, impedes viral RNA dimerization, and blocks replication, making this domain a potential antiviral drug target. However, targeting this motif carries a risk of affecting host cellular proteins due to the structural similarity of many human zinc finger domains[1][2][5][7].

Other names

Nucleocapsid CCHC-type zinc finger domainRetroviral-type CCHC zinc finger domainZinc finger, CCHC-typeNC zinc finger

Inhibition of nucleocapsid zinc finger function (e.g., disruption of zinc finger structure) interferes with viral RNA packaging and replication.