Functional studies of the coronavirus nonstructural proteins

Coronaviruses, including SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and MERS-CoV, have caused contagious and fatal respiratory diseases in humans worldwide. Notably, the coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) caused by SARS-CoV-2 spread rapidly in early 2020 and became a global pandemic. The nonstructural proteins of coronaviruses are critical components of the viral replication machinery. They function in viral RNA transcription and replication, as well as counteracting the host innate immunity. Studies of these proteins not only revealed their essential role during viral infection but also help the design of novel drugs targeting the viral replication and immune evasion machinery. In this review, we summarize the functional studies of each nonstructural proteins and compare the similarities and differences between nonstructural proteins from different coronaviruses.