An interaction between SARS-CoV-2 nucleoprotein with α-synuclein may accelerate the formation of amyloid fibrils and provide the molecular basis for the observed correlation between SARS-CoV-2 infection and Parkinsonism, according to study results published in the journal ACS Chemical Neuroscience.

The SARS-CoV-2 virus has now become one of the greatest causes of infectious death and morbidity since the 1918 flu pandemic. Substantial and unprecedented progress has been made in the elucidation of the viral infection process in a short time; however, our understanding of the structure-function dynamics of the spike protein during the membrane fusion process and viral uptake remains incomplete.

SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus infection has consistently shown an association with neurological anomalies in patients, in addition to its usual respiratory distress syndrome. Multi-organ dysfunctions including neurological sequelae during COVID-19 persist even after declining viral load.