High-throughput screening identifies inhibitors of the SARS coronavirus main proteinase.
The causative agent of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) has been identified as a novel coronavirus, SARS-CoV. The main proteinase of SARS-CoV, 3CLpro, is an attractive target for therapeutics against SARS owing to its fundamental role in viral replication. We sought to identify novel inhibitors of 3CLpro to advance the development of appropriate therapies in the treatment of SARS. 3CLpro was cloned, expressed, and purified from the Tor2 isolate. A quenched fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay was developed for 3CLpro to screen the proteinase against 50,000 drug-like small molecules on a fully automated system. The primary screen identified 572 hits; through a series of virtual and experimental filters, this number was reduced to five novel small molecules that show potent inhibitory activity (IC50 = 0.5-7 microM) toward SARS-CoV 3CLpro.
Blanchard
Jan E
JE
McMaster High Throughput Screening Laboratory, Department of Biochemistry, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario L8N 3Z5, Canada.
Elowe
Nadine H
NH
Huitema
Carly
C
Fortin
Pascal D
PD
Cechetto
Jonathan D
JD
Eltis
Lindsay D
LD
Brown
Eric D
ED
D000818:Animals; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D002417:Cattle; D000086782:Coronavirus 3C Proteases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D010450:Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D013058:Mass Spectrometry / Q000379:methods; D011480:Protease Inhibitors / Q000737:chemistry / Q000302:isolation & purification* / Q000494:pharmacology; D045473:Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism*
D000998:Antiviral Agents; D011480:Protease Inhibitors; D014764:Viral Proteins; D010450:Endopeptidases; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases; D000086782:Coronavirus 3C Proteases