Activity profiling and crystal structures of inhibitor-bound SARS-CoV-2 papain-like protease: A framework for anti–COVID-19 drug design

Wioletta Rut, Zongyang Lv, Mikolaj Zmudzinski, Stephanie Patchett, Digant Nayak, Scott J. Snipas, Farid El Oualid, Tony T. Huang, Miklos Bekes, Marcin Drag, Shaun K. Olsen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

316 Scopus citations

Abstract

Viral papain-like cysteine protease (PLpro, NSP3) is essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication and represents a promising target for the development of antiviral drugs. Here, we used a combinatorial substrate library and performed comprehensive activity profiling of SARS-CoV-2 PLpro. On the scaffold of the best hits from positional scanning, we designed optimal fluorogenic substrates and irreversible inhibitors with a high degree of selectivity for SARS PLpro. We determined crystal structures of two of these inhibitors in complex with SARS-CoV-2 PLpro that reveals their inhibitory mechanisms and provides a molecular basis for the observed substrate specificity profiles. Last, we demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 PLpro harbors deISGylating activity similar to SARSCoV-1 PLpro but its ability to hydrolyze K48-linked Ub chains is diminished, which our sequence and structure analysis provides a basis for. Together, this work has revealed the molecular rules governing PLpro substrate specificity and provides a framework for development of inhibitors with potential therapeutic value or drug repurposing.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Article numbereabd4596
JournalScience Advances
Volume6
Issue number42
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General

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