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Penicillin derivatives inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 main protease by reaction with its nucleophilic cysteine

Abstract:

The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) is a medicinal chemistry target for COVID-19 treatment. Given the clinical efficacy of β-lactams as inhibitors of bacterial nucleophilic enzymes, they are of interest as inhibitors of viral nucleophilic serine and cysteine proteases. We describe the synthesis of penicillin derivatives which are potent Mpro inhibitors and investigate their mechanism of inhibition using mass spectrometric and crystallographic analyses. The results suggest that β-lactams have considerable potential as Mpro inhibitors via a mechanism involving reaction with the nucleophilic cysteine to form a stable acyl–enzyme complex as shown by crystallographic analysis. The results highlight the potential for inhibition of viral proteases employing nucleophilic catalysis by β-lactams and related acylating agents.

Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c02214

Authors


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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MPLS
Department:
Chemistry
Sub department:
Chemistry Research Laboratory
Role:
Author
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Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0001-5774-8202


Publisher:
American Chemical Society
Journal:
Journal of Medicinal Chemistry More from this journal
Volume:
65
Issue:
11
Pages:
7682-7696
Place of publication:
United States
Publication date:
2022-05-12
Acceptance date:
2022-05-12
DOI:
EISSN:
1520-4804
ISSN:
0022-2623
Pmid:
35549342


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
1259829
Local pid:
pubs:1259829
Deposit date:
2023-01-13

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