An Updated Review on SARS-CoV-2 Main Proteinase (MPro): Protein Structure and Small-Molecule Inhibitors

Curr Top Med Chem. 2021;21(6):442-460. doi: 10.2174/1568026620666201207095117.

Abstract

[Coronaviruses (CoVs) are enveloped positive-stranded RNA viruses with spike (S) protein projections that allow the virus to enter and infect host cells. The S protein is a key virulence factor determining viral pathogenesis, host tropism, and disease pathogenesis. There are currently diverse corona viruses that are known to cause disease in humans. The occurrence of Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), as fatal human CoV diseases, has induced significant interest in the medical field. The novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an infectious disease caused by a novel strain of coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2). The SARS-CoV2 outbreak has been evolved in Wuhan, China, in December 2019, and identified as a pandemic in March 2020, resulting in 53.24 M cases and 1.20M deaths worldwide. SARS-CoV-2 main proteinase (MPro), a key protease of CoV-2, mediates viral replication and transcription. SARS-CoV-2 MPro has been emerged as an attractive target for SARS-CoV-2 drug design and development. Diverse scaffolds have been released targeting SARS-CoV-2 MPro. In this review, we culminate the latest published information about SARS-CoV-2 main proteinase (MPro) and reported inhibitors.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Inhibitors; Main Proteinase (MPro); Papain-like Proteinase (PLpro); SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Antiviral Agents / chemistry*
  • Antiviral Agents / classification
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment
  • Catalytic Domain
  • Coronavirus 3C Proteases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Coronavirus 3C Proteases / chemistry
  • Coronavirus 3C Proteases / genetics
  • Coronavirus 3C Proteases / metabolism
  • Drug Discovery
  • Gene Expression
  • High-Throughput Screening Assays
  • Humans
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Phytochemicals / chemistry*
  • Phytochemicals / classification
  • Phytochemicals / pharmacology
  • Protease Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Protease Inhibitors / classification
  • Protease Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Protein Structure, Secondary
  • SARS-CoV-2 / chemistry*
  • SARS-CoV-2 / drug effects
  • SARS-CoV-2 / enzymology
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Phytochemicals
  • Protease Inhibitors
  • 3C-like proteinase, SARS-CoV-2
  • Coronavirus 3C Proteases