Targeting zoonotic viruses: Structure-based inhibition of the 3C-like protease from bat coronavirus HKU4--The likely reservoir host to the human coronavirus that causes Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS).

ABSTRACT: The bat coronavirus HKU4 belongs to the same 2c lineage as that of the deadly Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and shows high sequence similarity, therefore potentiating a threat to the human population through a zoonotic shift or 'spill over' event. To date, there are no effective vaccines or antiviral treatments available that are capable of limiting the pathogenesis of any human coronaviral infection. An attractive target for the development of anti-coronaviral therapeutics is the 3C-like protease (3CL(pro)), which is essential for the progression of the coronaviral life cycle. Herein, we report the screening results of a small, 230-member peptidomimetic library against HKU4-CoV 3CL(pro) and the identification of 43 peptidomimetic compounds showing good to excelle

SUBMITTER: St John SE 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5433438 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature