A Bioluminescent 3CL^Pro Activity Assay to Monitor SARS-CoV-2 Replication and Identify Inhibitors.

ABSTRACT: Our therapeutic arsenal against viruses is very limited and the current pandemic of SARS-CoV-2 highlights the critical need for effective antivirals against emerging coronaviruses. Cellular assays allowing a precise quantification of viral replication in high-throughput experimental settings are essential to the screening of chemical libraries and the selection of best antiviral chemical structures. To develop a reporting system for SARS-CoV-2 infection, we generated cell lines expressing a firefly luciferase maintained in an inactive form by a consensus cleavage site for the viral protease 3CL^Pro of coronaviruses, so that the luminescent biosensor is turned on upon 3CL^Pro expression or SARS-CoV-2 infection. This cellular assay was used to screen a metabolism-oriented

SUBMITTER: Mathieu C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8473059 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature