Feline coronavirus drug inhibits the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 and blocks virus replication

Wayne Vuong; Muhammad Bashir Khan; Conrad Fischer; Elena Arutyunova; Tess Lamer; Justin Shields; Holly A. Saffran; Ryan T. McKay; Marco J. van Belkum; Michael A. Joyce; Howard S. Young; D. Lorne Tyrrell; John C. Vederas; M. Joanne Lemieux

doi:10.1038/s41467-020-18096-2

Nature Communications (Aug 2020)

Feline coronavirus drug inhibits the main protease of SARS-CoV-2 and blocks virus replication

Wayne Vuong,
Muhammad Bashir Khan,
Conrad Fischer,
Elena Arutyunova,
Tess Lamer,
Justin Shields,
Holly A. Saffran,
Ryan T. McKay,
Marco J. van Belkum,
Michael A. Joyce,
Howard S. Young,
D. Lorne Tyrrell,
John C. Vederas,
M. Joanne Lemieux

Affiliations

Wayne Vuong: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta
Muhammad Bashir Khan: Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta
Conrad Fischer: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta
Elena Arutyunova: Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta
Tess Lamer: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta
Justin Shields: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta
Holly A. Saffran: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta
Ryan T. McKay: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta
Marco J. van Belkum: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta
Michael A. Joyce: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta
Howard S. Young: Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta
D. Lorne Tyrrell: Department of Medical Microbiology and Immunology, University of Alberta
John C. Vederas: Department of Chemistry, University of Alberta
M. Joanne Lemieux: Department of Biochemistry, Membrane Protein Disease Research Group, University of Alberta

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-18096-2
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 11, no. 1
pp. 1 – 8

Abstract

Read online

Coronavirus main protease is essential for viral polyprotein processing and replication. Here Vuong et al. report efficient inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 replication by the dipeptide-based protease inhibitor GC376 and its parent GC373, which were originally used to treat feline coronavirus infection.

Published in Nature Communications

ISSN: 2041-1723 (Online)
Publisher: Nature Portfolio
Country of publisher: United Kingdom
LCC subjects: Science
Website: https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

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