Nature Communications (May 2021)

Inhibition mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 main protease by ebselen and its derivatives

  • Kangsa Amporndanai,
  • Xiaoli Meng,
  • Weijuan Shang,
  • Zhenmig Jin,
  • Michael Rogers,
  • Yao Zhao,
  • Zihe Rao,
  • Zhi-Jie Liu,
  • Haitao Yang,
  • Leike Zhang,
  • Paul M. O’Neill,
  • S. Samar Hasnain

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23313-7
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 12, no. 1
pp. 1 – 7

Abstract

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Ebselen is an organoselenium drug that inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro). Here, the authors co-crystallised Mpro with ebselen and an ebselen derivative and observed an enzyme bound organoselenium covalent adduct in the crystal structures, which was also confirmed by mass spectrometry analysis.