Mass spectrometry reveals potential of β-lactams as SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors.
Malla TR., Tumber A., John T., Brewitz L., Strain-Damerell C., Owen CD., Lukacik P., Chan HTH., Maheswaran P., Salah E., Duarte F., Yang H., Rao Z., Walsh MA., Schofield CJ.
The main viral protease (Mpro) of SARS-CoV-2 is a nucleophilic cysteine hydrolase and a current target for anti-viral chemotherapy. We describe a high-throughput solid phase extraction coupled to mass spectrometry Mpro assay. The results reveal some β-lactams, including penicillin esters, are active site reacting Mpro inhibitors, thus highlighting the potential of acylating agents for Mpro inhibition.