Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is an enveloped positive-stranded RNA virus and the causative agent of COVID-19, a primarily respiratory illness characterized by fever, cough, and shortness of breath that can lead to life-threatening complications.1,2,3,4,5 The SARS-CoV-2 genome contains approximately 30 kilobases and 14 open reading frames (ORFs) that encode four structural proteins: spike, envelope, membrane, and nucleocapsid, as well as 16 non-structural proteins and 9 accessory factors.6 The SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), also known as 3C-like protease (3CLpro), is encoded within the non-structural protein 5 (nsp5) region of ORF1ab.6 Auto-activation of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro cleaves nsp5-16, which, together with the nsp1-4, form the SARS-CoV-2 replication and transcription complex (RTC), which is critical for the viral replication cycle.6 Inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro activity reduces SARS-CoV-2 replication in infected cells in vitro, as well as decreases lung viral loads and pulmonary lesions in ACE2 transgenic mice infected with SARS-CoV-2.7,8 Cayman's SARS-CoV-2 Mpro protein can be used for enzyme activity assays.WARNING This product is not for human or veterinary use.
