SARS-CoV-2 3CL Protease - 100 µg

Within the last two decades, SARS and MERS coronaviruses emerged as global health concerns causing severe acute respiratory syndromes. In December 2019, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was identified in Wuhan, Hubei province in China. The SARS-CoV genome encodes several enzymes including chymotrypsin-like protease (CLPro; 3CLp). This key enzyme along with PLPro play a crucial role by processing a large viral polypeptide (polyprotein 1ab) into functional enzymes. This process is essential for the replication of the virus. SARS-CoV-2 3CLPro shares a 96% identity in protein sequence with 3CLPro from SARS-CoV. It recognizes a unique cleavage site Leu-Gln↓(Ser, Ala, Gly) at no less than 11 sites on the large polyprotein 1ab. The 3CLPro represents an ideal antiviral drug target for counteracting SARS-CoV-2 infection as no human protease is known to share the same cleavage specificity.