COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, lacks effective therapeutics. Additionally, no antiviral drugs or vaccines were developed against the closely related coronavirus, SARS-CoV-1 or MERS-CoV, despite previous zoonotic outbreaks. To identify starting points for such therapeutics, we performed a large-scale screen of electrophile and non-covalent fragments through a combined mass spectrometry and X-ray approach against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, one of two cysteine viral proteases essential for viral replication. Our crystallographic screen identified 71 hits that span the entire active site, as well as 3 hits at the dimer interface. These structures reveal routes to rapidly develop more potent inhibitors through merging of covalent and non-covalent fragment hits; one series of low-reactivity, tractable covalent fragments were progressed to discover improved binders. These combined hits offer unprecedented structural and reactivity information for on-going structure-based drug design against SARS-CoV-2 main protease.

Molecular chaperones and proteases monitor the folded state of other proteins. In addition to recognizing non-native conformations, these quality control factors distinguish substrates that can be refolded from those that need to be degraded. To investigate the molecular basis of this process, we have solved the crystal structure of DegP (also known as HtrA), a widely conserved heat shock protein that combines refolding and proteolytic activities. The DegP hexamer is formed by staggered association of trimeric rings. The proteolytic sites are located in a central cavity that is only accessible laterally. The mobile side-walls are constructed by twelve PDZ domains, which mediate the opening and closing of the particle and probably the initial binding of substrate. The inner cavity is lined by several hydrophobic patches that may act as docking sites for unfolded polypeptides. In the chaperone conformation, the protease domain of DegP exists in an inactive state, in which substrate binding in addition to catalysis is abolished.

All organisms have to monitor the folding state of cellular proteins precisely. The heat-shock protein DegP is a protein quality control factor in the bacterial envelope that is involved in eliminating misfolded proteins and in the biogenesis of outer-membrane proteins. Here we describe the molecular mechanisms underlying the regulated protease and chaperone function of DegP from Escherichia coli. We show that binding of misfolded proteins transforms hexameric DegP into large, catalytically active 12-meric and 24-meric multimers. A structural analysis of these particles revealed that DegP represents a protein packaging device whose central compartment is adaptable to the size and concentration of substrate. Moreover, the inner cavity serves antagonistic functions. Whereas the encapsulation of folded protomers of outer-membrane proteins is protective and might allow safe transit through the periplasm, misfolded proteins are eliminated in the molecular reaction chamber. Oligomer reassembly and concomitant activation on substrate binding may also be critical in regulating other HtrA proteases implicated in protein-folding diseases.