Peptide from NSP7 is able to form amyloid-like fibrils: artifact or challenge to drug design?

Abstract

Using a set of programs for analyzing the primary structure of amyloidogenic proteins, we analyzed the primary structure of the of the COVID-19 NSP7 protein. Peptides containing potential amyloidogenic determinants in the primary structure have been synthesized and shown to be capable of forming amyloid-like fibrils in vitro. In the future, this peptide can be used as a basis for creating antiviral agents that act directly on the spatial structure of the NSP7 subunit of the COVID-19 polymerase.