Mass Spectrometric Assays Reveal Discrepancies in Inhibition Profiles for the SARS‐CoV‐2 Papain‐Like Protease
Brewitz L., Kamps JJAG., Lukacik P., Strain‐Damerell C., Zhao Y., Tumber A., Malla TR., Orville AM., Walsh MA., Schofield CJ.
AbstractThe two SARS‐CoV‐2 proteases, i. e. the main protease (Mpro) and the papain‐like protease (PLpro), which hydrolyze the viral polypeptide chain giving functional non‐structural proteins, are essential for viral replication and are medicinal chemistry targets. We report a high‐throughput mass spectrometry (MS)‐based assay which directly monitors PLpro catalysis in vitro. The assay was applied to investigate the effect of reported small‐molecule PLpro inhibitors and selected Mpro inhibitors on PLpro catalysis. The results reveal that some, but not all, PLpro inhibitor potencies differ substantially from those obtained using fluorescence‐based assays. Some substrate‐competing Mpro inhibitors, notably PF‐07321332 (nirmatrelvir) which is in clinical development, do not inhibit PLpro. Less selective Mpro inhibitors, e. g. auranofin, inhibit PLpro, highlighting the potential for dual PLpro/Mpro inhibition. MS‐based PLpro assays, which are orthogonal to widely employed fluorescence‐based assays, are of utility in validating inhibitor potencies, especially for inhibitors operating by non‐covalent mechanisms.