Crystal structure of SARS-CoV 3C-like protease with baicalein.

The 3C-like protease (Mpro, 3CLpro) plays a key role in the replication process in coronaviruses (CoVs). The Mpro is an essential enzyme mediates CoVs replication and is a promising target for development of antiviral drugs. Until now, baicalein has been shown the specific activity for SARS-CoV Mpro in vitro experiments. In this study, we resolved the SARS-CoV Mpro with baicalein by X-ray diffraction at 2.25 Å (PDB code 7XAX), which provided a structural basis for the research and development of baicalein as an anti-CoVs drug.