Evaluation of SSYA10-001 as a replication inhibitor of severe acute respiratory syndrome, mouse hepatitis, and Middle East respiratory syndrome coronaviruses.

We have previously shown that SSYA10-001 blocks severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV) replication by inhibiting SARS-CoV helicase (nsp13). Here, we show that SSYA10-001 also inhibits replication of two other coronaviruses, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) and Middle Eastern respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV). A putative binding pocket for SSYA10-001 was identified and shown to be similar in SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, and MHV helicases. These studies show that it is possible to target multiple coronaviruses through broad-spectrum inhibitors.