Protocol for structure determination of SARS-CoV-2 main protease at near-physiological-temperature by serial femtosecond crystallography
Fatma Betül Ertem, Ömür Güven, Cengizhan Büyükdağ, Oktay Göcenler, Esra Ayan, Büşra Yüksel, Mehmet Gül, Gozde Usta, Barış Çakilkaya, J Austin Johnson, E. Han Dao, Zhen Su, Frédéric Poitevin, Chun Hong Yoon, Christopher Kupitz, Brandon Hayes, Mengning Liang, Mark S. Hunter, A. Batyuk, Raymond G. Sierra, Gihan Ketawala, Sabine Botha, Çağdaş Dağ, Hasan DeMi̇rci̇
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 main protease of (Mpro) is an important target for SARS-CoV-2 related drug repurposing and development studies. Here, we describe the steps for structural characterization of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro, starting from plasmid preparation and protein purification. We detail the steps for crystallization using the sitting drop, microbatch (under oil) approach. Finally, we cover data collection and structure determination using serial femtosecond crystallography. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Durdagi et al. (2021).