Substrate profiling of Zika virus <scp>NS</scp>2B‐<scp>NS</scp>3 protease

Abstract

Zika virus ( ZIKV ), isolated from macaques in Uganda in 1947, was not considered to be a dangerous human pathogen. However, this view has recently changed as ZIKV infections are now associated with serious pathological disorders including microcephaly and Guillain–Barré syndrome. Similar to other viruses in the Flaviviridae family, ZIKV expresses the serine protease NS 3 which is responsible for viral protein processing and replication. Herein, we report the expression of an active NS 3 pro domain fused with the NS 2B cofactor ( NS 2 B LN NS 3 pro ) in a prokaryotic expression system and profile its specificity for synthesized FRET ‐type substrate libraries. Our findings pave way for screening potential intracellular substrates of NS 3 and for developing specific inhibitors of this ZIKV protease.