Proteolytic Enzymes of the Viruses of the Family Picornaviridae

This chapter deals with proteolytic enzymes of the viruses of the family picornaviridae. The picornaviral 3C proteinases constitute an ideal target for the rational design of antiviral drugs. The chapter discusses the chymotrypsin-like cysteine proteinases, which constitute a unique class of enzymes with a distinct substrate specificity, and are so far only found in +RNA viruses. Within these viruses the 3C proteinases perform a central and indispensable role during the viral life cycle and 3C proteinase inhibitors have the potential to limit the spread of viral infections. The chapter concludes that there is a wealth of experimental information available for the best-studied examples of the viruses of the Picornaviridae. This information provides an opportunity to design inhibitors against the viral 3C proteinase. Effective inhibitors of the picornaviral 3C proteinase have the potential to become effective antiviral drugs against human diseases such as the common cold, HAV, enteroviral infections, and diseases caused by related + RNA viruses.