Protease enzymes of the Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV Pr) require two monomer proteins to combine into a dimer in order to activate. Dotted black box is the protein-protein interface targeted for disruption by Craik Lab researchers. (Colored balls represent amino acids—methionines—labeled to help determine if screened fragments inhibit dimerization.)
To discover new drugs and chemical probes, researchers have traditionally screened small molecules—small enough by weight to pass through cell membranes.
