Crystallization of Enterovirus coxsackievirus A16 2A protease v1

Picornaviridae coxsackievirus A16 is the causative agent of paediatric hand-foot-and-mouth disease, and a target for pandemic preparedness due to the risk of higher order complications in a large-scale outbreak. The 2A protease of the virus is responsible for self-cleavage from the poly protein, allowing for correct folding and assembly of capsid proteins in the final stages of viral replication. Inhibition deranges capsid folding and assembly, preventing formation of mature virions in host cells and making the protease a valuable target for antiviral activity. This protocol was used to grow coxsackievirus A16 crystals that were applied high-throughput crystallographic fragment screening on the target.