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. 2022 Jan 30;294:120368. doi: 10.1016/j.lfs.2022.120368

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Fig. 1 — The protective mechanisms of melatonin on SARS-CoV2 infection.

Melatonin primarily targets the host to enhance the tolerance against pathogens. In addition, it may also target SARS-CoV-2 by blocking its entrance into cells and its replication. When the viral RNA is released into the cytoplasm and translated in two polyproteins (pp1a and pp1ab), both are cleaved by Mpro and papain-like protease (PLpro) to form 15 new non-structural proteins (nsps) that compose the replication-transcription complex. The newly formed RNA, nucleocapsid proteins and envelope glycoproteins assemble to form viral particles. Melatonin is an Mpro inhibitor and, thus can inhibit SARS CoV-2 replication. Red upward arrows: enhanced action; black downward arrows: reduced action; blue arrows: direction; red cross: blocking action; TMPRSS2: transmembrane protease serine 2; ACE2: angiotensin-converting enzyme 2, CD147: cluster of differentiation 147; Mpro: main protease. (For interpretation of the references to color in this figure legend, the reader is referred to the web version of this article.)