scholarly journals Discovery and Computational Analyses of Novel Small Molecule Zika Virus Inhibitors

Molecules ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (8) ◽  
pp. 1465 ◽  
Author(s):  
Siyu Zhu ◽  
Chaozai Zhang ◽  
Lina S. Huang ◽  
Xing-Quan Zhang ◽  
Yan Xu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Mode Analysis ◽  
Energy Calculation ◽  
Zikv Infection ◽  
Docking Approach ◽  
Ic50 Values ◽  
Mechanistic Basis ◽  
Computational Analyses

Zika virus (ZIKV), one of the flaviviruses, has attracted worldwide attention since its large epidemics around Brazil. Association of ZIKV infection with microcephaly and neurological problems such as Guillain–Barré syndrome has prompted intensive pathological investigations. However, there is still a long way to go on the discovery of effective anti-ZIKV therapeutics. In this study, an in silico screening of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) diversity set based on ZIKV NS3 helicase was performed using a molecular docking approach. Selected compounds with drug-like properties were subjected to cell-based antiviral assays resulting in the identification of two novel lead compounds (named Compounds 1 and 2). They inhibited ZIKV infection with IC50 values at the micro-molar level (8.5 μM and 15.2 μM, respectively). Binding mode analysis, absolute binding free energy calculation, and structure–activity relationship studies of these two compounds revealed their possible interactions with ZIKV NS3 helicase, suggesting a mechanistic basis for further optimization. These two novel small molecules may represent new leads for the development of inhibitory drugs against ZIKV.

scholarly journals Designs, Synthesis, Docking Studies, and Biological Evaluation of Novel Berberine Derivatives Targeting Zika Virus

2021 ◽  
Vol 2021 ◽  
pp. 1-10
Author(s):  
Cuong Quoc Nguyen ◽  
Thi Hong Minh Nguyen ◽  
Thi Thu Thuy Nguyen ◽  
Thi Buu Hue Bui ◽  
Trong Tuan Nguyen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Zika Virus ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Antiviral Drug ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Docking Studies ◽  
Biological Evaluation ◽  
World Health ◽  
Mode Analysis ◽  
Energy Calculation ◽  
Ns3 Protease

The World Health Organization has designated Zika virus (ZIKV) as a dangerous, mosquito-borne flaviviral pathogen that was recently found to be responsible for a dramatically increased number of microcephaly cases and other congenital abnormalities in fetuses and newborns. There is neither a vaccine to prevent nor a drug to treat ZIKA virus infections, at the present time. Berberine (BBR) is a promising drug approved by FDA against flaviviral dengue virus, and BBR derivatives are of great interest in antiviral drug development. In this study, we synthesized eight BBR derivatives by introducing benzyl groups at the C-13 position of BBR and converting to respective 8-oxoberberine derivatives, performed molecular docking analysis, and evaluated their anti-Zika virus activity utilizing a cell‐based phenotypic assay. Binding mode analysis, absolute binding free energy calculation, and structure-activity relationship studies of these compounds with ZIKV NS3 receptor were collected. Amongst these studied compounds, compound 4d with a structure of 13-(2,6-difluoro)-benzylberberine showed high binding affinity (docking score of −7.31 kcal/mol) towards ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease with critical binding formed within the active site. In the cell-based assay, compound 4d displayed the highest antiviral efficacy against ZIKV with a selective index (SI) of 15.3, with 3.7-fold greater than that of berberine. Together, our study suggests that the potential ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitor, compound 4d, is the best alternative to BBR and, further, extends an assuring platform for developing antiviral competitive inhibitors against ZIKV infection.

Application of the ESMACS Binding Free Energy Protocol to a Highly Varied Ligand Dataset: Lactate Dehydogenase A

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Wright ◽  
Fouad Husseini ◽  
Shunzhou Wan ◽  
Christophe Meyer ◽  
Herman Van Vlijmen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Free Energy ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Normal Mode Analysis ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Accessible Surface Area ◽  
Solvent Accessible Surface Area ◽  
Mode Analysis ◽  
Energy Calculation ◽  
Accessible Surface

<div>Here, we evaluate the performance of our range of ensemble simulation based binding free energy calculation protocols, called ESMACS (enhanced sampling of molecular dynamics with approximation of continuum solvent) for use in fragment based drug design scenarios. ESMACS is designed to generate reproducible binding affinity predictions from the widely used molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) approach. We study ligands designed to target two binding pockets in the lactate dehydogenase A target protein, which vary in size, charge and binding mode. When comparing to experimental results, we obtain excellent statistical rankings across this highly diverse set of ligands. In addition, we investigate three approaches to account for entropic contributions not captured by standard MMPBSA calculations: (1) normal mode analysis, (2) weighted solvent accessible surface area (WSAS) and (3) variational entropy. </div>

Application of the ESMACS Binding Free Energy Protocol to a Highly Varied Ligand Dataset: Lactate Dehydogenase A

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Wright ◽  
Fouad Husseini ◽  
Shunzhou Wan ◽  
Christophe Meyer ◽  
Herman Van Vlijmen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Free Energy ◽  
Surface Area ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Normal Mode Analysis ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Accessible Surface Area ◽  
Solvent Accessible Surface Area ◽  
Mode Analysis ◽  
Energy Calculation ◽  
Accessible Surface

<div>Here, we evaluate the performance of our range of ensemble simulation based binding free energy calculation protocols, called ESMACS (enhanced sampling of molecular dynamics with approximation of continuum solvent) for use in fragment based drug design scenarios. ESMACS is designed to generate reproducible binding affinity predictions from the widely used molecular mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) approach. We study ligands designed to target two binding pockets in the lactate dehydogenase A target protein, which vary in size, charge and binding mode. When comparing to experimental results, we obtain excellent statistical rankings across this highly diverse set of ligands. In addition, we investigate three approaches to account for entropic contributions not captured by standard MMPBSA calculations: (1) normal mode analysis, (2) weighted solvent accessible surface area (WSAS) and (3) variational entropy. </div>

scholarly journals Nelfinavir was predicted to be a potential inhibitor of 2019-nCov main protease by an integrative approach combining homology modelling, molecular docking and binding free energy calculation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhijian Xu ◽  
Cheng Peng ◽  
Yulong Shi ◽  
Zhengdan Zhu ◽  
Kaijie Mu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Free Energy ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Homology Modelling ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Free Energy Calculations ◽  
Integrative Approach ◽  
Energy Calculation ◽  
Potential Inhibitor ◽  
Small Molecule Drugs ◽  
Main Protease

Abstract2019-nCov has caused more than 80 deaths as of 27 January 2020 in China, and infection cases have been reported in more than 10 countries. However, there is no approved drug to treat the disease. 2019-nCov Mpro is a potential drug target to combat the virus. We built homology models based on SARS Mpro structures, and docked 1903 small molecule drugs to the models. Based on the docking score and the 3D similarity of the binding mode to the known Mpro ligands, 4 drugs were selected for binding free energy calculations. Both MM/GBSA and SIE methods voted for nelfinavir, with the binding free energy of −24.69±0.52 kcal/mol and −9.42±0.04 kcal/mol, respectively. Therefore, we suggested that nelfinavir might be a potential inhibitor against 2019-nCov Mpro.

scholarly journals An Effective MM/GBSA Protocol for Absolute Binding Free Energy Calculations: A Case Study on SARS-CoV-2 Spike Protein and the Human ACE2 Receptor

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2383
Author(s):  
Negin Forouzesh ◽  
Nikita Mishra
Keyword(s):  
Free Energy ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Normal Mode Analysis ◽  
Free Energy Calculations ◽  
Spike Protein ◽  
Upper And Lower Bounds ◽  
Mode Analysis ◽  
Implicit Solvent ◽  
Energy Calculation ◽  
Generalized Born

The binding free energy calculation of protein–ligand complexes is necessary for research into virus–host interactions and the relevant applications in drug discovery. However, many current computational methods of such calculations are either inefficient or inaccurate in practice. Utilizing implicit solvent models in the molecular mechanics generalized Born surface area (MM/GBSA) framework allows for efficient calculations without significant loss of accuracy. Here, GBNSR6, a new flavor of the generalized Born model, is employed in the MM/GBSA framework for measuring the binding affinity between SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and the human ACE2 receptor. A computational protocol is developed based on the widely studied Ras–Raf complex, which has similar binding free energy to SARS-CoV-2/ACE2. Two options for representing the dielectric boundary of the complexes are evaluated: one based on the standard Bondi radii and the other based on a newly developed set of atomic radii (OPT1), optimized specifically for protein–ligand binding. Predictions based on the two radii sets provide upper and lower bounds on the experimental references: −14.7(ΔGbindBondi)<−10.6(ΔGbindExp.)<−4.1(ΔGbindOPT1) kcal/mol. The consensus estimates of the two bounds show quantitative agreement with the experiment values. This work also presents a novel truncation method and computational strategies for efficient entropy calculations with normal mode analysis. Interestingly, it is observed that a significant decrease in the number of snapshots does not affect the accuracy of entropy calculation, while it does lower computation time appreciably. The proposed MM/GBSA protocol can be used to study the binding mechanism of new variants of SARS-CoV-2, as well as other relevant structures.

scholarly journals Virtual Screening of Heterocyclic Molecules to Identify Potential SARS-COV2 virus Mpro Protease Inhibitors for Further Medicinal Chemistry design

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mansour Sobeh ◽  
Reda Ben Mrid ◽  
Abdelaziz Yasri
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Protease Inhibitors ◽  
Medicinal Chemistry ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Binding Energies ◽  
Mode Analysis ◽  
Receptor Interaction ◽  
Heterocyclic Molecules ◽  
Pubchem Database ◽  
Docking Approach

Abstract In this work, we aimed to identify potential SARS-COV2 virus Mpro protease inhibitors using molecular docking. As a validation step of our docking approach, we used 7 known Mpro inhibitors and predicted their binding energies. We found a very good correlation (R = -0.86) between the binding energies and the pIC50 (-LogIC50) values. We then undertook virtual screening of 50753 heterocyclic molecules from the PubChem Database. The screened molecules were first filtered out using Lipinski, Veber and Ghose rules resulting in 21 142 which was submitted to the docking phase. The docked compounds were ranked according to their predicted binding energy to the protease and a threshold of -9.0 Kcal/mol was applied resulting in a set of 2711 hits. These hits were split into different groups according to their chemical class using a rule-based classification approach. The best compound from each of the most populated classes were subjected to binding mode analysis which led to ligand-receptor interaction maps and suggested some medicinal chemistry-oriented modifications to further optimize the potency of the obtained hits. Predicted IC50 of the hit molecules ranged from 0.85 to 0.43 µM against SARS-COV2 virus Mpro protease.

scholarly journals Discovery of the Novel Inhibitor Against New Delhi Metallo-β-Lactamase Based on Virtual Screening and Molecular Modelling

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (10) ◽  
pp. 3567 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiyan Wang ◽  
Yanan Yang ◽  
Yawen Gao ◽  
Xiaodi Niu
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Screening ◽  
Bacterial Resistance ◽  
Competitive Inhibition ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Hydrolytic Activity ◽  
Dynamics Simulation ◽  
Energy Calculation ◽  
New Delhi ◽  
The Novel

New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM-1), one of the metallo-β-lactamases (MBLs), leads to antibiotic resistance in clinical treatments due to the strong ability of hydrolysis to almost all kinds of β-lactam antibiotics. Therefore, there is the urgent need for the research and development of the novel drug-resistant inhibitors targeting NDM-1. In this study, ZINC05683641 was screened as potential NDM-1 inhibitor by virtual screening and the inhibitor mechanism of this compound was explored based on molecular dynamics simulation. The nitrocefin assay showed that the IC50 value of ZINC05683641 was 13.59 ± 0.52 μM, indicating that the hydrolytic activity of NDM-1 can be obviously suppressed by ZINC05683641. Further, the binding mode of ZINC05683641 with NDM-1 was obtained by molecular modeling, binding free energy calculation, mutagenesis assays and fluorescence-quenching assays. As results, ILE-35, MET-67, VAL-73, TRP-93, CYS-208, ASN-220 and HIS-250 played the key roles in the binding of NDM-1 with ZINC05683641. Interestingly, these key residues were exactly located in the catalytic activity region of NDM-1, implying that the inhibitor mechanism of ZINC05683641 against NDM-1 was the competitive inhibition. These findings will provide an available approach to research and develop new drug against NDM-1 and treatment for bacterial resistance.

scholarly journals Olive-Derived Triterpenes Suppress SARS COV-2 Main Protease: A Promising Scaffold for Future Therapeutics

Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 2654
Author(s):  
Hani A. Alhadrami ◽  
Ahmed M. Sayed ◽  
Ahmed M. Sharif ◽  
Esam I. Azhar ◽  
Mostafa E. Rateb
Keyword(s):  
Inhibitory Activity ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
In Silico Analysis ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Binding Mode ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Protective Measure ◽  
Energy Calculation ◽  
Main Protease ◽  
Catalytic Active Site

SARS CoV-2 pandemic is still considered a global health disaster, and newly emerged variants keep growing. A number of promising vaccines have been recently developed as a protective measure; however, cost-effective treatments are also of great importance to support this critical situation. Previously, betulinic acid has shown promising antiviral activity against SARS CoV via targeting its main protease. Herein, we investigated the inhibitory potential of this compound together with three other triterpene congeners (i.e., ursolic acid, maslinic acid, and betulin) derived from olive leaves against the viral main protease (Mpro) of the currently widespread SARS CoV-2. Interestingly, betulinic, ursolic, and maslinic acids showed significant inhibitory activity (IC50 = 3.22–14.55 µM), while betulin was far less active (IC50 = 89.67 µM). A comprehensive in-silico analysis (i.e., ensemble docking, molecular dynamic simulation, and binding-free energy calculation) was then performed to describe the binding mode of these compounds with the enzyme catalytic active site and determine the main essential structural features required for their inhibitory activity. Results presented in this communication indicated that this class of compounds could be considered as a promising lead scaffold for developing cost-effective anti-SARS CoV-2 therapeutics.

Large-Scale Assessment of Binding Free Energy Calculations in Active Drug Discovery Projects

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Schindler ◽  
Hannah Baumann ◽  
Andreas Blum ◽  
Dietrich Böse ◽  
Hans-Peter Buchstaller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Free Energy ◽  
Drug Discovery ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Active Drug ◽  
Binding Free Energy ◽  
Free Energy Calculations ◽  
Energy Calculation ◽  
Large Scale Assessment ◽  
New Public ◽  
Binding Free Energy Calculations

Here we present an evaluation of the binding affinity prediction accuracy of the free energy calculation method FEP+ on internal active drug discovery projects and on a large new public benchmark set.<br>

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