Identification of chikungunya virus nsP2 protease inhibitors using structure-base approaches

Design, synthesis, antiviral evaluation, and In silico studies of acrylamides targeting nsP2 from Chikungunya virus

The Togaviridae family comprises several New- and Old-World Alphaviruses that have been responsible for thousands of human illnesses, including the RNA arbovirus Chikungunya virus (CHIKV). Firstly, it was reported in Tanzania in 1952 but rapidly it spread to several countries from Europe, Asia, and the Americas. Since then, CHIKV has been circulating in diverse countries around the world, leading to increased morbidity rates. Currently, there are no FDA-approved drugs or licensed vaccines to specifically treat CHIKV infections. Thus, there is a lack of alternatives to fight against this viral disease, making it an unmet need. Structurally, CHIKV is composed of five structural proteins (E3, E2, E1, C, and 6k) and four non-structural proteins (nsP1-4), in which nsP2 represents an attractive antiviral target for designing novel inhibitors since it has an essential role in the virus replication and transcription. Herein, we used a rational drug design strategy to select some acrylamide derivatives to be synthesized and evaluated against CHIKV nsP2 and also screened on CHIKV-infected cells. Thus, two regions of modifications were considered for these types of inhibitors, based on a previous study of our group, generating 1560 possible inhibitors. Then, the 24 most promising ones were synthesized and screened by using a FRET-based enzymatic assay protocol targeting CHIKV nsP2, identifying LQM330, 333, 336, and 338 as the most potent inhibitors, with Ki values of 48.6 ± 2.8, 92.3 ± 1.4, 2.3 ± 1.5, and 181.8 ± 2.5 μM, respectively. Still, their Km and Vmax kinetic parameters were also determined, along with their competitive binding modes of CHIKV nsP2 inhibition. Then, ITC analyses revealed KD values of 127, 159, 198, and 218 μM for LQM330, 333, 336, and 338, respectively. Also, their ΔH, ΔS, and ΔG physicochemical parameters were determined. MD simulations demonstrated that these inhibitors present a stable binding mode with nsP2, interacting with important residues of this protease, according to docking analyzes. Moreover, MM/PBSA calculations displayed that van der Waals interactions are mainly responsible for stabilizing the inhibitor-nsP2 complex, and their binding energies corroborated with their Ki values, having -198.7 ± 15.68, -124.8 ± 17.27, -247.4 ± 23.78, and -100.6 ± 19.21 kcal/mol for LQM330, 333, 336, and 338, respectively. Since Sindbis (SINV) nsP2 is similar to CHIKV nsP2, these best inhibitors were screened against SINV-infected cells, and it was verified that LQM330 presented the best result, with an EC50 value of 0.95 ± 0.09 μM. Even at 50 μM concentration, LQM338 was found to be cytotoxic on Vero cells after 48 h. Then, LQM330, 333, and 336 were evaluated against CHIKV-infected cells in antiviral assays, in which LQM330 was found to be the most promising antiviral candidate in this study, exhibiting an EC50 value of 5.2 ± 0.52 μM and SI of 31.78. The intracellular flow cytometry demonstrated that LQM330 is able to reduce the CHIKV cytopathogenic effect on cells, and also reduce the percentage of CHIKV-positive cells from 66.1% ± 7.05 to 35.8% ± 5.78 at 50 μM concentration. Finally, qPCR studies demonstrated that LQM330 was capable of reducing the number of viral RNA copies/μL, suggesting that CHIKV nsP2 is targeted by this inhibitor as its mechanism of action.

G-quadruplex DNA binding properties of novel nickel Schiff base complexes with four pendant groups

Three new nickel Schiff base complexes were prepared using a two-step procedure that involves initial selective dialkylation of 2,4,6-trihydroxybenzaldehyde, followed by reaction with 1,2-phenylenediamine and nickel(II) acetate. Each of the complexes possessed the same Schiff base core but differed in the identity of the four pendant groups. All complexes were characterised by microanalysis, NMR spectroscopy and ESI mass spectrometry. In addition, two of the complexes were also characterised in the solid state using X-ray crystallography, which confirmed the presence of a square planar geometry around the metal ion. The DNA binding properties of the three nickel complexes with double stranded DNA and a range of G-quadruplex DNA structures were explored using ESI mass spectrometry, CD spectroscopy, UV melting curves, Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) assays, Fluorescent Indicator Displacement (FID) assays and molecular docking studies. These techniques confirmed the ability of the three nickel complexes to bind to most of the DNA molecules examined, as well as stabilise the latter in several instances. In addition, the results of these investigations provided evidence that pendant groups with morpholine rings generally reduced DNA binding behaviour, whilst pendants featuring piperidine ring systems attached to the Schiff base core by three and not two methylene linkers often showed the greatest extent of binding or DNA stabilisation.

Structural insights into the inhibition of the nsP2 protease from Chikungunya virus by molecular modeling approaches

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is the etiological agent of the Chikungunya fever which has spread worldwide. Clinically, this disease may lead to prolonged incapacitating joint pain that can compromise remarkably the patients' quality of life. However, there are no licensed vaccines or specific drugs to fight this infection yet, making the search for novel therapies an imperative need. In this scenario, the CHIKV nsP2 protease emerged as an attractive therapeutic target once this protein plays a pivotal role in viral replication and pathogenesis. Hence, we investigated the structural basis for the inhibition of this enzyme by using molecular docking and dynamics simulations. Compounds with inhibitory activities against CHIKV nsP2 protease determined experimentally were selected from the literature. Docking studies with a set of stereoisomers showed that trans isomers, but not cis ones, bound close to the catalytic dyad which may explain isomerism requirements to the enzyme's inhibition. Further, binding mode analyses of other known inhibitors revealed highly conserved contacts between inhibitors and enzyme residues like N1011, C1013, A1046, Y1079, N1082, W1084, L1205, and M1242. Molecular dynamics simulations reinforced the importance of some of these interactions and pointed to nonpolar interactions as the main forces for inhibitors' binding. Finally, we observed that true inhibitors exhibited lower structural fluctuation, higher ligand efficiency and did not induce significant changes in protein correlated motions. Collectively, our findings might allow discerning true inhibitors from false ones and can guide drug development efforts targeting the nsP2 protease to fight CHIKV infections in the future.

MBZM-N-IBT, a Novel Small Molecule, Restricts Chikungunya Virus Infection by Targeting nsP2 Protease Activity In Vitro, In Vivo, and Ex Vivo

The increase in disease incidences and persistent Chikungunya virus (CHIKV)-induced arthritis have been a huge burden on public health globally. In the absence of specific antivirals or vaccines, it is essential to continue efforts to develop effective anti-CHIKV strategies. Our previous study showing the in vitro anti-CHIKV potential of a novel molecule 1-[(2-methylbenzimidazol-1-yl) methyl]-2-oxo-indolin-3-ylidene] amino] thiourea (MBZM-N-IBT) encouraged us to further validate its efficacy. Here, the effect of MBZM-N-IBT was evaluated in vitro in RAW 264.7 cells, in vivo in C57BL/6 mice, and ex vivo in human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (hPBMCs). The study demonstrated that CHIKV infection was efficiently abrogated in RAW 264.7 cells (IC₅₀ = 22.34 μM) with significant inhibition in viral proteins. The inhibition was effective in the postentry step, and MBZM-N-IBT predominately interfered in the early stages of CHIKV life cycle. It was further supported when the protease activity of CHIKV-nsP2 was hindered by the compound. Moreover, it diminished the CHIKV-induced inflammatory responses in vitro through significant downregulation of all the major mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs), NF-κB, cyclooxygenase (COX)-2, and cytokines. Furthermore, MBZM-N-IBT restricted CHIKV infection and inflammation in vivo, leading to reduced clinical scores and complete survival of C57BL/6 mice. Additionally, it has been noticed that the CHIKV infection was reduced remarkably in hPBMC-derived monocyte-macrophage populations ex vivo by the compound. In conclusion, it can be suggested that this novel compound MBZM-N-IBT has been demonstrated to be a potential anti-CHIKV molecule in vitro, in vivo, and ex vivo and fulfilled all the criteria to investigate further for successful treatment of CHIKV infection.

A review on structural genomics approach applied for drug discovery against three vector-borne viral diseases: Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika

Structural genomics involves the advent of three-dimensional structures of the genome encoded proteins through various techniques available. Numerous structural genomics research groups have been developed across the globe and they contribute enormously to the identification of three-dimensional structures of various proteins. In this review, we have discussed the applications of the structural genomics approach towards the discovery of potential lead-like molecules against the genomic drug targets of three vector-borne diseases, namely, Dengue, Chikungunya and Zika. Currently, all these three diseases are associated with the most important global public health problems and significant economic burden in tropical countries. Structural genomics has accelerated the identification of novel drug targets and inhibitors for the treatment of these diseases. We start with the current development status of the drug targets and antiviral drugs against these three diseases and conclude by describing challenges that need to be addressed to overcome the shortcomings in the process of drug discovery.

Antivirals against the Chikungunya Virus

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-transmitted alphavirus that has re-emerged in recent decades, causing large-scale epidemics in many parts of the world. CHIKV infection leads to a febrile disease known as chikungunya fever (CHIKF), which is characterised by severe joint pain and myalgia. As many patients develop a painful chronic stage and neither antiviral drugs nor vaccines are available, the development of a potent CHIKV inhibiting drug is crucial for CHIKF treatment. A comprehensive summary of current antiviral research and development of small-molecule inhibitor against CHIKV is presented in this review. We highlight different approaches used for the identification of such compounds and further discuss the identification and application of promising viral and host targets.

Analysis of Inhibitor Binding Combined with Reactivity Studies to Discover the Potentially Inhibiting Phytochemicals Targeting Chikungunya Viral Replication

BACKGROUND

Chikungunya fever is a challenging threat to human health in various parts of the world nowadays. Many attempts have been made for developing an effective drug against this viral disease and no effective antiviral treatment has been developed to control the spread of the Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in humans.

OBJECTIVE

This research is aimed at the discovery of potential inhibitors against this virus by employing computational techniques to study the interactions between non-structural proteins of Chikungunya virus and phytochemicals from plants.

METHODS

Four non-structural proteins were docked with 2035 phytochemicals from various plants. The ligands having binding energies ≥ -8.0 kcal/mol were considered as potential inhibitors for these proteins. ADMET studies were also performed to analyze different pharmacological properties of these docked compounds and to further analyze the reactivity of these phytochemicals against CHIKV, DFT analysis was carried out based on HOMO and LUMO energies.

RESULTS

By analyzing the binding energies, Ki, ADMET properties and band energy gaps, it was observed that 13 phytochemicals passed all the criteria to be a potent inhibitor against CHIKV in humans.

CONCLUSION

A total of 13 phytochemicals were identified as potent inhibiting candidates, which can be used against the Chikungunya virus.

Repurposing of approved drug molecules for viral infectious diseases: a molecular modelling approach

The identification of new viral drugs has become a task of paramount significance due to the frequent occurrence of viral infections and especially during the current pandemic. Despite the recent advancements, the development of antiviral drugs has not made parallel progress. Reduction of time frame and cost of the drug development process is the major advantage of drug repurposing. Therefore, in this study, a drug repurposing strategy using molecular modelling techniques, i.e. biological activity prediction, virtual screening, and molecular dynamics simulation was employed to find promising repurposing candidates for viral infectious diseases. The biological activities of non-redundant (4171) drug molecules were predicted using PASS analysis, and 1401 drug molecules were selected which showed antiviral activities in the analysis. These drug molecules were subjected to virtual screening against the selected non-structural viral proteins. A series of filters, i.e. top 10 drug molecules based on binding affinity, mean value of binding affinity, visual inspection of protein-drug complexes, and number of H-bond between protein and drug molecules were used to narrow down the drug molecules. Molecular dynamics simulation analysis was carried out to validate the intrinsic atomic interactions and binding conformations of protein-drug complexes. The binding free energies of drug molecules were assessed by employing MMPBSA analysis. Finally, nine drug molecules were prioritized, as promising repurposing candidates with the potential to inhibit the selected non-structural viral proteins.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

A review targeting the infection by CHIKV using computational and experimental approaches

The rise of normal body temperature of 98.6 °F beyond 100.4 °F in humans indicates fever due to some illness or infection. Viral infections caused by different viruses are one of the major causes of fever. One of such viruses is, Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is known to cause Chikungunya fever (CHIKF) which is transmitted to humans through the mosquitoes, which actually become the primary source of transmission of the virus. The genomic structure of the CHIKV consists of the two open reading frames (ORFs). The first one is a 5' end ORF and it encodes the nonstructural protein (nsP1-nsP4). The second is a 3' end ORF and it encodes the structural proteins, which is consisted of capsid, envelope (E), accessory peptides, E3 and 6 K. Till date, there is no effective vaccine or medicine available for early detection of the CHIKV infection and appropriate diagnosis to cure the patients from the infection. NSP3 of CHIKV is the prime target of the researchers as it is responsible for the catalytic activity. This review has updates of literature on CHIKV; pathogenesis of CHIKV; inhibition of CHIKV using theoretical and experimental approaches.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

In vitro study of Hesperetin and Hesperidin as inhibitors of zika and chikungunya virus proteases

The potential outcome of flavivirus and alphavirus co-infections is worrisome due to the development of severe diseases. Hundreds of millions of people worldwide live under the risk of infections caused by viruses like chikungunya virus (CHIKV, genus Alphavirus), dengue virus (DENV, genus Flavivirus), and zika virus (ZIKV, genus Flavivirus). So far, neither any drug exists against the infection by a single virus, nor against co-infection. The results described in our study demonstrate the inhibitory potential of two flavonoids derived from citrus plants: Hesperetin (HST) against NS2B/NS3pro of ZIKV and nsP2pro of CHIKV and, Hesperidin (HSD) against nsP2pro of CHIKV. The flavonoids are noncompetitive inhibitors and the determined IC50 values are in low µM range for HST against ZIKV NS2B/NS3pro (12.6 ± 1.3 µM) and against CHIKV nsP2pro (2.5 ± 0.4 µM). The IC50 for HSD against CHIKV nsP2pro was 7.1 ± 1.1 µM. The calculated ligand efficiencies for HST were > 0.3, which reflect its potential to be used as a lead compound. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations display the effect of HST and HSD on the protease 3D models of CHIKV and ZIKV. Conformational changes after ligand binding and their effect on the substrate-binding pocket of the proteases were investigated. Additionally, MTT assays demonstrated a very low cytotoxicity of both the molecules. Based on our results, we assume that HST comprise a chemical structure that serves as a starting point molecule to develop a potent inhibitor to combat CHIKV and ZIKV co-infections by inhibiting the virus proteases.

In silico studies of fisetin and silymarin as novel chikungunya virus nonstructural proteins inhibitors

Aim: Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection is often characterized by fever, rash and arthralgia. Until now, there is no vaccine or antiviral drug available for this disease. Two flavonoid compounds, silymarin and fisetin, were reported to be able to inhibit CHIKV replication. Materials & methods: The interaction between the flavonoid compounds and two CHIKV nonstructural proteins (nsP2 and nsP3) were investigated through molecular docking supported with other analysis such as molecular dynamics simulation and binding free energy calculation. Results: The compounds establish potent, stable and flexible interaction with the binding pocket of the two target proteins. Conclusion: The outcomes of this study support the previously published experimental data on anti-CHIKV activity of the compounds by highlighting the interactions with the proteins’ key residues.

In vitro and in vivo studies reveal α-Mangostin, a xanthonoid from Garcinia mangostana, as a promising natural antiviral compound against chikungunya virus

Background

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), a serious health problem in several tropical countries, is the causative agent of chikungunya fever. Approved antiviral therapies or vaccines for the treatment or prevention of CHIKV infections are not available. As diverse natural phenolic compounds have been shown to possess antiviral activities, we explored the antiviral activity of α-Mangostin, a xanthanoid, against CHIKV infection.

Methods

The in vitro prophylactic and therapeutic effects of α-Mangostin on CHIKV replication in Vero E6 cells were investigated by administering it under pre, post and cotreatment conditions. The antiviral activity was determined by foci forming unit assay, quantitative RT-PCR and cell-based immune-fluorescence assay. The molecular mechanism of inhibitory action was further proposed using in silico molecular docking studies.

Results

In vitro studies revealed that 8 µM α-Mangostin completely inhibited CHIKV infectivity under the cotreatment condition. CHIKV replication was also inhibited in virus-infected mice. This is the first in vivo study which clearly showed that α-Mangostin is effective in vivo by significantly reducing virus replication in serum and muscles. Molecular docking indicated that α-Mangostin can efficiently interact with the E2–E1 heterodimeric glycoprotein and the ADP-ribose binding cavity of the nsP3 macrodomain.

Conclusions

The findings suggest that α-Mangostin can inhibit CHIKV infection and replication through possible interaction with multiple CHIKV target proteins and might act as a prophylactic/therapeutic agent against CHIKV.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12985-021-01517-z.

In-silico and biophysical investigation of biomolecular interaction between naringin and nsP2 of the chikungunya virus

Chikungunya virus; the pathogen for chikungunya febrile and arthritic disease, having 11.8 kb positive-sense RNA genome encodes polyproteins for structural and non-structural regions. The polyprotein (P1234) corresponding to the non-structural part from 5' end gets auto-cleaved by the action of nsP2 protease, which leads to the generation of individual functional enzymatic proteins like nsP4, nsP1, nsP2 and nsP3. Thus, nsP2 protein initiates viral replication. Targeting nsP2 to block virus replication has always been the foremost strategy to develop antivirals. Plant-based molecules are one of the top choices to develop as inhibitor due to their less toxicity and wide availability. Using a combination of receptor-based docking and MD simulations, we identified a flavanone glycoside- naringin, which binds to nsP2 protease at nM affinity. The biomolecular interaction between naringin and nsP2 was established through SPR. As discerned through FTIR and intrinsic fluorescence studies, upon binding with naringin, a global structural change in nsP2 occurs. This structural modulation in nsP2 due to binding of naringin is likely to interfere with the normal functioning of this enzyme during the viral life cycle. In conclusion, this report highlights the potential of naringin as an anti-viral agent against Chikungunya.

Antiviral Strategies against Arthritogenic Alphaviruses

Alphaviruses are members of the Togaviridae family that are mainly transmitted by arthropods such as mosquitoes. In the last decades, several alphaviruses have re-emerged, causing outbreaks worldwide. One example is the re-emergence of chikungunya virus (CHIKV) in 2004, which caused massive epidemics in the Indian Ocean region after which the virus dramatically spread to the Americas in late 2013. Besides CHIKV, other alphaviruses, such as the Ross River virus (RRV), Mayaro virus (MAYV), and Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus (VEEV), have emerged and have become a serious public health concern in recent years. Infections with the Old World alphaviruses (e.g., CHIKV, RRV) are primarily associated with polyarthritis and myalgia that can persist for months to years. On the other hand, New World alphaviruses such as VEEV cause mainly neurological disease. Despite the worldwide (re-)emergence of these viruses, there are no antivirals or vaccines available for the treatment or prevention of infections with alphaviruses. It is therefore of utmost importance to develop antiviral strategies against these viruses. We here provided an overview of the reported antiviral strategies against arthritogenic alphaviruses. In addition, we highlighted the future perspectives for the development and the proper use of such antivirals.

The effect of isomerism and other structural variations on the G-quadruplex DNA-binding properties of some nickel Schiff base complexes

A series of novel isomeric nickel Schiff base complexes, as well as nickel complexes of related ligands having asymmetric structures have been prepared and characterised using microanalysis, 1H and 13C NMR spectroscopy and ESI-MS. The Schiff base ligands were prepared by condensation reactions involving ethylenediamine and different derivatives of benzophenone. The solid-state structures of eight of the complexes were also determined and revealed that each possessed a regular square planar coordination geometry around the metal ion. Many of the new complexes featured at least one, and in many instances two, protonatable pendant groups that enhance aqueous solubility. This enabled the DNA binding properties of the latter complexes to be explored using a variety of instrumental approaches, including ESI-MS, circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy, FRET melting assays and FID assays, as well as molecular docking studies. The results of experiments performed using ESI-MS suggested that none of the nickel complexes exhibit a high affinity towards either a double stranded DNA (dsDNA) molecule D2, or the parallel unimolecular quadruplex DNA (qDNA) molecule Q1. In contrast, complexes (8) and (12) both gave spectra which reflected a significant level of binding to the parallel tetramolecular qDNA Q4. The results of binding experiments performed using CD spectroscopy suggested that (12) exhibits a significant level of affinity towards most types of DNA, while (4) shows a preference for interacting with parallel, unimolecular qDNA molecules. Complex (4) produced the lowest values of DC50 in FID assays performed using parallel Q1 or Q4, confirming its affinity for these qDNA molecules. The results of FRET melting experiments provided further evidence that (12), along with (8), can interact extensively with anti-parallel unimolecular qDNA. Experiments which monitored the effect of the nickel complexes on the melting temperature of D2 showed that none had a stabilising effect on this dsDNA molecule.

Computer-Aided Design, Synthesis, and Antiviral Evaluation of Novel Acrylamides as Potential Inhibitors of E3-E2-E1 Glycoproteins Complex from Chikungunya Virus

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) causes an infectious disease characterized by inflammation and pain of the musculoskeletal tissues accompanied by swelling in the joints and cartilage damage. Currently, there are no licensed vaccines or chemotherapeutic agents to prevent or treat CHIKV infections. In this context, our research aimed to explore the potential in vitro anti-CHIKV activity of acrylamide derivatives. In silico methods were applied to 132 Michael’s acceptors toward the six most important biological targets from CHIKV. Subsequently, the ten most promising acrylamides were selected and synthesized. From the cytotoxicity MTT assay, we verified that LQM330, 334, and 336 demonstrate high cell viability at 40 µM. Moreover, these derivatives exhibited anti-CHIKV activities, highlighting the compound LQM334 which exhibited an inhibition value of 81%. Thus, docking simulations were performed to suggest a potential CHIKV-target for LQM334. It was observed that the LQM334 has a high affinity towards the E3-E2-E1 glycoproteins complex. Moreover, LQM334 reduced the percentage of CHIKV-positive cells from 74.07 to 0.88%, 48h post-treatment on intracellular flow cytometry staining. In conclusion, all virtual simulations corroborated with experimental results, and LQM334 could be used as a promising anti-CHIKV scaffold for designing new drugs in the future.

Evaluation of novobiocin and telmisartan for anti-CHIKV activity

Chikungunya has re-emerged as an epidemic with global distribution and high morbidity, necessitating the need for effective therapeutics. We utilized already approved drugs with a good safety profile used in other diseases for their new property of anti-chikungunya activity. It provides a base for a fast and efficient approach to bring a novel therapy from bench to bedside by the process of drug-repositioning. We utilized an in-silico drug screening with FDA approved molecule library to identify inhibitors of the chikungunya nsP2 protease, a multifunctional and essential non-structural protein required for virus replication. Telmisartan, an anti-hypertension drug, and the antibiotic novobiocin emerged among top hits on the screen. Further, SPR experiments revealed strong in-vitro binding of telmisartan and novobiocin to nsP2 protein. Additionally, small angle x-ray scattering suggested binding of molecules to nsP2 and post-binding compaction and retention of monomeric state in the protein-inhibitor complex. Protease activity measurement revealed that both compounds inhibited nsP2 protease activity with IC₅₀ values in the low micromolar range. More importantly, plaque formation assays could show the effectiveness of these drugs in suppressing virus propagation in host cells. We propose novobiocin and telmisartan as potential inhibitors of chikungunya replication. Further research is required to establish the molecules as antivirals of clinical relevance against chikungunya.

A new class of quadruplex DNA-binding nickel Schiff base complexes

A new nickel Schiff base complex shows selective binding behaviour towards quadruplex DNA and cytotoxicity against cancer cells.

Regioselective convergent synthesis of 2-arylidene thiazolo[3,2-a]pyrimidines as potential anti-chikungunya agents

Convergent and convenient regioselective synthesis of novel thiazolo[2,3-a]pyrimidine derivatives was accomplished using the one-pot reaction of 6-ethylthiouracil, bromoacetic acid, anhydrous sodium acetate, acetic anhydride, acetic acid and suitable aldehyde. X-ray crystallographic study reveals the presence of the Z configuration of only one regioisomer confirmed by computational studies as being the most likely isomer present.

Convergent and convenient regioselective synthesis of novel thiazolo[2,3-a]pyrimidines was accomplished using the one-pot reaction of 6-ethylthiouracil, bromoacetic acid, anhydrous sodium acetate, acetic anhydride, acetic acid and suitable aldehyde.

Antiviral drug discovery against arthritogenic alphaviruses: Tools and molecular targets

Alphaviruses are (mainly) arthropod-borne viruses that belong to the family of the Togaviridae. Based on the disease they cause, alphaviruses are divided into an arthritogenic and an encephalitic group. Arthritogenic alphaviruses such as the chikungunya virus (CHIKV), the Ross River virus (RRV) and the Mayaro virus (MAYV) have become a serious public health concern in recent years. Epidemics are associated with high morbidity and the infections cause in many patients debilitating joint pain that can persist for months to years. The recent (2013-2014) introduction of CHIKV in the Americas resulted in millions of infected persons. Massive outbreaks of CHIKV and other arthritogenic alphaviruses are likely to occur in the future. Despite the worldwide (re-)emergence of these viruses, there are no antivirals or vaccines available for the treatment or prevention of infections with alphaviruses. It is therefore of utmost importance to develop antiviral strategies against these viruses. We here review the possible molecular targets in the replication cycle of these viruses for the development of antivirals. In addition, we provide an overview of the currently available in vitro systems and mouse infection models that can be used to assess the potential antiviral effect against these viruses.

Targeting the nsp2 Cysteine Protease of Chikungunya Virus Using FDA Approved Library and Selected Cysteine Protease Inhibitors

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection is one of the major public health concerns, leading thousands of cases every year in rural as well as urban regions of several countries worldwide, few to mention are India, Philippines, Indonesia, and also in American countries. The structural and non-structural proteins of CHIKV are structurally and functionally similar to other alphaviruses such as Sindbis virus, Venezuelan Equine Encephalitis virus. The precursor protein of non-structural proteins is cleaved by proteolytic activity of non-structural protein (nsp2). This multifunctional nsp2 carry out nucleoside-triphosphatase (NTPase) and RNA helicase activity at its N-terminal and protease activity at C-terminal that makes it primarily a drug target to inhibit CHIKV replication. Until the current date, no suitable treatment for chikungunya infection is available. The introduction of a new drug into the market is a lengthy process, therefore, drug repurposing is now familiar approach that cut off the time and cost of drug discovery. In this study, we have implemented this approach with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drugs and known cysteine protease inhibitors against CHIKV nsp2 protease using structure-based drug discovery. Our extensive docking and molecular dynamics simulations studies leads to two best interacting compounds, Ribostamycin sulfate and E-64, with utmost stable complexes at active site of nsp2 protease. Therefore, these compounds could be suitable for inhibiting CHIKV protease activity, and ultimately the viral replication.

The Interplay of Viral and Host Factors in Chikungunya Virus Infection: Targets for Antiviral Strategies

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) has re-emerged as one of the many medically important arboviruses that have spread rampantly across the world in the past decade. Infected patients come down with acute fever and rashes, and a portion of them suffer from both acute and chronic arthralgia. Currently, there are no targeted therapeutics against this debilitating virus. One approach to develop potential therapeutics is by understanding the viral-host interactions. However, to date, there has been limited research undertaken in this area. In this review, we attempt to briefly describe and update the functions of the different CHIKV proteins and their respective interacting host partners. In addition, we also survey the literature for other reported host factors and pathways involved during CHIKV infection. There is a pressing need for an in-depth understanding of the interaction between the host environment and CHIKV in order to generate potential therapeutics.

Current Strategies for Inhibition of Chikungunya Infection

Increasing incidences of Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) infection and co-infections with Dengue/Zika virus have highlighted the urgency for CHIKV management. Failure in developing effective vaccines or specific antivirals has fuelled further research. This review discusses updated strategies of CHIKV inhibition and provides possible future directions. In addition, it analyzes advances in CHIKV lifecycle, drug-target development, and potential hits obtained by in silico and experimental methods. Molecules identified with anti-CHIKV properties using traditional/rational drug design and their potential to succeed in subsequent stages of drug development have also been discussed. Possibilities of repurposing existing drugs based on their in vitro findings have also been elucidated. Probable modes of interference of these compounds at various stages of infection, including entry and replication, have been highlighted. The use of host factors as targets to identify antivirals against CHIKV has been addressed. While most of the earlier antivirals were effective in the early phases of the CHIKV life cycle, this review is also focused on drug candidates that are effective at multiple stages of its life cycle. Since most of these antivirals require validation in preclinical and clinical models, the challenges regarding this have been discussed and will provide critical information for further research.

Deciphering the dark proteome of Chikungunya virus

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is a mosquito-borne alphavirus. The outbreak of CHIKV infection has been seen in many tropical and subtropical regions of the biosphere. Current reports evidenced that after outbreaks in 2005-06, the fitness of this virus propagating in Aedes albopictus enhanced due to the epistatic mutational changes in its envelope protein. In our study, we evaluated the prevalence of intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs) and IDP regions (IDPRs) in CHIKV proteome. IDPs/IDPRs are known as members of a 'Dark Proteome' that defined as a set of polypeptide segments or whole protein without unique three-dimensional structure within the cellular milieu but with significant biological functions, such as cell cycle regulation, control of signaling pathways, and maintenance of viral proteomes. However, the intrinsically disordered aspects of CHIKV proteome and roles of IDPs/IDPRs in the pathogenic mechanism of this important virus have not been evaluated as of yet. There are no existing reports on the analysis of intrinsic disorder status of CHIKV. To fulfil this goal, we have analyzed the abundance and functionality of IDPs/IDPRs in CHIKV proteins, involved in the replication and maturation. It is likely that these IDPs/IDPRs can serve as novel targets for disorder based drug design.

Nonstructural Proteins of Alphavirus-Potential Targets for Drug Development

Alphaviruses are enveloped, positive single-stranded RNA viruses, typically transmitted by arthropods. They often cause arthralgia or encephalitic diseases in infected humans and there is currently no targeted antiviral treatment available. The re-emergence of alphaviruses in Asia, Europe, and the Americas over the last decade, including chikungunya and o'nyong'nyong viruses, have intensified the search for selective inhibitors. In this review, we highlight key molecular determinants within the alphavirus replication complex that have been identified as viral targets, focusing on their structure and functionality in viral dissemination. We also summarize recent structural data of these viral targets and discuss how these could serve as templates to facilitate structure-based drug design and development of small molecule inhibitors.

Understanding the interactability of chikungunya virus proteinsviamolecular recognition feature analysis

The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus that has an enveloped icosahedral capsid and is transmitted byAedessp. mosquitos.

Molecular Docking Studies to Explore Potential Binding Pockets and Inhibitors for Chikungunya Virus Envelope Glycoproteins

The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) envelope glycoproteins are considered important potential targets for anti-CHIKV drug discovery due to their crucial roles in virus attachment and virus entry. In this study, using two available crystal structures of the immature and mature forms of envelope glycoproteins, virtual screenings based on blind dockings and focused dockings were carried out to identify potential binding pockets and hit compounds for the virus. The chemical library database of compounds, NCI Diversity Set II, was used in these docking studies. In addition to reproducing previously reported examples, new binding pockets were identified, e.g., Pocket 2 in the 3N40, and Pocket 2 and Pocket 3 in the 3N42. Convergences in conformational sampling in docking using AutoDock Vina were evaluated. An analysis of docking results was carried out to understand interactions of the envelope glycoproteins complexes. Some key residues for interactions, for example Gly91 and His230, are identified as possessing important roles in the fusion process.

Design and Validation of Novel Chikungunya Virus Protease Inhibitors

Chikungunya virus (CHIKV; genus Alphavirus) is the causative agent of chikungunya fever. CHIKV replication can be inhibited by some broad-spectrum antiviral compounds; in contrast, there is very little information about compounds specifically inhibiting the enzymatic activities of CHIKV replication proteins. These proteins are translated in the form of a nonstructural (ns) P1234 polyprotein precursor from the CHIKV positive-strand RNA genome. Active forms of replicase enzymes are generated using the autoproteolytic activity of nsP2. The available three-dimensional (3D) structure of nsP2 protease has made it a target for in silico drug design; however, there is thus far little evidence that the designed compounds indeed inhibit the protease activity of nsP2 and/or suppress CHIKV replication. In this study, a set of 12 compounds, predicted to interact with the active center of nsP2 protease, was designed using target-based modeling. The majority of these compounds were shown to inhibit the ability of nsP2 to process recombinant protein and synthetic peptide substrates. Furthermore, all compounds found to be active in these cell-free assays also suppressed CHIKV replication in cell culture, the 50% effective concentration (EC₅₀) of the most potent inhibitor being ∼1.5 μM. Analysis of stereoisomers of one compound revealed that inhibition of both the nsP2 protease activity and CHIKV replication depended on the conformation of the inhibitor. Combining the data obtained from different assays also indicates that some of the analyzed compounds may suppress CHIKV replication using more than one mechanism.

Molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation analyses of urea with ammoniated and ammoxidized lignin

Ammoniated lignin, prepared through the Mannich reaction of lignin, has more advantages as a slow-release carrier of urea molecules than ammoxidized lignin and lignin. The advantages of the ammoniated lignin include its amine groups added and its high molecular mass kept as similar as that of lignin. Three organic molecules including guaiacyl, 2-hydroxybenzylamine and 5-carbamoylpentanoic acid are monomers respectively in lignin, ammoniated lignin and ammoxidized lignin. We studied the difference between the interactions of lignin, ammoniated lignin and ammoxidized lignin with respect to urea, based on radial distribution functions (RDFs) results from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Glass transition temperature (T_g) and solubility parameter (δ) of ammoniated and ammoxidized lignin have been calculated by MD simulations in the constant-temperature and constant-pressure ensemble (NPT). Molecular docking results showed the interaction sites of the urea onto the ammoniated and ammoxidized lignin and three different interaction modes were identified. Root mean square deviation (RMSD) values could indicate the mobilities of the urea molecule affected by the three different interaction modes. A series of MD simulations in the constant-temperature and constant-volume ensemble (NVT) helped us to calculate the diffusivity of urea which was affected by the content of urea in ammoniated and ammoxidized lignin.

Molecular Modeling and Docking Study to Elucidate Novel Chikungunya Virus nsP2 Protease Inhibitors

Chikungunya is one of the tropical viral infections that severely affect the Asian and African countries. Absence of any suitable drugs or vaccines against Chikungunya virus till date makes it essential to identify and develop novel leads for the same. Recently, nsP2 cysteine protease has been classified as a crucial drug target to combat infections caused by Alphaviruses including Chikungunya virus due to its involvement viral replication. Here in, we investigated the structural aspects of the nsP2 protease through homology modeling based on nsP2 protease from Venezuelan equine encephalitis virus. Further, the ligands were virtually screened based on various pharmacological, ADME/Tox filters and subjected to docking with the modeled Chikungunya nsP2 protease using AutoDock4.2. The interaction profiling of ligand with the protein was carried out using LigPlot⁺. The results demonstrated that the ligand with PubChem Id (CID_5808891) possessed highest binding affinity towards Chikungunya nsP2 protease with a good interaction profile with the active site residues. We hereby propose that these compounds could inhibit the nsP2 protease by binding to its active site. Moreover, they may provide structural scaffold for the design of novel leads with better efficacy and specificity for the nsP2 protease.