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Khalil AM, Nogales A, Martínez-Sobrido L, Mostafa A. Antiviral responses versus virus-induced cellular shutoff: a game of thrones between influenza A virus NS1 and SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024; 14:1357866. [PMID: 38375361 PMCID: PMC10875036 DOI: 10.3389/fcimb.2024.1357866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Following virus recognition of host cell receptors and viral particle/genome internalization, viruses replicate in the host via hijacking essential host cell machinery components to evade the provoked antiviral innate immunity against the invading pathogen. Respiratory viral infections are usually acute with the ability to activate pattern recognition receptors (PRRs) in/on host cells, resulting in the production and release of interferons (IFNs), proinflammatory cytokines, chemokines, and IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) to reduce virus fitness and mitigate infection. Nevertheless, the game between viruses and the host is a complicated and dynamic process, in which they restrict each other via specific factors to maintain their own advantages and win this game. The primary role of the non-structural protein 1 (NS1 and Nsp1) of influenza A viruses (IAV) and the pandemic severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), respectively, is to control antiviral host-induced innate immune responses. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the genesis, spatial structure, viral and cellular interactors, and the mechanisms underlying the unique biological functions of IAV NS1 and SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 in infected host cells. We also highlight the role of both non-structural proteins in modulating viral replication and pathogenicity. Eventually, and because of their important role during viral infection, we also describe their promising potential as targets for antiviral therapy and the development of live attenuated vaccines (LAV). Conclusively, both IAV NS1 and SARS-CoV-2 Nsp1 play an important role in virus-host interactions, viral replication, and pathogenesis, and pave the way to develop novel prophylactic and/or therapeutic interventions for the treatment of these important human respiratory viral pathogens.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ahmed Magdy Khalil
- Disease Intervention & Prevention and Host Pathogen Interactions Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Department of Zoonotic Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt
| | - Aitor Nogales
- Center for Animal Health Research, CISA-INIA-CSIC, Madrid, Spain
| | - Luis Martínez-Sobrido
- Disease Intervention & Prevention and Host Pathogen Interactions Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Ahmed Mostafa
- Disease Intervention & Prevention and Host Pathogen Interactions Programs, Texas Biomedical Research Institute, San Antonio, TX, United States
- Center of Scientific Excellence for Influenza Viruses, National Research Centre, Giza, Egypt
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2
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Shiryaev SA, Cieplak P, Cheltsov A, Liddington RC, Terskikh AV. Dual function of Zika virus NS2B-NS3 protease. PLoS Pathog 2023; 19:e1011795. [PMID: 38011215 PMCID: PMC10723727 DOI: 10.1371/journal.ppat.1011795] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 12/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Zika virus (ZIKV) serine protease, indispensable for viral polyprotein processing and replication, is composed of the membrane-anchored NS2B polypeptide and the N-terminal domain of the NS3 polypeptide (NS3pro). The C-terminal domain of the NS3 polypeptide (NS3hel) is necessary for helicase activity and contains an ATP-binding site. We discovered that ZIKV NS2B-NS3pro binds single-stranded RNA with a Kd of ~0.3 μM, suggesting a novel function. We tested various structural modifications of NS2B-NS3pro and observed that constructs stabilized in the recently discovered "super-open" conformation do not bind RNA. Likewise, stabilizing NS2B-NS3pro in the "closed" (proteolytically active) conformation using substrate inhibitors abolished RNA binding. We posit that RNA binding occurs when ZIKV NS2B-NS3pro adopts the "open" conformation, which we modeled using highly homologous dengue NS2B-NS3pro crystallized in the open conformation. We identified two positively charged fork-like structures present only in the open conformation of NS3pro. These forks are conserved across Flaviviridae family and could be aligned with the positively charged grove on NS3hel, providing a contiguous binding surface for the negative RNA strand exiting helicase. We propose a "reverse inchworm" model for a tightly intertwined NS2B-NS3 helicase-protease machinery, which suggests that NS2B-NS3pro cycles between open and super-open conformations to bind and release RNA enabling long-range NS3hel processivity. The transition to the closed conformation, likely induced by the substrate, enables the classical protease activity of NS2B-NS3pro.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A. Shiryaev
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Piotr Cieplak
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Anton Cheltsov
- Q-mol LLC, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Robert C. Liddington
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Alexey V. Terskikh
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Infectious and Inflammatory Disease Center, La Jolla, California, United States of America
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3
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N-sulfonyl peptide-hybrids as a new class of dengue virus protease inhibitors. Eur J Med Chem 2023; 251:115227. [PMID: 36893626 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2023.115227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2022] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) from the Flaviviridae family causes an epidemic disease that seriously threatens human life. The viral serine protease NS2B-NS3 is a promising target for drug development against DENV and other flaviviruses. We here report the design, synthesis, and in-vitro characterization of potent peptidic inhibitors of DENV protease with a sulfonyl moiety as N-terminal cap, thereby creating sulfonamide-peptide hybrids. The in-vitro target affinities of some synthesized compounds were in the nanomolar range, with the most promising derivative reaching a Ki value of 78 nM against DENV-2 protease. The synthesized compounds did not have relevant off-target activity nor cytotoxicity. The metabolic stability of compounds against rat liver microsomes and pancreatic enzymes was remarkable. In general, the integration of sulfonamide moieties at the N-terminus of peptidic inhibitors proved to be a promising and attractive strategy for further drug development against DENV infections.
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Chowdhury N, Bagchi A. A drug repurposing endeavor to discover a multi-targeting ligand against RhlR and LasR proteins from opportunistic human pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa. J Mol Model 2022; 28:295. [PMID: 36064977 DOI: 10.1007/s00894-022-05301-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 08/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic human pathogen. It synthesizes the poison called Hydrogen Cyanide (HCN). The synthesis of HCN is mediated by the enzyme HCN synthase which is obtained from the hcnABC operon and the transcription of the hcnABC operon is mediated by three proteins LasR, RhlR, and ANR. In our previous works, we analyzed the activation process of RhlR and LasR proteins by their cognate auto-inducer ligands (N-butanoyl-L-homoserine lactone and N-(3-oxododecanoyl)-homoserine lactone respectively). In this work, we attempted to identify some multi-targeting ligands which would be able to destroy the structural integrity of both the RhlR and LasR proteins using steered MD simulations. We used the virtual screening of ligand libraries, and for that purpose, we used the NCI drug database. We selected the top 4 ligands from our virtual screening experiments. We then tried to check their relative binding affinities with the LasR and RhlR proteins in comparison to their native auto-inducer ligands. Through this work, we were able to identify 4 such ligands which were capable of binding to both the RhlR and LasR proteins in a better way than their native auto-inducer ligands. The efficacies of these ligands to actually perturb the structural integrity of RhlR and LasR proteins could be tested in wet lab. The work is the first work in the field of structure-based drug design to come up with possible multi-targeting drug-like structures against the RhlR and LasR proteins from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilkanta Chowdhury
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Kalyani, Nadia, Kalyani, 741235, West Bengal, India
- Department of Biotechnology, Sidho-Kanho-Birsha University, Ranchi-Purulia Road Campus, Near Sainik School, Purulia, 723104, West Bengal, India
| | - Angshuman Bagchi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Kalyani, Nadia, Kalyani, 741235, West Bengal, India.
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5
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Finding a chink in the armor: Update, limitations, and challenges toward successful antivirals against flaviviruses. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 2022; 16:e0010291. [PMID: 35482672 PMCID: PMC9049358 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0010291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Flaviviruses have caused large epidemics and ongoing outbreaks for centuries. They are now distributed in every continent infecting up to millions of people annually and may emerge to cause future epidemics. Some of the viruses from this group cause severe illnesses ranging from hemorrhagic to neurological manifestations. Despite decades of research, there are currently no approved antiviral drugs against flaviviruses, urging for new strategies and antiviral targets. In recent years, integrated omics data-based drug repurposing paired with novel drug validation methodologies and appropriate animal models has substantially aided in the discovery of new antiviral medicines. Here, we aim to review the latest progress in the development of both new and repurposed (i) direct-acting antivirals; (ii) host-targeting antivirals; and (iii) multitarget antivirals against flaviviruses, which have been evaluated both in vitro and in vivo, with an emphasis on their targets and mechanisms. The search yielded 37 compounds that have been evaluated for their efficacy against flaviviruses in animal models; 20 of them are repurposed drugs, and the majority of them exhibit broad-spectrum antiviral activity. The review also highlighted the major limitations and challenges faced in the current in vitro and in vivo evaluations that hamper the development of successful antiviral drugs for flaviviruses. We provided an analysis of what can be learned from some of the approved antiviral drugs as well as drugs that failed clinical trials. Potent in vitro and in vivo antiviral efficacy alone does not warrant successful antiviral drugs; current gaps in studies need to be addressed to improve efficacy and safety in clinical trials.
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6
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Santos NP, Santos LH, Torquato Quezado de Magalhães M, Lei J, Hilgenfeld R, Salgado Ferreira R, Bleicher L. Characterization of an Allosteric Pocket in Zika Virus NS2B-NS3 Protease. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:945-957. [DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.1c01326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Naiá Porã Santos
- Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Lucianna Helene Santos
- Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Mariana Torquato Quezado de Magalhães
- Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Jian Lei
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Lübeck 23562, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, Lübeck 23562, Germany
| | - Rolf Hilgenfeld
- Institute of Biochemistry, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, Lübeck 23562, Germany
- German Center for Infection Research (DZIF), Hamburg-Lübeck-Borstel-Riems Site, University of Lübeck, Lübeck 23562, Germany
| | - Rafaela Salgado Ferreira
- Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil
| | - Lucas Bleicher
- Biochemistry and Immunology Department, Biological Sciences Institute, Federal University of Minas Gerais (UFMG), Avenida Antônio Carlos 6627, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais 31270-901, Brazil
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7
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Joon S, Singla RK, Shen B. In Silico Drug Discovery for Treatment of Virus Diseases. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1368:73-93. [DOI: 10.1007/978-981-16-8969-7_4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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8
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Voss S, Nitsche C. Targeting the protease of West Nile virus. RSC Med Chem 2021; 12:1262-1272. [PMID: 34458734 PMCID: PMC8372202 DOI: 10.1039/d1md00080b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 05/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
West Nile virus infections can cause severe neurological symptoms. During the last 25 years, cases have been reported in Asia, North America, Africa, Europe and Australia (Kunjin). No West Nile virus vaccines or specific antiviral therapies are available to date. Various viral proteins and host-cell factors have been evaluated as potential drug targets. The viral protease NS2B-NS3 is among the most promising viral targets. It releases viral proteins from a non-functional polyprotein precursor, making it a critical factor of viral replication. Despite strong efforts, no protease inhibitors have reached clinical trials yet. Substrate-derived peptidomimetics have facilitated structural elucidations of the active protease state, while alternative compounds with increased drug-likeness have recently expanded drug discovery efforts beyond the active site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saan Voss
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University Canberra ACT 2601 Australia
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9
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Chowdhury N, Bagchi A. Identification of the binding interactions of some novel antiviral compounds against Nsp1 protein from SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) through high throughput screening. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2021; 40:6634-6641. [PMID: 33612076 PMCID: PMC7899154 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2021.1887763] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has become a global threat. It has become very difficult to control the spreading of the virus. The virus is a RNA virus and the virulence of the virus is mediated by three virulence causing proteins, viz., Nsp1, Nsp3c and ORF7. So far the drug designing endeavors against the virus have been being targeted towards the spike protein which is responsible for the entry of the virus inside human host as well as the RNA dependent RNA polymerase. However, no effective treatment against the virus has so far been developed. In the present situation, an attempt has been made to target the virulence protein factor Nsp1 which binds to the 40S ribosomal subunit of the human host. We tried to target the Nsp1 by in-silico virtual screening of ligand libraries. We built the three dimensional structure of Nsp1 and used the structure to screen the ChEMBL drug library. We used molecular docking simulations of the top6 screened ligands with Nsp1 and subjected the liagnd-Nsp1 complexes to molecular dynamics simulations to analyze the behaviors of the ligands in a virtual cell. From our analysis we could predict that the ligands bearing the ChEMBL identifiers, CHEMBL1096281, CHEMBL2022920, CHEMBL175656, had the best binding affinity values with Nsp1. Therefore, these ligand molecules may be tested in wet-lab for further analysis. This is the first report to target the virulence factor Nsp1 from SARS-CoV-2. Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nilkanta Chowdhury
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal, India
| | - Angshuman Bagchi
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of Kalyani, Kalyani, West Bengal, India
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10
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Leonova GN, Maistrovskaya OS, Lubova VA. Molecular and Genetic Bases of Inhibition of Tick-Borne Encephalitis Virus Replication by Eprosartan and Ribavirin. Bull Exp Biol Med 2020; 170:53-57. [PMID: 33222083 DOI: 10.1007/s10517-020-05003-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The antiviral activity of eprosartan (compound selected in silico) towards highly and low-virulent strains of tick-borne encephalitis virus was compared in vitro with activity of ribavirin. Study of the cytopathogenic activity of the virus on SPEV cells by ELISA, IFAT, and PCR showed similar results: both substances (eprosartan and ribavirin) promoted elimination of tick-borne encephalitis virus. Ribavirin exhibited intracellular inhibition towards both strains: the selectivity index for highly virulent Dal'negorsk strain was 160, for low-virulent Primorye-437 strain - 113. Eprosartan inhibited intracellular replication of Dal'negorsk strain (13.7) and less so that of Primorye-437 strain (2.9). The efficiency of virtual screening of the ligand (eprosartan) was demonstrated for highly virulent, but not low virulent tick-borne encephalitis strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- G N Leonova
- G. P. Somov Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Vladivostok, Russia.
| | - O S Maistrovskaya
- G. P. Somov Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Vladivostok, Russia
| | - V A Lubova
- G. P. Somov Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Vladivostok, Russia
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11
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Cheltsov A, Nomura N, Yenugonda VM, Roper J, Mukthavaram R, Jiang P, Her NG, Babic I, Kesari S, Nurmemmedov E. Allosteric inhibitor of β-catenin selectively targets oncogenic Wnt signaling in colon cancer. Sci Rep 2020; 10:8096. [PMID: 32415084 PMCID: PMC7229215 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60784-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Abnormal regulation of β-catenin initiates an oncogenic program that serves as a main driver of many cancers. Albeit challenging, β-catenin is an attractive drug target due to its role in maintenance of cancer stem cells and potential to eliminate cancer relapse. We have identified C2, a novel β-catenin inhibitor, which is a small molecule that binds to a novel allosteric site on the surface of β-catenin. C2 selectively inhibits β-catenin, lowers its cellular load and significantly reduces viability of β-catenin-driven cancer cells. Through direct binding to β-catenin, C2 renders the target inactive that eventually activates proteasome system for its removal. Here we report a novel pharmacologic approach for selective inhibition of β-catenin via targeting a cryptic allosteric modulation site. Our findings may provide a new perspective for therapeutic targeting of β-catenin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anton Cheltsov
- Q-MOL LLC, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Natsuko Nomura
- John Wayne Cancer Institute and Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Venkata M Yenugonda
- John Wayne Cancer Institute and Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Jatin Roper
- Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27710, USA
| | - Rajesh Mukthavaram
- Translational Neuro-Oncology Laboratories, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Pengfei Jiang
- Translational Neuro-Oncology Laboratories, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA, USA
| | - Nam-Gu Her
- Korea Institute of Radiological and Medical Sciences, 75 Nowon-ro, Seoul, 01812, Korea
| | - Ivan Babic
- John Wayne Cancer Institute and Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Santosh Kesari
- John Wayne Cancer Institute and Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA
| | - Elmar Nurmemmedov
- John Wayne Cancer Institute and Pacific Neuroscience Institute at Providence Saint John's Health Center, Santa Monica, CA, USA.
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12
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Liu R, AbdulHameed MDM, Wallqvist A. Teaching an Old Dog New Tricks: Strategies That Improve Early Recognition in Similarity-Based Virtual Screening. Front Chem 2019; 7:701. [PMID: 31709231 PMCID: PMC6819673 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2019.00701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 10/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
High throughput screening (HTS) is an important component of lead discovery, with virtual screening playing an increasingly important role. Both methods typically suffer from lack of sensitivity and specificity against their true biological targets. With ever-increasing screening libraries and virtual compound collections, it is now feasible to conduct follow-up experimental testing on only a small fraction of hits. In this context, advances in virtual screening that achieve enrichment of true actives among top-ranked compounds (“early recognition”) and, hence, reduce the number of hits to test, are highly desirable. The standard ligand-based virtual screening method for large compound libraries uses a molecular similarity search method that ranks the likelihood of a compound to be active against a drug target by its highest Tanimoto similarity to known active compounds. This approach assumes that the distributions of Tanimoto similarity values to all active compounds are identical (i.e., same mean and standard deviation)—an assumption shown to be invalid (Baldi and Nasr, 2010). Here, we introduce two methods that improve early recognition of actives by exploiting similarity information of all molecules. The first method ranks a compound by its highest z-score instead of its highest Tanimoto similarity, and the second by an aggregated score calculated from its Tanimoto similarity values to all known actives and inactives (or a large number of structurally diverse molecules when information on inactives is unavailable). Our evaluations, which use datasets of over 20 HTS campaigns downloaded from PubChem, indicate that compared to the conventional approach, both methods achieve a ~10% higher Boltzmann-enhanced discrimination of receiver operating characteristic (BEDROC) score—a metric of early recognition. Given the increasing use of virtual screening in early lead discovery, these methods provide straightforward means to enhance early recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruifeng Liu
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, MD, United States.,The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Mohamed Diwan M AbdulHameed
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, MD, United States.,The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Anders Wallqvist
- Department of Defense Biotechnology High Performance Computing Software Applications Institute, Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center, U.S. Army Medical Research and Development Command, Fort Detrick, MD, United States
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13
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Rozanov D, Cheltsov A, Nilsen A, Boniface C, Forquer I, Korkola J, Gray J, Tyner J, Tognon CE, Mills GB, Spellman P. Targeting mitochondria in cancer therapy could provide a basis for the selective anti-cancer activity. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0205623. [PMID: 30908483 PMCID: PMC6433232 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0205623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2018] [Accepted: 02/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
To determine the target of the recently identified lead compound NSC130362 that is responsible for its selective anti-cancer efficacy and safety in normal cells, structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies were conducted. First, NSC13062 was validated as a starting compound for the described SAR studies in a variety of cell-based viability assays. Then, a small library of 1,4-naphthoquinines (1,4-NQs) and quinoline-5,8-diones was tested in cell viability assays using pancreatic cancer MIA PaCa-2 cells and normal human hepatocytes. The obtained data allowed us to select a set of both non-toxic compounds that preferentially induced apoptosis in cancer cells and toxic compounds that induced apoptosis in both cancer and normal cells. Anti-cancer activity of the selected non-toxic compounds was confirmed in viability assays using breast cancer HCC1187 cells. Consequently, the two sets of compounds were tested in multiple cell-based and in vitro activity assays to identify key factors responsible for the observed activity. Inhibition of the mitochondrial electron transfer chain (ETC) is a key distinguishing activity between the non-toxic and toxic compounds. Finally, we developed a mathematical model that was able to distinguish these two sets of compounds. The development of this model supports our conclusion that appropriate quantitative SAR (QSAR) models have the potential to be employed to develop anti-cancer compounds with improved potency while maintaining non-toxicity to normal cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dmitri Rozanov
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Anton Cheltsov
- Q-MOL LLC, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Aaron Nilsen
- Medicinal Chemistry Core, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Christopher Boniface
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Isaac Forquer
- Chemistry Department, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - James Korkola
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Joe Gray
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Jeffrey Tyner
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Cristina E. Tognon
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
- Division of Hematology & Medical Oncology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Gordon B. Mills
- Department of Cell, Developmental and Cancer Biology, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
| | - Paul Spellman
- Department of Molecular and Medical Genetics, Knight Cancer Institute, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, Oregon, United States of America
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14
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Gorshkov K, Shiryaev SA, Fertel S, Lin YW, Huang CT, Pinto A, Farhy C, Strongin AY, Zheng W, Terskikh AV. Zika Virus: Origins, Pathological Action, and Treatment Strategies. Front Microbiol 2019; 9:3252. [PMID: 30666246 PMCID: PMC6330993 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.03252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2018] [Accepted: 12/14/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
The Zika virus (ZIKV) global epidemic prompted the World Health Organization to declare it a 2016 Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The overwhelming experience over the past several years teaches us that ZIKV and the associated neurological complications represent a long-term world-wide challenge to public health. Although the number of ZIKV cases in the Western Hemisphere has dropped since 2016, the need for basic research and anti-ZIKV drug development remains strong. Re-emerging viruses like ZIKV are an ever-present threat in the 21st century where fast transcontinental travel lends itself to viral epidemics. Here, we first present the origin story for ZIKV and review the rapid progress researchers have made toward understanding of the ZIKV pathology and in the design, re-purposing, and testing–particularly in vivo–drug candidates for ZIKV prophylaxis and therapy ZIKV. Quite remarkably, a short, but intensive, drug-repurposing effort has already resulted in several readily available FDA-approved drugs that are capable of effectively combating the virus in infected adult mouse models and, most importantly, in both preventing maternal-fetal transmission and severe microcephaly in newborns in pregnant mouse models.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kirill Gorshkov
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Sergey A Shiryaev
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Sophie Fertel
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Yi-Wen Lin
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Chun-Teng Huang
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Antonella Pinto
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Chen Farhy
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Alex Y Strongin
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Wei Zheng
- National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Alexey V Terskikh
- Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA, United States
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15
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Martinez AA, Espinosa BA, Adamek RN, Thomas BA, Chau J, Gonzalez E, Keppetipola N, Salzameda NT. Breathing new life into West Nile virus therapeutics; discovery and study of zafirlukast as an NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitor. Eur J Med Chem 2018; 157:1202-1213. [PMID: 30193218 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2018.08.077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2018] [Revised: 08/06/2018] [Accepted: 08/27/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The West Nile virus (WNV) has spread throughout the world causing neuroinvasive diseases with no treatments available. The viral NS2B-NS3 protease is essential for WNV survival and replication in host cells and is a promising drug target. Through an enzymatic screen of the National Institute of Health clinical compound library, we report the discovery of zafirlukast, an FDA approved treatment for asthma, as an inhibitor for the WNV NS2B-NS3 protease. Zafirlukast was determined to inhibit the protease through a mixed mode mechanism with an IC50 value of 32 μM. A structure activity relationship study of zafirlukast revealed the cyclopentyl carbamate and N-aryl sulfonamide as structural elements crucial for NS2B-NS3 protease inhibition. Replacing the cyclopentyl with a phenyl improved inhibition, resulting in an IC50 of 22 μM. Experimental and computational docking analysis support the inhibition model of zafirlukast and analogs binding at an allosteric site on the NS3 protein, thereby disrupting the NS2B cofactor from binding, resulting in protease inhibition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia A Martinez
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Bianca A Espinosa
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Rebecca N Adamek
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Brent A Thomas
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Jennifer Chau
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Edwardo Gonzalez
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Niroshika Keppetipola
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA
| | - Nicholas T Salzameda
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, California State University, Fullerton, 800 N. State College, Fullerton, CA, 92831, USA.
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16
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Strategies Towards Protease Inhibitors for Emerging Flaviviruses. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2018; 1062:175-186. [PMID: 29845533 PMCID: PMC7121277 DOI: 10.1007/978-981-10-8727-1_13] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Infections with flaviviruses are a continuing public health threat. In addition to vaccine development and vector control, the search for antiviral agents that alleviate symptoms in patients are of considerable interest. Among others, the flaviviral protease NS2B-NS3 is a promising drug target to inhibit viral replication. Flaviviral proteases share a high degree of structural similarity and substrate-recognition profile, which may facilitate a strategy towards development of pan-flaviviral protease inhibitors. However, the success of various drug discovery attempts during the last decade has been limited by the nature of the viral enzyme as well as a lack of robust structural templates. Small-molecular, structurally diverse protease inhibitors have been reported to reach affinities in the lower micromolar range. Peptide-based, substrate-derived compounds are often nanomolar inhibitors, however, with highly compromised drug-likeness. With some exceptions, the antiviral cellular activity of most of the reported compounds have been patchy and insufficient for further development. Recent progress has been made in the elucidation of inhibitor binding using different structural methods. This will hopefully lead to more rational attempts for the identification of various lead compounds that may be successful in cellular assays, animal models and ultimately translated to patients.
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17
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STD-NMR experiments identify a structural motif with novel second-site activity against West Nile virus NS2B-NS3 protease. Antiviral Res 2017; 146:174-183. [PMID: 28927677 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 09/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) belongs to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae. This mosquito-borne virus that is highly pathogenic to humans has been evolving into a global threat during the past two decades. Despite many efforts, neither antiviral drugs nor vaccines are available. The viral protease NS2B-NS3pro is essential for viral replication, and therefore it is considered a prime drug target. However, success in the development of specific NS2B-NS3pro inhibitors had been moderate so far. In the search for new structural motifs with binding affinity for NS2B-NS3pro, we have screened a fragment library, the Maybridge Ro5 library, employing saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR experiments as readout. About 30% of 429 fragments showed binding to NS2B-NS3pro. Subsequent STD-NMR competition experiments using the known active site fragment A as reporter ligand yielded 14 competitively binding fragments, and 22 fragments not competing with A. In a fluorophore-based protease assay, all of these fragments showed inhibition in the micromolar range. Interestingly, 10 of these 22 fragments showed a notable increase of STD intensities in the presence of compound A suggesting cooperative binding. The most promising non-competitive inhibitors 1 and 2 (IC50 ∼ 500 μM) share a structural motif that may guide the development of novel second-site (potentially allosteric) inhibitors of NS2B-NS3pro. To identify the matching protein binding site, chemical shift perturbation studies employing 1H,15N-TROSY-HSQC experiments with uniformly 2H,15N-labeled protease were performed in the presence of 1, and in the concomitant absence or presence of A. The data suggest that 1 interacts with Met 52* of NS2B, identifying a secondary site adjacent to the binding site of A. Therefore, our study paves the way for the synthesis of novel bidentate NS2B-NS3pro inhibitors.
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18
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Srinivasan B, Tonddast-Navaei S, Skolnick J. Pocket detection and interaction-weighted ligand-similarity search yields novel high-affinity binders for Myocilin-OLF, a protein implicated in glaucoma. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 2017; 27:4133-4139. [PMID: 28739043 DOI: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2017.07.035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
Traditional structure and ligand based virtual screening approaches rely on the availability of structural and ligand binding information. To overcome this limitation, hybrid approaches were developed that relied on extraction of ligand binding information from proteins sharing similar folds and hence, evolutionarily relationship. However, they cannot target a chosen pocket in a protein. To address this, a pocket centric virtual ligand screening approach is required. Here, we employ a new, iterative implementation of a pocket and ligand-similarity based approach to virtual ligand screening to predict small molecule binders for the olfactomedin domain of human myocilin implicated in glaucoma. Small-molecule binders of the protein might prevent the aggregation of the protein, commonly seen during glaucoma. First round experimental assessment of the predictions using differential scanning fluorimetry with myoc-OLF yielded 7 hits with a success rate of 12.7%; the best hit had an apparent dissociation constant of 99nM. By matching to the key functional groups of the best ligand that were likely involved in binding, the affinity of the best hit was improved by almost 10,000 fold from the high nanomolar to the low picomolar range. Thus, this study provides preliminary validation of the methodology on a medically important glaucoma associated protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bharath Srinivasan
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950, Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States
| | - Sam Tonddast-Navaei
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950, Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States
| | - Jeffrey Skolnick
- Center for the Study of Systems Biology, School of Biology, Georgia Institute of Technology, 950, Atlantic Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332, United States.
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19
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Novel Class IIa-Selective Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Discovered Using an in Silico Virtual Screening Approach. Sci Rep 2017; 7:3228. [PMID: 28607401 PMCID: PMC5468338 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-03417-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 04/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Histone deacetylases (HDAC) contain eighteen isoforms that can be divided into four classes. Of these isoform enzymes, class IIa (containing HDAC4, 5, 7 and 9) target unique substrates, some of which are client proteins associated with epigenetic control. Class IIa HDACs are reportedly associated with some neuronal disorders, making HDACs therapeutic targets for treating neurodegenerative diseases. Additionally, some reported HDAC inhibitors contain hydroxamate moiety that chelates with zinc ion to become the cofactor of HDAC enzymes. However, the hydroxamate functional group is shown to cause undesirable effects and has poor pharmacokinetic profile. This study used in silico virtual screening methodology to identify several nonhydroxamate compounds, obtained from National Cancer Institute database, which potentially inhibited HDAC4. Comparisons of the enzyme inhibitory activity against a panel of HDAC isoforms revealed these compounds had strong inhibitory activity against class IIa HDACs, but weak inhibitory activity against class I HDACs. Further analysis revealed that a single residue affects the cavity size between class I and class IIa HDACs, thus contributing to the selectivity of HDAC inhibitors discovered in this study. The discovery of these inhibitors presents the possibility of developing new therapeutic treatments that can circumvent the problems seen in traditional hydroxamate-based drugs.
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20
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Characterization of the Zika virus two-component NS2B-NS3 protease and structure-assisted identification of allosteric small-molecule antagonists. Antiviral Res 2017; 143:218-229. [PMID: 28461069 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The recent re-emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV)1, a member of the Flaviviridae family, has become a global emergency. Currently, there are no effective methods of preventing or treating ZIKV infection, which causes severe neuroimmunopathology and is particularly harmful to the developing fetuses of infected pregnant women. However, the pathology induced by ZIKV is unique among flaviviruses, and knowledge of the biology of other family members cannot easily be extrapolated to ZIKV. Thus, structure-function studies of ZIKV proteins are urgently needed to facilitate the development of effective preventative and therapeutic agents. Like other flaviviruses, ZIKV expresses an NS2B-NS3 protease, which consists of the NS2B cofactor and the NS3 protease domain and is essential for cleavage of the ZIKV polyprotein precursor and generation of fully functional viral proteins. Here, we report the enzymatic characterization of ZIKV protease, and we identify structural scaffolds for allosteric small-molecule inhibitors of this protease. Molecular modeling of the protease-inhibitor complexes suggests that these compounds bind to the druggable cavity in the NS2B-NS3 protease interface and affect productive interactions of the protease domain with its cofactor. The most potent compound demonstrated efficient inhibition of ZIKV propagation in vitro in human fetal neural progenitor cells and in vivo in SJL mice. The inhibitory scaffolds could be further developed into valuable research reagents and, ultimately, provide a roadmap for the selection of efficient inhibitors of ZIKV infection.
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21
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Abstract
The dengue virus and related flaviviruses are an increasing global health threat. In this perspective, we comment on and review medicinal chemistry efforts aimed at the prevention or treatment of dengue infections. We include target-based approaches aimed at viral or host factors and results from phenotypic screenings in cellular assay systems for viral replication. This perspective is limited to the discussion of results that provide explicit chemistry or structure-activity relationship (SAR), or appear to be of particular interest to the medicinal chemist for other reasons. The discovery and development efforts discussed here may at least partially be extrapolated toward other emerging flaviviral infections, such as West Nile virus. Therefore, this perspective, although not aimed at flaviviruses in general, should also be able to provide an overview of the medicinal chemistry of these closely related infectious agents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira A M Behnam
- Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology IPMB, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology IPMB, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Veaceslav Boldescu
- Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology IPMB, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,Laboratory of Organic Synthesis, Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova , Academiei 3, 2028 Chisinau, Moldova
| | - Christian D Klein
- Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology IPMB, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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22
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Brown GT, Murray GI. Current mechanistic insights into the roles of matrix metalloproteinases in tumour invasion and metastasis. J Pathol 2015; 237:273-81. [PMID: 26174849 DOI: 10.1002/path.4586] [Citation(s) in RCA: 184] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2015] [Revised: 07/03/2015] [Accepted: 07/08/2015] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The purpose of this review is to highlight the recent mechanistic developments elucidating the role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in tumour invasion and metastasis. The ability of tumour cells to invade, migrate, and subsequently metastasize is a fundamental characteristic of cancer. Tumour invasion and metastasis are increasingly being characterized by the dynamic relationship between cancer cells and their microenvironment and developing a greater understanding of these basic pathological mechanisms is crucial. While MMPs have been strongly implicated in these processes as a result of extensive circumstantial evidence--for example, increased expression of individual MMPs in tumours and association of specific MMPs with prognosis--the underpinning mechanisms are only now being elucidated. Recent studies are now providing a mechanistic basis, highlighting and reinforcing the catalytic and non-catalytic roles of specific MMPs as key players in tumour invasion and metastasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gordon T Brown
- Pathology, Division of Applied Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Graeme I Murray
- Pathology, Division of Applied Medicine, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
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23
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Chen F, Chen J, Lin J, Cheltsov AV, Xu L, Chen Y, Zeng Z, Chen L, Huang M, Hu M, Ye X, Zhou Y, Wang G, Su Y, Zhang L, Zhou F, Zhang XK, Zhou H. NSC-640358 acts as RXRα ligand to promote TNFα-mediated apoptosis of cancer cell. Protein Cell 2015; 6:654-666. [PMID: 26156677 PMCID: PMC4537469 DOI: 10.1007/s13238-015-0178-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2015] [Accepted: 05/03/2015] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Retinoid X receptor α (RXRα) and its N-terminally truncated version tRXRα play important roles in tumorigenesis, while some RXRα ligands possess potent anti-cancer activities by targeting and modulating the tumorigenic effects of RXRα and tRXRα. Here we describe NSC-640358 (N-6), a thiazolyl-pyrazole derived compound, acts as a selective RXRα ligand to promote TNFα-mediated apoptosis of cancer cell. N-6 binds to RXRα and inhibits the transactivation of RXRα homodimer and RXRα/TR3 heterodimer. Using mutational analysis and computational study, we determine that Arg316 in RXRα, essential for 9-cis-retinoic acid binding and activating RXRα transactivation, is not required for antagonist effects of N-6, whereas Trp305 and Phe313 are crucial for N-6 binding to RXRα by forming extra π–π stacking interactions with N-6, indicating a distinct RXRα binding mode of N-6. N-6 inhibits TR3-stimulated transactivation of Gal4-DBD-RXRα-LBD by binding to the ligand binding pocket of RXRα-LBD, suggesting a strategy to regulate TR3 activity indirectly by using small molecules to target its interacting partner RXRα. For its physiological activities, we show that N-6 strongly inhibits tumor necrosis factor α (TNFα)-induced AKT activation and stimulates TNFα-mediated apoptosis in cancer cells in an RXRα/tRXRα dependent manner. The inhibition of TNFα-induced tRXRα/p85α complex formation by N-6 implies that N-6 targets tRXRα to inhibit TNFα-induced AKT activation and to induce cancer cell apoptosis. Together, our data illustrate a new RXRα ligand with a unique RXRα binding mode and the abilities to regulate TR3 activity indirectly and to induce TNFα-mediated cancer cell apoptosis by targeting RXRα/tRXRα.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Chen
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
- />School of Biological Science and Biotechnology, Minnan Normal University, Zhangzhou, 363000 China
| | - Jiebo Chen
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Jiacheng Lin
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | | | - Lin Xu
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Ya Chen
- />Cancer Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Zhiping Zeng
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Liqun Chen
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Mingfeng Huang
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Mengjie Hu
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Xiaohong Ye
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Yuqi Zhou
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Guanghui Wang
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
| | - Ying Su
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
- />Cancer Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Long Zhang
- />Life Science Institute, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, 310058 China
| | - Fangfang Zhou
- />Institutes of Biology and Medical Sciences, Soochow University, Suzhou, 215123 China
| | - Xiao-kun Zhang
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
- />Cancer Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, 10901 N. Torrey Pines Road, La Jolla, CA 92037 USA
| | - Hu Zhou
- />School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Xiamen University, Xiamen, 361102 China
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24
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Systematic discovery of molecular probes targeting multiple non-orthosteric and spatially distinct sites in the botulinum neurotoxin subtype A (BoNT/A). Mol Cell Probes 2015; 29:135-43. [PMID: 25745992 DOI: 10.1016/j.mcp.2015.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2014] [Revised: 02/23/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2015] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
The development of molecular probes targeting proteins has traditionally relied on labeling compounds already known to bind to the protein of interest. These known ligands bind to orthosteric or allosteric sites in their target protein as a way to control their activity. Binding pockets other than known orthosteric or allosteric sites may exist that are large enough to accommodate a ligand without significantly disrupting protein activity. Such sites may provide opportunities to discriminate between subtypes or other closely related proteins, since they are under less evolutionary pressure to be conserved. The Protein Scanning with Virtual Ligand Screening (PSVLS) approach was previously used to identify a novel inhibitor and a fluorescent probe against the catalytic site of the botulinum neurotoxin subtype A (BoNT/A). PSVLS screens compound databases against multiple sites within a target protein, and the results for all the sites probed against BoNT/A, not only the catalytic site, are available online. Here, we analyze the PSVLS data for multiple sites in order to identify molecular probes with affinity for binding pockets other than the catalytic site of BoNT/A. BoNT/A is a large protein with a light (LC) and a heavy (HC) chain that can be assayed separately. We used scintillation proximity assay (SPA) to test experimentally 5 probe candidates predicted computationally to have affinity for different non-orthosteric binding regions within the HC and LC, and one compound predicted not to have affinity for either domain. The binding profiles obtained experimentally confirmed the targeting of multiple and spatially distinct pockets within BoNT/A. Moreover, inhibition assay results indicate that some of these probes do not significantly interfere with the catalytic activity of BoNT/A.
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25
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Bhakat S, Karubiu W, Jayaprakash V, Soliman ME. A perspective on targeting non-structural proteins to combat neglected tropical diseases: Dengue, West Nile and Chikungunya viruses. Eur J Med Chem 2014; 87:677-702. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2014.10.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2014] [Revised: 09/29/2014] [Accepted: 10/04/2014] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
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26
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Nitsche C, Holloway S, Schirmeister T, Klein CD. Biochemistry and medicinal chemistry of the dengue virus protease. Chem Rev 2014; 114:11348-81. [PMID: 25268322 DOI: 10.1021/cr500233q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 103] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Christoph Nitsche
- Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology IPMB, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Steven Holloway
- Institut für Pharmazie und Biochemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz , Staudingerweg 5, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Tanja Schirmeister
- Institut für Pharmazie und Biochemie, Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz , Staudingerweg 5, D-55128 Mainz, Germany
| | - Christian D Klein
- Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology IPMB, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, D-69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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27
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Recent Advances in Targeting Dengue and West Nile Virus Proteases Using Small Molecule Inhibitors. TOPICS IN MEDICINAL CHEMISTRY 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/7355_2014_46] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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28
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Lim SP, Shi PY. West Nile virus drug discovery. Viruses 2013; 5:2977-3006. [PMID: 24300672 PMCID: PMC3967157 DOI: 10.3390/v5122977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Revised: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) in 1999 in the USA, and its continued spread throughout the Americas, parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, underscored the need for WNV antiviral development. Here, we review the current status of WNV drug discovery. A number of approaches have been used to search for inhibitors of WNV, including viral infection-based screening, enzyme-based screening, structure-based virtual screening, structure-based rationale design, and antibody-based therapy. These efforts have yielded inhibitors of viral or cellular factors that are critical for viral replication. For small molecule inhibitors, no promising preclinical candidate has been developed; most of the inhibitors could not even be advanced to the stage of hit-to-lead optimization due to their poor drug-like properties. However, several inhibitors developed for related members of the family Flaviviridae, such as dengue virus and hepatitis C virus, exhibited cross-inhibition of WNV, suggesting the possibility to re-purpose these antivirals for WNV treatment. Most promisingly, therapeutic antibodies have shown excellent efficacy in mouse model; one of such antibodies has been advanced into clinical trial. The knowledge accumulated during the past fifteen years has provided better rationale for the ongoing WNV and other flavivirus antiviral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siew Pheng Lim
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos 05-01, Singapore 138670, Singapore.
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29
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Honarparvar B, Govender T, Maguire GEM, Soliman MES, Kruger HG. Integrated Approach to Structure-Based Enzymatic Drug Design: Molecular Modeling, Spectroscopy, and Experimental Bioactivity. Chem Rev 2013; 114:493-537. [DOI: 10.1021/cr300314q] [Citation(s) in RCA: 87] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bahareh Honarparvar
- Catalysis
and Peptide Research Unit and ‡School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Thavendran Govender
- Catalysis
and Peptide Research Unit and ‡School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Glenn E. M. Maguire
- Catalysis
and Peptide Research Unit and ‡School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Mahmoud E. S. Soliman
- Catalysis
and Peptide Research Unit and ‡School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
| | - Hendrik G. Kruger
- Catalysis
and Peptide Research Unit and ‡School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban 4001, South Africa
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30
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de Almeida H, Bastos IMD, Ribeiro BM, Maigret B, Santana JM. New binding site conformations of the dengue virus NS3 protease accessed by molecular dynamics simulation. PLoS One 2013; 8:e72402. [PMID: 23991109 PMCID: PMC3749139 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0072402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2013] [Accepted: 07/10/2013] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Dengue fever is caused by four distinct serotypes of the dengue virus (DENV1-4), and is estimated to affect over 500 million people every year. Presently, there are no vaccines or antiviral treatments for this disease. Among the possible targets to fight dengue fever is the viral NS3 protease (NS3PRO), which is in part responsible for viral processing and replication. It is now widely recognized that virtual screening campaigns should consider the flexibility of target protein by using multiple active conformational states. The flexibility of the DENV NS3PRO could explain the relatively low success of previous virtual screening studies. In this first work, we explore the DENV NS3PRO conformational states obtained from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations to take into account protease flexibility during the virtual screening/docking process. To do so, we built a full NS3PRO model by multiple template homology modeling. The model comprised the NS2B cofactor (essential to the NS3PRO activation), a glycine flexible link and the proteolytic domain. MD simulations had the purpose to sample, as closely as possible, the ligand binding site conformational landscape prior to inhibitor binding. The obtained conformational MD sample was clustered into four families that, together with principal component analysis of the trajectory, demonstrated protein flexibility. These results allowed the description of multiple binding modes for the Bz-Nle-Lys–Arg–Arg-H inhibitor, as verified by binding plots and pair interaction analysis. This study allowed us to tackle protein flexibility in our virtual screening campaign against the dengue virus NS3 protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hugo de Almeida
- Laboratório de Interação Patógeno-Hospedeiro, Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brasília, Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
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31
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Gao Y, Samanta S, Cui T, Lam Y. Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of West Nile virus protease inhibitors based on the 1,3,4,5-tetrasubstituted 1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-one scaffold. ChemMedChem 2013; 8:1554-60. [PMID: 23868614 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201300244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2013] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is a mosquito-borne pathogen that causes a large number of human infections each year. There are currently no vaccines or antiviral therapies available for human use against WNV. Therefore, efforts to develop new chemotherapeutics against this virus are highly desired. In this study, a WNV NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitor with a 1,3,4,5-tetrasubstituted 1H-pyrrol-2(5H)-one scaffold was identified by screening a small library of nonpeptidic compounds. Optimization of this initial hit by the synthesis and screening of a focused library of compounds with this scaffold led to the identification of a novel uncompetitive inhibitor ((-)-1a16, IC₅₀ =2.2±0.7 μM) of the WNV NS2B-NS3 protease. Molecular docking of the chiral compound onto the WNV protease indicates that the R enantiomer of 1a16 interferes with the productive interactions between the NS2B cofactor and the NS3 protease domain and is thus the preferred isomer for inhibition of the WNV NS2B-NS3 protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaojun Gao
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, 3 Science Drive 3, Singapore 117543
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32
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Samanta S, Lim TL, Lam Y. Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of West Nile virus protease inhibitors based on the 2-{6-[2-(5-phenyl-4H-{1,2,4]triazol-3-ylsulfanyl)acetylamino]benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl}acetamide scaffold. ChemMedChem 2013; 8:994-1001. [PMID: 23619931 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.201300114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
In recent years, clinical symptoms resulting from West Nile virus (WNV) infection have worsened in severity, with an increased frequency in neuroinvasive diseases among the elderly. As there are presently no successful therapies against WNV for use in humans, continual efforts to develop new chemotherapeutics against this virus are highly desired. The viral NS2B-NS3 protease is a promising target for viral inhibition due to its importance in viral replication and its unique substrate preference. In this study, a WNV NS2B-NS3 protease inhibitor with a 2-{6-[2-(5-phenyl-4H-[1,2,4]triazol-3-ylsulfanyl)acetylamino]benzothiazol-2-ylsulfanyl}acetamide scaffold was identified during screening. Optimization of this initial hit by synthesis and screening of a focused compound library with this scaffold led to the identification of a novel uncompetitive inhibitor (1 a24, IC50 =3.4±0.2 μM) of the WNV NS2B-NS3 protease. Molecular docking of 1 a24 into the WNV protease showed that the compound interferes with productive interactions of the NS2B cofactor with the NS3 protease and is an allosteric inhibitor of the WNV NS3 protease.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Samanta
- Department of Chemistry, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Shiryaev SA, Cheltsov AV, Strongin AY. Probing of exosites leads to novel inhibitor scaffolds of HCV NS3/4A proteinase. PLoS One 2012; 7:e40029. [PMID: 22768327 PMCID: PMC3388044 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0040029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2011] [Accepted: 06/01/2012] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Hepatitis C is a treatment-resistant disease affecting millions of people worldwide. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) genome is a single-stranded RNA molecule. After infection of the host cell, viral RNA is translated into a polyprotein that is cleaved by host and viral proteinases into functional, structural and non-structural, viral proteins. Cleavage of the polyprotein involves the viral NS3/4A proteinase, a proven drug target. HCV mutates as it replicates and, as a result, multiple emerging quasispecies become rapidly resistant to anti-virals, including NS3/4A inhibitors. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS To circumvent drug resistance and complement the existing anti-virals, NS3/4A inhibitors, which are additional and distinct from the FDA-approved telaprevir and boceprevir α-ketoamide inhibitors, are required. To test potential new avenues for inhibitor development, we have probed several distinct exosites of NS3/4A which are either outside of or partially overlapping with the active site groove of the proteinase. For this purpose, we employed virtual ligand screening using the 275,000 compound library of the Developmental Therapeutics Program (NCI/NIH) and the X-ray crystal structure of NS3/4A as a ligand source and a target, respectively. As a result, we identified several novel, previously uncharacterized, nanomolar range inhibitory scaffolds, which suppressed of the NS3/4A activity in vitro and replication of a sub-genomic HCV RNA replicon with a luciferase reporter in human hepatocarcinoma cells. The binding sites of these novel inhibitors do not significantly overlap with those of α-ketoamides. As a result, the most common resistant mutations, including V36M, R155K, A156T, D168A and V170A, did not considerably diminish the inhibitory potency of certain novel inhibitor scaffolds we identified. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Overall, the further optimization of both the in silico strategy and software platform we developed and lead compounds we identified may lead to advances in novel anti-virals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey A. Shiryaev
- Inflammatory and Infectious Disease Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
| | - Anton V. Cheltsov
- R&D Department, Q-MOL L.L.C., San Diego, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AVC) (AC); (AYS) (AS)
| | - Alex Y. Strongin
- Inflammatory and Infectious Disease Center, Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California, United States of America
- * E-mail: (AVC) (AC); (AYS) (AS)
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Remacle AG, Golubkov VS, Shiryaev SA, Dahl R, Stebbins JL, Chernov AV, Cheltsov AV, Pellecchia M, Strongin AY. Novel MT1-MMP small-molecule inhibitors based on insights into hemopexin domain function in tumor growth. Cancer Res 2012; 72:2339-49. [PMID: 22406620 DOI: 10.1158/0008-5472.can-11-4149] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Membrane type-1 matrix metalloproteinase (MT1-MMP) is a promising drug target in malignancy. The structure of MT1-MMP includes the hemopexin domain (PEX) that is distinct from and additional to the catalytic domain. Current MMP inhibitors target the conserved active site in the catalytic domain and, as a result, repress the proteolytic activity of multiple MMPs instead of MT1-MMP alone. In our search for noncatalytic inhibitors of MT1-MMP, we compared the protumorigenic activity of wild-type MT1-MMP with an MT1-MMP mutant lacking PEX (ΔPEX). In contrast to MT1-MMP, ΔPEX did not support tumor growth in vivo, and its expression resulted in small fibrotic tumors that contained increased levels of collagen. Because these findings suggested an important role for PEX in tumor growth, we carried out an inhibitor screen to identify small molecules targeting the PEX domain of MT1-MMP. Using the Developmental Therapeutics Program (National Cancer Institute/NIH), virtual ligand screening compound library as a source and the X-ray crystal structure of PEX as a target, we identified and validated a novel PEX inhibitor. Low dosage, intratumoral injections of PEX inhibitor repressed tumor growth and caused a fibrotic, ΔPEX-like tumor phenotype in vivo. Together, our findings provide a preclinical proof of principle rationale for the development of novel and selective MT1-MMP inhibitors that specifically target the PEX domain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Albert G Remacle
- Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute, La Jolla, California 92037, USA
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Müller KH, Kakkola L, Nagaraj AS, Cheltsov AV, Anastasina M, Kainov DE. Emerging cellular targets for influenza antiviral agents. Trends Pharmacol Sci 2012; 33:89-99. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tips.2011.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2011] [Revised: 10/12/2011] [Accepted: 10/14/2011] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Murgueitio MS, Bermudez M, Mortier J, Wolber G. In silico virtual screening approaches for anti-viral drug discovery. DRUG DISCOVERY TODAY. TECHNOLOGIES 2012; 9:e219-25. [PMID: 24990575 PMCID: PMC7105918 DOI: 10.1016/j.ddtec.2012.07.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Despite the considerable advances in medical and pharmaceutical research during the past years, diseases caused by viruses have remained a major burden to public health. Virtual in silico screening has repeatedly proven to be useful to meet the special challenges of antiviral drug discovery. Large virtual compound libraries are filtered by different computational screening methods such as docking, ligand-based similarity searches or pharmacophore-based screening, reducing the number of candidate molecules to a smaller set of promising candidates that are then tested biologically. This rational approach makes the drug discovery process more goal-oriented and saves resources in terms of time and money. In this review we discuss how different virtual screening techniques can be applied to antiviral drug discovery, present recent success stories in this field and finally address the main differences between the methods.:
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuela S Murgueitio
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Department Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Koenigin-Luise-Str. 2, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Marcel Bermudez
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Department Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Koenigin-Luise-Str. 2, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Jérémie Mortier
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Department Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Koenigin-Luise-Str. 2, 14195 Berlin, Germany
| | - Gerhard Wolber
- Freie Universität Berlin, Institute of Pharmacy, Department Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Koenigin-Luise-Str. 2, 14195 Berlin, Germany.
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