1
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Doherty JS, Kirkegaard K. Differential inhibition of intra- and inter-molecular protease cleavages by antiviral compounds. J Virol 2023; 97:e0092823. [PMID: 38047713 PMCID: PMC10734437 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.00928-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 09/27/2023] [Indexed: 12/05/2023] Open
Abstract
IMPORTANCE Most protease-targeted antiviral development evaluates the ability of small molecules to inhibit the cleavage of artificial substrates. However, before they can cleave any other substrates, viral proteases need to cleave themselves out of the viral polyprotein in which they have been translated. This can occur either intra- or inter-molecularly. Whether this process occurs intra- or inter-molecularly has implications for the potential for precursors to accumulate and for the effectiveness of antiviral drugs. We argue that evaluating candidate antivirals for their ability to block these cleavages is vital to drug development because the buildup of uncleaved precursors can be inhibitory to the virus and potentially suppress the selection of drug-resistant variants.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Karla Kirkegaard
- Department of Genetics, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, Stanford University, Palo Alto, California, USA
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2
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Brewitz L, Dumjahn L, Zhao Y, Owen CD, Laidlaw SM, Malla TR, Nguyen D, Lukacik P, Salah E, Crawshaw AD, Warren AJ, Trincao J, Strain-Damerell C, Carroll MW, Walsh MA, Schofield CJ. Alkyne Derivatives of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors Including Nirmatrelvir Inhibit by Reacting Covalently with the Nucleophilic Cysteine. J Med Chem 2023; 66:2663-2680. [PMID: 36757959 PMCID: PMC9924091 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c01627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Indexed: 02/10/2023]
Abstract
Nirmatrelvir (PF-07321332) is a nitrile-bearing small-molecule inhibitor that, in combination with ritonavir, is used to treat infections by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). Nirmatrelvir interrupts the viral life cycle by inhibiting the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro), which is essential for processing viral polyproteins into functional nonstructural proteins. We report studies which reveal that derivatives of nirmatrelvir and other Mpro inhibitors with a nonactivated terminal alkyne group positioned similarly to the electrophilic nitrile of nirmatrelvir can efficiently inhibit isolated Mpro and SARS-CoV-2 replication in cells. Mass spectrometric and crystallographic evidence shows that the alkyne derivatives inhibit Mpro by apparent irreversible covalent reactions with the active site cysteine (Cys145), while the analogous nitriles react reversibly. The results highlight the potential for irreversible covalent inhibition of Mpro and other nucleophilic cysteine proteases by alkynes, which, in contrast to nitriles, can be functionalized at their terminal position to optimize inhibition and selectivity, as well as pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic properties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lennart Brewitz
- Chemistry
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford
Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University
of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Leo Dumjahn
- Chemistry
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford
Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University
of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Yilin Zhao
- Chemistry
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford
Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University
of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - C. David Owen
- Diamond
Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Research
Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, United
Kingdom
| | - Stephen M. Laidlaw
- Wellcome
Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Tika R. Malla
- Chemistry
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford
Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University
of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Dung Nguyen
- Wellcome
Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Petra Lukacik
- Diamond
Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Research
Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, United
Kingdom
| | - Eidarus Salah
- Chemistry
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford
Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University
of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
| | - Adam D. Crawshaw
- Diamond
Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Anna J. Warren
- Diamond
Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Jose Trincao
- Diamond
Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
| | - Claire Strain-Damerell
- Diamond
Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Research
Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, United
Kingdom
| | - Miles W. Carroll
- Wellcome
Centre for Human Genetics, Nuffield Department of Medicine, University of Oxford, Oxford OX3 7BN, United Kingdom
| | - Martin A. Walsh
- Diamond
Light Source Ltd., Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0DE, United Kingdom
- Research
Complex at Harwell, Harwell Science and
Innovation Campus, Didcot OX11 0FA, United
Kingdom
| | - Christopher J. Schofield
- Chemistry
Research Laboratory, Department of Chemistry and the Ineos Oxford
Institute for Antimicrobial Research, University
of Oxford, 12 Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3TA, United Kingdom
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3
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Rein A. Stephen Oroszlan and Retroviral Proteins. Viruses 2022; 14:v14020290. [PMID: 35215882 PMCID: PMC8878580 DOI: 10.3390/v14020290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Alan Rein
- HIV Dynamics and Replication Program, National Cancer Institute, Frederick, MD 21702, USA
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4
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Ahmad S, Usman Mirza M, Yean Kee L, Nazir M, Abdul Rahman N, Trant JF, Abdullah I. Fragment-based in silico design of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. Chem Biol Drug Des 2021; 98:604-619. [PMID: 34148292 PMCID: PMC8444677 DOI: 10.1111/cbdd.13914] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2021] [Revised: 05/16/2021] [Accepted: 06/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
3CLpro is essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication and infection; its inhibition using small molecules is a potential therapeutic strategy. In this study, a comprehensive crystallography-guided fragment-based drug discovery approach was employed to design new inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro. All small molecules co-crystallized with SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro with structures deposited in the Protein Data Bank were used as inputs. Fragments sitting in the binding pocket (87) were grouped into eight geographical types. They were interactively coupled using various synthetically reasonable linkers to generate larger molecules with divalent binding modes taking advantage of two different fragments' interactions. In total, 1,251 compounds were proposed, and 7,158 stereoisomers were screened using Glide (standard precision and extra precision), AutoDock Vina, and Prime MMGBSA. The top 22 hits having conformations approaching the linear combination of their constituent fragments were selected for MD simulation on Desmond. MD simulation suggested 15 of these did adopt conformations very close to their constituent pieces with far higher binding affinity than either constituent domain alone. These structures could provide a starting point for the further design of SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro inhibitors with improved binding, and structures are provided.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarfraz Ahmad
- Drug Design Development Research GroupDepartment of ChemistryFaculty of ScienceUniversiti MalayaKuala LumpurMalaysia
| | | | - Lee Yean Kee
- Drug Design Development Research GroupDepartment of ChemistryFaculty of ScienceUniversiti MalayaKuala LumpurMalaysia
| | - Mamoona Nazir
- Department of PharmacyThe University of LahoreLahorePakistan
| | - Noorsaadah Abdul Rahman
- Drug Design Development Research GroupDepartment of ChemistryFaculty of ScienceUniversiti MalayaKuala LumpurMalaysia
| | - John F. Trant
- Department of Chemistry and BiochemistryUniversity of WindsorWindsorONCanada
| | - Iskandar Abdullah
- Drug Design Development Research GroupDepartment of ChemistryFaculty of ScienceUniversiti MalayaKuala LumpurMalaysia
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5
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Lim YS, Nguyen LP, Lee GH, Lee SG, Lyoo KS, Kim B, Hwang SB. Asunaprevir, a Potent Hepatitis C Virus Protease Inhibitor, Blocks SARS-CoV-2 Propagation. Mol Cells 2021; 44:688-695. [PMID: 34518443 PMCID: PMC8490202 DOI: 10.14348/molcells.2021.0076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2021] [Revised: 07/19/2021] [Accepted: 07/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has become a global health concern. Various SARS-CoV-2 vaccines have been developed and are being used for vaccination worldwide. However, no therapeutic agents against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been developed so far; therefore, new therapeutic agents are urgently needed. In the present study, we evaluated several hepatitis C virus direct-acting antivirals as potential candidates for drug repurposing against COVID-19. Theses include asunaprevir (a protease inhibitor), daclatasvir (an NS5A inhibitor), and sofosbuvir (an RNA polymerase inhibitor). We found that asunaprevir, but not sofosbuvir and daclatasvir, markedly inhibited SARS-CoV-2-induced cytopathic effects in Vero E6 cells. Both RNA and protein levels of SARS-CoV-2 were significantly decreased by treatment with asunaprevir. Moreover, asunaprevir profoundly decreased virion release from SARS-CoV-2-infected cells. A pseudoparticle entry assay revealed that asunaprevir blocked SARS-CoV-2 infection at the binding step of the viral life cycle. Furthermore, asunaprevir inhibited SARS-CoV-2 propagation in human lung Calu-3 cells. Collectively, we found that asunaprevir displays broad-spectrum antiviral activity and therefore might be worth developing as a new drug repurposing candidate for COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun-Sook Lim
- Laboratory of RNA Viral Diseases, Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan 54531, Korea
| | - Lap P. Nguyen
- Laboratory of RNA Viral Diseases, Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan 54531, Korea
- Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Seoul 07247, Korea
| | - Gun-Hee Lee
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan 54531, Korea
| | - Sung-Geun Lee
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan 54531, Korea
| | - Kwang-Soo Lyoo
- Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan 54531, Korea
| | - Bumseok Kim
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan 54531, Korea
| | - Soon B. Hwang
- Laboratory of RNA Viral Diseases, Korea Zoonosis Research Institute, Jeonbuk National University, Iksan 54531, Korea
- Ilsong Institute of Life Science, Hallym University, Seoul 07247, Korea
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6
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Mousavi SS, Karami A, Haghighi TM, Tumilaar SG, Fatimawali, Idroes R, Mahmud S, Celik I, Ağagündüz D, Tallei TE, Emran TB, Capasso R. In Silico Evaluation of Iranian Medicinal Plant Phytoconstituents as Inhibitors against Main Protease and the Receptor-Binding Domain of SARS-CoV-2. Molecules 2021; 26:5724. [PMID: 34577194 PMCID: PMC8470205 DOI: 10.3390/molecules26185724] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 08/22/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which initially appeared in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. Elderly individuals and those with comorbid conditions may be more vulnerable to this disease. Consequently, several research laboratories continue to focus on developing drugs to treat this infection because this disease has developed into a global pandemic with an extremely limited number of specific treatments available. Natural herbal remedies have long been used to treat illnesses in a variety of cultures. Modern medicine has achieved success due to the effectiveness of traditional medicines, which are derived from medicinal plants. The objective of this study was to determine whether components of natural origin from Iranian medicinal plants have an antiviral effect that can prevent humans from this coronavirus infection using the most reliable molecular docking method; in our case, we focused on the main protease (Mpro) and a receptor-binding domain (RBD). The results of molecular docking showed that among 169 molecules of natural origin from common Iranian medicinal plants, 20 molecules (chelidimerine, rutin, fumariline, catechin gallate, adlumidine, astragalin, somniferine, etc.) can be proposed as inhibitors against this coronavirus based on the binding free energy and type of interactions between these molecules and the studied proteins. Moreover, a molecular dynamics simulation study revealed that the chelidimerine-Mpro and somniferine-RBD complexes were stable for up to 50 ns below 0.5 nm. Our results provide valuable insights into this mechanism, which sheds light on future structure-based designs of high-potency inhibitors for SARS-CoV-2.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seyyed Sasan Mousavi
- Department of Horticultural Science, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71441, Iran; (S.S.M.); (A.K.); (T.M.H.)
| | - Akbar Karami
- Department of Horticultural Science, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71441, Iran; (S.S.M.); (A.K.); (T.M.H.)
| | - Tahereh Movahhed Haghighi
- Department of Horticultural Science, School of Agriculture, Shiraz University, Shiraz 71441, Iran; (S.S.M.); (A.K.); (T.M.H.)
| | - Sefren Geiner Tumilaar
- Pharmacy Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado 95115, Indonesia; (S.G.T.); (F.)
| | - Fatimawali
- Pharmacy Study Program, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado 95115, Indonesia; (S.G.T.); (F.)
- The University Center of Excellence for Biotechnology and Conservation of Wallacea, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado 95115, Indonesia
| | - Rinaldi Idroes
- Department of Pharmacy, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Kopelma Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia;
| | - Shafi Mahmud
- Microbiology Laboratory, Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Rajshahi, Rajshahi 6205, Bangladesh;
| | - Ismail Celik
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Erciyes University, Kayseri 38039, Turkey;
| | - Duygu Ağagündüz
- Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Faculty of Health Sciences, Gazi University, Emek, Ankara 06490, Turkey;
| | - Trina Ekawati Tallei
- The University Center of Excellence for Biotechnology and Conservation of Wallacea, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado 95115, Indonesia
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Sam Ratulangi University, Manado 95115, Indonesia
| | - Talha Bin Emran
- Department of Pharmacy, BGC Trust University Bangladesh, Chittagong 4381, Bangladesh
| | - Raffaele Capasso
- Department of Agricultural Sciences, University of Naples Federico II, Portici, 80055 Naples, Italy
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7
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Van Dycke J, Dai W, Stylianidou Z, Li J, Cuvry A, Roux E, Li B, Rymenants J, Bervoets L, de Witte P, Liu H, Neyts J, Rocha-Pereira J. A Novel Class of Norovirus Inhibitors Targeting the Viral Protease with Potent Antiviral Activity In Vitro and In Vivo. Viruses 2021; 13:v13091852. [PMID: 34578432 PMCID: PMC8472913 DOI: 10.3390/v13091852] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 09/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Human noroviruses (HuNoVs) are the most common cause of viral gastroenteritis resulting annually in ~219,000 deaths and a societal cost of ~USD 60 billion, and no antivirals or vaccines are available. Here, we assess the anti-norovirus activity of new peptidomimetic aldehydes related to the protease inhibitor rupintrivir. The early hit compound 4 inhibited the replication of murine norovirus (MNV) and the HuNoV GI.1 replicon in vitro (EC50 ~1 µM) and swiftly cleared the HuNoV GI.1 replicon from the cells. Compound 4 still inhibits the proteolytic activity. We selected a resistant GI.1 replicon, with a mutation (I109V) in a highly conserved region of the viral protease, conferring a low yield of resistance against compound 4 and rupintrivir. After testing new derivatives, compound 10d was the most potent (EC50 nanomolar range). Molecular docking indicated that the aldehyde group of compounds 4 and 10d bind with Cys139 in the HuNoV 3CL protease by a covalent linkage. Finally, compound 10d inhibited the replication of HuNoV GII.4 in infected zebrafish larvae, and PK studies in mice showed an adequate profile.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jana Van Dycke
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven–Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.V.D.); (Z.S.); (A.C.); (E.R.); (J.R.); (L.B.); (J.N.)
| | - Wenhao Dai
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China; (W.D.); (J.L.); (B.L.)
| | - Zoe Stylianidou
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven–Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.V.D.); (Z.S.); (A.C.); (E.R.); (J.R.); (L.B.); (J.N.)
| | - Jian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China; (W.D.); (J.L.); (B.L.)
- College of Pharmacy, Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine, 138 Xianlin Avenue, Qixia District, Nanjing 210023, China
| | - Arno Cuvry
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven–Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.V.D.); (Z.S.); (A.C.); (E.R.); (J.R.); (L.B.); (J.N.)
| | - Emma Roux
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven–Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.V.D.); (Z.S.); (A.C.); (E.R.); (J.R.); (L.B.); (J.N.)
| | - Bingqian Li
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China; (W.D.); (J.L.); (B.L.)
| | - Jasper Rymenants
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven–Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.V.D.); (Z.S.); (A.C.); (E.R.); (J.R.); (L.B.); (J.N.)
| | - Lindsey Bervoets
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven–Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.V.D.); (Z.S.); (A.C.); (E.R.); (J.R.); (L.B.); (J.N.)
| | - Peter de Witte
- Laboratory for Molecular Biodiscovery, KU Leuven–Department of Pharmaceutical and Pharmacological Sciences, 3000 Leuven, Belgium;
| | - Hong Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Drug Research, Shanghai Institute of Materia Medica, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 555 Zu Chong Zhi Road, Shanghai 201203, China; (W.D.); (J.L.); (B.L.)
- Correspondence: (H.L.); (J.R.-P.)
| | - Johan Neyts
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven–Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.V.D.); (Z.S.); (A.C.); (E.R.); (J.R.); (L.B.); (J.N.)
| | - Joana Rocha-Pereira
- Laboratory of Virology and Chemotherapy, KU Leuven–Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Transplantation, Rega Institute, 3000 Leuven, Belgium; (J.V.D.); (Z.S.); (A.C.); (E.R.); (J.R.); (L.B.); (J.N.)
- Correspondence: (H.L.); (J.R.-P.)
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8
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Liu WS, Li HG, Ding CH, Zhang HX, Wang RR, Li JQ. Screening potential FDA-approved inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 major protease 3CL pro through high-throughput virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation. Aging (Albany NY) 2021; 13:6258-6272. [PMID: 33678621 PMCID: PMC7993695 DOI: 10.18632/aging.202703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2021] [Indexed: 04/16/2023]
Abstract
It has been confirmed that the new coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 caused the global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Studies have found that 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro) is an essential enzyme for virus replication, and could be used as a potential target to inhibit SARS-CoV-2. In this work, 3CLpro was used as the target to complete the high-throughput virtual screening of the FDA-approved drugs, and Indinavir and other 10 drugs with high docking scores for 3CLpro were obtained. Studies on the binding pattern of 3CLpro and Indinavir found that Indinavir could form the stable hydrogen bond (H-bond) interactions with the catalytic dyad residues His41-Cys145. Binding free energy study found that Indinavir had high binding affinity with 3CLpro. Subsequently, molecular dynamics simulations were performed on the 3CLpro and 3CLpro-Indinavir systems, respectively. The post-dynamic analyses showed that the conformational state of the 3CLpro-Indinavir system transformed significantly and the system tended to be more stable. Moreover, analyses of the residue interaction network (RIN) and H-bond occupancy revealed that the residue-residue interaction at the catalytic site of 3CLpro was significantly enhanced after binding with Indinavir, which in turn inactivated the protein. In short, through this research, we hope to provide more valuable clues against COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Shan Liu
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Clinical Applied Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261031, Shandong, China
| | - Han-Gao Li
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Clinical Applied Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261031, Shandong, China
| | - Chuan-Hua Ding
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Clinical Applied Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261031, Shandong, China
| | - Hai-Xia Zhang
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Clinical Applied Pharmacology, Department of Pharmacy, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261031, Shandong, China
| | - Rui-Rui Wang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory on Technologies Enabling Development of Clinical Therapeutics and Diagnostics (Theranostics), School of Pharmacy, Tianjin Medical University, Tianjin 300070, China
| | - Jia-Qiu Li
- Department of Oncology, Affiliated Hospital of Weifang Medical University, Weifang 261031, Shandong, China
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9
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Deeks HM, Walters RK, Barnoud J, Glowacki DR, Mulholland AJ. Interactive Molecular Dynamics in Virtual Reality Is an Effective Tool for Flexible Substrate and Inhibitor Docking to the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:5803-5814. [PMID: 33174415 PMCID: PMC7671099 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c01030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The main protease (Mpro) of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is one focus of drug development efforts for COVID-19. Here, we show that interactive molecular dynamics in virtual reality (iMD-VR) is a useful and effective tool for creating Mpro complexes. We make these tools and models freely available. iMD-VR provides an immersive environment in which users can interact with MD simulations and so build protein complexes in a physically rigorous and flexible way. Recently, we have demonstrated that iMD-VR is an effective method for interactive, flexible docking of small molecule drugs into their protein targets (Deeks et al. PLoS One 2020, 15, e0228461). Here, we apply this approach to both an Mpro inhibitor and an oligopeptide substrate, using experimentally determined crystal structures. For the oligopeptide, we test against a crystallographic structure of the original SARS Mpro. Docking with iMD-VR gives models in agreement with experimentally observed (crystal) structures. The docked structures are also tested in MD simulations and found to be stable. Different protocols for iMD-VR docking are explored, e.g., with and without restraints on protein backbone, and we provide recommendations for its use. We find that it is important for the user to focus on forming binding interactions, such as hydrogen bonds, and not to rely on using simple metrics (such as RMSD), in order to create realistic, stable complexes. We also test the use of apo (uncomplexed) crystal structures for docking and find that they can give good results. This is because of the flexibility and dynamic response allowed by the physically rigorous, atomically detailed simulation approach of iMD-VR. We make our models (and interactive simulations) freely available. The software framework that we use, Narupa, is open source, and uses commodity VR hardware, so these tools are readily accessible to the wider research community working on Mpro (and other COVID-19 targets). These should be widely useful in drug development, in education applications, e.g., on viral enzyme structure and function, and in scientific communication more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen M. Deeks
- Intangible Realities Laboratory,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Department of Computer Science, Merchant
Venturers Building, University of Bristol,
Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UB, United
Kingdom
| | - Rebecca K. Walters
- Intangible Realities Laboratory,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Department of Computer Science, Merchant
Venturers Building, University of Bristol,
Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UB, United
Kingdom
| | - Jonathan Barnoud
- Intangible Realities Laboratory,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
| | - David R. Glowacki
- Intangible Realities Laboratory,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
- Department of Computer Science, Merchant
Venturers Building, University of Bristol,
Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1UB, United
Kingdom
| | - Adrian J. Mulholland
- Centre for Computational Chemistry,
School of Chemistry, University of Bristol,
Cantock’s Close, Bristol BS8 1TS, United
Kingdom
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10
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Gahlawat A, Kumar N, Kumar R, Sandhu H, Singh IP, Singh S, Sjöstedt A, Garg P. Structure-Based Virtual Screening to Discover Potential Lead Molecules for the SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease. J Chem Inf Model 2020; 60:5781-5793. [PMID: 32687345 PMCID: PMC7409927 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.0c00546] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
The COVID-19 disease is caused by a new strain of the coronavirus family (SARS-CoV-2), and it has affected at present millions of people all over the world. The indispensable role of the main protease (Mpro) in viral replication and gene expression makes this enzyme an attractive drug target. Therefore, inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro as a proposition to halt virus ingression is being pursued by scientists globally. Here we carried out a study with two objectives: the first being to perform comparative protein sequence and 3D structural analysis to understand the effect of 12 point mutations on the active site. Among these, two mutations, viz., Ser46 and Phe134, were found to cause a significant change at the active sites of SARS-CoV-2. The Ser46 mutation present at the entrance of the S5 subpocket of SARS-CoV-2 increases the contribution of other two hydrophilic residues, while the Phe134 mutation, present in the catalytic cysteine loop, can cause an increase in catalytic efficiency of Mpro by facilitating fast proton transfer from the Cys145 to His41 residue. It was observed that active site remained conserved among Mpro of both SARS-CoVs, except at the entrance of the S5 subpocket, suggesting sustenance of substrate specificity. The second objective was to screen the inhibitory effects of three different data sets (natural products, coronaviruses main protease inhibitors, and FDA-approved drugs) using a structure-based virtual screening approach. A total of 73 hits had a combo score >2.0. Eight different structural scaffold classes were identified, such as one/two tetrahydropyran ring(s), dipeptide/tripeptide/oligopeptide, large (approximately 20 atoms) cyclic peptide, and miscellaneous. The screened hits showed key interactions with subpockets of the active site. Further, molecular dynamics studies of selected screened compounds confirmed their perfect fitting into the subpockets of the active site. This study suggests promising structures that can fit into the SARS-CoV-2 Mpro active site and also offers direction for further lead optimization and rational drug design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anuj Gahlawat
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Navneet Kumar
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Rajender Kumar
- Department of Clinical Microbiology
and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS),
Umeå University, SE-90185
Umeå, Sweden
| | - Hardeep Sandhu
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Inder Pal Singh
- Department of Natural Products,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Saranjit Singh
- Department of Pharmaceutical Analysis,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
| | - Anders Sjöstedt
- Department of Clinical Microbiology
and Laboratory for Molecular Infection Medicine Sweden (MIMS),
Umeå University, SE-90185
Umeå, Sweden
| | - Prabha Garg
- Department of Pharmacoinformatics,
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and
Research (NIPER), S.A.S. Nagar 160062, Punjab,
India
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11
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Zhang J, Saad R, Taylor EW, Rayman MP. Selenium and selenoproteins in viral infection with potential relevance to COVID-19. Redox Biol 2020; 37:101715. [PMID: 32992282 PMCID: PMC7481318 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 99] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 09/05/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Selenium is a trace element essential to human health largely because of its incorporation into selenoproteins that have a wide range of protective functions. Selenium has an ongoing history of reducing the incidence and severity of various viral infections; for example, a German study found selenium status to be significantly higher in serum samples from surviving than non-surviving COVID-19 patients. Furthermore, a significant, positive, linear association was found between the cure rate of Chinese patients with COVID-19 and regional selenium status. Moreover, the cure rate continued to rise beyond the selenium intake required to optimise selenoproteins, suggesting that selenoproteins are probably not the whole story. Nonetheless, the significantly reduced expression of a number of selenoproteins, including those involved in controlling ER stress, along with increased expression of IL-6 in SARS-CoV-2 infected cells in culture suggests a potential link between reduced selenoprotein expression and COVID-19-associated inflammation. In this comprehensive review, we describe the history of selenium in viral infections and then go on to assess the potential benefits of adequate and even supra-nutritional selenium status. We discuss the indispensable function of the selenoproteins in coordinating a successful immune response and follow by reviewing cytokine excess, a key mediator of morbidity and mortality in COVID-19, and its relationship to selenium status. We comment on the fact that the synthetic redox-active selenium compound, ebselen, has been found experimentally to be a strong inhibitor of the main SARS-CoV-2 protease that enables viral maturation within the host. That finding suggests that redox-active selenium species formed at high selenium intake might hypothetically inhibit SARS-CoV-2 proteases. We consider the tactics that SARS-CoV-2 could employ to evade an adequate host response by interfering with the human selenoprotein system. Recognition of the myriad mechanisms by which selenium might potentially benefit COVID-19 patients provides a rationale for randomised, controlled trials of selenium supplementation in SARS-CoV-2 infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinsong Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Tea Plant Biology and Utilization, School of Tea & Food Science, Anhui Agricultural University, 130 West Changjiang Road, Hefei, 230036, Anhui, PR China
| | - Ramy Saad
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK; Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, BN2 5BE, UK
| | - Ethan Will Taylor
- Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, University of North Carolina Greensboro, Greensboro, NC 27402, USA
| | - Margaret P Rayman
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK.
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12
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Akaberi D, Krambrich J, Ling J, Luni C, Hedenstierna G, Järhult JD, Lennerstrand J, Lundkvist Å. Mitigation of the replication of SARS-CoV-2 by nitric oxide in vitro. Redox Biol 2020; 37:101734. [PMID: 33007504 PMCID: PMC7505071 DOI: 10.1016/j.redox.2020.101734] [Citation(s) in RCA: 110] [Impact Index Per Article: 27.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2020] [Revised: 09/15/2020] [Accepted: 09/16/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is a global public health emergency posing a high burden on nations' health care systems and economies. Despite the great effort put in the development of vaccines and specific treatments, no prophylaxis or effective therapeutics are currently available. Nitric oxide (NO) is a broad-spectrum antimicrobial and a potent vasodilator that has proved to be effective in reducing SARS-CoV replication and hypoxia in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome. Given the potential of NO as treatment for SARS-CoV-2 infection, we have evaluated the in vitro antiviral effect of NO on SARS-CoV-2 replication. The NO-donor S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine (SNAP) had a dose dependent inhibitory effect on SARS-CoV-2 replication, while the non S-nitrosated NAP was not active, as expected. Although the viral replication was not completely abolished (at 200 μM and 400 μM), SNAP delayed or completely prevented the development of viral cytopathic effect in treated cells, and the observed protective effect correlated with the level of inhibition of the viral replication. The capacity of the NO released from SNAP to covalently bind and inhibit SARS-CoV-2 3CL recombinant protease in vitro was also tested. The observed reduction in SARS-CoV-2 protease activity was consistent with S-nitrosation of the enzyme active site cysteine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Akaberi
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Janina Krambrich
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jiaxin Ling
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Chen Luni
- Department of Microbiology and Tumour and Cell Biology (MTC), Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden
| | - Göran Hedenstierna
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Physiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Josef D Järhult
- Department of Medical Sciences, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Johan Lennerstrand
- Department of Medical Sciences, Section of Clinical Microbiology, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Åke Lundkvist
- Department of Medical Biochemistry and Microbiology, Zoonosis Science Center, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
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