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Stalin A, Han J, Daniel Reegan A, Ignacimuthu S, Liu S, Yao X, Zou Q. Exploring the antiviral inhibitory activity of Niloticin against the NS2B/NS3 protease of Dengue virus (DENV2). Int J Biol Macromol 2024; 277:133791. [PMID: 38992553 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2024.133791] [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: 05/01/2024] [Revised: 07/03/2024] [Accepted: 07/08/2024] [Indexed: 07/13/2024]
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV2) is the cause of dengue disease and a worldwide health problem. DENV2 replicates in the host cell using polyproteins such as NS3 protease in conjugation with NS2B cofactor, making NS3 protease a promising antiviral drug-target. This study investigated the efficacy of 'Niloticin' against NS2B/NS3-protease. In silico and in vitro analyses were performed which included interaction of niloticin with NS2B/NS3-protease, protein stability and flexibility, mutation effect, betweenness centrality of residues and analysis of cytotoxicity, protein expression and WNV NS3-protease activity. Similar like acyclovir, niloticin forms strong H-bonds and hydrophobic interactions with residues LEU149, ASN152, LYS74, GLY148 and ALA164. The stability of the niloticin-NS2B/NS3-protease complex was found to be stable compared to the apo NS2B/NS3-protease in structural deviation, PCA, compactness and FEL analysis. The IC50 value of niloticin was 0.14 μM in BHK cells based on in vitro cytotoxicity analysis and showed significant activity at 2.5 μM in a concentration-dependent manner. Western blotting and qRT-PCR analyses showed that niloticin reduced DENV2 protein transcription in a dose-dependent manner. Besides, niloticin confirmed the inhibition of NS3-protease by the SensoLyte 440 WNV protease detection kit. These promising results suggest that niloticin could be an effective antiviral drug against DENV2 and other flaviviruses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antony Stalin
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610 054, China.
| | - Jiajia Han
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Appadurai Daniel Reegan
- National Centre for Disease Control, Bengaluru Branch, No. 8, NTI Campus, Bellary Road, Bengaluru 560 003, Karnataka, India; ICMR-Vector Control Research Centre, Indira Nagar, Gorimedu, Puducherry 605 006, India
| | - Savarimuthu Ignacimuthu
- Xavier Research Foundation, St. Xavier's College, Affiliated to Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, Palayamkottai 627 002, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Shuwen Liu
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510515, China
| | - Xingang Yao
- NMPA Key Laboratory for Research and Evaluation of Drug Metabolism, Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of New Drug Screening, School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou 510515, China; Key Laboratory of Infectious Diseases Research in South China (Southern Medical University), Ministry of Education, Guangzhou 510515, China.
| | - Quan Zou
- Institute of Fundamental and Frontier Sciences, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu 610 054, China.
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Bo J, Mao S, Yang J, Wang L, Zheng J, Zhang C, Song M, Chen S, Liu C. Rhodiolin inhibits the PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway via the glycolytic enzyme GPI in human papillary thyroid cancer. PHYTOMEDICINE : INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF PHYTOTHERAPY AND PHYTOPHARMACOLOGY 2024; 132:155804. [PMID: 38943696 DOI: 10.1016/j.phymed.2024.155804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/02/2024] [Indexed: 07/01/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is an endocrine malignant tumor of the head and neck. Surgery and chemotherapy are PTC treatments, but have adverse effects. Exploration of new non-toxic anti-PTC drugs for PTC treatment is an unmet need. METHODS We aimed to identify anti-PTC drugs that could inhibit PTC-cell proliferation through high-throughput screening of a library of well-characterized naturally occurring small-molecule compounds. Then, the anti-PTC function of rhodiolin was validated by in vitro cell models and xenograft tumor models RESULTS: We initially demonstrated that rhodiolin inhibited the growth and induced the apoptosis of PTC cells significantly in vitro and in vivo. At the metabolic level, rhodiolin blocked glycolysis through glucose 6-phosphate isomerase (GPI), which suggested that glycolytic inhibition may be involved in mediating the anti-PTC function of rhodiolin. Transcriptomics analysis combined with bioinformatics analysis identified rhodiolin treatment to inhibit phosphorylation of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin (PI3K/AKT/mTOR) signaling pathway. Collectively, our findings demonstrated that rhodiolin inhibited the proliferation and induced the apoptosis of PTC cells by blocking glycolysis through the glycolytic enzyme GPI, thereby inhibiting phosphorylation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway. CONCLUSION Our study demonstrates the potential use of rhodiolin in inhibiting the proliferation and inducing the apoptosis of PTC cells. Inhibition of phosphorylation of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling pathway mediated by GPI plays an extremely important part in the ant-PTC function of rhodiolin. These results suggest that rhodiolin is a promising drug in the treatment of PTC progression. Our results provide a novel target and cell signaling pathway for PTC therapy from the perspective of energy metabolism, which could provide new perspectives and new drug choices for PTC therapy. In addition to that, our study will help to make up for the lack of drug research for PTC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiaqiang Bo
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shuyu Mao
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jie Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Li Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Jia Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chunyu Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Mingming Song
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Siyu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China.
| | - Chang Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines and School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, China; Department of Endocrinology, Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, School of Life Science and Technology, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 211198, China.
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3
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Huang YJ, Cheng TL, Wang YT, Chen CS, Leu YL, Chang CS, Ho CH, Chao SW, Li CT, Chuang CH. Exploring the therapeutic potential of DV-B-120 as an inhibitor of dengue virus infection. J Virol 2024; 98:e0125823. [PMID: 38546211 PMCID: PMC11019862 DOI: 10.1128/jvi.01258-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 04/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Dengue fever, an infectious disease prevalent in subtropical and tropical regions, currently lacks effective small-molecule drugs as treatment. In this study, we used a fluorescence peptide cleavage assay to screen seven compounds to assess their inhibition of the dengue virus (DENV) NS2B-NS3 protease. DV-B-120 demonstrated superior inhibition of NS2B-NS3 protease activity and lower toxicity compared to ARDP0006. The selectivity index of DV-B-120 was higher than that of ARDP0006. In vivo assessments of the antiviral efficacy of DV-B-120 against DENV replication demonstrated delayed mortality of suckling mice treated with the compound, with 60-80% protection against life-threatening effects, compared to the outcomes of DENV-infected mice treated with saline. The lower clinical scores of DENV-infected mice treated with DV-B-120 indicated a reduction in acute-progressive illness symptoms, underscoring the potential therapeutic impact of DV-B-120. Investigations of DV-B-120's ability to restore the antiviral type I IFN response in the brain tissue of DENV-infected ICR suckling mice demonstrated its capacity to stimulate IFN and antiviral IFN-stimulated gene expression. DV-B-120 not only significantly delayed DENV-2-induced mortality and illness symptoms but also reduced viral numbers in the brain, ultimately restoring the innate antiviral response. These findings strongly suggest that DV-B-120 holds promise as a therapeutic agent against DENV infection and highlight its potential contribution in addressing the current lack of effective treatments for this infectious disease.IMPORTANCEThe prevalence of dengue virus (DENV) infection in tropical and subtropical regions is escalating due to factors like climate change and mosquito vector expansion. With over 300 million annual infections and potentially fatal outcomes, the urgent need for effective treatments is evident. While the approved Dengvaxia vaccine has variable efficacy, there are currently no antiviral drugs for DENV. This study explores seven compounds targeting the NS2B-NS3 protease, a crucial protein in DENV replication. These compounds exhibit inhibitory effects on DENV-2 NS2B-NS3, holding promise for disrupting viral replication and preventing severe manifestations. However, further research, including animal testing, is imperative to assess therapeutic efficacy and potential toxicity. Developing safe and potent treatments for DENV infection is critical in addressing the rising global health threat posed by this virus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jung Huang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Post Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Tian-Lu Cheng
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Post Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Biomedical Science and Environmental Biology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yen-Tseng Wang
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Post Baccalaureate Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Graduate Institute of Medicine, College of Medicine, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chien-Shu Chen
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Ling Leu
- Department of Pharmacy, Chia Nan University of Pharmacy & Science, Tainan, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Shiang Chang
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
- Drug Development Center, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan
| | - Cheng-Han Ho
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Shi-Wei Chao
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chia-Tse Li
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
| | - Chih-Hung Chuang
- Drug Development and Value Creation Research Center, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Kaohsiung Medical University, Kaohsiung, Taiwan
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Purohit P, Barik D, Agasti S, Panda M, Meher BR. Evaluation of the inhibitory potency of anti-dengue phytocompounds against DENV-2 NS2B-NS3 protease: virtual screening, ADMET profiling and molecular dynamics simulation investigations. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2024; 42:2990-3009. [PMID: 37194462 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2212798] [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: 03/06/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
Dengue fever has been a worldwide concern, with 50-100 million new infections each year mainly due to five different serotypes of the Dengue virus (DENV). Designing a perfect anti-dengue agent that can inhibit all the serotypes by distinguishing antigenic differences is quite difficult. Previous anti-dengue researches have included chemical compounds screening against DENV enzymes. The ongoing analysis is meant for investigation of the plant-based compounds as antagonistic to DENV-2 focusing on the specific NS2B-NS3Pro target, a trypsin like serine protease that cuts the DENV polyprotein into separate proteins crucial for viral reproduction. Initially, a virtual library of more than 130 phytocompounds was prepared from previously published reports of plants with anti-dengue properties, which were then virtually screened and shortlisted against the WT, H51N and S135A mutant of DENV-2 NS2B-NS3Pro. The three top-most compounds were viewed as Gallocatechin (GAL), Flavokawain-C (FLV), and Isorhamnetin (ISO) showing docking scores of -5.8, -5.7, -5.7 kcal/mol for WT, -7.5, -6.8, -7.6 kcal/mol for the H51N, and -6.9, -6.5, -6.1 kcal/mol for the S135A mutant protease, respectively. 100 ns long MD simulations and MM-GBSA based free energy calculations were performed on the NS2B-NS3Pro complexes to witness the relative binding affinity of the compounds and favourable molecular interactions network. A comprehensive analysis of the study reveals some promising outcomes with ISO as the topmost compound with favourable pharmacokinetic properties for the WT and mutants (H51N and S135A) as well, suggesting as a novel anti-NS2B-NS3Pro agent with better adapting characters in both the mutants.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Purohit
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
| | - Debashis Barik
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
| | - Sidhartha Agasti
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
| | - Madhusmita Panda
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
| | - Biswa Ranjan Meher
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha, India
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Purohit P, Barik D, Dansana J, Meher BR. Investigating Lycotoxin-An1a (An1a), a defense antiviral peptide from Alopecosa nagpag venom as prospective anti-dengue agent against DENV-2 NS2B-NS3 protease. Comput Biol Chem 2024; 108:108005. [PMID: 38157660 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2023.108005] [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: 08/11/2023] [Revised: 12/02/2023] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Dengue fever is a global health concern with no effective therapy. Screening synthetic chemicals, animal-originated compounds, and phytocompounds against Dengue virus (DENV) targets has failed to find dengue antivirals. The current study examines animal drugs as antagonists against NS2B-NS3Pro, one of DENV's most promising therapeutic targets for dengue fever. Antiviral-Lycotoxin-An1a (An1a), a defence antiviral peptide isolated from the venom of Alopecosa nagpag, a toxic spider. Based on prior in vitro research, it was discovered that the venom peptide suppresses the action of DENV-2 NS2B-NS3Pro. An1a peptide with NS2B-NS3Pro wild type (WT) and two mutants (H51N and S135A) was tested for anti-dengue characteristics using in silico analysis. The WT NS2B-NS3Pro has a catalytic triad of His51, Asp75, and Ser135 in the active site, but the mutants have N51 instead of His51 and Ala135 instead of Ser135. The dynamic sites of the three proteases (WT, H51N, S135A) and the peptide toxin (An1a) were taken into account to achieve molecular docking of An1a with WT NS2B-NS3Pro in conjunction with H51N and S135A. Cluspro-2 performs rigid-flexible docking to predict peptide binding affinity, effectiveness, and inhibitory consistency. Since the ligand had a higher binding affinity, docking score, and molecular interaction network, MD simulations and MM-GBSA free energy calculations were used to investigate the stability of the three protein-peptide complexes. The computer-aided screening and manufacture of spider venom-based anti-dengue medicines yielded intriguing results in the preliminary studies. This study is significant in defining the ideal therapeutic candidate against dengue infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Purohit
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha760007, India
| | - Debashis Barik
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha760007, India
| | - Jarmani Dansana
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha760007, India
| | - Biswa Ranjan Meher
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, Odisha760007, India.
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Das D, Mallick B, Sinha S, Ganguli S, Samanta D, Banerjee R, Roy D. Unearthing the inhibitory potential of phytochemicals from Lawsonia inermis L. and some drugs against dengue virus protein NS1: an in silico approach. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-18. [PMID: 38157248 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2298730] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 12/18/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Dengue has received the status of an epidemic and endemic disease, with countless number of infections every year. Due to the unreliability of vaccines and non-specificity of drugs, it becomes necessary to find plant-based alternatives, with less harmful side effects. Lawsonia inermis L., is the sole source of dye, Mehendi. The rich repertoire of phytochemicals makes it useful, medicinally. The main objectives of the study are to explore the anti-dengue properties of the phytochemicals from Lawsonia inermis, and to shortlist potential candidates in curing the disease. Phytochemicals from the plant, and a set of drugs were screened and docked against NS1 protein, a less explored drug target, needed for maintenance of virus life cycle. Ligand screening and docking analysis concluded gallic acid, and chlorogenic acid to be good candidates, exhibiting high binding affinity and extensive interactions with the protein. From among the shortlisted drugs, only Vibegron showed effective binding affinity with NS1 protein with zero violations to the Lipinski's Rule of 5. Molecular dynamic simulations, executed for a time period of 100 nanoseconds, reveal the performance of a ligand within a solvated system. Chlorogenic and gallic acid, formed more stable and compact complexes with protein, with stable energy parameters and strong binding affinity. This was further validated with snapshots taken every 50 nanoseconds, showing no change in binding site between the ligand and protein, within the stipulated time frame. It was interesting to see that, a phenol (chlorogenic acid), served as a better drug candidate, against the NS1 protein.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debapriya Das
- Post Graduate Department of Botany, Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, India
| | - Bidisha Mallick
- Post Graduate Department of Botany, Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, India
| | - Suchita Sinha
- Post Graduate Department of Botany, Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, India
| | - Sayak Ganguli
- Post Graduate Department of Biotechnology, St. Xaviers' College (Autonomous), Kolkata, India
| | - Dipu Samanta
- Department of Botany, Dr. Kanailal Bhattacharyya College, Howrah, India
| | - Rajat Banerjee
- Dr. BC Chandra Guha Centre for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India
| | - Debleena Roy
- Post Graduate Department of Botany, Lady Brabourne College, Kolkata, India
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Agback T, Lesovoy D, Han X, Lomzov A, Sun R, Sandalova T, Orekhov VY, Achour A, Agback P. Combined NMR and molecular dynamics conformational filter identifies unambiguously dynamic ensembles of Dengue protease NS2B/NS3pro. Commun Biol 2023; 6:1193. [PMID: 38001280 PMCID: PMC10673835 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05584-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
The dengue protease NS2B/NS3pro has been reported to adopt either an 'open' or a 'closed' conformation. We have developed a conformational filter that combines NMR with MD simulations to identify conformational ensembles that dominate in solution. Experimental values derived from relaxation parameters for the backbone and methyl side chains were compared with the corresponding back-calculated relaxation parameters of different conformational ensembles obtained from free MD simulations. Our results demonstrate a high prevalence for the 'closed' conformational ensemble while the 'open' conformation is absent, indicating that the latter conformation is most probably due to crystal contacts. Conversely, conformational ensembles in which the positioning of the co-factor NS2B results in a 'partially' open conformation, previously described in both MD simulations and X-ray studies, were identified by our conformational filter. Altogether, we believe that our approach allows for unambiguous identification of true conformational ensembles, an essential step for reliable drug discovery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Agback
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7015, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Dmitry Lesovoy
- Department of Structural Biology, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov, Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS, 117997, Moscow, Russia
- Swedish NMR Centre, University of Gothenburg, Box 465, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Xiao Han
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alexander Lomzov
- Laboratory of Structural Biology, Institute of Chemical Biology and Fundamental Medicine SB RAS, 630090, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Renhua Sun
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Tatyana Sandalova
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vladislav Yu Orekhov
- Swedish NMR Centre, University of Gothenburg, Box 465, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Chemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Gothenburg, Box 465, 40530, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Adnane Achour
- Science for Life Laboratory, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institute, and Division of Infectious Diseases, Karolinska University Hospital, SE-171 76, Stockholm, Sweden.
| | - Peter Agback
- Department of Molecular Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, PO Box 7015, SE-750 07, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Lin CL, Kiu YT, Kan JY, Chang YJ, Hung PY, Lu CH, Lin WL, Hsieh YW, Kao JY, Hu NJ, Lin CW. The Antiviral Activity of Varenicline against Dengue Virus Replication during the Post-Entry Stage. Biomedicines 2023; 11:2754. [PMID: 37893127 PMCID: PMC10604274 DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11102754] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/09/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dengue virus (DENV) poses a significant global health challenge, with millions of cases each year. Developing effective antiviral drugs against DENV remains a major hurdle. Varenicline is a medication used to aid smoking cessation, with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. In this study, varenicline was investigated for its antiviral potential against DENV. This study provides evidence of the antiviral activity of varenicline against DENV, regardless of the virus serotype or cell type used. Varenicline demonstrated dose-dependent effects in reducing viral protein expression, infectivity, and virus yield in Vero and A549 cells infected with DENV-1 and DENV-2, with EC50 values ranging from 0.44 to 1.66 μM. Time-of-addition and removal experiments demonstrated that varenicline had a stronger inhibitory effect on the post-entry stage of DENV-2 replication than on the entry stage, as well as the preinfection and virus attachment stages. Furthermore, cell-based trans-cleavage assays indicated that varenicline dose-dependently inhibited the proteolytic activity of DENV-2 NS2B-NS3 protease. Docking models revealed the formation of hydrogen bonds and van der Waals forces between varenicline and specific residues in the DENV-1 and DENV-2 NS2B-NS3 proteases. These results highlight the antiviral activity and potential mechanism of varenicline against DENV, offering valuable insights for further research and development in the treatment of DENV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ching-Lin Lin
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan; (C.-L.L.); (J.-Y.K.)
| | - Yan-Tung Kiu
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung 404328, Taiwan; (Y.-T.K.); (J.-Y.K.); (P.-Y.H.)
| | - Ju-Ying Kan
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung 404328, Taiwan; (Y.-T.K.); (J.-Y.K.); (P.-Y.H.)
- The Ph.D. Program of Biotechnology and Biomedical Industry, China Medical University, Taichung 404328, Taiwan;
| | - Yu-Jen Chang
- The Ph.D. Program of Biotechnology and Biomedical Industry, China Medical University, Taichung 404328, Taiwan;
| | - Ping-Yi Hung
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung 404328, Taiwan; (Y.-T.K.); (J.-Y.K.); (P.-Y.H.)
| | - Chih-Hao Lu
- Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology, National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu City 30010, Taiwan;
| | - Wen-Ling Lin
- Department of Pharmacy, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404328, Taiwan; (W.-L.L.); (Y.-W.H.)
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung 404328, Taiwan
| | - Yow-Wen Hsieh
- Department of Pharmacy, China Medical University Hospital, Taichung 404328, Taiwan; (W.-L.L.); (Y.-W.H.)
- School of Pharmacy, China Medical University, Taichung 404328, Taiwan
| | - Jung-Yie Kao
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan; (C.-L.L.); (J.-Y.K.)
| | - Nien-Jen Hu
- Institute of Biochemistry, College of Life Sciences, National Chung Hsing University, Taichung 40227, Taiwan; (C.-L.L.); (J.-Y.K.)
| | - Cheng-Wen Lin
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, China Medical University, Taichung 404328, Taiwan; (Y.-T.K.); (J.-Y.K.); (P.-Y.H.)
- The Ph.D. Program of Biotechnology and Biomedical Industry, China Medical University, Taichung 404328, Taiwan;
- Department of Medical Laboratory Science and Biotechnology, Asia University, Taichung 41354, Taiwan
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Purohit P, Panda M, Muya JT, Bandyopadhyay P, Meher BR. Theoretical insights into the binding interaction of Nirmatrelvir with SARS-CoV-2 Mpro mutants (C145A and C145S): MD simulations and binding free-energy calculation to understand drug resistance. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023:1-20. [PMID: 37599474 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2248519] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Mpro, the main protease and a crucial enzyme in SARS-CoV-2 is the most fascinating molecular target for pharmacological treatment and is also liable for viral protein maturation. For antiviral therapy, no drugs have been approved clinically to date. Targeting the Mpro with a compound having inhibitory properties against it can hinder viral replication. The therapeutic potential of the antiviral compound Nirmatrelvir (NMV) against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro was investigated using a systematic approach of molecular docking, MD simulations, and binding free energy calculation based on the MM-GBSA method. NMV, a covalent inhibitor with a recently revealed chemical structure, is a promising oral antiviral clinical candidate with significant in vitro anti-SARS-CoV-2 action in third-phase clinical trials. To explore the therapeutic ability and possible drug resistance, the Mpro system was studied for WT and two of its primary mutants (C145A & C145S). The protein-ligand (Mpro/NMV) complexes were further examined through long MD simulations to check the possible drug resistance in the mutants. To understand the binding affinity, the MM-GBSA method was applied to the Mpro/NMV complexes. Moreover, PCA analysis confirms the detachment of the linker region from the major domains in C145S and C145A mutants allowing for conformational alterations in the active-site region. Based on the predicted biological activities and binding affinities of NMV to WT and mutant (C145A & C145S) Mpro, it can be stipulated that NMV may have conventional potency to act as an anti-viral agent against WT Mpro, while the catalytic-dyad mutations may show substantial mutation-induced drug resistance.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Priyanka Purohit
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, India
| | - Madhusmita Panda
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, India
| | - Jules Tshishimbi Muya
- Faculte of Science, Research Centre for Theoretical Chemistry and Physics in Central Africa, University of Kinshasa, Kinshasa, Congo
| | - Pradipta Bandyopadhyay
- School of Computational and Integrative Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
| | - Biswa Ranjan Meher
- Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Laboratory, PG Department of Botany, Berhampur University, Berhampur, India
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