1
|
Zhang Y, Tian Y, Yan A. A SAR and QSAR study on 3CLpro inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 using machine learning methods. SAR AND QSAR IN ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2024:1-33. [PMID: 39077983 DOI: 10.1080/1062936x.2024.2375513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
The 3C-like Proteinase (3CLpro) of novel coronaviruses is intricately linked to viral replication, making it a crucial target for antiviral agents. In this study, we employed two fingerprint descriptors (ECFP_4 and MACCS) to comprehensively characterize 889 compounds in our dataset. We constructed 24 classification models using machine learning algorithms, including Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), extreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost), and Deep Neural Networks (DNN). Among these models, the DNN- and ECFP_4-based Model 1D_2 achieved the most promising results, with a remarkable Matthews correlation coefficient (MCC) value of 0.796 in the 5-fold cross-validation and 0.722 on the test set. The application domains of the models were analysed using dSTD-PRO calculations. The collected 889 compounds were clustered by K-means algorithm, and the relationships between structural fragments and inhibitory activities of the highly active compounds were analysed for the 10 obtained subsets. In addition, based on 464 3CLpro inhibitors, 27 QSAR models were constructed using three machine learning algorithms with a minimum root mean square error (RMSE) of 0.509 on the test set. The applicability domains of the models and the structure-activity relationships responded from the descriptors were also analysed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Y Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - Y Tian
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, P. R. China
| | - A Yan
- State Key Laboratory of Chemical Resource Engineering, Department of Pharmaceutical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing, P. R. China
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Janin YL. On the origins of SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. RSC Med Chem 2024; 15:81-118. [PMID: 38283212 PMCID: PMC10809347 DOI: 10.1039/d3md00493g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 10/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/30/2024] Open
Abstract
In order to address the world-wide health challenge caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 3CL protease/SARS-CoV-2 main protease (SARS-CoV-2-Mpro) coded by its nsp5 gene became one of the biochemical targets for the design of antiviral drugs. In less than 3 years of research, 4 inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2-Mpro have actually been authorized for COVID-19 treatment (nirmatrelvir, ensitrelvir, leritrelvir and simnotrelvir) and more such as EDP-235, FB-2001 and STI-1558/Olgotrelvir or five undisclosed compounds (CDI-988, ASC11, ALG-097558, QLS1128 and H-10517) are undergoing clinical trials. This review is an attempt to picture this quite unprecedented medicinal chemistry feat and provide insights on how these cysteine protease inhibitors were discovered. Since many series of covalent SARS-CoV-2-Mpro inhibitors owe some of their origins to previous work on other proteases, we first provided a description of various inhibitors of cysteine-bearing human caspase-1 or cathepsin K, as well as inhibitors of serine proteases such as human dipeptidyl peptidase-4 or the hepatitis C protein complex NS3/4A. This is then followed by a description of the results of the approaches adopted (repurposing, structure-based and high throughput screening) to discover coronavirus main protease inhibitors.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yves L Janin
- Structure et Instabilité des Génomes (StrInG), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, INSERM, CNRS, Alliance Sorbonne Université 75005 Paris France
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Saleh NA. In-silico study: docking simulation and molecular dynamics of peptidomimetic fullerene-based derivatives against SARS-CoV-2 M pro. 3 Biotech 2023; 13:185. [PMID: 37193325 PMCID: PMC10182551 DOI: 10.1007/s13205-023-03608-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2023] [Indexed: 05/18/2023] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, has become a global pandemic resulting in significant morbidity and mortality. This study presents 12 new peptidomimetic fullerene-based derivatives in three groups that are investigated theoretically as SARS-CoV-2 Mpro inhibitors to increase the chance of treating COVID-19. Studied compounds are designed and optimized at B88-LYP/DZVP method. Molecular descriptors results show the stability and reactivity of the compounds with Mpro, especially in the 3rd group (Ser compounds). However, Lipinski's Rule of Five values indicates that the compounds are not suitable as oral drugs. Furthermore, molecular docking simulations are carried out to investigate the binding affinity and interaction modes of the top five compounds (compounds 1, 9, 11, 2, and 10) with the Mpro protein, which have the lowest binding energy. Molecular dynamics simulations are also performed to evaluate the stability of the protein-ligand complexes with compounds 1 and 9 and compare them with natural substrate interaction. The analysis of RMSD, H-bonds, Rg, and SASA indicates that both compounds 1 (Gly-α acid) and 9 (Ser-α acid) have good stability and strong binding affinity with the Mpro protein. However, compound 9 shows slightly better stability and binding affinity compared to compound 1.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Noha A. Saleh
- Department of Physics, College of Science, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, 31441 Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- Basic and Applied Scientific Research Centre, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, P.O. Box 1982, 31441 Dammam, Saudi Arabia
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wang Y, Gao Q, Yao P, Yao Q, Zhang J. Multidimensional virtual screening approaches combined with drug repurposing to identify potential covalent inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease. J Biomol Struct Dyn 2023; 41:15262-15285. [PMID: 36961210 DOI: 10.1080/07391102.2023.2193994] [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: 12/26/2022] [Accepted: 02/26/2023] [Indexed: 03/25/2023]
Abstract
The outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) has caused an unprecedented global pandemic, and new cases are still on the rise due to the absence of effective medicines. However, developing new drugs within a short time is extremely difficult. Repurposing the existing drugs provides a fast and effective strategy to identify promising inhibitors. Here we focus on the screening of drugs database for discovering potential covalent inhibitors that target 3-chymotrypsin-like protease (3CLpro), an essential enzyme mediating viral replication and transcription. Firstly, we constructed a receptor-ligand pharmacophore model and verified it through decoy set. The importance of pharmacophore features was evaluated by combining molecular dynamics simulation with interaction analyses. Then, covalent docking was used to perform further screening. According to docking score and Prime/Molecular Mechanics Generalized Born Surface Area (MM-GBSA) score, total ten compounds obtained good scores and successfully established covalent bonds with the catalytic Cys145 residue. They also formed favorable interactions with key residues in active sites and closely integrated with 3CLpro with binding modes similar to known 3CLpro inhibitor. Finally, the top four hits DB08732, DB04653, DB01871 and DB07299 were further subjected to 100 ns molecular dynamics (MD) simulation and MM-GBSA binding free energy calculations. The results suggest that the four candidates show good binding affinities for 3CLpro, which warrants further evaluation for their in-vitro/in-vivo activities. Overall, our research methods provide a valuable reference for discovering promising inhibitors against SARS-CoV-2 and help to fight against the epidemic.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ying Wang
- Department of Physical Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qiushuang Gao
- Department of Physical Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Peng Yao
- Department of Physical Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Qizheng Yao
- School of Pharmacy, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| | - Ji Zhang
- Department of Physical Chemistry, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Natural Medicines, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, People's Republic of China
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Guo B, Zheng H, Jiang H, Li X, Guan N, Zuo Y, Zhang Y, Yang H, Wang X. Enhanced compound-protein binding affinity prediction by representing protein multimodal information via a coevolutionary strategy. Brief Bioinform 2023; 24:6995409. [PMID: 36682005 DOI: 10.1093/bib/bbac628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/25/2022] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Due to the lack of a method to efficiently represent the multimodal information of a protein, including its structure and sequence information, predicting compound-protein binding affinity (CPA) still suffers from low accuracy when applying machine-learning methods. To overcome this limitation, in a novel end-to-end architecture (named FeatNN), we develop a coevolutionary strategy to jointly represent the structure and sequence features of proteins and ultimately optimize the mathematical models for predicting CPA. Furthermore, from the perspective of data-driven approach, we proposed a rational method that can utilize both high- and low-quality databases to optimize the accuracy and generalization ability of FeatNN in CPA prediction tasks. Notably, we visually interpret the feature interaction process between sequence and structure in the rationally designed architecture. As a result, FeatNN considerably outperforms the state-of-the-art (SOTA) baseline in virtual drug evaluation tasks, indicating the feasibility of this approach for practical use. FeatNN provides an outstanding method for higher CPA prediction accuracy and better generalization ability by efficiently representing multimodal information of proteins via a coevolutionary strategy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Binjie Guo
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hanyu Zheng
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Haohan Jiang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Xiaodan Li
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Naiyu Guan
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yanming Zuo
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yicheng Zhang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Hengfu Yang
- School of Computer Science, Hunan First Normal University, Changsha, 410205 Hunan, China
| | - Xuhua Wang
- Department of Neurobiology and Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province 310058, China
- Liangzhu Laboratory, MOE Frontier Science Center for Brain Science and Brain-machine Integration, State Key Laboratory of Brain-machine Intelligence, Zhejiang University, 1369 West Wenyi Road, Hangzhou 311121, China
- NHC and CAMS Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
- Co-innovation Center of Neuroregeneration, Nantong University, Nantong, 226001 Jiangsu, China
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Moritsugu K, Ekimoto T, Ikeguchi M, Kidera A. Binding and Unbinding Pathways of Peptide Substrates on the SARS-CoV-2 3CL Protease. J Chem Inf Model 2023; 63:240-250. [PMID: 36539353 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00946] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
Based on many crystal structures of ligand complexes, much study has been devoted to understanding the molecular recognition of SARS-CoV-2 3C-like protease (3CLpro), a potent drug target for COVID-19. In this research, to extend this present static view, we examined the kinetic process of binding/unbinding of an eight-residue substrate peptide to/from 3CLpro by evaluating the path ensemble with the weighted ensemble simulation. The path ensemble showed the mechanism of how a highly flexible peptide folded into the bound form. At the early stage, the dominant motion was the diffusion on the protein surface showing a broad distribution, whose center was led into the cleft of the chymotrypsin fold. We observed a definite sequential formation of the hydrogen bonds at the later stage occurring in the cleft, initiated between Glu166 (3CLpro) and P3_Val (peptide), followed by binding to the oxyanion hole and completed by the sequence-specific recognition at P1_Gln.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kei Moritsugu
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehirocho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa230-0045, Japan.,Graduate School of Science, Osaka Metropolitan University, 1-2 Gakuencho, Naka-ku, Sakai, Osaka599-8570, Japan
| | - Toru Ekimoto
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehirocho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa230-0045, Japan
| | - Mitsunori Ikeguchi
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehirocho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa230-0045, Japan
| | - Akinori Kidera
- Graduate School of Medical Life Science, Yokohama City University, 1-7-29 Suehirocho, Tsurumi, Yokohama, Kanagawa230-0045, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Chauhan S, Saini D, Madan K. Screening of Phytoconstituents from Traditional Plants against SARSCoV-
2 using Molecular Docking Approach. LETT DRUG DES DISCOV 2022. [DOI: 10.2174/1570180819666220307163058] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Background:
The emergence of COVID-19 as a fatal viral disease encourages researchers to
develop effective and efficient therapeutic agents. The intervention of in silico studies has led to revolutionary
changes in the conventional method of testing the bioactivity of plant constituents.
Objective:
The current study deals with the investigation of some traditional immunomodulators of plant
origin to combat this ailment.
Materials and Methods:
A total of 151 phytomolecules of 12 immunomodulatory plants were evaluated
for their inhibitory action against the main protease (PDB ID: 7D1M) and NSP15 endoribonuclease (PDB
ID: 6WLC) by structure-based virtual screening. In addition, the promising molecules with ligand efficiency
of more than -0.3(kcal/mol)/heavy atoms were further predicted for pharmacokinetic properties
and druggability using the SwissADME web server, and their toxicity was also evaluated using Protox-II.
Result:
Myricetin-3-O-arabinofuranoside of cranberry plant was found to be the most potential candidate
against both enzymes: main protease (–14.2 kcal/mol) and NSP15 endoribonuclease (–12.2 kcal/mol).
Conclusion:
The promising outcomes of the current study may be implemented in future drug development
against coronavirus. The findings also help in the development of lead candidates of plant origin
with a better ADMET profile in the future.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shilpi Chauhan
- Department of Pharmacy, Lloyd Institute of Management and Technology, Plot No.-11, Knowledge Park-I1, Greater
Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Deepika Saini
- Department of Pharmacy, Lloyd Institute of Management and Technology, Plot No.-11, Knowledge Park-I1, Greater
Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| | - Kumud Madan
- Department of Pharmacy, Lloyd Institute of Management and Technology, Plot No.-11, Knowledge Park-I1, Greater
Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201306, India
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Alugubelli YR, Geng ZZ, Yang KS, Shaabani N, Khatua K, Ma XR, Vatansever EC, Cho CC, Ma Y, Xiao J, Blankenship LR, Yu G, Sankaran B, Li P, Allen R, Ji H, Xu S, Liu WR. A systematic exploration of boceprevir-based main protease inhibitors as SARS-CoV-2 antivirals. Eur J Med Chem 2022; 240:114596. [PMID: 35839690 PMCID: PMC9264725 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2022.114596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2022] [Revised: 06/29/2022] [Accepted: 07/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Boceprevir is an HCV NSP3 inhibitor that was explored as a repurposed drug for COVID-19. It inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (MPro) and contains an α-ketoamide warhead, a P1 β-cyclobutylalanyl moiety, a P2 dimethylcyclopropylproline, a P3 tert-butylglycine, and a P4 N-terminal tert-butylcarbamide. By introducing modifications at all four positions, we synthesized 20 boceprevir-based MPro inhibitors including PF-07321332 and characterized their MPro inhibition potency in test tubes (in vitro) and 293T cells (in cellulo). Crystal structures of MPro bound with 10 inhibitors and cytotoxicity and antiviral potency of 4 inhibitors were characterized as well. Replacing the P1 site with a β-(S-2-oxopyrrolidin-3-yl)-alanyl (Opal) residue and the warhead with an aldehyde leads to high in vitro potency. The original moieties at P2, P3 and the P4 N-terminal cap positions in boceprevir are better than other tested chemical moieties for high in vitro potency. In crystal structures, all inhibitors form a covalent adduct with the MPro active site cysteine. The P1 Opal residue, P2 dimethylcyclopropylproline and P4 N-terminal tert-butylcarbamide make strong hydrophobic interactions with MPro, explaining high in vitro potency of inhibitors that contain these moieties. A unique observation was made with an inhibitor that contains a P4 N-terminal isovaleramide. In its MPro complex structure, the P4 N-terminal isovaleramide is tucked deep in a small pocket of MPro that originally recognizes a P4 alanine side chain in a substrate. Although all inhibitors show high in vitro potency, they have drastically different in cellulo potency to inhibit ectopically expressed MPro in human 293T cells. In general, inhibitors with a P4 N-terminal carbamide or amide have low in cellulo potency. This trend is reversed when the P4 N-terminal cap is changed to a carbamate. The installation of a P3 O-tert-butyl-threonine improves in cellulo potency. Three molecules that contain a P4 N-terminal carbamate were advanced to cytotoxicity tests on 293T cells and antiviral potency tests on three SARS-CoV-2 variants. They all have relatively low cytotoxicity and high antiviral potency with EC50 values around 1 μM. A control compound with a nitrile warhead and a P4 N-terminal amide has undetectable antiviral potency. Based on all observations, we conclude that a P4 N-terminal carbamate in a boceprevir derivative is key for high antiviral potency against SARS-CoV-2.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Yugendar R Alugubelli
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Zhi Zachary Geng
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Kai S Yang
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | | | - Kaustav Khatua
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Xinyu R Ma
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Erol C Vatansever
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Chia-Chuan Cho
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Yuying Ma
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Jing Xiao
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Lauren R Blankenship
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Ge Yu
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Banumathi Sankaran
- Molecular Biophysics and Integrated Bioimaging, Berkeley Center for Structural Biology, Laurence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, CA, 94720, USA
| | - Pingwei Li
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - Robert Allen
- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. San Diego, CA, 92121, USA
| | - Henry Ji
- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. San Diego, CA, 92121, USA.
| | - Shiqing Xu
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| | - Wenshe Ray Liu
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA; Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA; Institute of Biosciences and Technology and Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX, 77030, USA; Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Vankadara S, Dawson MD, Fong JY, Oh QY, Ang QA, Liu B, Chang HY, Koh J, Koh X, Tan QW, Joy J, Chia CSB. A Warhead Substitution Study on the Coronavirus Main Protease Inhibitor Nirmatrelvir. ACS Med Chem Lett 2022; 13:1345-1350. [PMID: 35971455 PMCID: PMC9331150 DOI: 10.1021/acsmedchemlett.2c00260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2022] [Accepted: 07/15/2022] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
![]()
The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic is currently causing an unprecedented
global
health emergency since its emergence in December 2019. In December
2021, the FDA granted emergency use authorization to nirmatrelvir,
a SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitor, for treating infected patients.
This peptidomimetic is designed with a nitrile warhead, which forms
a covalent bond to the viral protease. Herein, we investigate nirmatrelvir
analogs with different warheads and their inhibitory activities. In
addition, antiviral activities against human alphacoronavirus 229E
was also investigated along with a cell-based assay. We discovered
that the hydroxymethylketone and ketobenzothiazole warheads were equipotent
to the nitrile warhead, suggesting that these analogs can also be
used for treating coronavirus infections.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Subramanyam Vankadara
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | | | - Jia Yi Fong
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | - Qin Yao Oh
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | - Qi An Ang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | - Boping Liu
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | - Hong Yun Chang
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | - Judice Koh
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | - Xiaoying Koh
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | - Qian Wen Tan
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | - Joma Joy
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| | - Cheng San Brian Chia
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos #08-01, 138670 Singapore
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Yang KS, Leeuwon SZ, Xu S, Liu WR. Evolutionary and Structural Insights about Potential SARS-CoV-2 Evasion of Nirmatrelvir. J Med Chem 2022; 65:8686-8698. [PMID: 35731933 PMCID: PMC9236210 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.2c00404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
The U.S. FDA approval of PAXLOVID, a combination therapy of nirmatrelvir and ritonavir has significantly boosted our morale in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic. Nirmatrelvir is an inhibitor of the main protease (MPro) of SARS-CoV-2. Since many SARS-CoV-2 variants that resist vaccines and antibodies have emerged, a concern of acquired viral resistance to nirmatrelvir naturally arises. Here, possible mutations in MPro to confer viral evasion of nirmatrelvir are analyzed and discussed from both evolutionary and structural standpoints. The analysis indicates that those mutations will likely reside in the whole aa45-51 helical region and residues including M165, L167, P168, R188, and Q189. Relevant mutations have also been observed in existing SARS-CoV-2 samples. Implications of this analysis to the fight against future drug-resistant viral variants and the development of broad-spectrum antivirals are discussed as well.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kai S. Yang
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7743, USA
| | - Sunshine Z. Leeuwon
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7743, USA
| | - Shiqing Xu
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7743, USA
| | - Wenshe Ray Liu
- Texas A&M Drug Discovery Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 7743, USA
- Institute of Biosciences and Technology and Department of Translational Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, Houston, TX 77030, USA
- Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Department of Molecular and Cellular Medicine, College of Medicine, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Xu T, Xu M, Zhu W, Chen CZ, Zhang Q, Zheng W, Huang R. Efficient Identification of Anti-SARS-CoV-2 Compounds Using Chemical Structure- and Biological Activity-Based Modeling. J Med Chem 2022; 65:4590-4599. [PMID: 35275639 PMCID: PMC8936051 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.1c01372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Identification of anti-SARS-CoV-2 compounds through traditional high-throughput screening (HTS) assays is limited by high costs and low hit rates. To address these challenges, we developed machine learning models to identify compounds acting via inhibition of the entry of SARS-CoV-2 into human host cells or the SARS-CoV-2 3-chymotrypsin-like (3CL) protease. The optimal classification models achieved good performance with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) values of >0.78. Experimental validation showed that the best performing models increased the assay hit rate by 2.1-fold for viral entry inhibitors and 10.4-fold for 3CL protease inhibitors compared to those of the original drug repurposing screens. Twenty-two compounds showed potent (<5 μM) antiviral activities in a SARS-CoV-2 live virus assay. In conclusion, machine learning models can be developed and used as a complementary approach to HTS to expand compound screening capacities and improve the speed and efficiency of anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug discovery.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tuan Xu
- Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Miao Xu
- Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Wei Zhu
- Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Catherine Z Chen
- Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Qi Zhang
- Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Wei Zheng
- Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| | - Ruili Huang
- Division of Pre-clinical Innovation, National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Rockville, Maryland 20850, United States
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Johansen-Leete J, Ullrich S, Fry SE, Frkic R, Bedding MJ, Aggarwal A, Ashhurst AS, Ekanayake KB, Mahawaththa MC, Sasi VM, Luedtke S, Ford DJ, O'Donoghue AJ, Passioura T, Larance M, Otting G, Turville S, Jackson CJ, Nitsche C, Payne RJ. Antiviral cyclic peptides targeting the main protease of SARS-CoV-2. Chem Sci 2022; 13:3826-3836. [PMID: 35432913 PMCID: PMC8966731 DOI: 10.1039/d1sc06750h] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Antivirals that specifically target SARS-CoV-2 are needed to control the COVID-19 pandemic. The main protease (Mpro) is essential for SARS-CoV-2 replication and is an attractive target for antiviral development. Here we report the use of the Random nonstandard Peptide Integrated Discovery (RaPID) mRNA display on a chemically cross-linked SARS-CoV-2 Mpro dimer, which yielded several high-affinity thioether-linked cyclic peptide inhibitors of the protease. Structural analysis of Mpro complexed with a selenoether analogue of the highest-affinity peptide revealed key binding interactions, including glutamine and leucine residues in sites S1 and S2, respectively, and a binding epitope straddling both protein chains in the physiological dimer. Several of these Mpro peptide inhibitors possessed antiviral activity against SARS-CoV-2 in vitro with EC50 values in the low micromolar range. These cyclic peptides serve as a foundation for the development of much needed antivirals that specifically target SARS-CoV-2. RaPID mRNA display was used for the discovery of antiviral cyclic peptides that potently and selectively inhibit SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. The most potent inhibitor exhibited a novel binding mode, interacting with residues across the homodimer interface.![]()
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jason Johansen-Leete
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Sven Ullrich
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Sarah E. Fry
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Rebecca Frkic
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Max J. Bedding
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | | | - Anneliese S. Ashhurst
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Kasuni B. Ekanayake
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Mithun C. Mahawaththa
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Vishnu M. Sasi
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Stephanie Luedtke
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Daniel J. Ford
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Anthony J. O'Donoghue
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Toby Passioura
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Sydney Analytical, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Mark Larance
- Sydney Analytical, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Charles Perkins Centre, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| | - Gottfried Otting
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | | | - Colin J. Jackson
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Christoph Nitsche
- Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
| | - Richard J. Payne
- School of Chemistry, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
- Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Innovations in Peptide and Protein Science, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Macip G, Garcia-Segura P, Mestres-Truyol J, Saldivar-Espinoza B, Pujadas G, Garcia-Vallvé S. A Review of the Current Landscape of SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors: Have We Hit the Bullseye Yet? Int J Mol Sci 2021; 23:259. [PMID: 35008685 PMCID: PMC8745775 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23010259] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Revised: 12/24/2021] [Accepted: 12/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
In this review, we collected 1765 severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) M-pro inhibitors from the bibliography and other sources, such as the COVID Moonshot project and the ChEMBL database. This set of inhibitors includes only those compounds whose inhibitory capacity, mainly expressed as the half-maximal inhibitory concentration (IC50) value, against M-pro from SARS-CoV-2 has been determined. Several covalent warheads are used to treat covalent and non-covalent inhibitors separately. Chemical space, the variation of the IC50 inhibitory activity when measured by different methods or laboratories, and the influence of 1,4-dithiothreitol (DTT) are discussed. When available, we have collected the values of inhibition of viral replication measured with a cellular antiviral assay and expressed as half maximal effective concentration (EC50) values, and their possible relationship to inhibitory potency against M-pro is analyzed. Finally, the most potent covalent and non-covalent inhibitors that simultaneously inhibit the SARS-CoV-2 M-pro and the virus replication in vitro are discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Gerard Pujadas
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain; (G.M.); (P.G.-S.); (J.M.-T.); (B.S.-E.)
| | - Santiago Garcia-Vallvé
- Research Group in Cheminformatics & Nutrition, Departament de Bioquímica i Biotecnologia, Campus Sescelades, Universitat Rovira i Virgili, 43007 Tarragona, Catalonia, Spain; (G.M.); (P.G.-S.); (J.M.-T.); (B.S.-E.)
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Alugubelli YR, Geng ZZ, Yang KS, Shaabani N, Khatua K, Ma XR, Vatansever EC, Cho CC, Ma Y, Blankenship L, Yu G, Sankaran B, Li P, Allen R, Ji H, Xu S, Liu WR. The N -Terminal Carbamate is Key to High Cellular and Antiviral Potency for Boceprevir-Based SARS-CoV-2 Main Protease Inhibitors. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2021. [PMID: 34981058 DOI: 10.1101/2021.12.18.473330] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Boceprevir is an HCV NSP3 inhibitor that has been explored as a repurposed drug for COVID-19. It inhibits the SARS-CoV-2 main protease (M Pro ) and contains an α-ketoamide warhead, a P1 β-cyclobutylalanyl moiety, a P2 dimethylcyclopropylproline, a P3 tert -butyl-glycine, and a P4 N -terminal tert -butylcarbamide. By introducing modifications at all four positions, we synthesized 20 boceprevir-based M Pro inhibitors including PF-07321332 and characterized their M Pro inhibition potency in test tubes ( in vitro ) and human host cells ( in cellulo ). Crystal structures of M Pro bound with 10 inhibitors and antiviral potency of 4 inhibitors were characterized as well. Replacing the P1 site with a β-(S-2-oxopyrrolidin-3-yl)-alanyl (opal) residue and the warhead with an aldehyde leads to high in vitro potency. The original moieties at P2, P3 and the P4 N -terminal cap positions in boceprevir are better than other tested chemical moieties for high in vitro potency. In crystal structures, all inhibitors form a covalent adduct with the M Pro active site cysteine. The P1 opal residue, P2 dimethylcyclopropylproline and P4 N -terminal tert -butylcarbamide make strong hydrophobic interactions with M Pro , explaining high in vitro potency of inhibitors that contain these moieties. A unique observation was made with an inhibitor that contains an P4 N -terminal isovaleramide. In its M Pro complex structure, the P4 N -terminal isovaleramide is tucked deep in a small pocket of M Pro that originally recognizes a P4 alanine side chain in a substrate. Although all inhibitors show high in vitro potency, they have drastically different in cellulo potency in inhibiting ectopically expressed M Pro in human 293T cells. All inhibitors including PF-07321332 with a P4 N -terminal carbamide or amide have low in cellulo potency. This trend is reversed when the P4 N -terminal cap is changed to a carbamate. The installation of a P3 O-tert -butyl-threonine improves in cellulo potency. Three molecules that contain a P4 N -terminal carbamate were advanced to antiviral tests on three SARS-CoV-2 variants. They all have high potency with EC 50 values around 1 μM. A control compound with a nitrile warhead and a P4 N -terminal amide has undetectable antiviral potency. Based on all observations, we conclude that a P4 N -terminal carbamate in a boceprevir derivative is key for high antiviral potency against SARS-CoV-2.
Collapse
|
15
|
Chia CSB, Xu W, Shuyi Ng P. A Patent Review on SARS Coronavirus Main Protease (3CL pro ) Inhibitors. ChemMedChem 2021; 17:e202100576. [PMID: 34651447 PMCID: PMC8653044 DOI: 10.1002/cmdc.202100576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) pandemic is an unprecedented global health emergency causing more than 4.2 million fatalities as of 30 July 2021. Only three antiviral therapies have been approved or granted emergency use authorization by the FDA. The SARS‐CoV‐2 3CL protease (3CLpro) is deemed an attractive drug target as it plays an essential role in viral polyprotein processing and pathogenesis, although no inhibitors have been approved. This patent review discusses SARS coronavirus 3CLpro inhibitors that have been filed up to 30 July 2021, giving an overview on the types of inhibitors that have generated commercial interest, especially amongst drug companies. Insights into the common structural motifs required for active site binding is also discussed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- C S Brian Chia
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, 138670, Chromos #08-01, Singapore
| | - Weijun Xu
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, 138670, Chromos #08-01, Singapore
| | - Pearly Shuyi Ng
- Experimental Drug Development Centre, 10 Biopolis Road, 138670, Chromos #08-01, Singapore
| |
Collapse
|