1
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Martino SD, Petri GL, De Rosa M. Hepatitis C: The Story of a Long Journey through First, Second, and Third Generation NS3/4A Peptidomimetic Inhibitors. What Did We Learn? J Med Chem 2024; 67:885-921. [PMID: 38179950 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.3c01971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2024]
Abstract
Hepatitis C viral (HCV) infection is the leading cause of liver failure and still represents a global health burden. Over the past decade, great advancements made HCV curable, and sustained viral remission significantly improved to more than 98%. Historical treatment with pegylated interferon alpha and ribavirin has been displaced by combinations of direct-acting antivirals. These regimens include drugs targeting different stages of the HCV life cycle. However, the emergence of viral resistance remains a big concern. The design of peptidomimetic inhibitors (PIs) able to fit and fill the conserved substrate envelope region within the active site helped avoid contact with the vulnerable sites of the most common resistance-associated substitutions Arg155, Ala156, and Asp168. Herein, we give an overview of HCV NS3 PIs discovered during the past decade, and we deeply discuss the rationale behind the structural optimization efforts essential to achieve pangenotypic activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simona Di Martino
- Drug Discovery Unit, Medicinal Chemistry Group, Ri.MED Foundation, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Giovanna Li Petri
- Drug Discovery Unit, Medicinal Chemistry Group, Ri.MED Foundation, Palermo 90133, Italy
| | - Maria De Rosa
- Drug Discovery Unit, Medicinal Chemistry Group, Ri.MED Foundation, Palermo 90133, Italy
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2
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Weber R, McCullagh M. Role of ATP in the RNA Translocation Mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 NSP13 Helicase. J Phys Chem B 2021; 125:8787-8796. [PMID: 34328740 PMCID: PMC8353885 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.1c04528] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic has demonstrated the need to develop potent and transferable therapeutics to treat coronavirus infections. Numerous antiviral targets are being investigated, but nonstructural protein 13 (nsp13) stands out as a highly conserved and yet understudied target. Nsp13 is a superfamily 1 (SF1) helicase that translocates along and unwinds viral RNA in an ATP-dependent manner. Currently, there are no available structures of nsp13 from SARS-CoV-1 or SARS-CoV-2 with either ATP or RNA bound, which presents a significant hurdle to the rational design of therapeutics. To address this knowledge gap, we have built models of SARS-CoV-2 nsp13 in Apo, ATP, ssRNA and ssRNA+ATP substrate states. Using 30 μs of a Gaussian-accelerated molecular dynamics simulation (at least 6 μs per substrate state), these models were confirmed to maintain substrate binding poses that are similar to other SF1 helicases. A Gaussian mixture model and linear discriminant analysis structural clustering protocol was used to identify key structural states of the ATP-dependent RNA translocation mechanism. Namely, four RNA-nsp13 structures are identified that exhibit ATP-dependent populations and support the inchworm mechanism for translocation. These four states are characterized by different RNA-binding poses for motifs Ia, IV, and V and suggest a power stroke-like motion of domain 2A relative to domain 1A. This structural and mechanistic insight of nsp13 RNA translocation presents novel targets for the further development of antivirals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Weber
- Department
of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523, United States
| | - Martin McCullagh
- Department
of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074, United States
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3
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Davidson RB, Hendrix J, Geiss BJ, McCullagh M. RNA-Dependent Structures of the RNA-Binding Loop in the Flavivirus NS3 Helicase. J Phys Chem B 2020; 124:2371-2381. [PMID: 32105483 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jpcb.0c00457] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The flavivirus NS3 protein is a helicase that has pivotal functions during the viral genome replication process, where it unwinds double-stranded RNA and translocates along the nucleic acid polymer in a nucleoside triphosphate hydrolysis-dependent mechanism. Crystallographic and computational studies of the flavivirus NS3 helicase have identified the RNA-binding loop as an interesting structural element that may function as a component of the RNA-enhanced NTPase activity observed for this family of helicases. Microsecond-long unbiased molecular dynamics and extensive replica exchange umbrella sampling simulations of the Zika NS3 helicase have been performed to investigate the RNA dependence of this loop's structural conformations. Specifically, the effect of the bound single-stranded RNA (ssRNA) oligomer on the putative "open" and "closed" conformations of this loop is studied. In the Apo substrate state, the two loop conformations are nearly isoergonic (ΔAO→C = -0.22 kcal mol-1), explaining the structural ambiguity observed in Apo NS3h crystal structures. The bound ssRNA is seen to stabilize the "open" conformation (ΔAO→C = 1.97 kcal mol-1) through direct protein-RNA interactions at the top of the loop. Interestingly, a small ssRNA oligomer bound over 13 Å away from the loop is seen to affect the free energy surface to favor the "open" structure, while minimizing barriers between the two states. Both the mechanism of the "open" to "closed" transition and important residues of the RNA-binding loop structures are characterized. From these results, point mutations that are hypothesized to stabilize the "closed" RNA-binding loop and negatively impact RNA-binding and the RNA-enhanced NTPase activity are posited.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell B Davidson
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, Colorado, United States
| | - Josie Hendrix
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, Colorado, United States
| | - Brian J Geiss
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, Colorado, United States
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins 80523, Colorado, United States
| | - Martin McCullagh
- Department of Chemistry, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, Oklahoma 74074, United States
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4
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Ashraf MU, Iman K, Khalid MF, Salman HM, Shafi T, Rafi M, Javaid N, Hussain R, Ahmad F, Shahzad-Ul-Hussan S, Mirza S, Shafiq M, Afzal S, Hamera S, Anwar S, Qazi R, Idrees M, Qureshi SA, Chaudhary SU. Evolution of efficacious pangenotypic hepatitis C virus therapies. Med Res Rev 2018; 39:1091-1136. [PMID: 30506705 DOI: 10.1002/med.21554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2018] [Revised: 10/11/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Hepatitis C compromises the quality of life of more than 350 million individuals worldwide. Over the last decade, therapeutic regimens for treating hepatitis C virus (HCV) infections have undergone rapid advancements. Initially, structure-based drug design was used to develop molecules that inhibit viral enzymes. Subsequently, establishment of cell-based replicon systems enabled investigations into various stages of HCV life cycle including its entry, replication, translation, and assembly, as well as role of host proteins. Collectively, these approaches have facilitated identification of important molecules that are deemed essential for HCV life cycle. The expanded set of putative virus and host-encoded targets has brought us one step closer to developing robust strategies for efficacious, pangenotypic, and well-tolerated medicines against HCV. Herein, we provide an overview of the development of various classes of virus and host-directed therapies that are currently in use along with others that are undergoing clinical evaluation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammad Usman Ashraf
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Virology Laboratory, Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Kanzal Iman
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Farhan Khalid
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Hafiz Muhammad Salman
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan.,Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Talha Shafi
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Momal Rafi
- Department of Statistics, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan
| | - Nida Javaid
- Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Rashid Hussain
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Fayyaz Ahmad
- Department of Statistics, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan
| | | | - Shaper Mirza
- Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Shafiq
- Plant Biotechnology Laboratory, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Samia Afzal
- Virology Laboratory, Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Sadia Hamera
- Department of Plant Genetics, Institute of Life Sciences, University of Rostock, Germany
| | - Saima Anwar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Romena Qazi
- Department of Pathology, Shaukat Khanum Memorial Cancer Hospital & Research Centre, Lahore, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Idrees
- Virology Laboratory, Center of Excellence in Molecular Biology, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan.,Hazara University, Mansehra, Pakistan
| | - Sohail A Qureshi
- Institute of Integrative Biosciences, CECOS-University of Information Technology and Emerging Sciences, Peshawar, Pakistan
| | - Safee Ullah Chaudhary
- Biomedical Informatics Research Laboratory, Department of Biology, Lahore University of Management Sciences, Lahore, Pakistan
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5
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Inhibitory mechanism of 5-bromo-3-indoleacetic acid for non-structural-3 helicase hepatitis C virus with dynamics correlation network analysis. Comput Biol Chem 2018; 77:167-177. [DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiolchem.2018.10.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2018] [Revised: 09/03/2018] [Accepted: 10/06/2018] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
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6
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Yerukhimovich MM, Marohnic CC, Frick DN. Role of the Conserved DECH-Box Cysteine in Coupling Hepatitis C Virus Helicase-Catalyzed ATP Hydrolysis to RNA Unwinding. Biochemistry 2018; 57:6247-6255. [PMID: 30281972 DOI: 10.1021/acs.biochem.8b00796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
DECH-box proteins are a subset of DExH/D-box superfamily 2 helicases possessing a conserved Asp-Glu-Cys-His motif in their ATP binding site. The conserved His helps position the Asp and Glu residues, which coordinate the divalent metal cation that connects the protein to ATP and activate the water molecule needed for ATP hydrolysis, but the role of the Cys is still unclear. This study uses site-directed mutants of the model DECH-box helicase encoded by the hepatitis C virus (HCV) to examine the role of the Cys in helicase action. Proteins lacking a Cys unwound DNA less efficiently than wild-type proteins did. For example, at low protein concentrations, a helicase harboring a Gly instead of the DECH-box Cys unwound DNA more slowly than the wild-type helicase did, but at higher protein concentrations, the two proteins unwound DNA at similar rates. All HCV proteins analyzed had similar affinities for ATP and nucleic acids and hydrolyzed ATP in the presence of RNA at similar rates. However, in the absence of RNA, all proteins lacking a DECH-box cysteine hydrolyzed ATP 10-15 times faster with higher Km values, and lower apparent affinities for metal ions, compared to those observed with wild-type proteins. These differences were observed with proteins isolated from HCV genotypes 2a and 1b, suggesting that this role is conserved. These data suggest the helicase needs Cys292 to bind ATP in a state where ATP is not hydrolyzed until RNA binds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark M Yerukhimovich
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee , Wisconsin 53211 , United States
| | - Christopher C Marohnic
- Abbott Laboratories , 100 Abbott Park Road , Abbott Park , Illinois 60064 , United States
| | - David N Frick
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry , University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee , Milwaukee , Wisconsin 53211 , United States
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7
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Davidson RB, Hendrix J, Geiss BJ, McCullagh M. Allostery in the dengue virus NS3 helicase: Insights into the NTPase cycle from molecular simulations. PLoS Comput Biol 2018; 14:e1006103. [PMID: 29659571 PMCID: PMC5919694 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1006103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2017] [Revised: 04/26/2018] [Accepted: 03/22/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The C-terminus domain of non-structural 3 (NS3) protein of the Flaviviridae viruses (e.g. HCV, dengue, West Nile, Zika) is a nucleotide triphosphatase (NTPase) -dependent superfamily 2 (SF2) helicase that unwinds double-stranded RNA while translocating along the nucleic polymer. Due to these functions, NS3 is an important target for antiviral development yet the biophysics of this enzyme are poorly understood. Microsecond-long molecular dynamic simulations of the dengue NS3 helicase domain are reported from which allosteric effects of RNA and NTPase substrates are observed. The presence of a bound single-stranded RNA catalytically enhances the phosphate hydrolysis reaction by affecting the dynamics and positioning of waters within the hydrolysis active site. Coupled with results from the simulations, electronic structure calculations of the reaction are used to quantify this enhancement to be a 150-fold increase, in qualitative agreement with the experimental enhancement factor of 10–100. Additionally, protein-RNA interactions exhibit NTPase substrate-induced allostery, where the presence of a nucleotide (e.g. ATP or ADP) structurally perturbs residues in direct contact with the phosphodiester backbone of the RNA. Residue-residue network analyses highlight pathways of short ranged interactions that connect the two active sites. These analyses identify motif V as a highly connected region of protein structure through which energy released from either active site is hypothesized to move, thereby inducing the observed allosteric effects. These results lay the foundation for the design of novel allosteric inhibitors of NS3. Non-structural protein 3 (NS3) is a Flaviviridae (e.g. Hepatitis C, dengue, and Zika viruses) helicase that unwinds double stranded RNA while translocating along the nucleic polymer during viral genome replication. As a member of superfamily 2 (SF2) helicases, NS3 utilizes the free energy of nucleotide triphosphate (NTP) binding, hydrolysis, and product unbinding to perform its functions. While much is known about SF2 helicases, the pathways and mechanisms through which free energy is transduced between the NTP hydrolysis active site and RNA binding cleft remains elusive. Here we present a multiscale computational study to characterize the allosteric effects induced by the RNA and NTPase substrates (ATP, ADP, and Pi) as well as the pathways of short-range, residue-residue interactions that connect the two active sites. Results from this body of molecular dynamics simulations and electronic structure calculations are highlighted in context to the NTPase enzymatic cycle, allowing for development of testable hypotheses for validation of these simulations. Our insights, therefore, provide novel details about the biophysics of NS3 and guide the next generation of experimental studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell B. Davidson
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Josie Hendrix
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Brian J. Geiss
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
| | - Martin McCullagh
- Department of Chemistry, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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8
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Bassetto M, Leyssen P, Neyts J, Yerukhimovich MM, Frick DN, Courtney-Smith M, Brancale A. In silico identification, design and synthesis of novel piperazine-based antiviral agents targeting the hepatitis C virus helicase. Eur J Med Chem 2016; 125:1115-1131. [PMID: 27810598 DOI: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2016.10.043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2016] [Revised: 10/17/2016] [Accepted: 10/18/2016] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
A structure-based virtual screening of commercial compounds was carried out on the HCV NS3 helicase structure, with the aim to identify novel inhibitors of HCV replication. Among a selection of 13 commercial structures, one compound was found to inhibit the subgenomic HCV replicon in the low micromolar range. Different series of new piperazine-based analogues were designed and synthesised, and among them, several novel structures exhibited antiviral activity in the HCV replicon assay. Some of the new compounds were also found to inhibit HCV NS3 helicase function in vitro, and one directly bound NS3 with a dissociation constant of 570 ± 270 nM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcella Bassetto
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF103NB, UK.
| | - Pieter Leyssen
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, Belgium
| | - Johan Neyts
- Rega Institute for Medical Research, University of Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mark M Yerukhimovich
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
| | - David N Frick
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry, University of Wisconsin- Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI 53211, United States
| | - Matthew Courtney-Smith
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF103NB, UK
| | - Andrea Brancale
- Cardiff School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Cardiff, King Edward VII Avenue, Cardiff CF103NB, UK
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