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Eni DB, Cassel J, Namba-Nzanguim CT, Simoben CV, Tietjen I, Akunuri R, Salvino JM, Ntie-Kang F. Design, synthesis, and biochemical and computational screening of novel oxindole derivatives as inhibitors of Aurora A kinase and SARS-CoV-2 spike/host ACE2 interaction. Med Chem Res 2024; 33:620-634. [PMID: 38646411 PMCID: PMC11024012 DOI: 10.1007/s00044-024-03201-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/23/2024]
Abstract
Isatin (indol-2,3-dione), a secondary metabolite of tryptophan, has been used as the core structure to design several compounds that have been tested and identified as potent inhibitors of apoptosis, potential antitumor agents, anticonvulsants, and antiviral agents. In this work, several analogs of isatin hybrids have been synthesized and characterized, and their activities were established as inhibitors of both Aurora A kinase and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) spike/host angiotensin-converting enzyme II (ACE2) interactions. Amongst the synthesized isatin hybrids, compounds 6a, 6f, 6g, and 6m exhibited Aurora A kinase inhibitory activities (with IC50 values < 5 μ M), with GScore values of -7.9, -7.6, -8.2 and -7.7 kcal/mol, respectively. Compounds 6g and 6i showed activities in blocking SARS-CoV-2 spike/ACE2 binding (with IC50 values in the range < 30 μ M), with GScore values of -6.4 and -6.6 kcal/mol, respectively. Compounds 6f, 6g, and 6i were both capable of inhibiting spike/ACE2 binding and blocking Aurora A kinase. Pharmacophore profiling indicated that compound 6g tightly fits Aurora A kinase and SARS-CoV-2 pharmacophores, while 6d fits SARS-CoV-2 and 6l fits Aurora A kinase pharmacophore. This work is a proof of concept that some existing cancer drugs may possess antiviral properties. Molecular modeling showed that the active compound for each protein adopted different binding modes, hence interacting with a different set of amino acid residues in the binding site. The weaker activities against spike/ACE2 could be explained by the small sizes of the ligands that fail to address the important interactions for binding to the ACE2 receptor site.
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Affiliation(s)
- Donatus B. Eni
- Center for Drug Discovery, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | | | - Cyril T. Namba-Nzanguim
- Center for Drug Discovery, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | - Conrad V. Simoben
- Center for Drug Discovery, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
| | | | | | | | - Fidele Ntie-Kang
- Center for Drug Discovery, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, University of Buea, Buea, Cameroon
- Institute of Pharmacy, Martin-Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany
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2
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Wu J, Zhang HX, Zhang J. The molecular mechanism of non-covalent inhibitor WU-04 targeting SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro and computational evaluation of its effectiveness against mainstream coronaviruses. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2023; 25:23555-23567. [PMID: 37655706 DOI: 10.1039/d3cp03828a] [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: 09/02/2023]
Abstract
There is an urgent need for highly effective therapeutic agents to interrupt the continued spread of SARS-CoV-2. As a pivotal protease in the replication process of coronaviruses, the 3CLpro protein is considered as a potential target of drug development to stop the spread and infection of the virus. In this work, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used to elucidate the molecular mechanism of a novel and highly effective non-covalent inhibitor, WU-04, targeting the SARS-CoV-2 3CLpro protein. The difference in dynamic behavior between the apo-3CLpro and the holo-3CLpro systems suggests that the presence of WU-04 inhibits the motion amplitude of the 3CLpro protein relative to the apo-3CLpro system, thus maintaining a stable conformational binding state. The energy calculations and interaction analysis show that the hot-spot residues Q189, M165, M49, E166, and H41 and the warm-spot residues H163 and C145 have a strong binding capacity to WU-04 by forming multiple hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, which stabilizes the binding of the inhibitor. After that, the resistance of WU-04 to the six SARS-CoV-2 variants (Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Lambda, and Omicron) and two other mainstream coronavirus (SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV) 3CLpro proteins was further investigated. Excitingly, the slight difference in energy values relative to the SARS-CoV-2 system indicates that WU-04 is still highly effective against the coronaviruses, which becomes crucial evidence that WU-04 is a pan-inhibitor of the 3CLpro protein in various SARS-CoV-2 variants and other mainstream coronaviruses. The study will hopefully provide theoretical insights for the future rational design and improvement of novel non-covalent inhibitors targeting the 3CLpro protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jianhua Wu
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
| | - Hong-Xing Zhang
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
| | - Jilong Zhang
- Institute of Theoretical Chemistry, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023, Jilin, People's Republic of China.
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3
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Abduljalil JM, Elghareib AM, Samir A, Ezat AA, Elfiky AA. How helpful were molecular dynamics simulations in shaping our understanding of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein dynamics? Int J Biol Macromol 2023:125153. [PMID: 37268078 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.125153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 05/27/2023] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 spike protein (S) represents an important viral component that is required for successful viral infection in humans owing to its essential role in recognition of and entry to host cells. The spike is also an appealing target for drug designers who develop vaccines and antivirals. This article is important as it summarizes how molecular simulations successfully shaped our understanding of spike conformational behavior and its role in viral infection. MD simulations found that the higher affinity of SARS-CoV-2-S to ACE2 is linked to its unique residues that add extra electrostatic and van der Waal interactions in comparison to the SARS-CoV S. This illustrates the spread potential of the pandemic SARS-CoV-2 relative to the epidemic SARS-CoV. Different mutations at the S-ACE2 interface, which is believed to increase the transmission of the new variants, affected the behavior and binding interactions in different simulations. The contributions of glycans to the opening of S were revealed via simulations. The immune evasion of S was linked to the spatial distribution of glycans. This help the virus to escape the immune system recognition. This article is important as it summarizes how molecular simulations successfully shaped our understanding of spike conformational behavior and its role in viral infection. This will pave the way to us preparing for the next pandemic as the computational tools are tailored to help fight new challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jameel M Abduljalil
- Department of Biological Sciences, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Thamar University, Dhamar, Yemen; Department of Botany and Microbiology, College of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ahmed M Elghareib
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ahmed Samir
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Ahmed A Ezat
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt
| | - Abdo A Elfiky
- Department of Biophysics, Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Giza, Egypt.
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4
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Yoshida N, Maruyama Y, Mitsutake A, Kuroda A, Fujiki R, Kanemaru K, Okamoto D, Kobryn AE, Gusarov S, Nakano H. Computational Analysis of the SARS-CoV-2 RBD-ACE2-Binding Process Based on MD and the 3D-RISM Theory. J Chem Inf Model 2022; 62:2889-2898. [PMID: 35583118 PMCID: PMC9159518 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jcim.2c00192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
The binding process of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the severe acute respiratory syndrome-like coronavirus 2 spike protein was investigated using molecular dynamics simulation and the three-dimensional reference interaction-site model theory. The results suggested that the protein-binding process consists of a protein-protein approaching step, followed by a local structural rearrangement step. In the approaching step, the interprotein interaction energy decreased as the proteins approached each other, whereas the solvation free energy increased. As the proteins approached, the glycan of ACE2 first established a hydrogen bond with the RBD. Thereafter, the number of interprotein hydrogen bonds increased rapidly. The solvation free energy increased because of the desolvation of the protein as it approached its partner. The spatial distribution function of the solvent revealed the presence of hydrogen bonds bridged by water molecules on the RBD-ACE2 interface. Finally, principal component analysis revealed that ACE2 showed a pronounced conformational change, whereas there was no significant change in RBD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norio Yoshida
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science,
Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka
819-0395, Japan
- Department of Complex Systems Science,
Graduate School of Informatics, Furo-cho, Chikusa-Ward, Nagoya 464-8601,
Japan
| | - Yutaka Maruyama
- Department of Physics, School of Science and Technology,
Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashi-Mita, Tama-ku, Kanagawa,
Kawasaki 214-8571, Japan
| | - Ayori Mitsutake
- Department of Physics, School of Science and Technology,
Meiji University, 1-1-1 Higashi-Mita, Tama-ku, Kanagawa,
Kawasaki 214-8571, Japan
| | - Akiyoshi Kuroda
- RIKEN Center for Computational
Science, 7-1-26, Minatojima-Minami-Machi, Chuo-ku, Hyogo, Kobe 650-0047,
Japan
| | - Ryo Fujiki
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science,
Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka
819-0395, Japan
| | - Kodai Kanemaru
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science,
Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka
819-0395, Japan
| | - Daisuke Okamoto
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science,
Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka
819-0395, Japan
| | - Alexander E. Kobryn
- Nanotechnology Research Centre, National
Research Council Canada, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive NW, Edmonton AB T6G 2M9,
Canada
| | - Sergey Gusarov
- Nanotechnology Research Centre, National
Research Council Canada, 11421 Saskatchewan Drive NW, Edmonton AB T6G 2M9,
Canada
| | - Haruyuki Nakano
- Department of Chemistry, Graduate School of Science,
Kyushu University, 744 Motooka, Nishi-ku, Fukuoka, Fukuoka
819-0395, Japan
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5
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Li Z, Zhang JZH. Mutational Effect of Some Major COVID-19 Variants on Binding of the S Protein to ACE2. Biomolecules 2022; 12:572. [PMID: 35454161 PMCID: PMC9030943 DOI: 10.3390/biom12040572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2022] [Revised: 03/06/2022] [Accepted: 03/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
COVID-19 is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which has many variants that accelerated the spread of the virus. In this study, we investigated the quantitative effect of some major mutants of the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 binding to the human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2). These mutations are directly related to the Variant of Concern (VOC) including Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron. Our calculations show that five major mutations (N501Y, E484K, L452R, T478K and K417N), first reported in Alpha, Beta, Gamma and Delta variants, all increase the binding of the S protein to ACE2 (except K417N), consistent with the experimental findings. We also studied an additional eight mutations of the Omicron variant that are located on the interface of the receptor binding domain (RDB) and have not been reported in other VOCs. Our study showed that most of these mutations (except Y505H and G446S) enhance the binding of the S protein to ACE2. The computational predictions helped explain why the Omicron variant quickly became dominant worldwide. Finally, comparison of several different computational methods for binding free energy calculation of these mutants was made. The alanine scanning method used in the current calculation helped to elucidate the residue-specific interactions responsible for the enhanced binding affinities of the mutants. The results show that the ASGB (alanine scanning with generalized Born) method is an efficient and reliable method for these binding free energy calculations due to mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhendong Li
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry & Chemical Process, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
| | - John Z H Zhang
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Molecular Therapeutics and New Drug Development, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Green Chemistry & Chemical Process, School of Chemistry and Molecular Engineering, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200062, China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Quantitative Engineering Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- Faculty of Synthetic Biology, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China
- NYU-ECNU Center for Computational Chemistry at New York University Shanghai, Shanghai 200062, China
- Department of Chemistry, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Extreme Optics, Shanxi University, Taiyuan 030006, China
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6
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Exploring the interaction mechanism between antagonist and the jasmonate receptor complex by molecular dynamics simulation. J Comput Aided Mol Des 2022; 36:141-155. [DOI: 10.1007/s10822-022-00441-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/07/2022] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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7
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Xiong D, Zhao X, Luo S, Duan L. Insights from computational analysis: how does the SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant hijack ACE2 more effectively? Phys Chem Chem Phys 2022; 24:8683-8694. [DOI: 10.1039/d2cp00843b] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
The SARS-CoV-2 Delta (B.1.617.2) variant was identified in India in October 2020, and it has quickly become the mainstream strain with strong toxicity and spread, posing great challenges to epidemic...
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8
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Aggarwal A, Naskar S, Maroli N, Gorai B, Dixit NM, Maiti PK. Mechanistic insights into the effects of key mutations on SARS-CoV-2 RBD-ACE2 binding. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2021; 23:26451-26458. [PMID: 34806722 DOI: 10.1039/d1cp04005g] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Some recent SARS-CoV-2 variants appear to have increased transmissibility compared to the original strain. An underlying mechanism could be the improved ability of the variants to bind receptors on the target cells and infect them. In this study, we provide atomic-level insights into the binding of the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the wild-type SARS-CoV-2 spike protein and its single (N501Y), double (E484Q, L452R) and triple (N501Y, E484Q, L452R) mutated variants to the human ACE2 receptor. Using extensive all-atom molecular dynamics simulations and advanced free energy calculations, we estimate the associated binding affinities and binding hotspots. We observe significant secondary structural changes in the RBD of the mutants, which lead to different binding affinities. We find higher binding affinities for the double (E484Q, L452R) and triple (N501Y, E484Q, L452R) mutated variants than for the wild type and the N501Y variant, which could contribute to the higher transmissibility of recent variants containing these mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhishek Aggarwal
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - Supriyo Naskar
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - Nikhil Maroli
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - Biswajit Gorai
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
| | - Narendra M Dixit
- Department of Chemical Engineering and Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.,Centre for Biosystems Science and Engineering, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India
| | - Prabal K Maiti
- Center for Condensed Matter Theory, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012, India.
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