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Ren P, Li S, Wang S, Zhang X, Bai F. Computer-Aided Prediction of the Interactions of Viral Proteases with Antiviral Drugs: Antiviral Potential of Broad-Spectrum Drugs. Molecules 2023; 29:225. [PMID: 38202808 PMCID: PMC10780089 DOI: 10.3390/molecules29010225] [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: 11/29/2023] [Revised: 12/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 01/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Human society is facing the threat of various viruses. Proteases are promising targets for the treatment of viral infections. In this study, we collected and profiled 170 protease sequences from 125 viruses that infect humans. Approximately 73 of them are viral 3-chymotrypsin-like proteases (3CLpro), and 11 are pepsin-like aspartic proteases (PAPs). Their sequences, structures, and substrate characteristics were carefully analyzed to identify their conserved nature for proposing a pan-3CLpro or pan-PAPs inhibitor design strategy. To achieve this, we used computational prediction and modeling methods to predict the binding complex structures for those 73 3CLpro with 4 protease inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 and 11 protease inhibitors of HCV. Similarly, the complex structures for the 11 viral PAPs with 9 protease inhibitors of HIV were also obtained. The binding affinities between these compounds and proteins were also evaluated to assess their pan-protease inhibition via MM-GBSA. Based on the drugs targeting viral 3CLpro and PAPs, repositioning of the active compounds identified several potential uses for these drug molecules. As a result, Compounds 1-2, modified based on the structures of Ray1216 and Asunaprevir, indicate potential inhibition of DENV protease according to our computational simulation results. These studies offer ideas and insights for future research in the design of broad-spectrum antiviral drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengxuan Ren
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (P.R.); (S.L.); (S.W.)
| | - Shiwei Li
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (P.R.); (S.L.); (S.W.)
| | - Shihang Wang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (P.R.); (S.L.); (S.W.)
| | - Xianglei Zhang
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (P.R.); (S.L.); (S.W.)
| | - Fang Bai
- School of Life Science and Technology, Shanghai Institute for Advanced Immunochemical Studies, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China; (P.R.); (S.L.); (S.W.)
- School of Information Science and Technology, ShanghaiTech University, Shanghai 201210, China
- Shanghai Clinical Research and Trial Center, Shanghai 201210, China
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Abstract
Viruses are obligate intracellular parasites. Despite their dependence on host cells, viruses are evolutionarily autonomous, with their own genomes and evolutionary trajectories locked in arms races with the hosts. Here, we discuss a simple functional logic to explain virus macroevolution that appears to define the course of virus evolution. A small core of virus hallmark genes that are responsible for genome replication apparently descended from primordial replicators, whereas most virus genes, starting with those encoding capsid proteins, were subsequently acquired from hosts. The oldest of these acquisitions antedate the last universal cellular ancestor (LUCA). Host gene capture followed two major routes: convergent recruitment of genes with functions that directly benefit virus reproduction and exaptation when host proteins are repurposed for unique virus functions. These forms of host protein recruitment by viruses result in different levels of similarity between virus and host homologs, with the exapted ones often changing beyond easy recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eugene V Koonin
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA.
| | - Valerian V Dolja
- National Center for Biotechnology Information, National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD 20894, USA; Department of Botany and Plant Pathology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Mart Krupovic
- Institut Pasteur, Université Paris Cité, CNRS UMR6047, Archaeal Virology Unit, F-75015 Paris, France.
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3
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Bern D, Tobi D. The effect of dimerization and ligand binding on the dynamics of Kaposi's sarcoma‐associated herpesvirus protease. Proteins 2022; 90:1267-1277. [PMID: 35084062 PMCID: PMC9305915 DOI: 10.1002/prot.26307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2021] [Revised: 11/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
The Kaposi's sarcoma‐associated herpesvirus protease is essential for virus maturation. This protease functions under allosteric regulation that establishes its enzymatic activity upon dimerization. It exists in equilibrium between an inactive monomeric state and an active, weakly associating, dimeric state that is stabilized upon ligand binding. The dynamics of the protease dimer and its monomer were studied using the Gaussian network model and the anisotropic network model , and its role in mediating the allosteric regulation is demonstrated. We show that the dimer is composed of five dynamical domains. The central domain is formed upon dimerization and composed of helix five of each monomer, in addition to proximal and distal domains of each monomer. Dimerization reduces the mobility of the central domains and increases the mobility of the distal domains, in particular the binding site within them. The three slowest ANM modes of the dimer assist the protease in ligand binding, motion of the conserved Arg142 and Arg143 toward the oxyanion, and reducing the activation barrier for the tetrahedral transition state by stretching the bond that is cleaved by the protease. In addition, we show that ligand binding reduces the motion of helices α1 and α5 at the interface and explain how ligand binding can stabilize the dimer.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Bern
- Department of Molecular Biology Ariel University Ariel Israel
| | - Dror Tobi
- Department of Molecular Biology Ariel University Ariel Israel
- Department of Computer Sciences Ariel University Ariel Israel
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Guo P, Driver D, Zhao Z, Zheng Z, Chan C, Cheng X. Controlling the Revolving and Rotating Motion Direction of Asymmetric Hexameric Nanomotor by Arginine Finger and Channel Chirality. ACS NANO 2019; 13:6207-6223. [PMID: 31067030 PMCID: PMC6595433 DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b08849] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Nanomotors in nanotechnology are as important as engines in daily life. Many ATPases are nanoscale biomotors classified into three categories based on the motion mechanisms in transporting substrates: linear, rotating, and the recently discovered revolving motion. Most biomotors adopt a multisubunit ring-shaped structure that hydrolyzes ATP to generate force. How these biomotors control the motion direction and regulate the sequential action of their multiple subunits is intriguing. Many ATPases are hexameric with each monomer containing a conserved arginine finger. This review focuses on recent findings on how the arginine finger controls motion direction and coordinates adjacent subunit interactions in both revolving and rotating biomotors. Mechanisms of intersubunit interactions and sequential movements of individual subunits are evidenced by the asymmetrical appearance of one dimer and four monomers in high-resolution structural complexes. The arginine finger is situated at the interface of two subunits and extends into the ATP binding pocket of the downstream subunit. An arginine finger mutation results in deficiency in ATP binding/hydrolysis, substrate binding, and transport, highlighting the importance of the arginine finger in regulating energy transduction and motor function. Additionally, the roles of channel chirality and channel size are discussed as related to controlling one-way trafficking and differentiating the revolving and rotating mechanisms. Finally, the review concludes by discussing the conformational changes and entropy conversion triggered by ATP binding/hydrolysis, offering a view different from the traditional concept of ATP-mediated mechanochemical energy coupling. The elucidation of the motion mechanism and direction control in ATPases could facilitate nanomotor fabrication in nanotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peixuan Guo
- Center
for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy
and College of Medicine, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research
Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center and College of Pharmacy, Biophysics
Graduate Program, Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United
States
- E-mail:
| | - Dana Driver
- Center
for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy
and College of Medicine, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research
Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center and College of Pharmacy, Biophysics
Graduate Program, Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United
States
| | - Zhengyi Zhao
- Center
for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy
and College of Medicine, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research
Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center and College of Pharmacy, Biophysics
Graduate Program, Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United
States
| | - Zhen Zheng
- Center
for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy
and College of Medicine, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research
Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center and College of Pharmacy, Biophysics
Graduate Program, Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United
States
| | - Chun Chan
- Center
for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy
and College of Medicine, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research
Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center and College of Pharmacy, Biophysics
Graduate Program, Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United
States
| | - Xiaolin Cheng
- Center
for RNA Nanobiotechnology and Nanomedicine, College of Pharmacy
and College of Medicine, Dorothy M. Davis Heart and Lung Research
Institute, Comprehensive Cancer Center and College of Pharmacy, Biophysics
Graduate Program, Translational Data Analytics Institute, The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio 43210, United
States
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Britt WJ, Prichard MN. New therapies for human cytomegalovirus infections. Antiviral Res 2018; 159:153-174. [PMID: 30227153 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2018.09.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 09/07/2018] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The recent approval of letermovir marks a new era of therapy for human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infections, particularly for the prevention of HCMV disease in hematopoietic stem cell transplant recipients. For almost 30 years ganciclovir has been the therapy of choice for these infections and by today's standards this drug exhibits only modest antiviral activity that is often insufficient to completely suppress viral replication, and drives the selection of drug-resistant variants that continue to replicate and contribute to disease. While ganciclovir remains the therapy of choice, additional drugs that inhibit novel molecular targets, such as letermovir, will be required as highly effective combination therapies are developed not only for the treatment of immunocompromised hosts, but also for congenitally infected infants. Sustained efforts, largely in the biotech industry and academia, have identified additional highly active lead compounds that have progressed into clinical studies with varying levels of success and at least two have the potential to be approved in the near future. Some of the new drugs in the pipeline inhibit new molecular targets, remain effective against isolates that have developed resistance to existing therapies, and promise to augment existing therapeutic regimens. Here, we will describe some of the unique features of HCMV biology and discuss their effect on therapeutic needs. Existing drugs will also be discussed and some of the more promising candidates will be reviewed with an emphasis on those progressing through clinical studies. The in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity, spectrum of antiviral activity, and mechanism of action of new compounds will be reviewed to provide an update on potential new therapies for HCMV infections that have progressed significantly in recent years.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J Britt
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham AL 35233-1711, USA
| | - Mark N Prichard
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham AL 35233-1711, USA.
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