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Frasca F, Sorrentino L, Fracella M, D’Auria A, Coratti E, Maddaloni L, Bugani G, Gentile M, Pierangeli A, d’Ettorre G, Scagnolari C. An Update on the Entomology, Virology, Pathogenesis, and Epidemiology Status of West Nile and Dengue Viruses in Europe (2018-2023). Trop Med Infect Dis 2024; 9:166. [PMID: 39058208 PMCID: PMC11281579 DOI: 10.3390/tropicalmed9070166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2024] [Revised: 07/16/2024] [Accepted: 07/17/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, increases in temperature and tropical rainfall have facilitated the spread of mosquito species into temperate zones. Mosquitoes are vectors for many viruses, including West Nile virus (WNV) and dengue virus (DENV), and pose a serious threat to public health. This review covers most of the current knowledge on the mosquito species associated with the transmission of WNV and DENV and their geographical distribution and discusses the main vertebrate hosts involved in the cycles of WNV or DENV. It also describes virological and pathogenic aspects of WNV or DENV infection, including emerging concepts linking WNV and DENV to the reproductive system. Furthermore, it provides an epidemiological analysis of the human cases of WNV and DENV reported in Europe, from 1 January 2018 to 31 December 2023, with a particular focus on Italy. The first autochthonous cases of DENV infection, with the most likely vector being Aedes albopictus, have been observed in several European countries in recent years, with a high incidence in Italy in 2023. The lack of treatments and effective vaccines is a serious challenge. Currently, the primary strategy to prevent the spread of WNV and DENV infections in humans remains to limit the spread of mosquitoes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Frasca
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.M.); (G.B.); (G.d.)
| | - Leonardo Sorrentino
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Matteo Fracella
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Alessandra D’Auria
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Eleonora Coratti
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Luca Maddaloni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.M.); (G.B.); (G.d.)
| | - Ginevra Bugani
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.M.); (G.B.); (G.d.)
| | - Massimo Gentile
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Alessandra Pierangeli
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
| | - Gabriella d’Ettorre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.M.); (G.B.); (G.d.)
| | - Carolina Scagnolari
- Laboratory of Virology, Department of Molecular Medicine, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy; (L.S.); (M.F.); (A.D.); (E.C.); (M.G.); (A.P.); (C.S.)
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Praveen M. Characterizing the West Nile Virus's polyprotein from nucleotide sequence to protein structure - Computational tools. J Taibah Univ Med Sci 2024; 19:338-350. [PMID: 38304694 PMCID: PMC10831166 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtumed.2024.01.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/11/2023] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 02/03/2024] Open
Abstract
Objectives West Nile virus (WNV) belongs to the Flaviviridae family and causes West Nile fever. The mechanism of transmission involves the culex mosquito species. Infected individuals are primarily asymptomatic, and few exhibit common symptoms. Moreover, 10 % of neuronal infection caused by this virus cause death. The proteins encoded by these genes had been uncharacterized, although understanding their function and structure is important for formulating antiviral drugs. Methods Herein, we used in silico approaches, including various bioinformatic tools and databases, to analyse the proteins from the WNV polyprotein individually. The characterization included GC content, physicochemical properties, conserved domains, soluble and transmembrane regions, signal localization, protein disorder, and secondary structure features and their respective 3D protein structures. Results Among 11 proteins, eight had >50 % GC content, eight proteins had basic pI values, three proteins were unstable under in vitro conditions, four were thermostable according to >100 AI values and some had negative GRAVY values in physicochemical analyses. All protein-conserved domains were shared among Flaviviridae family members. Five proteins were soluble and lacked transmembrane regions. Two proteins had signals for localization in the host endoplasmic reticulum. Non-structural (NS) 2A showed low protein disorder. The secondary structural features and tertiary structure models provide a valuable biochemical resource for designing selective substrates and synthetic inhibitors. Conclusions WNV proteins NS2A, NS2B, PM, NS3 and NS5 can be used as drug targets for the pharmacological design of lead antiviral compounds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mallari Praveen
- Department of Zoology, Indira Gandhi National Tribal University, Amarkantak, Madhya Pradesh, India
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Kumar A, Kumar P, Mishra PM, Giri R. Investigating the folding dynamics of NS2B protein of Zika virus. Virology 2023; 584:24-36. [PMID: 37210794 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2023.04.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 04/16/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
NS2B protein of the Zika virus acts as a co-factor for NS3 protease and also involves in remodeling NS3 protease structure. Therefore, we investigated the overall dynamics of NS2B protein. We find surprising similarities between selected flavivirus NS2B model structures predicted from Alphafold2. Further, the simulated ZIKV NS2B protein structure shows a disordered cytosolic domain (residues 45-95) as a part of a full-length protein. Since only the cytosolic domain of NS2B is sufficient for the protease activity, we also investigated the conformational dynamics of only ZIKV NS2B cytosolic domain (residues 49-95) in the presence of TFE, SDS, Ficoll, and PEG using simulation and spectroscopy. The presence of TFE induces α-helix in NS2B cytosolic domain (residues 49-95). On the other hand, the presence of SDS, ficoll, and PEG does not induce secondary structural change. This dynamics study could have implications for some unknown folds of the NS2B protein.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Kumar
- School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO-Kamand, Mandi, 175005, HP, India
| | - Prateek Kumar
- School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO-Kamand, Mandi, 175005, HP, India
| | - Pushpendra Mani Mishra
- School of Chemical Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO-Kamand, Mandi, 175005, HP, India
| | - Rajanish Giri
- School of Biosciences and Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, VPO-Kamand, Mandi, 175005, HP, India.
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Meewan I, Shiryaev SA, Kattoula J, Huang CT, Lin V, Chuang CH, Terskikh AV, Abagyan R. Allosteric Inhibitors of Zika Virus NS2B-NS3 Protease Targeting Protease in "Super-Open" Conformation. Viruses 2023; 15:v15051106. [PMID: 37243192 DOI: 10.3390/v15051106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2023] [Revised: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The Zika virus (ZIKV), a member of the Flaviviridae family, is considered a major health threat causing multiple cases of microcephaly in newborns and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. In this study, we targeted a transient, deep, and hydrophobic pocket of the "super-open" conformation of ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease to overcome the limitations of the active site pocket. After virtual docking screening of approximately seven million compounds against the novel allosteric site, we selected the top six candidates and assessed them in enzymatic assays. Six candidates inhibited ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease proteolytic activity at low micromolar concentrations. These six compounds, targeting the selected protease pocket conserved in ZIKV, serve as unique drug candidates and open new opportunities for possible treatment against several flavivirus infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ittipat Meewan
- Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom 73170, Thailand
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Sergey A Shiryaev
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Julius Kattoula
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
| | - Chun-Teng Huang
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Vivian Lin
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Chiao-Han Chuang
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Alexey V Terskikh
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, CA 92037, USA
| | - Ruben Abagyan
- Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093, USA
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Blahove MR, Carter JR. Flavivirus Persistence in Wildlife Populations. Viruses 2021; 13:v13102099. [PMID: 34696529 PMCID: PMC8541186 DOI: 10.3390/v13102099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 10/01/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
A substantial number of humans are at risk for infection by vector-borne flaviviruses, resulting in considerable morbidity and mortality worldwide. These viruses also infect wildlife at a considerable rate, persistently cycling between ticks/mosquitoes and small mammals and reptiles and non-human primates and humans. Substantially increasing evidence of viral persistence in wildlife continues to be reported. In addition to in humans, viral persistence has been shown to establish in mammalian, reptile, arachnid, and mosquito systems, as well as insect cell lines. Although a considerable amount of research has centered on the potential roles of defective virus particles, autophagy and/or apoptosis-induced evasion of the immune response, and the precise mechanism of these features in flavivirus persistence have yet to be elucidated. In this review, we present findings that aid in understanding how vector-borne flavivirus persistence is established in wildlife. Research studies to be discussed include determining the critical roles universal flavivirus non-structural proteins played in flaviviral persistence, the advancement of animal models of viral persistence, and studying host factors that allow vector-borne flavivirus replication without destructive effects on infected cells. These findings underscore the viral–host relationships in wildlife animals and could be used to elucidate the underlying mechanisms responsible for the establishment of viral persistence in these animals.
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Rahman MM, Biswas S, Islam KJ, Paul AS, Mahato SK, Ali MA, Halim MA. Antiviral phytochemicals as potent inhibitors against NS3 protease of dengue virus. Comput Biol Med 2021; 134:104492. [PMID: 34022487 DOI: 10.1016/j.compbiomed.2021.104492] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2021] [Revised: 05/10/2021] [Accepted: 05/10/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Dengue, a mosquito-borne disease, has appeared as a major infectious disease globally. The virus requires its proteins to replicate and reproduce in the host cell. The NS3 protease converts the polyprotein to functional proteins with the help of the NS2B cofactor. Thus, NS3 protease is a promising target to develop antiviral inhibitors against the dengue virus. A systematic screening including ADMET properties, molecular docking, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation, binding free energy calculation, and QSAR studies is carried out to predict potent inhibitors against the NS3 protease. From the screening of 40 antiviral phytochemicals, ADMET properties analysis was used to screen out ligands that violate ADME rules and have probable toxicity. Cyanidin 3-Glucoside, Dithymoquinone, and Glabridin were predicted to be potent inhibitors against the NS3 protease according to their binding affinity. These ligands showed several noncovalent interactions, including hydrogen bond, hydrophobic interaction, electrostatic interaction, pi-sulfur interactions. The ligand-protein complexes were further scrutinized using 250 ns molecular dynamics simulation. The MM-PBSA binding free energy calculation was conducted to investigate their binding stability in dynamic conditions. The calculated pIC50(mM) value was predicted using the QSAR model with 89.91% goodness of fit. The predicted biologocal activity value for the ligands indicates they might have good potency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Md Mahbubur Rahman
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Sourav Biswas
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Kazi Jahidul Islam
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Archi Sundar Paul
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Shiplob Kumar Mahato
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Md Ackas Ali
- Division of Infectious Diseases and Division of Computer-Aided Drug Design, The Red-Green Research Centre, BICCB, Tejgaon, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Mohammad A Halim
- Department of Physical Sciences, University of Arkansas-Fort Smith, Fort Smith, AR, USA.
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Kumar A, Kumar P, Aarthy M, Singh SK, Giri R. Experiments and simulation on ZIKV NS2B-NS3 protease reveal its complex folding. Virology 2021; 556:110-123. [PMID: 33561698 DOI: 10.1016/j.virol.2021.01.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 01/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Zika virus has been identified in various body fluids such as semen, urine, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid, and vaginal secretion of an infected individual. The pH of these fluids varies from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline. So it is imperative to understand the impact of these conditions on viral protein functioning. We investigated the NS2B-NS3 protease stability and its activity in different denaturing environments. Finding indicates that NS2B-NS3 protease maintains stability at pH 4.8-8.7. Thus it suggests that the complex remains functionally active to hydrolyze the polyprotein within a diverse environmental condition such as variable pH. Despite a stable structure at a broad pH range, a change in environmental conditions dramatically influence its protease activity. Moreover, it is susceptible to structural transformation leading to increased β-strand or helix content in the presence of alcohol. This study may help further to understand the folding-function relationship of the general flaviviral protease complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Kumar
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, 175005, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Prateek Kumar
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, 175005, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Murali Aarthy
- Department of Bioinformatics, Computer Aided Drug Design and Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Alagappa University, Science Block, Karaikudi, 630003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sanjeev Kumar Singh
- Department of Bioinformatics, Computer Aided Drug Design and Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Alagappa University, Science Block, Karaikudi, 630003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Rajanish Giri
- School of Basic Sciences, Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi, 175005, Himachal Pradesh, India.
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Campos DMO, Bezerra KS, Esmaile SC, Fulco UL, Albuquerque EL, Oliveira JIN. Intermolecular interactions of cn-716 and acyl-KR-aldehyde dipeptide inhibitors against Zika virus. Phys Chem Chem Phys 2020; 22:15683-15695. [DOI: 10.1039/d0cp02254c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
Structural representation and graphic panel showing the most relevant residues that contribute to the ZIKV NS2B–NS3–ligand complexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel M. O. Campos
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
- Natal
- Brazil
| | - Katyanna S. Bezerra
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
- Natal
- Brazil
| | - Stephany C. Esmaile
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
- Natal
- Brazil
| | - Umberto L. Fulco
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
- Natal
- Brazil
| | | | - Jonas I. N. Oliveira
- Departamento de Biofísica e Farmacologia
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
- Natal
- Brazil
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Kumar A, Liang B, Aarthy M, Singh SK, Garg N, Mysorekar IU, Giri R. Hydroxychloroquine Inhibits Zika Virus NS2B-NS3 Protease. ACS OMEGA 2018; 3:18132-18141. [PMID: 30613818 PMCID: PMC6312647 DOI: 10.1021/acsomega.8b01002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 12/05/2018] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Zika virus is a mosquito-transmitted flavivirus that causes devastating fetal outcomes in the context of maternal infection during pregnancy. An important target for drugs combatting Zika virus pathogenicity is NS2B-NS3 protease, which plays an essential role in hydrolysis and maturation of the flavivirus polyprotein. We identify hydroxychloroquine, a drug that already has approved uses in pregnancy, as a possible inhibitor of NS2B-NS3 protease by using a Food and Drug Administration-approved drug library, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics simulations. Further, to gain insight into its inhibitory potential toward NS2B-NS3 protease, we performed enzyme kinetic studies, which revealed that hydroxychloroquine inhibits protease activity with an inhibition constant (K i) of 92.34 ± 11.91 μM. Additionally, hydroxychloroquine significantly decreases Zika virus infection in placental cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ankur Kumar
- Indian
Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi 175005, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Brooke Liang
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, and Department of
Pathology and Immunology, Washington University
School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United
States
| | - Murali Aarthy
- Department
of Bioinformatics, Computer Aided Drug Design and Molecular Modeling
Laboratory, Alagappa University, Science Block, Karaikudi 630003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Sanjeev Kumar Singh
- Department
of Bioinformatics, Computer Aided Drug Design and Molecular Modeling
Laboratory, Alagappa University, Science Block, Karaikudi 630003, Tamil Nadu, India
| | - Neha Garg
- Indian
Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi 175005, Himachal Pradesh, India
- BioX Center, Indian Institute
of Technology Mandi, Mandi 175005, Himachal Pradesh, India
| | - Indira U. Mysorekar
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Center for Reproductive Health Sciences, and Department of
Pathology and Immunology, Washington University
School of Medicine, 660 South Euclid Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, United
States
| | - Rajanish Giri
- Indian
Institute of Technology Mandi, Mandi 175005, Himachal Pradesh, India
- BioX Center, Indian Institute
of Technology Mandi, Mandi 175005, Himachal Pradesh, India
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Panwar U, Singh SK. An Overview on Zika Virus and the Importance of Computational Drug Discovery. JOURNAL OF EXPLORATORY RESEARCH IN PHARMACOLOGY 2018; 3:43-51. [DOI: 10.14218/jerp.2017.00025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
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Pharmacophore anchor models of flaviviral NS3 proteases lead to drug repurposing for DENV infection. BMC Bioinformatics 2017; 18:548. [PMID: 29297305 PMCID: PMC5751397 DOI: 10.1186/s12859-017-1957-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Viruses of the flaviviridae family are responsible for some of the major infectious viral diseases around the world and there is an urgent need for drug development for these diseases. Most of the virtual screening methods in flaviviral drug discovery suffer from a low hit rate, strain-specific efficacy differences, and susceptibility to resistance. It is because they often fail to capture the key pharmacological features of the target active site critical for protein function inhibition. So in our current work, for the flaviviral NS3 protease, we summarized the pharmacophore features at the protease active site as anchors (subsite-moiety interactions). Results For each of the four flaviviral NS3 proteases (i.e., HCV, DENV, WNV, and JEV), the anchors were obtained and summarized into ‘Pharmacophore anchor (PA) models’. To capture the conserved pharmacophore anchors across these proteases, were merged the four PA models. We identified five consensus core anchors (CEH1, CH3, CH7, CV1, CV3) in all PA models, represented as the “Core pharmacophore anchor (CPA) model” and also identified specific anchors unique to the PA models. Our PA/CPA models complied with 89 known NS3 protease inhibitors. Furthermore, we proposed an integrated anchor-based screening method using the anchors from our models for discovering inhibitors. This method was applied on the DENV NS3 protease to screen FDA drugs discovering boceprevir, telaprevir and asunaprevir as promising anti-DENV candidates. Experimental testing against DV2-NGC virus by in-vitro plaque assays showed that asunaprevir and telaprevir inhibited viral replication with EC50 values of 10.4 μM & 24.5 μM respectively. The structure-anchor-activity relationships (SAAR) showed that our PA/CPA model anchors explained the observed in-vitro activities of the candidates. Also, we observed that the CEH1 anchor engagement was critical for the activities of telaprevir and asunaprevir while the extent of inhibitor anchor occupation guided their efficacies. Conclusion These results validate our NS3 protease PA/CPA models, anchors and the integrated anchor-based screening method to be useful in inhibitor discovery and lead optimization, thus accelerating flaviviral drug discovery. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12859-017-1957-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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STD-NMR experiments identify a structural motif with novel second-site activity against West Nile virus NS2B-NS3 protease. Antiviral Res 2017; 146:174-183. [PMID: 28927677 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2017] [Revised: 09/09/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
West Nile virus (WNV) belongs to the genus Flavivirus of the family Flaviviridae. This mosquito-borne virus that is highly pathogenic to humans has been evolving into a global threat during the past two decades. Despite many efforts, neither antiviral drugs nor vaccines are available. The viral protease NS2B-NS3pro is essential for viral replication, and therefore it is considered a prime drug target. However, success in the development of specific NS2B-NS3pro inhibitors had been moderate so far. In the search for new structural motifs with binding affinity for NS2B-NS3pro, we have screened a fragment library, the Maybridge Ro5 library, employing saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR experiments as readout. About 30% of 429 fragments showed binding to NS2B-NS3pro. Subsequent STD-NMR competition experiments using the known active site fragment A as reporter ligand yielded 14 competitively binding fragments, and 22 fragments not competing with A. In a fluorophore-based protease assay, all of these fragments showed inhibition in the micromolar range. Interestingly, 10 of these 22 fragments showed a notable increase of STD intensities in the presence of compound A suggesting cooperative binding. The most promising non-competitive inhibitors 1 and 2 (IC50 ∼ 500 μM) share a structural motif that may guide the development of novel second-site (potentially allosteric) inhibitors of NS2B-NS3pro. To identify the matching protein binding site, chemical shift perturbation studies employing 1H,15N-TROSY-HSQC experiments with uniformly 2H,15N-labeled protease were performed in the presence of 1, and in the concomitant absence or presence of A. The data suggest that 1 interacts with Met 52* of NS2B, identifying a secondary site adjacent to the binding site of A. Therefore, our study paves the way for the synthesis of novel bidentate NS2B-NS3pro inhibitors.
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Characterization of the Zika virus two-component NS2B-NS3 protease and structure-assisted identification of allosteric small-molecule antagonists. Antiviral Res 2017; 143:218-229. [PMID: 28461069 DOI: 10.1016/j.antiviral.2017.04.015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2017] [Revised: 04/20/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The recent re-emergence of Zika virus (ZIKV)1, a member of the Flaviviridae family, has become a global emergency. Currently, there are no effective methods of preventing or treating ZIKV infection, which causes severe neuroimmunopathology and is particularly harmful to the developing fetuses of infected pregnant women. However, the pathology induced by ZIKV is unique among flaviviruses, and knowledge of the biology of other family members cannot easily be extrapolated to ZIKV. Thus, structure-function studies of ZIKV proteins are urgently needed to facilitate the development of effective preventative and therapeutic agents. Like other flaviviruses, ZIKV expresses an NS2B-NS3 protease, which consists of the NS2B cofactor and the NS3 protease domain and is essential for cleavage of the ZIKV polyprotein precursor and generation of fully functional viral proteins. Here, we report the enzymatic characterization of ZIKV protease, and we identify structural scaffolds for allosteric small-molecule inhibitors of this protease. Molecular modeling of the protease-inhibitor complexes suggests that these compounds bind to the druggable cavity in the NS2B-NS3 protease interface and affect productive interactions of the protease domain with its cofactor. The most potent compound demonstrated efficient inhibition of ZIKV propagation in vitro in human fetal neural progenitor cells and in vivo in SJL mice. The inhibitory scaffolds could be further developed into valuable research reagents and, ultimately, provide a roadmap for the selection of efficient inhibitors of ZIKV infection.
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Lv W, Xu Y, Guo Y, Yu Z, Feng G, Liu P, Luan M, Zhu H, Liu G, Zhang M, Lv H, Duan L, Shang Z, Li J, Jiang Y, Zhang R. The drug target genes show higher evolutionary conservation than non-target genes. Oncotarget 2016; 7:4961-71. [PMID: 26716901 PMCID: PMC4826257 DOI: 10.18632/oncotarget.6755] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 11/26/2015] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Although evidence indicates that drug target genes share some common evolutionary features, there have been few studies analyzing evolutionary features of drug targets from an overall level. Therefore, we conducted an analysis which aimed to investigate the evolutionary characteristics of drug target genes. We compared the evolutionary conservation between human drug target genes and non-target genes by combining both the evolutionary features and network topological properties in human protein-protein interaction network. The evolution rate, conservation score and the percentage of orthologous genes of 21 species were included in our study. Meanwhile, four topological features including the average shortest path length, betweenness centrality, clustering coefficient and degree were considered for comparison analysis. Then we got four results as following: compared with non-drug target genes, 1) drug target genes had lower evolutionary rates; 2) drug target genes had higher conservation scores; 3) drug target genes had higher percentages of orthologous genes and 4) drug target genes had a tighter network structure including higher degrees, betweenness centrality, clustering coefficients and lower average shortest path lengths. These results demonstrate that drug target genes are more evolutionarily conserved than non-drug target genes. We hope that our study will provide valuable information for other researchers who are interested in evolutionary conservation of drug targets.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenhua Lv
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yongdeng Xu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yiying Guo
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Ziqi Yu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Guanglong Feng
- Department of Radiology, Second Affiliated Hospital, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Panpan Liu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Meiwei Luan
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Hongjie Zhu
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Guiyou Liu
- Genome Analysis Laboratory, Tianjin Institute of Industrial Biotechnology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Tianjin, China
| | - Mingming Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Hongchao Lv
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Lian Duan
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Zhenwei Shang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Jin Li
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Yongshuai Jiang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
| | - Ruijie Zhang
- College of Bioinformatics Science and Technology, Harbin Medical University, Harbin, China
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15
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Singh RK, Dhama K, Malik YS, Ramakrishnan MA, Karthik K, Tiwari R, Saurabh S, Sachan S, Joshi SK. Zika virus – emergence, evolution, pathology, diagnosis, and control: current global scenario and future perspectives – a comprehensive review. Vet Q 2016; 36:150-75. [DOI: 10.1080/01652176.2016.1188333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
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16
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Behnam MAM, Graf D, Bartenschlager R, Zlotos DP, Klein CD. Discovery of Nanomolar Dengue and West Nile Virus Protease Inhibitors Containing a 4-Benzyloxyphenylglycine Residue. J Med Chem 2015; 58:9354-70. [PMID: 26562070 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.5b01441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
The dengue virus (DENV) and West Nile Virus (WNV) NS2B-NS3 proteases are attractive targets for the development of dual-acting therapeutics against these arboviral pathogens. We present the synthesis and extensive biological evaluation of inhibitors that contain benzyl ethers of 4-hydroxyphenylglycine as non-natural peptidic building blocks synthesized via a copper-complex intermediate. A three-step optimization strategy, beginning with fragment growth of the C-terminal 4-hydroxyphenylglycine to the benzyloxy ether, followed by C- and N-terminal optimization, and finally fragment merging generated compounds with in vitro affinities in the low nanomolar range. The most promising derivative reached Ki values of 12 nM at the DENV-2 and 39 nM at the WNV proteases. Several of the newly discovered protease inhibitors yielded a significant reduction of dengue and West Nile virus titers in cell-based assays of virus replication, with an EC50 value of 3.4 μM at DENV-2 and 15.5 μM at WNV for the most active analogue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mira A M Behnam
- Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology IPMB, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Dominik Graf
- Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology IPMB, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Ralf Bartenschlager
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Molecular Virology, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany.,German Center for Infection Research, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 345, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
| | - Darius P Zlotos
- Department of Pharmaceutical Chemistry, The German University in Cairo , New Cairo City, 11835 Cairo, Egypt
| | - Christian D Klein
- Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy and Molecular Biotechnology IPMB, Heidelberg University , Im Neuenheimer Feld 364, 69120 Heidelberg, Germany
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17
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Exploring Genomic, Geographic and Virulence Interactions among Epidemic and Non-Epidemic St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (Flavivirus) Strains. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0136316. [PMID: 26312485 PMCID: PMC4552378 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0136316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/11/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
St. Louis encephalitis virus (SLEV) is a re-emerging arbovirus in South America. In 2005, an encephalitis outbreak caused by SLEV was reported in Argentina. The reason for the outbreak remains unknown, but may have been related to virological factors, changes in vectors populations, avian amplifying hosts, and/or environmental conditions. The main goal of this study was to characterize the complete genome of epidemic and non-epidemic SLEV strains from Argentina. Seventeen amino acid changes were detected; ten were non-conservative and located in proteins E, NS1, NS3 and NS5. Phylogenetic analysis showed two major clades based on geography: the North America and northern Central America (NAnCA) clade and the South America and southern Central America (SAsCA) clade. Interestingly, the presence of SAsCA genotype V SLEV strains in the NAnCA clade was reported in California, Florida and Texas, overlapping with known bird migration flyways. This work represents the first step in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying virulence and biological variation among SLEV strains.
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18
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Lim SP, Shi PY. West Nile virus drug discovery. Viruses 2013; 5:2977-3006. [PMID: 24300672 PMCID: PMC3967157 DOI: 10.3390/v5122977] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2013] [Revised: 11/25/2013] [Accepted: 11/25/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
The outbreak of West Nile virus (WNV) in 1999 in the USA, and its continued spread throughout the Americas, parts of Europe, the Middle East and Africa, underscored the need for WNV antiviral development. Here, we review the current status of WNV drug discovery. A number of approaches have been used to search for inhibitors of WNV, including viral infection-based screening, enzyme-based screening, structure-based virtual screening, structure-based rationale design, and antibody-based therapy. These efforts have yielded inhibitors of viral or cellular factors that are critical for viral replication. For small molecule inhibitors, no promising preclinical candidate has been developed; most of the inhibitors could not even be advanced to the stage of hit-to-lead optimization due to their poor drug-like properties. However, several inhibitors developed for related members of the family Flaviviridae, such as dengue virus and hepatitis C virus, exhibited cross-inhibition of WNV, suggesting the possibility to re-purpose these antivirals for WNV treatment. Most promisingly, therapeutic antibodies have shown excellent efficacy in mouse model; one of such antibodies has been advanced into clinical trial. The knowledge accumulated during the past fifteen years has provided better rationale for the ongoing WNV and other flavivirus antiviral development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siew Pheng Lim
- Novartis Institute for Tropical Diseases, 10 Biopolis Road, Chromos 05-01, Singapore 138670, Singapore.
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