Molecular docking based design of Dengue NS5 methyltransferase inhibitors

Antiviral Activity of an Indole-Type Compound Derived from Natural Products, Identified by Virtual Screening by Interaction on Dengue Virus NS5 Protein

Dengue is an acute febrile illness caused by the Dengue virus (DENV), with a high number of cases worldwide. There is no available treatment that directly affects the virus or the viral cycle. The objective of this study was to identify a compound derived from natural products that interacts with the NS5 protein of the dengue virus through virtual screening and evaluate its in vitro antiviral effect on DENV-2. Molecular docking was performed on NS5 using AutoDock Vina software, and compounds with physicochemical and pharmacological properties of interest were selected. The preliminary antiviral effect was evaluated by the expression of the NS1 protein. The effect on viral genome replication and/or translation was determined by NS5 production using DENV-2 Huh-7 replicon through ELISA and viral RNA quantification using RT-qPCR. The in silico strategy proved effective in finding a compound (M78) with an indole-like structure and with an effect on the replication cycle of DENV-2. Treatment at 50 µM reduced the expression of the NS5 protein by 70% and decreased viral RNA by 1.7 times. M78 is involved in the replication and/or translation of the viral genome.

Recent advances in the development of methyltransferase (MTase) inhibitors against (re)emerging arboviruses diseases dengue and Zika

Emerging and/or re-emerging viral diseases such as dengue and Zika are a worldwide concern. Therefore, new antiviral therapeutics are necessary. In this sense, a non-structural protein with methyltransferase (MTase) activity is an attractive drug target because it plays a crucial role in dengue and Zika virus replication. Different drug strategies such as virtual screening, molecular docking, and molecular dynamics have identified new inhibitors that bind on the MTase active site. Therefore, in this review, we analyze MTase inhibitors, including S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM), S-adenosyl-l-homocysteine (SAH) and guanosine-5'-triphosphate (GTP) analogs, nitrogen-containing heterocycles (pyrimidine, adenosine, and pyridine), urea derivatives, and natural products. Advances in the design of MTase inhibitors could lead to the optimization of a possible single or broad-spectrum antiviral drug against dengue and Zika virus.