Structure-based virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation of SARS-CoV-2 Guanine-N7 methyltransferase (nsp14) for identifying antiviral inhibitors against COVID-19

0540951 - ÚOCHB 2022 RIV US eng J - Článek v odborném periodiku
Selvaraj, C. - Dinesh, Dhurvas Chandrasekaran - Panwar, U. - Abhirami, R. - Bouřa, Evžen - Singh, S. K.
Structure-based virtual screening and molecular dynamics simulation of SARS-CoV-2 Guanine-N7 methyltransferase (nsp14) for identifying antiviral inhibitors against COVID-19.
Journal of Biomolecular Structure & Dynamics. Roč. 39, č. 13 (2021), s. 4582-4593. ISSN 0739-1102
Grant CEP: GA MŠMT(CZ) EF16_019/0000729
Grant ostatní: AV ČR(CZ) L200551951
Institucionální podpora: RVO:61388963
Klíčová slova: SARS-CoV-2 * nsp14 * N7-MTase * RNA capping * Methyltransferase * COVID-19 * TCM * natural products * molecular dynamics * ensemble sampling
Obor OECD: Biochemistry and molecular biology
Impakt faktor: 5.235, rok: 2021
Způsob publikování: Omezený přístup
https://doi.org/10.1080/07391102.2020.1778535

The recent pandemic caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) calls the whole world into a medical emergency. For tackling Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), researchers from around the world are swiftly working on designing and identifying inhibitors against all possible viral key protein targets. One of the attractive drug targets is guanine-N7 methyltransferase which plays the main role in capping the 5′-ends of viral genomic RNA and sub genomic RNAs, to escape the host’s innate immunity. We performed homology modeling and molecular dynamic (MD) simulation, in order to understand the molecular architecture of Guanosine-P3-Adenosine-5’,5’-Triphosphate (G3A) binding with C-terminal N7-MTase domain of nsp14 from SARS-CoV-2. The residue Asn388 is highly conserved in present both in N7-MTase from SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 and displays a unique function in G3A binding. For an in-depth understanding of these substrate specificities, we tried to screen and identify inhibitors from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) database. The combination of several computational approaches, including screening, MM/GBSA, MD simulations, and PCA calculations, provides the screened compounds that readily interact with the G3A binding site of homology modeled N7-MTase domain. Compounds from this screening will have strong potency towards inhibiting the substrate-binding and efficiently hinder the viral 5’-end RNA capping mechanism. We strongly believe the final compounds can become COVID-19 therapeutics, with huge international support. The focus of this study is to screen for antiviral inhibitors blocking guanine-N7 methyltransferase (N7-MTase), one of the key drug targets involved in the first methylation step of the SARS-CoV-2 RNA capping mechanism. Compounds binding the substrate-binding site can interfere with enzyme catalysis and impede 5’-end cap formation, which is crucial to mimic host RNA and evade host cellular immune responses. Therefore, our study proposes the top hit compounds from the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) database using a combination of several computational approaches.
Trvalý link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0318539