Exploration of virtual candidates for human HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors using pharmacophore modeling and molecular dynamics simulations

PLoS One. 2013 Dec 30;8(12):e83496. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0083496. eCollection 2013.

Abstract

3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase (HMGR) is a rate-controlling enzyme in the mevalonate pathway which involved in biosynthesis of cholesterol and other isoprenoids. This enzyme catalyzes the conversion of HMG-CoA to mevalonate and is regarded as a drug target to treat hypercholesterolemia. In this study, ten qualitative pharmacophore models were generated based on chemical features in active inhibitors of HMGR. The generated models were validated using a test set. In a validation process, the best hypothesis was selected based on the statistical parameters and used for virtual screening of chemical databases to find novel lead candidates. The screened compounds were sorted by applying drug-like properties. The compounds that satisfied all drug-like properties were used for molecular docking study to identify their binding conformations at active site of HMGR. The final hit compounds were selected based on docking score and binding orientation. The HMGR structures in complex with the hit compounds were subjected to 10 ns molecular dynamics simulations to refine the binding orientation as well as to check the stability of the hits. After simulation, binding modes including hydrogen bonding patterns and molecular interactions with the active site residues were analyzed. In conclusion, four hit compounds with new structural scaffold were suggested as novel and potent HMGR inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Drug Discovery
  • Humans
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / chemistry*
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases / metabolism
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Models, Molecular*
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Conformation
  • Protein Interaction Domains and Motifs
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors
  • Hydroxymethylglutaryl CoA Reductases

Grants and funding

This research was supported by Basic Science Research Program (2012R1A1A4A01013657), Pioneer Research Center Program (2009-0081539), and Management of Climate Change Program (2010-0029084) through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education of Republic of Korea. And this work was also supported by the Next-Generation BioGreen 21 Program (PJ009486) from Rural Development Administration (RDA) of Republic of Korea. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.