Identification of key interactions between SARS-CoV-2 main protease and inhibitor drug candidates

Sci Rep. 2020 Jul 27;10(1):12493. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-69337-9.

Abstract

The number of cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection (COVID-19) has reached over 114,000. SARS-CoV-2 caused a pandemic in Wuhan, China, in December 2019 and is rapidly spreading globally. It has been reported that peptide-like anti-HIV-1 drugs are effective against SARS-CoV Main protease (Mpro). Due to the close phylogenetic relationship between SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2, their main proteases share many structural and functional features. Thus, these drugs are also regarded as potential drug candidates targeting SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. However, the mechanism of action of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro at the atomic-level is unknown. In the present study, we revealed key interactions between SARS-CoV-2 Mpro and three drug candidates by performing pharmacophore modeling and 1 μs molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. His41, Gly143, and Glu166 formed interactions with the functional groups that were common among peptide-like inhibitors in all MD simulations. These interactions are important targets for potential drugs against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Betacoronavirus / chemistry
  • Betacoronavirus / isolation & purification
  • Betacoronavirus / metabolism*
  • Binding Sites
  • COVID-19
  • Coronavirus Infections / pathology
  • Coronavirus Infections / virology
  • Drug Design
  • Humans
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / pathology
  • Pneumonia, Viral / virology
  • Protease Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Protease Inhibitors / metabolism
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • SARS-CoV-2
  • Sequence Alignment
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / chemistry
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / isolation & purification
  • Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus / metabolism
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / metabolism

Substances

  • Protease Inhibitors
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins