Antimalarial phytochemicals as potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 guanine N7-methyltransferase (nsp 14) : an integrated computational approach

The inhibition of capping enzymes such as guanine-N7-methyltransferase (GMT) is an attractive target for regulating viral replication, transcription, virulence, and pathogenesis. Thus, compounds that target the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Corona Virus 2 GMT (S2GMT) will enhance drug development against COVID-19. In this study, an in-house library of 249 phytochemicals from African medicinal plants was screened using computational approaches including homology modeling, molecular docking, molecular dynamic simulations, binding free energy calculations based on molecular mechanics/Poisson-Boltzmann surface area (MMPBSA) and Absorption-Distribution-Metabolism-Excretion-Toxicity (ADMET) analysis for inhibitors of S2GMT. The top-ten ranked phytochemicals (TTRP) obtained from the docking analysis to S2GMT were further docked to SARS-COV N7-MTase. Among the TTRP, the top-four ranked phytocompounds (TFRP) viz: 3 alkaloids (Isocryptolepine, 10'-Hydroxyusambarensine and Isostrychnopentamine) and a flavonoid (Mulberrofuran F) interacted strongly with critical catalytic residues whose interference either reduce or completely abolish N7-MTase activity, indicating their potential as capping machinery disruptors. The interactions of TFRP with the catalytic residues of S2GMT were preserved in a 100 ns simulated dynamic environment, thereby, demonstrating high degree of structural stability. The MMPBSA binding free energy calculations corroborated the docking scores with biscryptolepine having the highest binding free energy to S2GMT. The TFRP showed favourable drug-likeness and ADMET properties over a wide range of molecular descriptors. Therefore, the TFRP can be further explored as potential S2GMT inhibitors in in vitro and in vivo experiments.Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2023

Erschienen:

2023

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:41

Enthalten in:

Journal of biomolecular structure & dynamics - 41(2023), 11 vom: 16. Juli, Seite 5022-5044

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Gyebi, Gideon A [VerfasserIn]
Ogunyemi, Oludare M [VerfasserIn]
Adefolalu, Adedotun A [VerfasserIn]
López-Pastor, Juan F [VerfasserIn]
Banegas-Luna, Antonio J [VerfasserIn]
Rodríguez-Martínez, Alejandro [VerfasserIn]
Pérez-Sánchez, Horacio [VerfasserIn]
Adegunloye, Adegbenro P [VerfasserIn]
Ogunro, Olalekan B [VerfasserIn]
Afolabi, Saheed O [VerfasserIn]
Baazeem, Alaa [VerfasserIn]
Alotaibi, Saqer S [VerfasserIn]
Batiha, Gaber El-Saber [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Antimalarials
Biscryptolepine
EC 2.1.1.-
Folic Acid Antagonists
Guanine-N7-methyltransferase
Journal Article
Methyltransferases
Molecular dynamic
Phytochemicals
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
SARS-COV-2

Anmerkungen:

Date Completed 14.06.2023

Date Revised 14.06.2023

published: Print-Electronic

Citation Status MEDLINE

doi:

10.1080/07391102.2022.2078408

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM341573914