Title
Comprehensive virtual screening of 4.8 k flavonoids reveals novel insights into allosteric inhibition of SARS-CoV-2 MPRO
Date Issued
01 December 2021
Access level
open access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Vargas-Ruiz A.P.
Olivos-Ramirez G.E.
Agurto-Arteaga A.
Ardiles-Reyes M.
de Grecia Cauti-Mendoza M.
Chipana-Flores N.
Chunga-Girón X.
Criollo-Orozco M.
De La Cruz L.
Delgado-Ccancce E.
Elugo-Guevara C.
Fernández-Sanchez M.
Guevara-Sarmiento L.
Gutiérrez K.
Heredia-Almeyda O.
Huaccachi-Gonzalez E.
Huerta-Roque P.
Isasi-Rivas G.
Juscamaita-Bartra R.A.
Licla-Inca A.
Montalvan A.
Ochoa-Ortiz A.
Páucar-Montoro E.
Pauyac K.
Perez-Martinez J.L.
Perez-M N.
Poma-Acevedo A.
Quiñones-Garcia S.
Ramirez-Ortiz I.
Ramos-Sono D.
Rios-Angulo A.A.
Rios-Matos D.
Romero Y.K.
Salguedo-Bohorquez M.I.
Sernaque-Aguilar Y.
Soto L.F.
Tataje-Lavanda L.
Ticona J.
Villanueva-Pérez D.
Ygnacio-Aguirre F.
Publisher(s)
Nature Research
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 main protease is a common target for inhibition assays due to its high conservation among coronaviruses. Since flavonoids show antiviral activity, several in silico works have proposed them as potential SARS-CoV-2 main protease inhibitors. Nonetheless, there is reason to doubt certain results given the lack of consideration for flavonoid promiscuity or main protease plasticity, usage of short library sizes, absence of control molecules and/or the limitation of the methodology to a single target site. Here, we report a virtual screening study where dorsilurin E, euchrenone a11, sanggenol O and CHEMBL2171598 are proposed to inhibit main protease through different pathways. Remarkably, novel structural mechanisms were observed after sanggenol O and CHEMBL2171598 bound to experimentally proven allosteric sites. The former drastically affected the active site, while the latter triggered a hinge movement which has been previously reported for an inactive SARS-CoV main protease mutant. The use of a curated database of 4.8 k flavonoids, combining two well-known docking software (AutoDock Vina and AutoDock4.2), molecular dynamics and MMPBSA, guaranteed an adequate analysis and robust interpretation. These criteria can be considered for future screening campaigns against SARS-CoV-2 main protease.
Volume
11
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Epidemiología
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85111991934
PubMed ID
Source
Scientific Reports
Sponsor(s)
The authors extend their gratitude to Guido Choque and Eduardo Gushiken, for their conceptual contributions and feedback; to Fernando Antonio Zepeda Herrera, for his invaluable aid in the web scraping process; to Kate Gaskell, for her openness to improve the manuscript’s written expression; and specially to Alicia L. Arica-Sosa, for her help in absolving the reviewers’ comments related to docking. The authors are also thankful to Univer-sidad Privada San Juan Bautista for their economic support. This work was funded by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación Tecnológica (CONCYTEC, 048-2020) of Perú.
Sources of information: Directorio de Producción Científica Scopus