Virtual Screening and Inhibition of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication by Targeting Papain-like Protease

Infection by the emerging, potentially zoonotic Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) presents a severe health hazard to humans and is often fatal. Given the lack of particular medicines against MERS-CoV, drug discovery studies are needed to bridge this knowledge gap. In this study...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Mahmoud Kandeel, Byoung Kwon Park, Mohamed A. Morsy, Katharigatta N. Venugopala, Kentaro Oh-hashi, Mohammed Al-Nazawi, Hyung-Joo Kwon
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2021-10-01
Series:Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Journal
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.lww.com/10.2991/dsahmj.k.210921.001
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849405069378715648
author Mahmoud Kandeel
Byoung Kwon Park
Mohamed A. Morsy
Katharigatta N. Venugopala
Kentaro Oh-hashi
Mohammed Al-Nazawi
Hyung-Joo Kwon
author_facet Mahmoud Kandeel
Byoung Kwon Park
Mohamed A. Morsy
Katharigatta N. Venugopala
Kentaro Oh-hashi
Mohammed Al-Nazawi
Hyung-Joo Kwon
author_sort Mahmoud Kandeel
collection DOAJ
description Infection by the emerging, potentially zoonotic Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) presents a severe health hazard to humans and is often fatal. Given the lack of particular medicines against MERS-CoV, drug discovery studies are needed to bridge this knowledge gap. In this study, we introduce virtual screening-guided identification of MERS-CoV Papainlike Protease (PLpro)-binding drugs. After a two-step virtual screening method, enzyme assays and antiviral testing with a MERSCoV plaque reduction assay were used to further investigate the five compounds with the highest computational score. The top five screened compounds showed a 10.2-40% decrease in MERS-CoV PLpro activity. The top two compounds showed promising inhibition of MERS-CoV replication, reducing virus plaque formation by 30.6% and 24%. Compounds 1 and 4 in this study can be further modified to target binding with MERS-CoV PLpro active triad residues. Furthermore, the compounds produced stable interaction with the protein and protein conformation. With their reported inhibition of MERS-CoV enzyme and virus replication, supported by favorable absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion and toxicity profiles, the two reported benzimidazole and piperazine derivatives could be considered lead compounds against MERS-CoV.
format Article
id doaj-art-80dd0318c1e14ac19bb3f7f330e58d2a
institution Kabale University
issn 2666-819X
2590-3349
language English
publishDate 2021-10-01
publisher Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications
record_format Article
series Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Journal
spelling doaj-art-80dd0318c1e14ac19bb3f7f330e58d2a2025-08-20T03:36:45ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsDr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Journal2666-819X2590-33492021-10-013417918710.2991/dsahmj.k.210921.001Virtual Screening and Inhibition of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication by Targeting Papain-like ProteaseMahmoud KandeelByoung Kwon ParkMohamed A. MorsyKatharigatta N. VenugopalaKentaro Oh-hashiMohammed Al-NazawiHyung-Joo KwonInfection by the emerging, potentially zoonotic Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV) presents a severe health hazard to humans and is often fatal. Given the lack of particular medicines against MERS-CoV, drug discovery studies are needed to bridge this knowledge gap. In this study, we introduce virtual screening-guided identification of MERS-CoV Papainlike Protease (PLpro)-binding drugs. After a two-step virtual screening method, enzyme assays and antiviral testing with a MERSCoV plaque reduction assay were used to further investigate the five compounds with the highest computational score. The top five screened compounds showed a 10.2-40% decrease in MERS-CoV PLpro activity. The top two compounds showed promising inhibition of MERS-CoV replication, reducing virus plaque formation by 30.6% and 24%. Compounds 1 and 4 in this study can be further modified to target binding with MERS-CoV PLpro active triad residues. Furthermore, the compounds produced stable interaction with the protein and protein conformation. With their reported inhibition of MERS-CoV enzyme and virus replication, supported by favorable absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion and toxicity profiles, the two reported benzimidazole and piperazine derivatives could be considered lead compounds against MERS-CoV.https://journals.lww.com/10.2991/dsahmj.k.210921.001mers-covpapain-like proteaseantiviral agentsvirtual screeningplaque
spellingShingle Mahmoud Kandeel
Byoung Kwon Park
Mohamed A. Morsy
Katharigatta N. Venugopala
Kentaro Oh-hashi
Mohammed Al-Nazawi
Hyung-Joo Kwon
Virtual Screening and Inhibition of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication by Targeting Papain-like Protease
Dr. Sulaiman Al Habib Medical Journal
mers-cov
papain-like protease
antiviral agents
virtual screening
plaque
title Virtual Screening and Inhibition of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication by Targeting Papain-like Protease
title_full Virtual Screening and Inhibition of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication by Targeting Papain-like Protease
title_fullStr Virtual Screening and Inhibition of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication by Targeting Papain-like Protease
title_full_unstemmed Virtual Screening and Inhibition of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication by Targeting Papain-like Protease
title_short Virtual Screening and Inhibition of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus Replication by Targeting Papain-like Protease
title_sort virtual screening and inhibition of middle east respiratory syndrome coronavirus replication by targeting papain like protease
topic mers-cov
papain-like protease
antiviral agents
virtual screening
plaque
url https://journals.lww.com/10.2991/dsahmj.k.210921.001
work_keys_str_mv AT mahmoudkandeel virtualscreeningandinhibitionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirusreplicationbytargetingpapainlikeprotease
AT byoungkwonpark virtualscreeningandinhibitionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirusreplicationbytargetingpapainlikeprotease
AT mohamedamorsy virtualscreeningandinhibitionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirusreplicationbytargetingpapainlikeprotease
AT katharigattanvenugopala virtualscreeningandinhibitionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirusreplicationbytargetingpapainlikeprotease
AT kentaroohhashi virtualscreeningandinhibitionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirusreplicationbytargetingpapainlikeprotease
AT mohammedalnazawi virtualscreeningandinhibitionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirusreplicationbytargetingpapainlikeprotease
AT hyungjookwon virtualscreeningandinhibitionofmiddleeastrespiratorysyndromecoronavirusreplicationbytargetingpapainlikeprotease