| 1. |
- Bollati, Michela, et al.
(författare)
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Structure and functionality in flavivirus NS-proteins : perspectives for drug design
- 2010
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Ingår i: Antiviral Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0166-3542 .- 1872-9096. ; 87:2, s. 125-148
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- Flaviviridae are small enveloped viruses hosting a positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome. Besides yellow fever virus, a landmark case in the history of virology, members of the Flavivirus genus, such as West Nile virus and dengue virus, are increasingly gaining attention due to their re-emergence and incidence in different areas of the world. Additional environmental and demographic considerations suggest that novel or known flaviviruses will continue to emerge in the future. Nevertheless, up to few years ago flaviviruses were considered low interest candidates for drug design. At the start of the European Union VIZIER Project, in 2004, just two crystal structures of protein domains from the flaviviral replication machinery were known. Such pioneering studies, however, indicated the flaviviral replication complex as a promising target for the development of antiviral compounds. Here we review structural and functional aspects emerging from the characterization of two main components (NS3 and NS5 proteins) of the flavivirus replication complex. Most of the reviewed results were achieved within the European Union VIZIER Project, and cover topics that span from viral genomics to structural biology and inhibition mechanisms. The ultimate aim of the reported approaches is to shed light on the design and development of antiviral drug leads.
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| 2. |
- Gorbalenya, Alexander E., et al.
(författare)
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Practical application of bioinformatics by the multidisciplinary VIZIER consortium
- 2010
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Ingår i: Antiviral Research. - : Elsevier. - 0166-3542 .- 1872-9096. ; 87:2, s. 95-110
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Forskningsöversikt (refereegranskat)abstract
- This review focuses on bioinformatics technologies employed by the EU-sponsored multidisciplinary VIZIER consortium (Comparative Structural Genomics of Viral Enzymes Involved in Replication, FP6 Project: 2004-511960, active from 1 November 2004 to 30 April 2009), to achieve its goals. From the management of the information flow of the project, to bioinformatics-mediated selection of RNA viruses and prediction of protein targets, to the analysis of 3D protein structures and antiviral compounds, these technologies provided a communication framework and integrated solutions for steady and timely advancement of the project. RNA viruses form a large class of major pathogens that affect humans and domestic animals. Such RNA viruses as HIV, Influenza virus and Hepatitis C virus are of prime medical concern today, but the identities of viruses that will threaten human population tomorrow are far from certain. To contain outbreaks of common or newly emerging infections, prototype drugs against viruses representing the Virus Universe must be developed. This concept was championed by the VIZIER project which brought together experts in diverse fields to produce a concerted and sustained effort for identifying and validating targets for antivirus therapy in dozens of RNA virus lineages.
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| 3. |
- Speroni, Silvia, et al.
(författare)
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Structural and Biochemical Analysis of Human Pathogenic Astrovirus Serine Protease at 2.0 angstrom Resolution
- 2009
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Ingår i: Journal of Molecular Biology. - : Elsevier BV. - 0022-2836 .- 1089-8638. ; 387:5, s. 1137-1152
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Astroviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses with a replication strategy based on the proteolytic processing of a polyprotein precursor and subsequent release of the viral enzymes of replication. So far, the catalytic properties of the astrovirus protease as well as its structure have remained uncharacterized. In this study, the three-dimensional crystal structure of the predicted protease of human pathogenic astrovirus has been solved to 2.0 angstrom resolution. The protein displays the typical properties of trypsin-like enzymes but also several characteristic features: (i) a catalytic Asp-His-Ser triad in which the aspartate side chain is oriented away from the histidine, being replaced by a water molecule; (ii) a non-common conformation and composition of the SI pocket; and (iii) the lack of the typical surface beta-ribbons together with a "featureless" shape of the substrate-binding site. Hydrolytic activity assays indicate that the S1 pocket recognises Glu and Asp side chains specifically, which, therefore, are predicted to occupy the P1 position on the substrate cleavage site. The positive electrostatic potential featured by the S1 region underlies this specificity. The comparative structural analysis highlights the peculiarity of the astrovirus protease, and differentiates it from the human and viral serine proteases. (C) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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| 4. |
- Luzhkov, Victor B., et al.
(författare)
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Virtual screening and bioassay study of novel inhibitors for dengue virus mRNA cap (nucleoside-2'O)-methyltransferase
- 2007
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Ingår i: Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry. - : Elsevier BV. - 0968-0896 .- 1464-3391. ; 15:24, s. 7795-7802
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We report high-throughput structure-based virtual screening of putative Flavivirus 2'-O-methyltransferase inhibitors together with results from subsequent bioassay tests of selected compounds. Potential inhibitors for the S-adenosylmethionine binding site were explored using 2D similarity searching, pharmacophore filtering and docking. The inhibitory activities of 15 top-ranking compounds from the docking calculations were tested on a recombinant methyltransferase with the RNA substrate (7Me)GpppAC(5). Local and global docking simulations were combined to estimate the ligand selectivity for the target site. The results of the combined computational and experimental screening identified a novel inhibitor, with a previously unknown scaffold, that has an IC(50) value of 60 microM.
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| 5. |
- Luzhkov, Victor, et al.
(författare)
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Evaluation of Adamantane Derivatives as Inhibitors of Dengue Virus mRNA Cap Methyltransferase by Docking and Molecular Dynamics Simulations
- 2013
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Ingår i: MOLECULAR INFORMATICS. - : Wiley. - 1868-1743. ; 32:2, s. 155-164
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Binding of the Dengue virus S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet)-dependent mRNA cap methyltransferase (NS5MTaseDV) with adamantane derivatives was explored using molecular modeling methods and (nucleoside-2O)-methyltransferase bioassay. The studied compounds include urea derivatives of adamantane and the antiviral drugs amantadine and rimantadine. The urea derivatives of adamantanes had previously been identified as inhibitors of NS5MTaseDV. The docking simulations using GOLD, Glide, and Dock give consistent binding modes and binding affinities of adamantanes in the AdoMet-binding site of NS5MTaseDV and, in particular, yield similar positions for the previously found inhibitors. Combined, they perfectly correspond to the bioassay measurements of nucleoside-2O-methyltransferase activity of NS5TaseDV, which confirmed inhibitory properties of the active urea adamantane but did not show inhibitory activity for amantadine and rimantadine. We also employed microscopic molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and a linear interaction energy (LIE) method to verify the docking results. The MD/LIE binding free energies of selected proteininhibitor complexes agree overall with the binding affinities from docking and demonstrate that amantadine and rimantadine only weakly bind at the explored site. The MD simulations also demonstrated the flexible character of a protein loop that is located between the 2 and 3 strands and is part of the AdoMet-binding pocket of NS5MTaseDV.
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