Screening, simulation, and optimization design of small molecule inhibitors of the SARS-CoV-2 spike glycoprotein

PLoS One. 2021 Jan 25;16(1):e0245975. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245975. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) outbreak is a public health emergency of international concern. The spike glycoprotein (S protein) of SARS-CoV-2 is a key target of antiviral drugs. Focusing on the existing S protein structure, molecular docking was used in this study to calculate the binding energy and interaction sites between 14 antiviral molecules with different structures and the SARS-CoV-2 S protein, and the potential drug candidates targeting the SARS-CoV-2 S protein were analyzed. Tizoxanide, dolutegravir, bictegravir, and arbidol were found to have high binding energies, and they effectively bind key sites of the S1 and S2 subunits, inhibiting the virus by causing conformational changes in S1 and S2 during the fusion of the S protein with host cells. Based on the interactions among the drug molecules, the S protein and the amino acid environment around the binding sites, rational structure-based optimization was performed using the molecular connection method and bioisosterism strategy to obtain Ti-2, BD-2, and Ar-3, which have much stronger binding ability to the S protein than the original molecules. This study provides valuable clues for identifying S protein inhibitor binding sites and the mechanism of the anti-SARS-CoV-2 effect as well as useful inspiration and help for the discovery and optimization of small molecule S protein inhibitors.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Antiviral Agents / chemistry
  • Antiviral Agents / pharmacology*
  • COVID-19 / virology
  • COVID-19 Drug Treatment
  • Drug Design*
  • Drug Discovery*
  • Humans
  • Molecular Docking Simulation
  • SARS-CoV-2 / drug effects*
  • SARS-CoV-2 / metabolism
  • Small Molecule Libraries / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries / pharmacology*
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus / metabolism
  • Virus Internalization / drug effects

Substances

  • Antiviral Agents
  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • Spike Glycoprotein, Coronavirus
  • spike protein, SARS-CoV-2

Grants and funding

This study was supported by grants from National Natural Science Foundation of China (81500555, 81970615), the Young Taishan Scholars Program (tsqn201812143), Academic Promotion Programme of Shandong First Medical University (2019RC013), the Third Project of Jinan City Science and Technology Development Plan (201503002) and Natural Science Foundation of Shandong Province (ZR2019MH038). The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.