ABSTRACT
A virtual screening of the molecular library of biologically active compounds was carried out to identify potential inhibitors of SARS-CoV-2 main protease (Mpro) which plays an important role in the process of virus replication. Using molecular docking and molecular dynamics, the binding energy of these compounds to the catalytic site of the enzyme was assessed, resulting in six molecules that exhibited high chemical affinity for SARS-CoV-2 Mpro. This is evidenced by the low values of the binding free energy of the ligand/Mpro complexes comparable with those predicted for the potent non-covalent SARSCoV-2 Mpro inhibitor using the identical computational protocol. Based on the data obtained, it was concluded that the identified compounds have a good therapeutic potential for inhibiting the catalytic activity of the enzyme and form promising basic structures for the development of new effective drugs against COVID-19 © 2023, Mathematical Biology and Bioinformatics. All Rights Reserved.
ABSTRACT
A virtual library of biologically active molecules has been formed and in silico screening has been carried out for identification of small-molecule chemical compounds - potential SARS-CoV-2 inhibitors able to bind to the HR1 trimer of the protein S and to block the formation of a six-helix bundle 6-HB, which is critical for the virus-cell fusion and viral in-fectivity. Molecular modeling methods were used to evaluate the binding affinity of the identified compounds to the HR1 trimer of the protein S. As a result, 12 molecules exhibiting the high binding affinity to this functionally important region of the virus were found. The data obtained indicate the promise of using these compounds in the development of new antiviral drugs presenting SARS-CoV-2 fusion inhibitors that can block the virus entry into the host cell.