Core proteome mediated subtractive approach for the identification of potential therapeutic drug target against the honeybee pathogen Paenibacillus larvae.

Background & Objectives: American foulbrood (AFB), caused by the highly virulent, spore-forming bacterium Paenibacillus larvae, poses a significant threat to honey bee brood. The widespread use of antibiotics not only fails to effectively combat the disease but also raises concerns regarding honey safety. The current computational study was attempted to identify a novel therapeutic drug target against P. larvae, a causative agent of American foulbrood disease in honey bee. Methods: We investigated effective novel drug targets through a comprehensive in silico pan-proteome and hierarchal subtractive sequence analysis. In total, 14 strains of P. larvae genomes were used to identify core genes. Subsequently, the core proteome was systematically narrowed down to a single protein predicted as the potential drug target. Alphafold software was then employed to predict the 3D structure of the potential drug target. Structural docking was carried out between a library of phytochemicals derived from traditional Chinese flora (n > 36,000) and the potential receptor using Autodock tool 1.5.6. Finally, molecular dynamics (MD) simulation study was conducted using GROMACS to assess the stability of the best-docked ligand. Results: Proteome mining led to the identification of Ketoacyl-ACP synthase III as a highly promising therapeutic target, making it a prime candidate for inhibitor screening. The subsequent virtual screening and MD simulation analyses further affirmed the selection of ZINC95910054 as a potent inhibitor, with the lowest binding energy. This finding presents significant promise in the battle against P. larvae. Conclusions: Computer aided drug design provides a novel approach for managing American foulbrood in honey bee populations, potentially mitigating its detrimental effects on both bee colonies and the honey industry.

Identification of Disalicyloyl Curcumin as a Potential DNA Polymerase Inhibitor for Marek's Disease Herpesvirus: A Computational Study Using Virtual Screening and Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

Marek's disease virus (MDV) is a highly contagious and persistent virus that causes T-lymphoma in chickens, posing a significant threat to the poultry industry despite the availability of vaccines. The emergence of new virulent strains has further intensified the challenge of designing effective antiviral drugs for MDV. In this study, our main objective was to identify novel antiviral phytochemicals through in silico analysis. We employed Alphafold to construct a three-dimensional (3D) structure of the MDV DNA polymerase, a crucial enzyme involved in viral replication. To ensure the accuracy of the structural model, we validated it using tools available at the SAVES server. Subsequently, a diverse dataset containing thousands of compounds, primarily derived from plant sources, was subjected to molecular docking with the MDV DNA polymerase model, utilizing AutoDock software V 4.2. Through comprehensive analysis of the docking results, we identified Disalicyloyl curcumin as a promising drug candidate that exhibited remarkable binding affinity, with a minimum energy of -12.66 Kcal/mol, specifically targeting the DNA polymerase enzyme. To further assess its potential, we performed molecular dynamics simulations, which confirmed the stability of Disalicyloyl curcumin within the MDV system. Experimental validation of its inhibitory activity in vitro can provide substantial support for its effectiveness. The outcomes of our study hold significant implications for the poultry industry, as the discovery of efficient antiviral phytochemicals against MDV could substantially mitigate the economic losses associated with this devastating disease.

Inhibitor Assessment against the LpxC Enzyme of Antibiotic-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii Using Virtual Screening, Dynamics Simulation, and in†vitro Assays.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial resistance is currently a significant global public health problem. Acinetobacter baumannii has been ranked in the list of the World Health Organization as the most critical and priority pathogen for which new antibiotics are urgently needed. In this context, computational methods play a central role in the modern drug discovery process. The purpose of the current study was to identify new potential therapeutic molecules to neutralize MDR A. baumannii bacteria. METHODS: A total of 3686 proteins retrieved from the A. baumannii proteome were subjected to subtractive proteomic analysis to narrow down the spectrum of drug targets. The SWISS-MODEL server was used to perform a 3D homology model of the selected target protein. The SAVES server was used to evaluate the overall quality of the model. A dataset of 74500 analogues retrieved from the PubChem database was docked with LpxC using the AutoDock software. RESULTS: In this study, we predicted a putative new inhibitor for the Lpxc enzyme of A. baumannii. The LpxC enzyme was selected as the most appropriate drug target for A. baumannii. According to the virtual screening results, N-[(2S)-3-amino-1-(hydroxyamino)-1-oxopropan-2-yl]-4-(4-bromophenyl) benzamide (CS250) could be a promising drug candidate targeting the LpxC enzyme. This molecule shows polar interactions with six amino acids and non-polar interactions with eight other residues. In vitro experimental validation was performed through the inhibition assay. CONCLUSION: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study that suggests CS250 as a promising inhibitory molecule that can be exploited to target this gram-negative pathogen.

Identification of a Potential Inhibitor Targeting MurC Ligase of the Drug Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Strain through Structure-Based Virtual Screening Approach and In Vitro Assay.

BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE: Pseudomonas aeruginosa shows resistance to a large number of antibiotics, including carbapenems and third generation cephalosporin. According to the World Health Organization global report published in February 2017, Pseudomonas aeruginosa is on the priority list among resistant bacteria, for which new antibiotics are urgently needed. Peptidoglycan serves as a good target for the discovery of novel antimicrobial drugs. METHODS: Biosynthesis of peptidoglycan is a multi-step process involving four mur enzymes. Among these enzymes, UDP-N-acetylmuramate-L-alanine ligase (MurC) is considered to be an excellent target for the design of new classes of antimicrobial inhibitors in gram-negative bacteria. RESULTS: In this study, a homology model of Pseudomonas aeruginosa MurC ligase was generated and used for virtual screening of chemical compounds from the ZINC Database. The best screened inhibitor i.e. N, N-dimethyl-2-oxo-2,3-dihydro-1H-1,3-benzodiazole-5-sulfonamide was then validated experimentally through inhibition assay. CONCLUSION: The presented results based on combined computational and in vitro analysis open up new horizons for the development of novel antimicrobials against this pathogen.

NQO1 rs1800566 polymorph is more prone to NOx induced lung injury: Endorsing deleterious functionality through informatics approach.

Gene-environment interaction studies have led to the identification of genetic mutations in individuals with increased susceptibility to pollution related diseases. rs1800566 polymorphism of NQO1, leading to P187S missense mutation in the transcribed antioxidant protein, causes individuals carrying this mutation more prone to NO2 induced lung inflammatory injury. Here, we report significant structural and functional changes incurred by NQO1 antioxidant protein as a result of alteration in its nucleotide (C609T) and hence, protein sequence. Detailed insights were obtained regarding the prospective impact of this mutation on the structural stability of normal and mutated NQO1 protein, using a myriad of bioinformatic tools and webservers. Structure analysis showed no significant change at secondary level. A change in the native backbone conformation was observed due to formation of a hydrogen bond. Hydrophobicity and phosphorylation properties, decisive factors for functioning and stability of NQO1 were considerably influenced by P187S mutation. Computational study of the properties of a polymorph linked with NOx induced lung injury sheds light on the molecular basis of this polymorphism and endorses previous findings, reported by the scientists working in this domain.

Homology modeling and virtual screening approaches to identify potent inhibitors of VEB-1 ß-lactamase.

BACKGROUND: blaVEB-1 is an integron-located extended-spectrum ß-lactamase gene initially detected in Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains from south-east Asia. Several recent studies have reported that VEB-1-positive strains are highly resistant to ceftazidime, cefotaxime and aztreonam antibiotics. One strategy to overcome resistance involves administering antibiotics together with ß-lactamase inhibitors during the treatment of infectious diseases. During this study, four VEB-1 ß-lactamase inhibitors were identified using computer-aided drug design. METHODS: The SWISS-MODEL tool was utilized to generate three dimensional structures of VEB-1 ß-lactamase, and the 3D model VEB-1 was verified using PROCHECK, ERRAT and VERIFY 3D programs. Virtual screening was performed by docking inhibitors obtained from the ZINC Database to the active site of the VEB-1 protein using AutoDock Vina software. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: Homology modeling studies were performed to obtain a three-dimensional structure of VEB-1 ß-lactamase. The generated model was validated, and virtual screening of a large chemical ligand library with docking simulations was performed using AutoDock software with the ZINC database. On the basis of the dock-score, four molecules were subjected to ADME/TOX analysis, with ZINC4085364 emerging as the most potent inhibitor of the VEB-1 ß-lactamase.

LIPABASE: a database for 'true' lipase family enzymes.

Lipase enzymes play an important role in lipid metabolism and are produced by a variety of species. Compared with animal, bacterial and fungal, little is known about plant lipases. Although lipases belong to many different protein families, they have the same architecture, the ?/?-hydrolase fold and a conserved active site signature, the Gly-Xaa-Ser-Xaa-Gly motif. Several studies on enzymatic activity and interfacial activation phenomenon of lipases confirm the presence of consensus sequence and a conserved domain. Lipases can be divided into two main groups: carboxylesterases (EC 3.1.1.1); 'true' lipases (EC 3.1.1.3), which differ in several biochemical features, which allow us to develop a database that regroups all 'true' lipase proprieties to establish relationship between structure and function. LIPABASE is a centralised resource database, which provides information about 'true' lipase from different species. It includes general, taxonomic, physicochemical and molecular data. Access to LIPABASE is free and available at http://www.lipabase-pfba-tun.org.

Three-Dimensional Structure of Arabidopsis thaliana Lipase Predicted by Homology Modeling Method.

Triacylglycerol lipases have been thoroughly characterized in mammals and microorganisms. By contrast, very little is known about plant lipases. In this investigation, a homology model of Arabidopsis thaliana lipase (NP_179126) was constructed using a human gastric lipase (PDB ID: 1HLG), as a template for model building. This model was then assessed for stereochemical quality and side chain environment. Natural substrates: tributyrin, trioctanoin and triolen were docked into the model to investigate ligand-substrate interaction.