Issue 38, 2022

A molecular simulation study of hepatitis B virus core protein and the nuclear protein allosteric modulators of phthalazinone derivatives

Abstract

Hepatitis B virus, causing hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer, poses a serious threat to human health, and the currently approved drugs still cannot eliminate the virus completely. HBV core protein allosteric modulators (CpAMs) with a phthalazinone structure which targets the HBV core (HBc) protein have been seen as a new kind of drug because of their excellent antiviral effects. This study explores the structure–activity relationship and binding mechanism of phthalazinone molecules through three-dimensional quantitative structure–activity relationship (3D-QSAR), molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and binding free energy calculation and decomposition studies. In addition, CoMFA and CoMSIA models revealed that the steric field, the hydrophobic field, and the hydrogen bond acceptor field may play important roles in the binding process. The molecular docking and dynamics disclosed the most likely binding pose of phthalazinone derivatives with the HBc protein. The binding free energy calculation and decomposition analysis indicated that the van der Waals force was the driving force and that ValE124, ThrD109, ThrE128, LeuD140, IleD105, PheD110, ThrD33, and TrpD102 were the key residues. This study provides an important theoretical basis for the design and optimization of phthalazinone compounds.

Graphical abstract: A molecular simulation study of hepatitis B virus core protein and the nuclear protein allosteric modulators of phthalazinone derivatives

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
29 Jun 2022
Accepted
07 Sep 2022
First published
07 Sep 2022

Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022,24, 23209-23225

A molecular simulation study of hepatitis B virus core protein and the nuclear protein allosteric modulators of phthalazinone derivatives

J. Zang, M. Liu, H. Liu and L. Ding, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 2022, 24, 23209 DOI: 10.1039/D2CP02946D

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements