Solution conformations of Zika NS2B-NS3pro and its inhibition by natural products from edible plants

PLoS One. 2017 Jul 10;12(7):e0180632. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0180632. eCollection 2017.

Abstract

The recent Zika viral (ZIKV) epidemic has been associated with severe neurological pathologies such as neonatal microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome but unfortunately no vaccine or medication is effectively available yet. Zika NS2B-NS3pro is essential for the proteolysis of the viral polyprotein and thereby viral replication. Thus NS2B-NS3pro represents an attractive target for anti-Zika drug discovery/design. Here, we have characterized the solution conformations and catalytic parameters of both linked and unlinked Zika NS2B-NS3pro complexes and found that the unlinked complex manifested well-dispersed NMR spectra. Subsequently with selective isotope-labeling using NMR spectroscopy, we demonstrated that C-terminal residues (R73-K100) of NS2B is highly disordered without any stable tertiary and secondary structures in the Zika NS2B-NS3pro complex in the free state. Upon binding to the well-characterized serine protease inhibitor, bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), only the extreme C-terminal residues (L86-K100) remain disordered. Additionally, we have identified five flavonoids and one natural phenol rich in edible plants including fruits and vegetables, which inhibit Zika NS2B-NS3pro in a non-competitive mode, with Ki ranging from 770 nM for Myricetin to 34.02 μM for Apigenin. Molecular docking showed that they all bind to a pocket on the back of the active site and their structure-activity relationship was elucidated. Our study provides valuable insights into the solution conformation of Zika NS2B-NS3pro and further deciphers its susceptibility towards allosteric inhibition by natural products. As these natural product inhibitors fundamentally differ from the currently-known active site inhibitors in terms of both inhibitory mode and chemical scaffold, our finding might open a new avenue for development of better allosteric inhibitors to fight ZIKV infection.

MeSH terms

  • Binding Sites
  • Biocatalysis / drug effects
  • Biological Products / chemistry
  • Biological Products / pharmacology*
  • Biophysical Phenomena / drug effects
  • Buffers
  • Cloning, Molecular
  • Hydrogen Bonding
  • Kinetics
  • Models, Molecular
  • Plants, Edible / chemistry*
  • Protein Conformation
  • RNA Helicases / antagonists & inhibitors
  • RNA Helicases / chemistry
  • RNA Helicases / isolation & purification
  • RNA Helicases / metabolism
  • Serine Endopeptidases / chemistry
  • Serine Endopeptidases / isolation & purification
  • Serine Endopeptidases / metabolism
  • Solutions
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / chemistry*
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / isolation & purification
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins / metabolism
  • Zika Virus / chemistry*
  • Zika Virus / drug effects

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • Buffers
  • NS2B protein, flavivirus
  • NS3 protein, flavivirus
  • Solutions
  • Viral Nonstructural Proteins
  • Serine Endopeptidases
  • RNA Helicases

Grants and funding

This study is supported by Ministry of Education of Singapore (MOE) Tier 3 Grant R-154-002-580-112; Tier 2 Grant MOE2015-T2-1-111 to Jianxing Song. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.