What is it about?

Recent emergence of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in Wuhan, China has resulted more than 14,510 global deaths. To date well-established therapeutics modules for infected patients are unknown. In this present initiative, molecular interactions between well-known antiviral drugs against the Hepatitis-C virus (HCV) have been investigated theoretically against the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) of SARS-CoV-2. HCV and SARS-CoV-2 are both +ssRNA viruses. At 25o C beclabuvir, a non-nucleoside inhibitor of the RdRp of the HCV can efficiently bind to RdRp of the SARS-CoV-2 (ΔGAutoDock = -9.95 kcal mol-1) with an inhibition constant of only 51.03 nM. Both the ΔGLondon and ΔGGBVI / WSA values were - 9.06 and - 6.67 kcal mol-1, respectively for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, beclabuvir also shows better binding free energy (ΔGvina = 9.7 kcal mol-1) than that of the Thumb 1 domain of RdRp of HCV (ΔGvina = 7.7 kcal mol-1). InterProScan has suggested the RNA-directed 5'-3' polymerase activity existed within 549 to 776 amino acid residues of RdRp. Moreover, major interacting amino acid residues were I591, Y621, C624, D625, A690, N693, L760, D762, D763 and E813-N817. Molecular interaction suggests occupancy of beclabuvir inside the active site environment of the RdRp which is essential for viral RNA synthesis. In conclusion, results suggest beclabuvir has high therapeutic potential as an anti-SARS-CoV-2 drug. Subject Areas

Featured Image

Why is it important?

Inhibition of the RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase of Newly Emerged Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

Perspectives

A list of ten HCV drugs for potential application against COVID-19

Kunal Dutta
Vidyasagar University

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Beclabuvir can Inhibit the RNA-dependent RNA Polymerase of Newly Emerged Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), March 2020, MDPI AG,
DOI: 10.20944/preprints202003.0395.v1.
You can read the full text:

Read

Resources

Contributors

The following have contributed to this page