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New insights into the catalytic mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease: an ONIOM QM/MM approach.

ABSTRACT: SARS-CoV-2 M^pro, also known as the main protease or 3C-like protease, is a key enzyme involved in the replication process of the virus that is causing the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also the most promising antiviral drug target targeting SARS-CoV-2 virus. In this work, the catalytic mechanism of M^pro was studied using the full model of the enzyme and a computational QM/MM methodology with a 69/72-atoms QM region treated at DLPNO-CCSD(T)/CBS//B3LYP/6-31G(d,p):AMBER level and including the catalytic important oxyanion-hole residues. The transition state of each step was fully characterized and described together with the related reactants and products. The rate-limiting step of the catalytic process is the hydrolysis of the thioester-enzyme adduct, and the calculated barrier closely agrees with the available kinetic data. The calculated Gibbs free energy profile, together with the full atomistic detail of the structures involved in catalysis, can now serve as valuable models for the rational drug design of transition state analogs as new inhibitors targeting the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

SUBMITTER: Fernandes HS

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8224256 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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New insights into the catalytic mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease: an ONIOM QM/MM approach.

Fernandes Henrique S HS Sousa Sérgio F SF Cerqueira Nuno M F S A NMFSA

Molecular diversity 20210624 3

SARS-CoV-2 M<sup>pro</sup>, also known as the main protease or 3C-like protease, is a key enzyme involved in the replication process of the virus that is causing the COVID-19 pandemic. It is also the most promising antiviral drug target targeting SARS-CoV-2 virus. In this work, the catalytic mechanism of M<sup>pro</sup> was studied using the full model of the enzyme and a computational QM/MM methodology with a 69/72-atoms QM region treated at DLPNO-CCSD(T)/CBS//B3LYP/6-31G(d,p):AMBER level and i ...[more]

PMID: 34169450

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Project description:Human arginase I (HARGI) is a metalloprotein highly expressed in the liver cytosol and catalyzes the hydrolysis of l-arginine to form l-ornithine and urea. Understanding the reaction mechanism would be highly helpful to design new inhibitor molecules for HARGI as it is a target for heart- and blood-related diseases. In this study, we explored the hydrolysis reaction mechanism of HARGI with antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic coupling between two Mn(II) ions at the catalytic site by employing molecular dynamics simulations coupled with quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics (QM/MM). The spin states, high-spin ferromagnetic couple (S Mn1 = 5/2, S Mn2 = 5/2), low-spin ferromagnetic couple (S Mn1 = 1/2, S Mn2 = 1/2), high-spin antiferromagnetic couple (S Mn1 = 5/2, S Mn2 = -5/2), and low-spin antiferromagnetic couple (S Mn1 = 1/2, S Mn2 = -1/2) are considered, and the calculated energetics for the complex of the substrate and HARGI are compared. The results show that the high-spin antiferromagnetic couple (S Mn1 = 5/2, S Mn2 = -5/2) is more stable than other spin states. The low-spin ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic coupled states are highly unstable compared with the corresponding high-spin states. The high-spin antiferromagnetic couple (S Mn1 = 5/2, S Mn2 = -5/2) is stabilized by 0.39 kcal/mol compared with the ferromagnetic couple (S Mn1 = 5/2, S Mn2 = 5/2). The reaction mechanism is independent of spin states; however, the energetics of transition states and intermediates are more stable in the case of the high-spin antiferromagnetic couple (S Mn1 = 5/2, S Mn2 = -5/2) than the corresponding ferromagnetic state. It is evident that the calculated coupling constants are higher for antiferromagnetic states and, interestingly, superexchange coupling is found to occur between Mn(II) ions via hydroxide ions in a reactant. The hydroxide ion enhances the coupling interaction and initiates the catalytic reaction. It is also noted that the first intermediate structure where there is no superexchange coupling is similar to the known inhibitor 2(S)-amino-6-boronohexanoic acid.

Dataset Information

New insights into the catalytic mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease: an ONIOM QM/MM approach.

Publications

New insights into the catalytic mechanism of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease: an ONIOM QM/MM approach.

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