preprints.org > medicine and pharmacology > medicine and pharmacology > doi: 10.20944/preprints202003.0395.v1

Preprint Communication Version 1 Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed

Version 1 : Received: 25 March 2020 / Approved: 26 March 2020 / Online: 26 March 2020 (15:18:38 CET)
Version 2 : Received: 31 March 2020 / Approved: 2 April 2020 / Online: 2 April 2020 (11:25:57 CEST)

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 25^o C beclabuvir, a non-nucleoside inhibitor of the RdRp of the HCV can efficiently bind to RdRp of the SARS-CoV-2 (ΔG_AutoDock = -9.95 kcal mol^-1) with an inhibition constant of only 51.03 nM. Both the ΔG_London and ΔG_{GBVI / 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 (ΔG_vina = 9.7 kcal mol^-1) than that of the Thumb 1 domain of RdRp of HCV (ΔG_vina = 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.

Novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2); RdRp; HCV; beclabuvir; in silico; molecular docking

Medicine and Pharmacology, Medicine and Pharmacology