Molecular Dynamics Simulations of
2-Amino-6-arylsulphonylbenzonitriles
Analogues as HIV Inhibitors: Interaction
Modes and Binding Free Energies
Rongjing Hu
1,2
, Florent Barbault
2
,
Franc¸ ois Maurel
2
, Michel Delamar
2,
* and
Ruisheng Zhang
1,3,
*
1
Department of Chemistry, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu
730000, China
2
Interfaces, Traitement, Organisation et Dynamique des Systmes
(ITODYS), Paris-Diderot (Paris 7) University, CNRS UMR 7086, 15 rue
Jean Antoine de Baf, 75205 Paris Cedex 13, France
3
School of Information Science and Engineering, Lanzhou University,
Lanzhou, Gansu 730000, China
*Corresponding authors: Michel Delamar, michel.delamar@univ-
paris-diderot.fr; Ruisheng Zhang, zhangrs@lzu.edu.cn
Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations in water
environment were carried out on the HIV-1 reverse
transcriptase (RT), and its complexes with one rep-
resentative of each of three series of inhibitors: 2-
amino-6-arylsulphonylbenzonitriles and their thio
and sulphinyl congeners. Molecular Mechanics
Generalized Born Surface Area (MM-GBSA) was
used to calculate the binding free energy based on
the obtained MD trajectories. Calculated energies
are correlated to activity. A comparison of interac-
tion modes, binding free energy, contributions of
the residues to the binding free energy and
H-bonds was carried out with the average struc-
tures. The results show that there exist different
interaction modes between RT and ligands and
different specific interactions with some residues.
The higher binding affinity of the most potent
inhibitor in the series of molecules under study is
favoured by electrostatic interactions and solva-
tion contribution.
Key words: HIV-1 reverse transcriptase, molecular dynamics,
non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors
Received 2 October 2009, revised 2 June 2010 and accepted for
publication 22 August 2010
The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcrip-
tase (RT) is one of the major targets for the treatment of AIDS.
This enzyme is responsible for the transition of the single-stranded
viral RNA into double-stranded proviral DNA, which is then
integrated into the host chromosome (1). RT has two activities. As
a DNA polymerase, it is able to copy either an RNA or DNA tem-
plate. It is responsible for the production of a double-stranded DNA
copy of the single-stranded RNA that is contained in the HIV-1 virus
particle
a
. This is extended by the polymerase function of RT to give
a DNA–RNA hybrid. RT also acts as a ribonuclease H (RNAse H)
which function is to cleave and degrade the template RNA after
DNA synthesis so that the newly made DNA can generate a second
DNA strand. It is also responsible for the integration of the duplex
DNA into the host cell chromosome. RT is a heterodimer protein
composed of two related chains: a 66-kD subunit (p66) and a 51-kD
subunit (p51) (1–5).
Because of its essential functions in the replication of the HIV virus,
RT is one of the major targets for the treatment of AIDS. Reverse
transcriptase inhibitors (RTIs) block reverse transcriptase's enzymatic
function and prevent completion of synthesis of the double-stranded
viral DNA, thus preventing HIV from multiplying. There are two
forms of RT inhibitors according their inhibitory mechanism: nucleo-
side (analogue) reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs), such as
zidovudine (AZT), didanosine (ddI), zalcitabine (ddC), stavudine (d4T),
lamivudine (3TC), abacavir (ABC), and nucleotide (analogue) reverse
transcriptase inhibitors (NtRTIs), like PMEA (Adefovir) and PMPA
(Tenofovir) (6), which are acyclic nucleoside phosphonates, dideoxy
compounds lacking a 3¢ oxygen that cause DNA chain termination
when they are incorporated into a growing DNA strand. Non-nucle-
oside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs), such as nevirapine,
delavirdine, efavirenz, capravirine and dapivirine (TMC 125) (6), can
bind into a pocket between two beta-sheets of the p66 palm (7–9),
which is not far (about 10 ) from the polymerase active site. They
are not only spatially but also functionally associated with the poly-
merase active site; therefore, they prevent RT from converting the
single-stranded HIV RNA into double-stranded HIV DNA. Compared
with nucleoside RT inhibitors, NNRTIs are less toxic and more sta-
ble. Furthermore, their lower metabolism and clearance rates are
extra advantages. Nowadays, NNRTIs are also successfully used in
highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART).
Chan et al. (10) designed a class of NNRTIs (2-amino-6-aryl-
sulphonylbenzonitriles analogues) that we study here. Some
518
Chem Biol Drug Des 2010; 76: 518–526
Research Article
ª 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S
doi: 10.1111/j.1747-0285.2010.01028.x