Identification of functional mimetics of anti-hiv antibody n6 by methods of virtual screening and molecular modeling

Three chemical compounds presenting functional mimetics of neutralizing anti-HIV-1 antibody N6 were identified by an integrated approach including virtual screening, high-throughput docking and molecular dynamics. Using molecular docking, the identified compounds are predicted to be able to block three key regions of the HIV-1 gp120 protein by formation of a wide network of intermolecular contacts with the glycoprotein residues critical for the virus binding to primary receptor CD4. It is shown that the complexes of these compounds with gp120 exhibit low values of dissociation constant and Gibbs free energy, which validates a high efficacy of intermolecular interactions stabilizing these supramolecular structures. Based on the data obtained, the identified compounds are assumed to form promising basic structures for the development of novel, potent and broad anti-HIV-1 drugs mimicking structural and functional properties of the cross-reactive neutralizing antibody N6.

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