Danoprevir Mechanism
HCV protein part consists of protein core (C), envelope glycoproteins 1 and 2 (E1, E2), p7, and the six non-structural HCV proteins NS2, NS3, NS4A, NS4B, NS5A and NS5B. NS3 shows a serine protease activity and a helicase/NTPase activity. NS3 and its cofactor and enhancer, NS4A, form a tight complex, which contributes to proper protein folding. And the active site of the NS3/4A protease is located in a shallow groove between the two b-barrels of the protease. [1]
Danoprevir is a macrocyclic compound. The crystal structure indicates that Danoprevir binds non-covalently to the active site of NS34A protease variant R155K. In wild-type NS34A protease, the large P2 moiety of Danoprevir binds in the S2 subsite and extensively interact with residues Arg1155(R155), Asp1168, and Ala1156. Of which, the P1 amide nitrogen makes a hydrogen bond to the carbonyl oxygen of Arg155, the P3 carbonyl oxygen makes a hydrogen bond to the amide nitrogen of Ala157, and the third hydrogen bond is formed between the P3 amide nitrogen and the carbonyl oxygen of Ala157. The acylsulfonamide group of Danoprevir is also positioned in the oxyanion hole and forms a hydrogen bond to the backbone amide nitrogens of Gly1137. In protease variant R155K, the R155K mutation disrupts the stacking interactions with the P2 isoindoline moieties, while the flexibility of the P2 moiety of Danoprevir allows it to retain activity against two of the three major redidues, which compensates somewhat for this loss. [2]
References
[1] Mauss, et al. Hepatology. 2012.
[2] Romano KP, et al. PLoS Pathog. 2012, 8(7), e1002832.