A molecular simulation study of hepatitis B virus core protein and the nuclear protein allosteric modulators of...

Hepatitis B virus, causing hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer, poses a serious threat to human health, and the currently approved drugs still cannot eliminate the virus completely. HBV core protein allosteric modulators (CpAMs) with a phthalazinone structure which targets the HBV core (HBc) protein have been seen as a new kind of drug because of their excellent antiviral effects. This study explores the structure-activity relationship and binding mechanism of phthalazinone molecules through three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR), molecular docking, molecular dynamics, and binding free energy calculation and decomposition studies. In addition, CoMFA and CoMSIA models revealed that the steric field, the hydrophobic field, and the hydrogen bond acceptor field may play important roles in the binding process. The molecular docking and dynamics disclosed the most likely binding pose of phthalazinone derivatives with the HBc protein. The binding free energy calculation and decomposition analysis indicated that the van der Waals force was the driving force and that ValE124, ThrD109, ThrE128, LeuD140, IleD105, PheD110, ThrD33, and TrpD102 were the key residues. This study provides an important theoretical basis for the design and optimization of phthalazinone compounds.