Identification of potential inhibitors targeting Ebola virus VP35 protein: a computational strategy

Ebola virus (EBOV) poses a severe threat as a highly infectious pathogen, causing devastating hemorrhagic fever in both humans and animals. The EBOV virus VP35 protein plays a crucial role in viral replication and exhibits the ability to suppress the host interferon cascade, leading to immune system depletion. As a potential drug target, VP35 protein inhibition holds promise for combating EBOV. To discover new drug candidates, we employed a computer-aided drug design approach, focusing on compounds capable of inhibiting VP35 protein replication. In this connection, a pharmacophore model was generated using molecular interactions between the VP35 protein and its inhibitor. ZINC and Cambridge database were screened using validated pharmacophore model. Further the compounds were filtered based on Lipinski's rule of five and subjected to MD simulation and relative binding free energy calculation. Six compounds manifest a significant docking score and strong binding interaction towards VP35 protein. MD simulations further confirmed the remarkable stability of these six complexes. Relative binding free energy calculations also showed significant ΔG value in the range of -132.3 and -49.3 kcal/mol. This study paves the way for further optimization of these compounds as potential inhibitors of VP35, facilitating subsequent experimental in vitro studies.