Insight into the structural similarity between HIV protease and secreted aspartic protease-2 and binding mode analysis of HIV-Candida albicans inhibitors

Abstract

The analysis of the structural similarity between Candida albicans Sap2 and HIV-1 aspartic proteases by molecular modeling gave insight into the common requirements for inhibition of both targets. Structure superimposition of Sap2 and HIV-1 protease confirmed the similarity between their active sites and flap regions. HIV-1 protease inhibitors herein investigated can fit the active site of Sap2, adopting very similar ligand-backbone conformations. In particular, key anchoring sites consisting of Gly85 in Sap2 and Ile50 in HIV-1 protease, both belonging to their corresponding flap regions, were found as elements of a similar binding-mode interaction. The knowledge of the molecular basis for binding to both Sap2 and HIV-1 proteases may ultimately lead to the development of single inhibitor acting on both targets.

Keywords::

• Molecular docking
• peptidomimetic
• virulence factor
• infectious disease
• aspartic protease

Acknowledgements

Financial support received from the Fondazione Roma, MIUR, Università degli Studi di Firenze, and CINMPIS is gratefully acknowledged.

Declaration of interest

The authors have no declaration of interest