Identifying dual leucine zipper kinase (DLK) inhibitors using e-pharamacophore screening and molecular docking

Abstract

Alzheimer’s is a neural disorder causing gradual loss in structure and function of nerve cell. To treat such disorders, c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) Pathway inhibitors were developed by representing chemical compounds that were used to inhibit the JNK signaling pathways. DLK is the stress sensor and implicating as regulatory factor in JNK pathway. Therefore, in the present investigation, pharmacophore screening was tried to identify the chemical compounds that involving inhibition of DLK proteins. To explore the pharmacophore region and mode of binding with DLK protein, N- (I H-pyrazol-3-y l) pyridin-2-aminer inhibitors were docked with DLK. Results reveal the information on the interaction mechanism of protein and ligand with chemical characteristics required to inhibit DLK protein. Such predicted information (AAAARH) was used as query to find out potential novel lead compounds sourced from public database. As an outcome of 65 compounds were listed based on the fitness score (2≥), and were subjected to glide HTVS.SP and XP. Best performing 5 lead compounds were shortlisted for dynamic simulations. This exhibited a constant RMSD over 20 ns of timescale.

Keywords:

• Dual Leucine zipper kinase
• e-pharmacophore
• molecular docking
• Alzheimer’s disease

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

The article has been written with the financial support of RUSA – phase 2.0 grant sanctioned vide Letter No.F.24-51/2014-U policy (TNMulti – Gen), Dept of Edn. Govt of India Dt, 09.10.2018.