Anti-HCV protease of diketopiperazines produced by the Red Sea sponge-associated fungus Aspergillus versicolor
- Authors: Ahmed E.F.1, Rateb M.E.2,3, Abou El-Kassem L.T.4, Hawas U.W.5
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Affiliations:
- Natural and Microbial Products Chemistry Department
- Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy
- School of Science & Sport
- Pharmacognosy Department
- Marine Chemistry Department, Faculty of Marine Sciences
- Issue: Vol 53, No 1 (2017)
- Pages: 101-106
- Section: Article
- URL: https://journals.rcsi.science/0003-6838/article/view/152168
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1134/S0003683817010021
- ID: 152168
Cite item
Abstract
Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a global problem due to the difficulties in developing a protective vaccine. In this work, we demonstrated that the ethyl acetate extract of the endophytic fungus Aspergillus versicolor exhibited significant activity against HCV NS3/4A protease with IC50 value of 30 μg/mL. The fungus was isolated from the Red Sea black sponge Spongia officinalis and identified by its morphology and 18S rDNA. Large-scale fermentation of the fungus followed by chromatographic purification with silica gel, Sephadex LH-20 and semipreparative HPLC of the active extract led to isolation of some known metabolites related to cyclodipeptides and the so-called diketopiperazines (DKPs). The DKP, cyclo(L-Tyr-L-Pro), displayed strong effect as HCV protease inhibitor with IC50 value of 8.2 μg/mL. A computational docking study of cyclo(L-Tyr-L-Pro) against HCV protease was used to formulate a hypothetical mechanism for the inhibitory activity of the active compound on the tested enzyme.
About the authors
E. F. Ahmed
Natural and Microbial Products Chemistry Department
Email: uhawas@kau.edu.sa
Egypt, Dokki, Cairo
M. E. Rateb
Department of Pharmacognosy, College of Pharmacy; School of Science & Sport
Email: uhawas@kau.edu.sa
Egypt, Beni-Suief; Paisley
L. T. Abou El-Kassem
Pharmacognosy Department
Email: uhawas@kau.edu.sa
Egypt, Dokki, Cairo
Usama W. Hawas
Marine Chemistry Department, Faculty of Marine Sciences
Author for correspondence.
Email: uhawas@kau.edu.sa
Saudi Arabia, Jeddah, 21589
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