Targeting a cluster of arginine residues of neuraminidase to avoid oseltamivir resistance in influenza A (H1N1): a theoretical study

Following the influenza A (H1N1) pandemic in Mexico and around the world in 2009, the numbers of oseltamivir-resistant clinical cases have increased through a mechanism that remains unclear. In this work, we focus on studying the mutated NA structures ADA71175 (GenBank) and 3CKZ (PDB ID). Recently crystallized NA (PDB ID: 3NSS) was used as a wildtype structure and template to construct the three-dimensional (3D) structure of ADA71175. Then, the NA mutants and 3NSS natives as well as their refined monomer structures as determined through MD simulations (snapshots at 50 ns) were used as models to perform a docking study using a set of aryl-oseltamivir derivatives. These aryl-oseltamivir derivatives have better recognition properties than oseltamivir because of cation-pi interactions with a cluster of Arg residues (118, 292, and 371) at the binding site. This cluster of Arg residues represents a potential binding site for aryl-oseltamivir derivatives that are potentially new NA inhibitors.