Insights into the key structural features of triazolothienopyrimidines as anti-HIV agents using QSAR, molecular docking, and pharmacophore modeling

The development of severe drug resistance caused by the extensive use of anti-HIV agents has resulted in resistance mutation that compromise efficacy of anti-retroviral. We have selected triazolothienopyrimidine derivatives for our study since these derivatives have potentially inhibited HIV-1 replication. The objectives of our study were to identify the important pharmacophoric features and correlate 3D chemical structure of of triazolothienopyrimidines and predict their anti-HIV activity using 2D-, 3D-QSAR, pharmacophore modeling, and docking studies to explore their binding to HIV-1 reverse transcriptase. Partial least square and k-nearest neighbor methodology were used to develop 2D-QSAR and 3D-QSAR models. The statistical significance of developed QSAR models was checked by internal and external validation. The developed 2D-QSAR model indicated that a significance of presence of electron withdrawing groups, number of hydrogen bond acceptor, Z component dipole moment, and the moment of inertia at X axis of the compounds on their anti-HIV potential. 3D-QSAR results indicated the influence of electrostatic and steric field descriptors in the anti-HIV potential of triazolothienopyrimidines. The pharmacophore mapping represented the importance of aromatic and hydrogen bond acceptor features of compounds to interact with the target. Docking studies revealed that the binding of the triazolothienopyrimidines to HIV-1 reverse transcriptase involved extensive hydrophobic and polar interactions. Collectively, the results of QSAR, pharmacophore mapping, and the docking studies provide an insight into the understanding of the relationship between triazolothienopyrimidines and anti-HIV activity, which may assist in designing new triazolothienopyrimidines with enhanced HIV-1 reverse transcriptase inhibitory and anti-HIV activity.