Interpretation of protein/ligand crystal structure using QM/MM calculations: case of HIV-1 protease/metallacarborane complex

Deltahedral metallacarborane compounds have recently been discovered as potent, specific, stable, and nontoxic inhibitors of HIV-1 protease (PR), the major target for AIDS therapy. The 2.15 A-resolution X-ray structure has exhibited a nonsymmetrical binding of the parental compound Co(3+)-(C2B9H11)2](-) (GB-18) into PR dimer and a symmetrical arrangement in the crystal of two PR dimer complexes into a tetramer. In order to explore structural and energetic details of the inhibitor binding, quantum mechanics coupled with molecular mechanics approach was utilized. Realizing the close positioning of anionic inhibitors in the active site cavity, the possibility of an exchange of structural water molecules Wat50 and Wat128 by Na+ counterions was studied. The energy profiles for the rotation of the GB-18 molecules along their longitudinal axes in complex with PR were calculated. The results show that two Na+ counterions are present in the active site cavity and provide energetically favorable and unfavorable positions for carbon atoms within the carborane cages. Eighty-one rotamer combinations of four molecules of GB-18 bound to PR out of 4 x 10(5) are predicted to be highly populated. These results lay ground for further calculations of interaction energies between GB-18 and amino acids of PR active site and will make it possible to interpret computationally the binding of similar metallacarborane molecules to PR as well as to resistant PR variants. Moreover, this computational tool will allow the design of new, more potent metallacarborane-based HIV-1 protease inhibitors.