Molecular Docking Studies of Wolbachia Endosymbiont of Brugia Malayi’s Carbonic Anhydrase Using Coumarin-chromene Derivatives Towards Designing Anti-filarial Agents

Abstract

Filariasis causing nematode Brugia malayi is shown to harbor wolbachia bacteria as symbionts. The sequenced genome of the wolbachia endosymbiont from B.malayi (wBm) offers an unprecedented opportunity to identify new wolbachia drug targets. Hence the enzyme carbonic anhydrase from wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia malayi (wBm) which is responsible for the reversible interconversion of carbon dioxide and water to bicarbonate and protons (or vice versa) is chosen as the drug target for filariasis. This enzyme is thought to play critical functions in bacteria by involving in various steps of their life cycle which are important for survival, The 3D structure of wBm carbonic anhydrase is predicted by selecting a suitable template using the similarity search tool, BLAST. The BLAST results shows a hexapeptide transferase family protein from Anaplasma phagocytophilum (PDB ID: 3IXC) having 77% similarity and 54% identity with wBm carbonic anhydrase. Hence the above enzyme is chosen as the template and the 3D structure of carbonic anhydrase is predicted by the tool Modeller9v7. Since the three dimensional structure of carbonic anhydrase from wolbachia endosymbiont of Brugia malayi has not yet solved, attempts were made to predict this protein. The predicted structure is validated and also molecular docking studies are carried out with the suitable inhibitors that have been solved experimentally.