ANALYSIS OF A MOLECULAR DYNAMICS SIMULATION OF THE ACETYLCHOLINESTERASE ENZYME AND ITS COMPLEX WITH (AXILLARIDINE-A) INHIBITOR

Abstract

Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were carried out in order to investigate the binding mode of axillaridine-A at the active site of human acetylcholinesterase (AChE) enzyme. 2.0 nanosecond of MD simulations was made for the protein and the complex to dynamically explore the active site and the behavior of the ligand at the peripheral AChE binding site. These calculations for the enzyme alone showed that the active site of AChE is located at the bottom of a deep and narrow cavity whose surface is lined with rings of aromatic residues and Tyr72 is almost perpendicular to the Trp286 ring and forms a stable - interaction. The size of the active site of the complex decreases with time due to increase the interaction. Axillaridine-A forms in addition to van der Waals interactions, stable - interaction with the aromatic ring of Tyr117 residue which is responsible for the inhibition of the catalytic activity of the enzyme. Finally because of the biological relevance of the target studied here, the present results can be of interest for the rational design of molecules potentially useful in the treatment of the Alzheimer's disease.