Zika virus: novel guanosine derivatives revealed strong binding and possible inhibition of the polymerase

Abstract

Aim: During the last 2 years, the zika virus (ZIKV) outbreak has rapidly spread worldwide to more than 80 countries. In the last decade, nucleotide inhibitors (NIs) have been widely studied against different viruses such as HCV and human coronaviruses. Materials & methods: In this study, four novel guanosine derivatives were tested in silico against ZIKV polymerase. Discussion: The modified guanosines at position 2′ in the ribose ring gave comparable binding energies to that of GTP; hence, it could compete with GTP for the ZIKV polymerase active site and halt viral replication. Conclusion: The suggested guanosine derivatives had a higher affinity than ribavirin (wide range antiviral drug) in binding to ZIKV polymerase.