Docking-based comparative intermolecular contacts analysis and in silico screening reveal new potent acetylcholinesterase inhibitors

Abstract

The positive impact of acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitors on neurodegenerative diseases impelled continuous attempts to discover and optimize new acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitors. The combined recent interest inacetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitors, together with known shortages of docking and docking validation methods prompted us to use our new 3D-QSAR method, namely, docking-based comparative intermolecular contacts analysis, to identify optimal docking conditions required to dock certain group of inhibitors into acetylcholinesterase enzyme binding site. Additionally, optimal docking-based comparative intermolecular contacts analysis models were converted into pharmacophore models, which were validated by receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. The pharmacophores were subsequently used as search queries to mine the national cancer institute list of compounds for new acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitors. Five low micromolar acetylcholinesterase enzyme inhibitors were identified. The most potent gave IC50 value of 2.55 μM.