Computational and biophysical approaches to protein–protein interaction inhibition of Plasmodium falciparum AMA1/RON2 complex

Invasion of the red blood cell by Plasmodium falciparum parasites requires formation of an electron dense circumferential ring called the Moving Junction (MJ). The MJ is anchored by a high affinity complex of two parasite proteins: Apical Membrane Antigen 1 ( Pf AMA1) displayed on the surface of the parasite and Rhoptry Neck Protein 2 that is discharged from the parasite and imbedded in the membrane of the host cell. Structural studies of Pf AMA1 revealed a conserved hydrophobic groove localized to the apical surface that coordinates RON2 and invasion inhibitory peptides. In the present work, we employed computational and biophysical methods to identify competitive P. falciparum AMA1–RON2 inhibitors with the goal of exploring the ‘druggability’ of this attractive antimalarial target. A virtual screen followed by molecular docking with the Pf AMA1 crystal structure was performed using an eight million compound collection that included commercial molecules, the ChEMBL malaria library and approved drugs. The consensus approach resulted in the selection of inhibitor candidates. We also developed a fluorescence anisotropy assay using a modified inhibitory peptide to experimentally validate the ability of the selected compounds to inhibit the AMA1–RON2 interaction. Among those, we identified one compound that displayed significant inhibition. This study offers interesting clues to improve the throughput and reliability of screening for new drug leads.