Repurposing Amphotericin B: anti-microbial, molecular docking and molecular dynamics simulation studies suggest inhibition potential of Amphotericin B against MRSA

Amphotericin B (AMPH) is an anti-fungal drug and this study, for the first time as best of our knowledge, reports the repurposing of the Amphotericin B. The drug was found to show significant antibacterial potential revealed by antimicrobial screening, molecular docking, and mode of action analysis targeting Penicillin Binding Protein 2a (PBP 2a protein) which is target of β-lactam drugs and is involved in cell wall synthesis. Mode of action analysis showed the drug to have hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions with both C-terminal, trans-peptidase and non-penicillin binding domain of the protein. Additionally, to evaluate the impact of ligand binding on the protein's conformational dynamics, molecular dynamics (MD) simulations were used. Comparative Dynamical flexibility (RMSF) and Dynamics Cross Correlation (DCCM) followed by MD simulations revealed the complex formation significantly effecting structural dynamics of the enzyme significantly in the non-penicillin binding domain (327–668) and slightly in trans peptidase domain. Radius of gyration assessment further showed ligand binding also decreasing over all compactness of protein. Secondary structure analysis indicated the complex formation changing the conformational integrity in non-penicillin binding domain. Hydrogen bond analysis and MMPBSA, free energy of calculations followed by MD simulations, also complemented the antimicrobial and molecular docking revelations suggesting Amphotericin B to have substantial antibacterial potential.