IN SILICO SCREENING AND IDENTIFICATION OF POTENT ANTIPROTOZOAL DRUGS AGAINST AQUAPORIN PROTEIN OF NOSEMA SPECIES INFECTING SILKWORM AND HONEY BEE

The Microsporidian diseases are becoming major constraint for the production of silkworm and honeybees. The diseases are causing considerable yield loss to sericulture and apiculture industry. At present, no proper protozoan disease management strategies are available. Hence, there is a need for identification and screening of pathogen protein targeted drugs for the containment of diseases in rearing condition. In the present study, the different available drugs were screened against the active sites of aquaporins of Nosema bombycis and Nosema cerenae by using different in silico methods. Three dimensional structures of aquaporins of N. bombycis and N. cerenae were elucidated by using protein modelling tools. The active sites of the proteins were identified by using CASTp server. The docking between the drugs and active site of aquaporins was carried out by using Auto Dock Vina. The interaction between drugs and active site was visualized by using Chimera. Based on the results of the present study the existing antiprotozoan drugs viz., paramomycin sulfate, pentamidine, quinapyramine and proguanil can be used as potent drugs that can block the active sites of aquaporin proteins of both Nosema species