Abstract
Introduction: Salmonella enterica serovar Enteritidis and Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium
are among the main causative agents of nontyphoidal Salmonella infections, imposing a significant global
health burden. The emergence of antibiotic resistance in these pathogens underscores the need for innovative
therapeutic strategies.
Objective: To identify proteins as potential drug targets against Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium
serovars using In silico approaches.
Methods: In this study, a subtractive genomics approach was employed to identify potential drug targets. The
whole proteome of Salmonella enteritidis PT4 and Salmonella typhimurium (D23580), containing 393 and 478
proteins, respectively, was analyzed through subtractive genomics to identify human homologous proteins of
the pathogen and also the proteins linked to shared metabolic pathways of pathogen and its host.
Results: Subsequent analysis revealed 19 common essential proteins shared by both strains. To ensure hostspecificity,
we identified 10 non-homologous proteins absent in humans. Among these proteins, peptidoglycan
glycosyltransferase FtsI was pivotal, participating in pathogen-specific pathways and making it a promising
drug target. Molecular docking highlighted two potential compounds, Balsamenonon A and 3,3',4',7-Tetrahydroxyflavylium,
with strong binding affinities with FtsI. A 100 ns molecular dynamics simulation having
10,000 frames substantiated the strong binding affinity and demonstrated the enduring stability of the predicted
compounds at the docked site.
Conclusion: The findings in this study provide the foundation for drug development strategies against Salmonella
infections, which can contribute to the prospective development of natural and cost-effective drugs targeting
Salmonella Enteritidis and Salmonella Typhimurium.
Keywords:
Salmonella enteritidis, Salmonella typhimurium, subtractive genomics, drug targets, essential proteins, molecular docking.
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