Enabling large-scale design, synthesis and validation of small molecule protein-protein antagonists

PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e32839. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0032839. Epub 2012 Mar 12.

Abstract

Although there is no shortage of potential drug targets, there are only a handful known low-molecular-weight inhibitors of protein-protein interactions (PPIs). One problem is that current efforts are dominated by low-yield high-throughput screening, whose rigid framework is not suitable for the diverse chemotypes present in PPIs. Here, we developed a novel pharmacophore-based interactive screening technology that builds on the role anchor residues, or deeply buried hot spots, have in PPIs, and redesigns these entry points with anchor-biased virtual multicomponent reactions, delivering tens of millions of readily synthesizable novel compounds. Application of this approach to the MDM2/p53 cancer target led to high hit rates, resulting in a large and diverse set of confirmed inhibitors, and co-crystal structures validate the designed compounds. Our unique open-access technology promises to expand chemical space and the exploration of the human interactome by leveraging in-house small-scale assays and user-friendly chemistry to rationally design ligands for PPIs with known structure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / methods*
  • Crystallography
  • Drug Discovery / methods*
  • Internet
  • Protein Interaction Mapping / methods*
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2 / chemistry
  • Small Molecule Libraries*
  • Software*
  • Systems Biology / methods*
  • Systems Biology / trends
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / chemistry

Substances

  • Small Molecule Libraries
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-mdm2