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Warren L DeLano

Publications and source records attributed to Warren L DeLano.

7 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Hot-spot mimicry of a cytokine receptor by a small molecule.

Protein-protein complexes remain enticing, but extremely challenging, targets for small-molecule drug discovery. In a rare example described earlier, a high-affinity small molecule, SP4206 (Kd approximately 70 nM), was found to block binding of the IL-2alpha receptor (IL-2Ralpha) to IL-2 (Kd approximately 10 nM). Recently, the structure of the IL-2/IL-2Ralpha complex was solved [Rickert, M., Wang, X., Boulanger, M. J., Goriatcheva, N., Garcia, K. C. (2005) Science 308:1477-1480]. Using structural and functional analysis, we compare how SP4206 mimics the 83-fold larger IL-2Ralpha in binding IL-2. The binding free energy per contact atom (ligand efficiency) for SP4206 is about twice that of the receptor because of a smaller, but overlapping, contact epitope that insinuates into grooves and cavities not accessed by the receptor. Despite its independent design, the small molecule has a similar, but more localized, charge distribution compared with IL-2Ralpha. Mutational studies show that SP4206 targets virtually the same critical "hot-spot" residues on IL-2 that drive binding of IL-2Ralpha. Moreover, a mutation that enhances binding to the IL-2Ralpha near these hot spots also enhances binding to SP4206. Although the protein and small molecule do bind the same hot spot, they trap very different conformations of IL-2 because of its flexible nature. Our studies suggest that precise structural mimics of receptors are not required for high-affinity binding of small molecules, and they show that there are multiple solutions to tight binding at shared and adaptive hot spots.

Crystallography, X-Ray↗
PubMed2005

The case for open-source software in drug discovery.

Widespread adoption of open-source software for network infrastructure, web servers, code development, and operating systems leads one to ask how far it can go. Will "open source" spread broadly, or will it be restricted to niches frequented by hopeful hobbyists and midnight hackers? Here we identify reasons for the success of open-source software and predict how consumers in drug discovery will benefit from new open-source products that address their needs with increased flexibility and in ways complementary to proprietary options.

Access to Information↗
PubMed2003

Binding of small molecules to an adaptive protein-protein interface.

Understanding binding properties at protein-protein interfaces has been limited to structural and mutational analyses of natural binding partners or small peptides identified by phage display. Here, we present a high-resolution analysis of a nonpeptidyl small molecule, previously discovered by medicinal chemistry [Tilley, J. W., et al. (1997) J. Am. Chem. Soc. 119, 7589-7590], which binds to the cytokine IL-2. The small molecule binds to the same site that binds the IL-2 alpha receptor and buries into a groove not seen in the free structure of IL-2. Comparison of the bound and several free structures shows this site to be composed of two subsites: one is rigid, and the other is highly adaptive. Thermodynamic data suggest the energy barriers between these conformations are low. The subsites were dissected by using a site-directed screening method called tethering, in which small fragments were captured by disulfide interchange with cysteines introduced into IL-2 around these subsites. X-ray structures with the tethered fragments show that the subsite-binding interactions are similar to those observed with the original small molecule. Moreover, the adaptive subsite tethered many more compounds than did the rigid one. Thus, the adaptive nature of a protein-protein interface provides sites for small molecules to bind and underscores the challenge of applying structure-based design strategies that cannot accurately predict a dynamic protein surface.

Cloning, Molecular↗
PubMed2003

In situ assembly of enzyme inhibitors using extended tethering.

Cysteine aspartyl protease-3 (caspase-3) is a mediator of apoptosis and a therapeutic target for a wide range of diseases. Using a dynamic combinatorial technology, 'extended tethering', we identified unique nonpeptidic inhibitors for this enzyme. Extended tethering allowed the identification of ligands that bind to discrete regions of caspase-3 and also helped direct the assembly of these ligands into small-molecule inhibitors. We first designed a small-molecule 'extender' that irreversibly alkylates the cysteine residue of caspase-3 and also contains a thiol group. The modified protein was then screened against a library of disulfide-containing small-molecule fragments. Mass-spectrometry was used to identify ligands that bind noncovalently to the protein and that also form a disulfide linkage with the extender. Linking the selected fragments with binding elements from the extenders generates reversible, tight-binding molecules that are druglike and distinct from known inhibitors. One molecule derived from this approach inhibited apoptosis in cells.

Apoptosis↗
PubMed2002

Identification of potent and selective small-molecule inhibitors of caspase-3 through the use of extended tethering and structure-based drug design.

The design, synthesis, and in vitro activities of a series of potent and selective small-molecule inhibitors of caspase-3 are described. From extended tethering, a salicylic acid fragment was identified as having binding affinity for the S(4) pocket of caspase-3. X-ray crystallography and molecular modeling of the initial tethering hit resulted in the synthesis of 4, which reversibly inhibited caspase-3 with a K(i) = 40 nM. Further optimization led to the identification of a series of potent and selective inhibitors with K(i) values in the 20-50 nM range. One of the most potent compounds in this series, 66b, inhibited caspase-3 with a K(i) = 20 nM and selectivity of 8-500-fold for caspase-3 vs a panel of seven caspases (1, 2, and 4-8). A high-resolution X-ray cocrystal structure of 4 and 66b supports the predicted binding modes of our compounds with caspase-3.

Aspartic Acid↗
PubMed2002

Unraveling hot spots in binding interfaces: progress and challenges.

Protein interface hot spots, as revealed by alanine scanning mutagenesis, continue to stimulate interest in the biophysical basis of molecular recognition. Although these regions apparently constitute fertile grounds for intermolecular interactions, no general algorithm has yet been developed that can predict hot spots based solely on their shape or composition. The discovery of structural plasticity in hot spot regions indicates that dynamic simulation techniques may be essential for achieving a predictive understanding of binding interface energetics. Future progress will depend as much on the application of new computational approaches for dissecting protein interfaces as on expanding our empirical databank of mutagenic substitutions and their effects. Despite our current theoretical shortcomings, recent methodological advances provide efficient experimental means of probing hot spots and enable immediate applications for hot spots in drug discovery.

Alanine↗