Application of an NMR/crystallography fragment screening platform for the assessment and rapid discovery of new HIV-CA binding fragments

Abstract

Identification and assessment of novel targets is essential to combat drug resistance in the treatment of HIV/AIDS. HIV Capsid (HIV-CA), the protein playing a major role in both the early and late stages of the viral life cycle, has emerged as an important target. We have applied an NMR fragment screening platform and identified molecules that bind to theN-terminal domain (NTD) of HIV-CA at a site close to the interface with theC-terminal domain (CTD). Using X-ray crystallography, we have been able to obtain crystal structures to identify the binding mode of these compounds. This allowed for rapid progression of the initial, weak binding, fragment starting points to compounds37and38, which have19F-pK values of 5.3 and 5.4 respectively.Abstract Figure