A chelator fragment library based on a variety of metal binding groups was screened against a metalloproteinase. Lead hits were identified and an expanded library of select compounds was synthesized, resulting in numerous high-affinity hits against several metalloprotein targets. The findings clearly demonstrate that chelators can be used to generate libraries suitable for fragmentbased lead design (FBLD) directed at important metalloproteins.
Keywordschelators; fragment-based lead design; libraries; metalloproteins; zinc Fragment-based lead design (FBLD), sometimes referred to as fragment-based drug discovery (FBDD), is an increasingly important strategy for the discovery of biologically active compounds.[1] FBLD generally uses libraries consisting of modest collections (100-1000 compounds) of small molecular fragments (MW <300 amu) that are screened against targets of interest.[2] Although such fragments do not bind as tightly (K d values in the micro-to millimolar range) as more complex molecules, including those used in high-throughput screening (HTS) approaches, they can provide 'hits' that serve as efficient starting structures for the development of potent inhibitors. Fragments that bind to a target are identified, after which one of two approaches is generally pursued: a) a single fragment can be elaborated in order to obtain a tight binder; or b) multiple fragments binding at adjacent and distinct sites can be connected by an appropriate linker to obtain a potent inhibitor. Compared to HTS, FBLD is purported to have several advantages, including a more efficient exploration of chemically diverse space and higher ligand efficiencies.Although the application of FBLD to metalloprotein targets of medicinal interest has been described, [3] Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) represent one of the most well-established targets in the realm of metalloproteins. These zinc(II)-dependent enzymes have been extensively studied, and the development of MMP inhibitors (MMPi) has played an important role in the discovery of inhibitors for other zinc(II)-dependent metalloproteins, such as anthrax lethal factor (LF), histone deacetylases (HDACs), and others.[10] Indeed, the earliest application of FBLD to a metalloprotein target was directed at MMP-3.[3] Therefore, we focused our preliminary library screening efforts on MMPs, as a representative system for identifying fragments that would bind zinc(II) metalloproteins. Based on widely-reported criteria for fragment libraries, [2] an initial chelator fragment library (CFL-1) was assembled. A modest library containing 96 structural cores was prepared from chelators with two to four donor atoms for binding metal ions and sufficient solubility for screening ( Figure 1). The chelating groups included picolinic acids, hydroxyquinolones, pyrimidines, hydroxypyrones, hydroxypyridinones and salicylic acids, in addition to other compounds that are well-established components of metalloprotein inhibitors, such as hydroxamic acids and sulfonamides ( Figure 1). The CFL-1 librar...