Importance of ligand bioactive conformation in the discovery of potent indole-diamide inhibitors of the hepatitis C virus NS5B.
LaPlante, S.R., Gillard, J.R., Jakalian, A., Aubry, N., Coulombe, R., Brochu, C., Tsantrizos, Y.S., Poirier, M., Kukolj, G., Beaulieu, P.L.(2010) J Am Chem Soc 132: 15204-15212
- PubMed: 20942454 
- DOI: https://doi.org/10.1021/ja101358s
- Primary Citation of Related Structures:  
3MWV, 3MWW - PubMed Abstract: 
Significant advances have led to receptor induced-fit and conformational selection models for describing bimolecular recognition, but a more comprehensive view must evolve to also include ligand shape and conformational changes. Here, we describe an example where a ligand's "structural hinge" influences potency by inducing an "L-shape" bioactive conformation, and due to its solvent exposure in the complex, reasonable conformation-activity-relationships can be qualitatively attributed. From a ligand design perspective, this feature was exploited by successful linker hopping to an alternate "structural hinge" that led to a new and promising chemical series which matched the ligand bioactive conformation and the pocket bioactive space. Using a combination of X-ray crystallography, NMR and modeling with support from binding-site resistance mutant studies and photoaffinity labeling experiments, we were able to derive inhibitor-polymerase complexes for various chemical series.
Organizational Affiliation: 
Department of Chemistry, Boehringer Ingelheim (Canada) Ltd., 2100 Cunard St., Laval, Quebec, Canada, H7S2G5. steven.laplante@boehringer-ingelheim.com