The destabilizing p53 cancer mutation Y220C creates a druggable surface crevice. We developed a strategy exploiting halogen bonding for lead discovery to stabilize the mutant with small molecules. We designed halogen-enriched fragment libraries (HEFLibs) as starting points to complement classical approaches ...
The destabilizing p53 cancer mutation Y220C creates a druggable surface crevice. We developed a strategy exploiting halogen bonding for lead discovery to stabilize the mutant with small molecules. We designed halogen-enriched fragment libraries (HEFLibs) as starting points to complement classical approaches. From screening of HEFLibs and subsequent structure-guided design, we developed substituted 2-(aminomethyl)-4-ethynyl-6-iodophenols as p53-Y220C stabilizers. Crystal structures of their complexes highlight two key features: (i) a central scaffold with a robust binding mode anchored by halogen bonding of an iodine with a main-chain carbonyl and (ii) an acetylene linker, enabling the targeting of an additional subsite in the crevice. The best binders showed induction of apoptosis in a human cancer cell line with homozygous Y220C mutation. Our structural and biophysical data suggest a more widespread applicability of HEFLibs in drug discovery.
Related Citations:
Structural Basis for Understanding Oncogenic P53 Mutations and Designing Rescue Drugs. Joerger, A.C., Ang, H.C., Fersht, A.R. (2006) Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 103: 15056
Organizational Affiliation:
Laboratory for Molecular Design and Pharmaceutical Biophysics, Department of Pharmaceutical and Medicinal Chemistry, Institute of Pharmacy, Eberhard-Karls-University Tuebingen, Auf der Morgenstelle 8, 72076 Tuebingen, Germany.
Download Mendeley
