Crystallographic screening using ultra-low-molecular-weight ligands to guide drug design

Drug Discov Today. 2019 May;24(5):1081-1086. doi: 10.1016/j.drudis.2019.03.009. Epub 2019 Mar 14.

Abstract

We present a novel crystallographic screening methodology (MiniFrags) that employs high-concentration aqueous soaks with a chemically diverse and ultra-low-molecular-weight library (heavy atom count 5-7) to identify ligand-binding hot and warm spots on proteins. We propose that MiniFrag screening represents a highly effective method for guiding optimisation of fragment-derived lead compounds or chemical tools and that the high screening hit rates reflect enhanced sampling of chemical space.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Crystallography
  • Drug Design*
  • Ligands
  • Molecular Weight
  • Small Molecule Libraries

Substances

  • Ligands
  • Small Molecule Libraries