Structure-based design of substituted biphenyl ethylene ethers as ligands binding in the hydrophobic pocket of gp41 and blocking the helical bundle formation

Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2009 Oct 1;19(19):5693-7. doi: 10.1016/j.bmcl.2009.08.018. Epub 2009 Aug 8.

Abstract

A series of substituted biphenyl ethylene ether compounds has been designed to target the gp41N-trimer in order to inhibit formation of the six-helical bundle that represents the end state of gp41-mediated viral fusion. A size exclusion HPLC based helical bundle formation (HBF) assay was developed to evaluate in vitro inhibitory affinity of the inhibitors. The most potent compound 1 had an IC(50) of 31microM. The binding of compound 1 to the proposed hydrophobic pocket of gp41 was further validated by site-directed peptide mutagenesis experiments.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-HIV Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Anti-HIV Agents / chemistry*
  • Anti-HIV Agents / pharmacology
  • Binding Sites
  • Computer Simulation
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Drug Design
  • Ethers / chemical synthesis
  • Ethers / chemistry*
  • Ethers / pharmacology
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / antagonists & inhibitors
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / chemistry*
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp41 / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions
  • Ligands
  • Naphthalenes / chemical synthesis
  • Naphthalenes / chemistry*
  • Naphthalenes / pharmacology
  • Protein Binding
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Tetrazoles / chemical synthesis
  • Tetrazoles / chemistry*
  • Tetrazoles / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anti-HIV Agents
  • Ethers
  • HIV Envelope Protein gp41
  • Ligands
  • Naphthalenes
  • Tetrazoles