Jm. Chen et al., Structure-based design of potent inhibitors of scytalone dehydratase: Displacement of a water molecule from the active site, BIOCHEM, 37(51), 1998, pp. 17735-17744
Scytalone dehydratase (SD) is a molecular target of inhibitor design effort
s aimed at protecting rice plants from the fungal disease caused by Magnapo
rthe grisea, As determined from X-ray diffraction data of an SD-inhibitor c
omplex [Lundqvist et al. (1994) Structure (London) 2, 937-944], there is an
extended hydrogen-bonding network between protein side chains, the inhibit
or, and two bound water molecules. From models of SD complexed to quinazoli
ne and benztriazine inhibitors, a new class of potent SD inhibitors involvi
ng the displacement of an active-site water molecule were designed. We were
able to increase inhibitory potency by synthesizing compounds with a nitri
le functionality displayed into the space occupied by one of the crystallog
raphic water molecules. Sixteen inhibitors are compared. The net conversion
of potent quinazoline and benztriazine inhibitors to cyanoquinolines and c
yanocinnolines increased binding potency 2-20-fold. Replacement of the nitr
ile with a hydrogen atom lowered binding affinity 100-30000-fold. X-ray cry
stallographic data at 1.65 Angstrom resolution on a SD-inhibitor complex co
nfirmed that the nitrile functionality displaced the water molecule as inte
nded and that a favorable orientation was created with tyrosines 30 and 50
which had been part of the hydrogen-bonding network with the water molecule
. Additional data on inhibitors presented herein reveals the importance of
two hydrogen-bonding networks toward inhibitory potency: one between Asn131
and an appropriately positioned inhibitor heteroatom and one between a bou
nd water molecule and a second inhibitor heteroatom.