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Publication Abstract from PubMed

Small-molecule stabilization of protein-protein interactions (PPIs) is a promising strategy in chemical biology and drug discovery. However, the systematic discovery of PPI stabilizers remains a largely unmet challenge. Herein we report a fragment-linking approach targeting the interface of 14-3-3 and a peptide derived from the estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) protein. Two classes of fragments-a covalent and a noncovalent fragment-were co-crystallized and subsequently linked, resulting in a noncovalent hybrid molecule in which the original fragment interactions were largely conserved. Supported by 20 crystal structures, this initial hybrid molecule was further optimized, resulting in selective, 25-fold stabilization of the 14-3-3/ERalpha interaction. The high-resolution structures of both the single fragments, their co-crystal structures and those of the linked fragments document a feasible strategy to develop orthosteric PPI stabilizers by linking to an initial tethered fragment.

From Tethered to Freestanding Stabilizers of 14-3-3 Protein-Protein Interactions through Fragment Linking.,Visser EJ, Jaishankar P, Sijbesma E, Pennings MAM, Vandenboorn EMF, Guillory X, Neitz RJ, Morrow J, Dutta S, Renslo AR, Brunsveld L, Arkin MR, Ottmann C Angew Chem Int Ed Engl. 2023 Jul 16:e202308004. doi: 10.1002/anie.202308004. PMID:37455289^[1]

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.