Structural modification

Covalent inhibitors are small molecules that can bind specifically to target proteins through covalent bonds and inhibit their biological functions. Although for a long time, covalent targeting has been playing a subordinate role in drug discovery, with an increasing number of reports on successful clinical applications of such drugs, the potential of these agents is now being acknowledged.

Covalent ligands rely on reactive groups (“warheads”), and new warheads are key to expanding the scope of covalent modalities. Through careful selection, we constructed a structural filter containing over 110 electrophilic groups. By analyzing the electrophilic fragments selected by the structural filter, we removed any molecules with trivial or undesirable structural features. Ultimately, we obtained 8,900 fragment molecules with covalent modification potential, which can target various reactive amino acid residues and can be used for fragment-based covalent drug discovery.

Lysine is the second most common target residue used in the design of TCIs and related covalent ligands. Its appeal lies in its abundance in human proteins, which is approximately three times higher than that of cysteine (5.8% vs. 1.9%). This significantly increases the number of proteins suitable for covalent targeting, especially given that many human proteins lack ligandable cysteine residues. Moreover, it has been suggested that functional lysines have a lower probability of being replaced by mutation, as they often play a crucial role in catalysis by acting as bases or nucleophiles. Additionally, lysines are essential for maintaining the structural integrity of proteins and for regulating post-translational modifications (PTMs). Consequently, targeting lysine has garnered significant interest in recent years.

Through careful selection, we constructed a structural filter containing over 110 electrophilic groups. By analyzing the electrophilic fragments selected by the structural filter, we removed any molecules with trivial or undesirable structural features. Ultimately, we obtained 445 fragment molecules which can target lysine residue and can be used for fragment-based covalent drug discovery.

The rising prevalence of multidrug-resistant and extensively drug-resistant bacteria, combined with emerging resistance mechanisms and the limitations of existing antibacterial drugs, creates an urgent need for novel antibacterial agents. Antibacterial compound libraries serve as key tools to support antibacterial drug screening and development.

This library features structurally diverse compounds, including small-molecule scaffolds and natural product derivatives, and exhibits diverse antibacterial mechanisms of action. For example, these compounds exert antibacterial effects by disrupting bacterial cell structures, interfering with bacterial metabolic processes, and inhibiting nucleic acid synthesis. The derivation of scaffold structures enhances their activity against drug-resistant bacteria and their selectivity against different types of bacteria. This library can be used for the high-throughput screening of novel antibacterial drug candidates and the identification of potent compounds against drug-resistant and multidrug-resistant bacteria. Additionally, it provides a reference for compound structural modification, enabling further in-depth research on the structure-activity relationships(SARs) of antibacterial drugs. It can also be applied to the exploration of bacterial resistance mechanisms and reversal strategies, as well as the discovery of antibacterial molecules that inhibit efflux pumps and restore drug susceptibility.

The library contains 10855 structurally diverse drug-like compounds. Its core compound sources include analogs of known antifungal active moleculeswith a similarity score of ≥ 0.6. MCE has collected more than 1900 antibacterial molecules. All screened compounds conform to lead-like physicochemical properties, providing valuable support for the research and development of novel antibacterial drugs.