PMID: 29316128

Authors:

Pecina A, Brynda J, Vrzal L, Gnanasekaran R, Horejsi M, Eyrilmez S, Rezac J, Lepsik M, Rezacova P, Hobza P, Majer P, Veverka V, Fanfrlik J

Title:

Ranking Power of the SQM/COSMO Scoring Function on Carbonic Anhydrase II-Inhibitor Complexes.

Journal:

Chemphyschem. 2018 Jan 8. doi: 10.1002/cphc.201701104.

Abstract:

Accurate prediction of protein-ligand binding affinities is essential for hit-to-lead optimization and virtual screening. The reliability of scoring functions can be improved by implementing of quantum effects. Here, we demonstrate the ranking power of the semiempirical quantum mechanics (SQM)/implicit solvent (COSMO) scoring function using a challenging set of 10 inhibitors binding to carbonic anhydrase II via Zn2+ in the active site. This new dataset consists of the high-resolution (1.1 - 1.4 A) crystal structures and experimentally determined Ki values. It allowed us to evaluate the common approximations, such as representing the solvent implicitly or using a single target conformation combined with a set of ligand docking poses. The SQM/COSMO attained good correlation of R2 0.56 - 0.77 with the experimental inhibitory activities, benefiting from the careful handling of both noncovalent interactions (e.g. charge transfer) and solvation. This proof-of-concept study of SQM/COSMO ranking for metalloprotein-ligand systems demonstrates its potential for hit-to-lead applications.