Structural analysis of the binding of type I, I1/2, and II inhibitors to eph tyrosine kinases

TitleStructural analysis of the binding of type I, I1/2, and II inhibitors to eph tyrosine kinases
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2015
AuthorsDong J., Zhao H., Zhou T., Spiliotopoulos D., Rajendran C., Li X.-D., Huang D., Caflisch A.
JournalACS Medicinal Chemistry Letters
Volume6
Issue1
Pagination79-83
Date Published2015 Jan 8
Type of ArticleResearch Article
KeywordsEph kinases, fragment-based docking, protein crystallography, structure-based drug design
Abstract

We have solved the crystal structures of the EphA3 tyrosine kinase in complex with nine small-molecule inhibitors, which represent five different chemotypes and three main binding modes, i.e., types I and I1/2 (DFG in) and type II (DFG out). The three structures with type I1/2 inhibitors show that the higher affinity with respect to type I is due to an additional polar group (hydroxyl or pyrazole ring of indazole) which is fully buried and is involved in the same hydrogen bonds as the (urea or amide) linker of the type II inhibitors. Overall, the type I and type II binding modes belong to the lock-and-key and induced fit mechanism, respectively. In the type II binding, the scaffold in contact with the hinge region influences the position of the Phe765 side chain of the DFG motif and the orientation of the Gly-rich loop. The binding mode of Birb796 in the EphA3 kinase does not involve any hydrogen bond with the hinge region, which is different from the Birb796/p38 MAP kinase complex. Our structural analysis emphasizes the importance of accounting for structural plasticity of the ATP binding site in the design of type II inhibitors of tyrosine kinases.

DOI10.1021/ml500355x
pubindex

0192

Alternate JournalACS Med. Chem. Lett.
PubMed ID25589935
PubMed Central IDPMC4291711