Pillar[5]arene-Derived endo-Functionalized Molecular Tube for Mimicking Protein-Ligand Interactions

Artificial tubular molecular pockets bearing polar functionalities on their inner surface are useful model systems for understanding the mechanisms of protein-ligand interactions in living systems. We herein report a pillar[5]arene-derived molecular tube, [P4-(OH)BPO], whose endo conformational isomer endo-[P4-(OH)BPO] possesses an inwardly pointing hydrogen-bond (H-bond) donor (OH) in its deep cavity and a strong H-bond acceptor (C═O) on its predominantly hydrophobic inner surface, rendering it a perfect protein binding pocket mimetic. A fragment-based drug design model was established using endo-[P4-(OH)BPO] and a library of various shape-complementary fragment ligands (1-38). On the basis of the binding affinity data for "fragment-pocket" complexes G⊂endo-[P4-(OH)BPO] (G = 1-38), two rationally designed "lead molecules" (39 and 40) were identified as being able to enhance binding affinity significantly by forming H-bonds with both the donor and acceptor of endo-[P4-(OH)BPO]. The described work opens new avenues for developing pillar[n]arene-derived protein binding pocket-mimetic systems for studies of protein-ligand interactions and mechanisms of enzymatic reactions.