Search
Browse
Statistics
Feeds

Mapping the SHP2 allosteric pocket with target-biased covalent fragments

[thumbnail of Original Article]
Preview
PDF (Original Article) - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
3MB
[thumbnail of Supporting Information]
Preview
PDF (Supporting Information) - Requires a PDF viewer such as GSview, Xpdf or Adobe Acrobat Reader
3MB

Item Type:Article
Title:Mapping the SHP2 allosteric pocket with target-biased covalent fragments
Creators Name:Efrém, Nina-Louisa, Csorba, Noémi, Amoussa, Machoud, Ábrányi-Balogh, Péter, Guo, Ziqiong, Petri, László, Bo, Feng, Di Lorenzo, Vincenzo, Roske, Yvette, Szalai, Tibor Viktor, Mihalovits, Levente, Simon, József, Li, Jia, Daumke, Oliver, Keserű, György M. and Nazaré, Marc
Abstract:Targeted covalent inhibitors (TCIs) form covalent bonds with a specific amino acid in their target proteins, offering high selectivity and sustained pharmacologic effects. However, identifying optimal electrophilic warheads and nucleophilic amino acids remains a major hurdle for TCI development. While covalent fragment libraries are efficient in the identification of reactive residues, their inherently weak and transient interactions often fail to address functionally relevant binding sites. Here, we combine the exploratory approach of covalent fragment screening with established inhibitor pharmacophores for covalent mapping of the tunnel allosteric site of the oncogenic phosphatase SHP2. Aryl sulfonyl fluoride (SF) fragments featuring pharmacophore elements to enhance noncovalent interactions (target-biased fragments) covalently targeted lysine 492 (K492) in the tunnel binding site, while a conventional SF fragment library lacking these features was not reactive toward K492. Covalent engagement of K492 improved enzyme inhibition and provides a starting point for SHP2 TCI development. More broadly, this study underscores how noncovalent interactions direct covalent fragment binding and highlights target-biased fragments as a complementary strategy to conventional covalent fragment libraries to identify suitable warheads and reactive amino acids in functionally relevant binding sites with minimal a priori knowledge of ligand pharmacophores.
Keywords:Allosteric Inhibition, Covalent Fragments, Phosphatases, SHP2, SuFEx
Source:ChemBioChem
ISSN:1439-4227
Publisher:Wiley
Volume:27
Number:8
Page Range:e70310
Date:April 2026
Official Publication:https://doi.org/10.1002/cbic.70310
PubMed:View item in PubMed

Repository Staff Only: item control page

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

Open Access
MDC Library