Nuclear magnetic resonance assembly of chemical entities using advanced antenna probes

1. A method for obtaining a focused library of candidate binding compounds for a protein family, wherein the members of the protein family bind a common ligand, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a ligand-probe having an antenna moiety and a ligand moiety, wherein at least one atom intervenes between the ligand moiety and an NMR visible nucleus of the antenna moiety, wherein the ligand-probe binds to the common ligand binding site of a protein, wherein the protein is a member of the protein family;

(b) providing a sample comprising the protein, the ligand-probe and a second ligand under conditions wherein the ligand-probe, the second ligand and the protein form a bound complex;

(c) detecting a subset of magnetization transfer signals between the antenna moiety of the ligand-probe and the second ligand in the bound complex, wherein said signals are obtained from an isotope-edited NOESY spectrum of said sample, thereby determining that the antenna moiety and second ligand are proximal in the bound complex; and

(d) obtaining a population of candidate binding compounds comprising the ligand-probe, or a fragment thereof that binds to the common ligand binding site of said protein, covalently linked to one of a plurality of homologs of said second ligand,

whereby the population contains binding compounds that bind to members of the protein family.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the antenna moiety comprises an isotope selected from 13 C, 15 N, 19 F, 31 P and 113 Cd.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ligand probe has a plurality of antenna moieties.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (d) comprises detecting magnetization transfer between the antenna moieties of the ligand-probe and the second ligand in the bound complex, thereby determining that the antenna moieties and second ligand are proximal in the bound complex.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protein is deuterium labeled.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ligand-probe is identified based on visual inspection of a structure model for the binding site of the macromolecule.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein said NOESY spectrum is a 2D NOESY spectrum.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein said isotope-edited NOESY spectrum is a 13 C-edited NOESY spectrum.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the ligand moiety of said ligand-probe comprises a common ligand.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein step (d) comprises obtaining a population of candidate binding compounds comprising the common ligand, or a fragment thereof that binds to the common ligand binding site of said protein, covalently linked to one of a plurality of homologs of said second ligand.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein candidate binding compounds in the population of step (d) have a covalent linkage between the antenna moiety and a homolog of said second ligand.

12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising a step of observing competitive binding of a common ligand and the ligand-probe to the protein, thereby determining that the ligand-probe binds to the common ligand binding site of the protein.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein binding of the ligand-probe is identified by a method comprising measuring cross-saturation for a bound complex comprising the first ligand bound to the macromolecule.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the cross-saturation is measured using WaterLOGSY.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein step (c) further comprises identifying an atom of the antenna moiety that is proximal to an atom of the second ligand.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising determining the distance between the atom of the antenna moiety that is proximal to the atom of the second ligand.

17. The method of claim 1 , wherein an inter-ligand distance in the bound complex between the ligand moiety in the common ligand binding site and the bound second ligand is estimated based on the summation of bond lengths, taking into account bond angles, present in the antenna moiety plus the NOE estimated distance between the NMR visible nucleus of the antenna moiety and an atom of the second ligand.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the NOE estimated distance is about 6 angstroms or less.

19. A method for obtaining a focused library of candidate binding compounds, wherein the members of the protein family bind a common ligand, comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a ligand-probe having an antenna moiety and a ligand moiety, wherein at least one atom intervenes between the ligand moiety and an NMR visible nucleus of the antenna moiety, wherein the ligand-probe binds to the common ligand binding site of a protein, wherein the protein is a member of the protein family;

(b) providing a plurality of samples comprising the protein and the ligand-probe under conditions wherein the ligand-probe and the protein form a bound complex, wherein the protein is a member of a family of proteins that bind a common ligand;

(c) assaying a population of candidate second ligands for the ability to transfer magnetization to the antenna moiety of the ligand-probe in a sample from the plurality, wherein said ability to transfer magnetization is assessed by determining a subset of magnetization signals of an isotope-edited NOESY spectrum of said sample;

(d) identifying, from the population of candidate second ligands, a second ligand that transfers magnetization to the antenna moiety of the ligand-probe, thereby determining that the two ligands are proximal to each other in a ternary bound complex with the protein; and

(e) obtaining a population of candidate binding compounds comprising the ligand-probe, or a fragment thereof that binds to the common ligand binding site of said protein, covalently linked to one of a plurality of homologs of said second ligand identified in step (d),

whereby the population of candidate binding compounds contains binding compounds that bind to members of the protein family.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein the antenna moiety comprises an isotope selected from 13 C, 15 N, 19 F, 31 P and 113 Cd.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein the ligand moiety of said ligand probe comprises a common ligand.

22. The method of claim 19 , wherein step (e) comprises obtaining a population of candidate binding compounds comprising the common ligand, or a fragment thereof that binds to the common ligand binding site of said protein, covalently linked to one of a plurality of homologs of said second ligand.

23. The method of claim 19 , wherein candidate binding compounds in the population of step (e) have a covalent linkage between the antenna moiety and a homolog of said second ligand.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein the protein is deuterium labeled.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein the ligand-probe is identified based on visual inspection of a structure model for the binding site of the macromolecule.

26. The method of claim 19 , further comprising determining that the second ligand binds to a different location on the protein from the common ligand.

27. The method of claim 19 , wherein said NOESY spectrum is a 2D NOESY spectrum.

28. The method of claim 19 , wherein said isotope-edited NOESY spectrum is a 13 C-edited NOESY spectrum.

29. The method of claim 19 , wherein the ligand probe has a plurality of antenna moieties.

30. The method of claim 29 , wherein step (c) comprises assaying a population of candidate second ligands for the ability to transfer magnetization to the plurality of antenna moiety of the ligand-probe in a sample from the plurality.

31. The method of claim 19 , further comprising a step of observing competitive binding of a common ligand and the ligand-probe to the protein, thereby determining that the ligand-probe binds to the common ligand binding site of the protein.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein binding of the ligand-probe is identified by a method comprising measuring cross-saturation for a bound complex comprising the first ligand bound to the macromolecule.

33. The method of claim 32 , wherein the cross-saturation is measured using WaterLOGSY.

34. The method of claim 19 , wherein step (d) further comprises identifying an atom of the antenna moiety that is proximal to an atom of the second ligand.

35. The method of claim 34 , further comprising determining the distance between the atom of the antenna moiety that is proximal to the atom of the second ligand.

36. The method of claim 19 , wherein an inter-ligand distance in the bound complex between the ligand moiety in the common ligand binding site and the bound second ligand is estimated based on the summation of bond lengths, taking into account bond angles, present in the antenna moiety plus the NOE estimated distance between the NMR visible nucleus of the antenna moiety and an atom of the second ligand.

37. The method of claim 36 , wherein the NOE estimated distance is about 6 angstroms or less.