In the field of in silico screening, many applications do not automatically consider possible tautomeric states of molecules. However, the detection of new compound candidates might rely on correct structural description, which is important for the perfect fit toward the biologically relevant interactions. In this paper, we present a new exhaustive tautomer enumeration approach implemented by means of the CACTVS software package. The approach contains a set of 21 predefined SMIRKS-based transforms and a powerful transformation engine that is capable of generating most tautomers described comprehensively in the literature or found in databases in the field of medicinal chemistry. User-defined tautomer rules applied to specific structural databases or scientific issues can be implemented easily and used instead of the predefined rules. In addition, we describe the impact of tautomer-enriched databases on pharmacophore screening approaches for human matrix metalloproteinase 8 as an example of a protein-based pharmacophore screening scenario and for human cyclin-dependent kinases as an example of a ligand-based pharmacophore screening approach. In both test cases, as a preprocessing step, we have used our new tautomer enumerator tool for the tautomer enrichment of the screening data sets and have used it as a postprocessing step to remove tautomeric duplicates from the results. We could demonstrate that the tautomer-enriched screening data sets show significant advantages compared to their non-enhanced counterparts. The discrimination between hits and nonhits was significantly better in the case of tautomer-enriched databases. Moreover, it has been proved that tautomer-enhanced databases will lead to a higher number of potential hits.

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Apicomplexan parasites encompass several human-pathogenic as well as animal-pathogenic protozoans like Plasmodium falciparum, Toxoplasma gondii, and Eimeria tenella. E. tenella is the causative agent of coccidiosis a disease of chickens, which causes tremendous economic losses to the world poultry industry. Considerable increase of drug resistance makes it necessary to develop and pursue new therapeutic strategies. Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs) are key molecules in the regulation of the cell cycle and are therefore prominent target proteins in parasitic diseases. Bioinformatic analysis revealed four potential CDK-like proteins of which one -E. tenella CDKrelated kinase 2 (EtCRK2) -is already cloned, expressed and characterized. [1] Using the CDK specific inhibitor Flavopiridol in EtCRK2 enzyme assays and schizont maturation assays we could chemically validate CDK-like proteins as potential drug targets. An X-ray crystal structure of human CDK2 (HsCDK2) served as template to built protein models of EtCRK2 by comparative homology modeling. Structural differences in the ATP-binding site between EtCRK2 and HsCDK2 as well as chicken CDK3 have been addressed for the optimization of selective ATPcompetitive inhibitors. Virtual screening and "wet-bench" high throughput screening campaigns on large compound libraries resulted in an initial set of hit compounds. These compounds were further analyzed and characterized leading to a set of four promising lead compounds inhibiting EtCRK2.

Human papillomavirus virus-like particles (VLPs) have recently been used to deliver genes into mammalian cells in vitro and in vivo. Here, we investigated whether VLPs may serve as an e⁄cient carrier of low molecular weight compounds (e.g. hormones, vitamins, peptides etc.) into cells. COS7 cells were incubated with recombinant HPV-16L1/L2 VLPs labelled with the £uorescence dye carboxy£uorescein diacetate succinimidyl ester. Using £ow cytometry, we demonstrate that labelled VLPs can speci¢cally bind to the cell surface followed by their complete internalisation. Our results indicate that VLPs are promising vehicles for highly e⁄cient delivery of low molecular weight compounds into cells. ß

The inside cover picture shows the validated drug target EtCRK2, a cyclin-dependent kinase of Eimeria tenella homologous to human CDK2 and chicken CDK3. A potential EtCRK2 inhibitor is docked into the active site of the protein.