Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Paul R Caron

Joseph L Kim

Chao Lin

Keith P Wilson

William Markland

Michael Su

Xiaoling Xie

Yong Gu

Kurt A Morgenstern

Edward Fox

Guy W Bemis

W Patrick Walters

Brian J Hare

The present invention relates to molecules and molecular complexes which comprise the active site binding pockets of JNK3 or close structural homologues of the active site binding pockets.

Crystallization of C-Jun N-Terminal Kinase 3 (JNK3)

Computer-based methods for modeling complex formation between a query ligand and a target macromolecule are described herein. The methods can include, for example, providing a structural model of a query ligand and a structural model of a target macromolecule; identifying a substructure of the query ligand; identifying comparison ligands in a set of 3-D structural models that each share an identical substructure with the query ligand, wherein each 3-D structural model comprises a comparison ligand and a comparison macromolecule, and wherein the comparison macromolecule has structural features homologous to the target macromolecule; mapping spatial relationships between the substructure atoms of the query ligand and the comparison ligand such that corresponding atoms are identified; assigning atomic coordinates to the corresponding atoms of the query ligand; and generating one or more output models, each model comprising a 3-D structural model of the query ligand substructure and the target macromolecule. Related articles and apparatuses are also described.

Method of modeling complex formation between a query ligan and a target molecule

The invention relates to the X-ray crystal structure of the hepatitis C virus helicase domain. More specifically, the invention relates to crystallized complexes of HCV helicase and an oligonucleotide, to crystallizable compositions of HCV helicase and an oligonucleotide and to methods of crystallizing an HCV helicase-oligonucleotide complex. The invention further relates to a computer programmed with the structure coordinates of the HCV helicase oligonucleotide binding pocket or the HCV helicase nucleotide triphosphate pocket wherein said computer is capable of displaying a three-dimensional representation of that binding pocket.

Crystals of hepatitis C virus helicase or fragments thereof comprising a helicase binding pocket

The present invention relates to a data storage medium encoded with the corresponding structure coordinates of molecules and molecular complexes which comprise the active site-binding pockets of JNK3. A computer comprising such data storage material is capable of displaying such molecules and molecular complexes, or their structural homologues, as a graphical three-dimensional representation on a computer screen. This invention also relates to methods of using the structure coordinates to solve the structure of homologous proteins or protein complexes. In addition, this invention relates to methods of using the structure coordinates to screen and design compounds, including inhibitory compounds, that bind to JNK3 or homologues thereof. This invention also relates to molecules and molecular complexes which comprise the active site binding pockets of JNK3 or close structural homologues of the active site binding pockets.

Methods of designing inhibitors for JNK kinases

Hepatitis C virus helicase crystals and coordinates that define helicase binding pockets

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Malden, MA, United States of America

Paul R Caron