Solvent accessibility as a predictive tool for the free energy of inhibitor binding to the HIV‐1 protease

We have developed a simple approach for the evaluation of the free energies of inhibitor binding to the protease of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV‐1 PR). Our algorithm is based on the observation that most groups that line the binding pockets of this enzyme are hydrophobic in nature. Based on this fact, we have likened the binding of an inhibitor to this enzyme to its transfer from water to a medium of lower polarity. The resulting expression produced values for the free energy of binding of inhibitors to the HIV‐1 PR that are in good agreement with experimental values. The additive nature of this approach has enabled us to partition the free energy of binding into the contributions of single fragments. The resulting analysis clearly indicates the existence of a ranking in the participation of the enzyme's subsites in binding. Although all the enzyme's pockets contribute to binding, the ones that bind the P2‐P'2 span of the inhibitor are in general the most critical for high inhibitor potency. Moreover, our method has allowed us to determine the nature of the functional groups that fit into given enzyme binding pockets. Perusal of the energy contributions of single side chains has shown that a large number of hydrophobic and aromatic groups located in the central portion of the HIV‐1 PR inhibitors present optimal binding. All of these observations are in agreement with experimental evidence, providing a validation for the physical relevancy of our model.