One of the more challenging issues in medicinal chemistry is the computation of the free energy of ligand binding to macromolecular targets. This allows for the screening of libraries of chemicals for fast and inexpensive identification of lead compounds. Many attempts have been made and several algorithms have been developed for this purpose. Whereas enthalpic contributions are evaluated using methods and equations for which there is a reasonable consensus among researchers, the entropic contribution is evaluated using very different, and, in some cases, very approximate methods, or it is entirely ignored. Entropic contributions are of primary importance in the formation of many ligand-protein complexes, as well as in protein folding. The hydrophobic interaction, associated with the release of water molecules from the protein active site and the ligand, plays a significant role in complex formation, predominantly contributing to the total entropy change and, in some cases, to the total free energy of binding. There are distinct approaches for the evaluation of the contribution of water molecules to the free energy of binding based on Newtonian mechanics force fields, multi-parameter empirical scoring functions and experimental force fields. This review describes these methods - discussing both their advantages and limitations. Particular emphasis will be placed on HINT (Hydropatic INTeractions), a “natural” force field that takes into account in a unified way enthalpic and entropic contributions of all interacting atoms in protein-ligand complexes, including released and structured water molecules. As a case-study, the contribution of water molecules to the binding free energy of HIV-1 protease inhibitors is evaluated.

β-lactam antibiotics are among the most important and widely used antimicrobials worldwide and are comprised of a large family of compounds, obtained by chemical modifications of the common scaffolds. Usually these modifications include the addition of active groups, but less frequently, molecules were synthesized in which either two β-lactam rings were joined to create a single bifunctional compound, or the azetidinone ring was joined to another antibiotic scaffold or another molecule with a different activity, in order to create a molecule bearing two different pharmacophoric functions. In this review, we report some examples of these derivatives, highlighting their biological properties and discussing how this strategy can lead to the development of innovative antibiotics that can represent either novel weapons against the rampant increase of antimicrobial resistance, or molecules with a broader spectrum of action.

A very large number of computational methods to predict the change in thermodynamic stability of proteins due to mutations have been developed during the last 30 years, and many different web servers are currently available. Nevertheless, most of them suffer from severe drawbacks that decrease their general reliability and, consequently, their applicability to different goals such as protein engineering or the predictions of the effects of mutations in genetic diseases. In this review, we have summarized all the main approaches used to develop these tools, with a survey of the web servers currently available. Moreover, we have also reviewed the different assessments made during the years, in order to allow the reader to check directly the different performances of these tools, to select the one that best fits his/her needs, and to help naïve users in finding the best option for their needs.

Background Two mutations in the MYBPC3 gene have been identified in Maine Coon (MCO) and Ragdoll (RD) cats with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Objective This study examined the frequency of these mutations and of the A74T polymorphism to describe their worldwide distribution and correlation with echocardiography. Animals: 1855 cats representing 28 breeds and random‐bred cats worldwide, of which 446 underwent echocardiographic examination. Methods This is a prospective cross‐sectional study. Polymorphisms were genotyped by Illumina VeraCode GoldenGate or by direct sequencing. The disease status was defined by echocardiography according to established guidelines. Odds ratios for the joint probability of having HCM and the alleles were calculated by meta‐analysis. Functional analysis was simulated. Results The MYBPC3 A31P and R820W were restricted to MCO and RD, respectively. Both purebred and random‐bred cats had HCM and the incidence increased with age. The A74T polymorphism was not associated with any phenotype. HCM was most prevalent in MCO homozygote for the A31P mutation and the penetrance increased with age. The penetrance of the heterozygote genotype was lower (0.08) compared with the P/P genotype (0.58) in MCO. Conclusions and Clinical Importance A31P mutation occurs frequently in MCO cats. The high incidence of HCM in homozygotes for the mutation supports the causal nature of the A31P mutation. Penetrance is incomplete for heterozygotes at A31P locus, at least at a young age. The A74T variant does not appear to be correlated with HCM.