Exploring QSAR for CYP11B2 binding affinity and CYP11B2/CYP11B1 selectivity of diverse functional compounds using GFA and G/PLS techniques.

A data set of a series of 132 structurally diverse compounds with cytochrome 11B2 and 11B1 (CYP11B2 and CYP11B1) enzyme inhibitory activities was subjected to molecular shape analysis to explore contributions of shape features as well as electronic, structural, and physicochemical parameters toward enzyme inhibitory activities, in search of appropriate molecular scaffolds with optimum substitutions for highly potent CYP11B2 inhibitors. Genetic function approximation (GFA) and genetic partial least squares (G/PLS) were used as chemometric tools for modeling, and the derived equations were of acceptable statistical quality considering both internal and external validation parameters (Q(2): 0.514-0.659, R(2)(pred): 0.510-0.734). The G/PLS models with spline option for CYP11B2 and CYP11B1 inhibition and selectivity modeling appeared to be the best models based on r(m)(2)((overall)) criterion. The study indicates the importance of the pyridinylnaphthalene and pyridylmethylene-indane scaffolds with less polar and electrophilic substituents for optimum CYP11B2 inhibitory activity and CYP11B2/CYP11B1 selectivity.