Protein flexibility in docking and surface mapping

Structure-based drug design has become an essential tool for rapid lead discovery and optimization. As available structural information has increased, researchers have become increasingly aware of the importance of protein flexibility for accurate description of the native state. Typical protein-ligand docking efforts still rely on a single rigid receptor, which is an incomplete representation of potential binding conformations of the protein. These rigid docking efforts typically show the best performance rates between 50 and 75%, while fully flexible docking methods can enhance pose prediction up to 80-95%. This review examines the current toolbox for flexible protein-ligand docking and receptor surface mapping. Present limitations and possibilities for future development are discussed.