arrow
Return

ProMol_Func: A Structure-Free Deep Learning Model for Virtual Screening

delete2026-02-24
delete0
delete
OA
AI
Z
Zixuan Feng
M
Max Kim
A
Aweon Richards
T
Tania J. Lupoli *
Y
Yingkai Zhang *
DOI:10.1021/jacsau.6c00173delete
deleteOriginal
deleteOriginal request for help
deleteShare
deleteSave
Abstract

Abstract

En 中文
In computational-aided drug discovery, structure-based drug design models are computationally intensive and rely on protein structures, limiting their scalability and generalization. Additionally, many existing models suffer from inflated false-positive rates due to the scarcity of negative binding data for training. To overcome these challenges, we present ProMol_Func, a structure-free deep learning framework that integrates graph-based encodings of small molecules with protein function embeddings derived solely from amino acid sequences. By augmenting the training data set with both experimentally validated inactives and randomly selected decoys, ProMol_Func improves screening power and generalization. The model achieves state-of-the-art performance on the challenging LIT-PCBA (Library of Integrated Targeted-Panel of Cell-Based Assays) benchmark, with an enrichment factor (EF1%) of 10.9, demonstrating robust screening power in realistic assay settings. Furthermore, in a zero-shot prospective application to E. coli DnaK, a protein chaperone without actives in the training set, ProMol_Func successfully identified compounds that inhibit its ATPase activity or alter the protein’s thermal stability, validating the potential of ProMol_Func for discovering binders toward novel targets. These results position ProMol_Func as an efficient and scalable alternative to traditional structure-dependent approaches in early stage hit discovery.
Keywords:
Bacteria
Drug discovery
Inhibitors
Machine learning
Screening assays
virtual screening
structure-free
deep learning
protein−ligand binding
zero-shot learning
E. coli DnaK

Journal

JACS Au cover
JACS Au
IF:
8.7
Papers:
2.3K
Citations:
8.0K

Organization

N
New York University
Scholars:
4.4W
Papers: 3.9W
Citations: 5.8W