The "bridge" game: role of the fourth player in chiral recognition

Abstract

A new team player: The "three-point interaction" model, which is usually employed to rationalize chiral recognition, does not account for the amazing enantioselectivity measured for the receptors of many proteic acceptors. Gas-phase experiments have indicated that at least a fourth "player" must be considered: the rigidity that a receptor opposes to distortions of its cavity resulting from noncovalent interactions with a chiral molecule (see picture).