Quadratic unconstrained binary optimization and constraint programming approaches for lattice-based cyclic peptide docking

Abstract The peptide-protein docking problem is an important problem in structural biology that facilitates rational and efficient drug design. In this work, we explore modeling and solving this problem with the quantum-amenable quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) formalism. Our work...

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Main Authors: J. Kyle Brubaker, Kyle E. C. Booth, Akihiko Arakawa, Fabian Furrer, Jayeeta Ghosh, Tsutomu Sato, Helmut G. Katzgraber
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2025-07-01
Series:Scientific Reports
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05565-1
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author J. Kyle Brubaker
Kyle E. C. Booth
Akihiko Arakawa
Fabian Furrer
Jayeeta Ghosh
Tsutomu Sato
Helmut G. Katzgraber
author_facet J. Kyle Brubaker
Kyle E. C. Booth
Akihiko Arakawa
Fabian Furrer
Jayeeta Ghosh
Tsutomu Sato
Helmut G. Katzgraber
author_sort J. Kyle Brubaker
collection DOAJ
description Abstract The peptide-protein docking problem is an important problem in structural biology that facilitates rational and efficient drug design. In this work, we explore modeling and solving this problem with the quantum-amenable quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) formalism. Our work extends recent efforts by incorporating the objectives and constraints associated with peptide cyclization and peptide-protein docking in the two-particle model on a tetrahedral lattice. We propose a “resource efficient” QUBO encoding for this problem, and baseline its performance with a novel constraint programming (CP) approach. We implement an end-to-end framework that enables the evaluation of our methods on instances from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Our results show that the QUBO approach, using a classical simulated annealing solver, is able to find feasible conformations for problems with up to 6 peptide residues and 34 target protein residues (PDB 3WNE, 5LSO), but has trouble scaling beyond this problem size. In contrast, the CP approach can solve the largest instance in our test set, containing 11 peptide residues and 49 target protein residues (PDB 2F58). We conclude that while QUBO can be used to successfully tackle this problem, its scaling limitations and the strong performance of the CP method suggest that it may not be the best choice.
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issn 2045-2322
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spelling doaj-art-41373ac3f71849178e18c20fc39bc1382025-08-20T03:38:12ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222025-07-0115111110.1038/s41598-025-05565-1Quadratic unconstrained binary optimization and constraint programming approaches for lattice-based cyclic peptide dockingJ. Kyle Brubaker0Kyle E. C. Booth1Akihiko Arakawa2Fabian Furrer3Jayeeta Ghosh4Tsutomu Sato5Helmut G. Katzgraber6Amazon Advanced Solutions LabAmazon Advanced Solutions LabResearch Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.Amazon Advanced Solutions LabAWS Professional ServicesResearch Division, Chugai Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.Amazon Advanced Solutions LabAbstract The peptide-protein docking problem is an important problem in structural biology that facilitates rational and efficient drug design. In this work, we explore modeling and solving this problem with the quantum-amenable quadratic unconstrained binary optimization (QUBO) formalism. Our work extends recent efforts by incorporating the objectives and constraints associated with peptide cyclization and peptide-protein docking in the two-particle model on a tetrahedral lattice. We propose a “resource efficient” QUBO encoding for this problem, and baseline its performance with a novel constraint programming (CP) approach. We implement an end-to-end framework that enables the evaluation of our methods on instances from the Protein Data Bank (PDB). Our results show that the QUBO approach, using a classical simulated annealing solver, is able to find feasible conformations for problems with up to 6 peptide residues and 34 target protein residues (PDB 3WNE, 5LSO), but has trouble scaling beyond this problem size. In contrast, the CP approach can solve the largest instance in our test set, containing 11 peptide residues and 49 target protein residues (PDB 2F58). We conclude that while QUBO can be used to successfully tackle this problem, its scaling limitations and the strong performance of the CP method suggest that it may not be the best choice.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05565-1
spellingShingle J. Kyle Brubaker
Kyle E. C. Booth
Akihiko Arakawa
Fabian Furrer
Jayeeta Ghosh
Tsutomu Sato
Helmut G. Katzgraber
Quadratic unconstrained binary optimization and constraint programming approaches for lattice-based cyclic peptide docking
Scientific Reports
title Quadratic unconstrained binary optimization and constraint programming approaches for lattice-based cyclic peptide docking
title_full Quadratic unconstrained binary optimization and constraint programming approaches for lattice-based cyclic peptide docking
title_fullStr Quadratic unconstrained binary optimization and constraint programming approaches for lattice-based cyclic peptide docking
title_full_unstemmed Quadratic unconstrained binary optimization and constraint programming approaches for lattice-based cyclic peptide docking
title_short Quadratic unconstrained binary optimization and constraint programming approaches for lattice-based cyclic peptide docking
title_sort quadratic unconstrained binary optimization and constraint programming approaches for lattice based cyclic peptide docking
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-05565-1
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