Search results for "cysteine protease"

Unnatural amino acids increase activity and specificity of synthetic substrates for human and malarial cathepsin C

2014

Mammalian cathepsin C is primarily responsible for the removal of N-terminal dipeptides and activation of several serine proteases in inflammatory or immune cells, while its malarial parasite ortholog dipeptidyl aminopeptidase 1 plays a crucial role in catabolizing the hemoglobin of its host erythrocyte. In this report, we describe the systematic substrate specificity analysis of three cathepsin C orthologs from Homo sapiens (human), Bos taurus (bovine) and Plasmodium falciparum (malaria parasite). Here, we present a new approach with a tailored fluorogenic substrate library designed and synthesized to probe the S1 and S2 pocket preferences of these enzymes with both natural and a broad ran…

The production of 85 kDa N-terminal fragment of apolipoprotein B in mutant HepG2 cells generated by targeted modification of apoB gene occurs by ALLN…

2010

Abstract To study the mechanism of low levels of full length and truncated apoB in individuals heterozygous for apoB truncation, a non-sense mutation was introduced in one of the three alleles of apob gene of HepG2 cells by homologous recombination. Despite very low levels of apoB-82 (1–2%) in the media, a prominent N-terminal apoB protein of 85 kDa (apoB-15) was secreted that fractionated at d > 1.065 in density gradient ultracentrifugation. The mechanism of production of this short protein was studied by 35S-methionine pulse–chase experiment. Oleate prevented presecretory degradation of apoB-100 in the cell and resulted in increased secretion of newly synthesized apoB-100 with decreases i…

2020

Electrophilic (het)arenes can undergo reactions with nucleophiles yielding π- or Meisenheimer (σ-) complexes or the products of the SNAr addition/elimination reactions. Such building blocks have only rarely been employed for the design of enzyme inhibitors. Herein, we demonstrate the combination of a peptidic recognition sequence with such electrophilic (het)arenes to generate highly active inhibitors of disease-relevant proteases. We further elucidate an unexpected mode of action for the trypanosomal protease rhodesain using NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, enzyme kinetics and various types of simulations. After hydrolysis of an ester function in the recognition sequence of a weakly…

Optimization Strategy of Novel Peptide-Based Michael Acceptors for the Treatment of Human African Trypanosomiasis

2019

This paper describes an optimization strategy of the highly active vinyl ketone 3 which was recognized as a strong inhibitor of rhodesain of Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense, endowed with a ksecond v...

Synthesis and biological evaluation of papain-family cathepsin L-like cysteine protease inhibitors containing a 1,4-benzodiazepine scaffold as antipr…

2014

Novel papain-family cathepsin L-like cysteine protease inhibitors endowed with antitrypanosomal and antimalarial activity were developed, through an optimization study of previously developed inhibitors. In the present work, we studied the structure-activity relationships of these derivatives, with the aim to develop new analogues with a simplified and more synthetically accessible structure and with improved antiparasitic activity. The structure of the model compounds was significantly simplified by modifying or even eliminating the side chain appended at the C3 atom of the benzodiazepine scaffold. In addition, a simple methylene spacer of appropriate length was inserted between the benzod…

Identification, Characterization and Synthesis of Natural Parasitic Cysteine Protease Inhibitors – More Potent Falcitidin Analogs

2021

ABSTRACTProtease inhibitors represent a promising therapeutic option for the treatment of parasitic diseases such as malaria and human African trypanosomiasis. Falcitidin was the first member of a new class of inhibitors of falcipain-2, a cysteine protease of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. Using a metabolomics dataset of 25 Chitinophaga strains for molecular networking enabled identification of over 30 natural analogs of falcitidin. Based on MS/MS spectra, they vary in their amino acid chain length, sequence, acyl residue, and C-terminal functionalization; therefore, they were grouped into the four falcitidin peptide families A-D. The isolation, characterization and absolute st…

Synthesis and Molecular Modeling Studies of Derivatives of a Highly Potent Peptidomimetic Vinyl Ester as Falcipain-2 Inhibitors

2012

Herein we report the synthesis of a set of constrained peptidomimetics endowed with an electrophilic vinyl ester warhead and structurally related to a previously identified lead compound, a potent and irreversible inhibitor of falcipain-2 (FP-2). FP-2 is the main hemoglobinase of the malaria parasite P. falciparum. The new compounds were evaluated for their inhibition against FP-2, and the results were rationalized on the basis of docking experiments. These studies underscore the pivotal role of both the ester function at the P1' site and the trifluoromethyl group of the P3 side chain in determining the correct orientation of the Michael acceptor warhead in the catalytic site, and as a cons…