Cocrystal Structures of Primed Side-Extending α-Ketoamide Inhibitors Reveal Novel Calpain-Inhibitor Aromatic Interactions
Calpains are intracellular cysteine proteases that catalyze the cleavage of target proteins in response to Ca2+ signaling. When Ca2+ homeostasis is disrupted, calpain overactivation causes unregulated proteolysis, which can contribute to diseases such as postischemic injury and cataract formation. Potent calpain inhibitors exist, but of these many cross-react with other cysteine proteases and will need modification to specifically target calpain. Here, we present crystal structures of rat calpain 1 protease core ({mu}I-II) bound to two a-ketoamide-based calpain inhibitors containing adenyl and piperazyl primed-side extensions. An unexpected aromatic-stacking interaction is observed between the primed-side adenine moiety and the Trp298 side chain. This interaction increased the potency of the inhibitor toward {mu}I-II and heterodimeric m-calpain. Moreover, stacking orients the adenine such that it can be used as a scaffold for designing novel primed-side address regions, which could be incorporated into future inhibitors to enhance their calpain specificity.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Doe - Office Of Science
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 959539
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-82525-2009-JA; JMCMAR; TRN: US201016%%683
- Journal Information:
- Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, Vol. 51, Issue 17; ISSN 0022-2623
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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