Structure-Guided Design of Peptide-Based Tryptase Inhibitors

• Published in: Biochemistry (Easton) Vol. 45; no. 19; pp. 5964 - 5973
• Main Authors: McGrath, Mary E, Sprengeler, Paul A, Hirschbein, Bernard, Somoza, John R, Lehoux, Isabelle, Janc, James W, Gjerstad, Erik, Graupe, Michael, Estiarte, Angeles, Venkataramani, Chandru, Liu, Yang, Yee, Robb, Ho, Joseph D, Green, Michael J, Lee, Chang-Sun, Liu, Liang, Tai, Vincent, Spencer, Jeffrey, Sperandio, David, Katz, Bradley A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States American Chemical Society 16.05.2006
• Subjects: Crystallography, X-Ray; Models, Molecular; Protein Conformation; Serine Endopeptidases - drug effects; Serine Proteinase Inhibitors - chemistry; Serine Proteinase Inhibitors - pharmacology; Tryptases
• ISSN: 0006-2960; 1520-4995
• DOI: 10.1021/bi060173m

Improved peptide-based inhibitors of human β tryptase were discovered using information gleaned from tripeptide library screening and structure-guided design methods, including fragment screening. Our efforts sought to improve this class of inhibitors by replacing the traditional Lys or Arg P1 element. The optimized compounds display low nanomolar potency against the mast cell target and several hundred-fold selectivity with respect to serine protease off targets. Thus, replacement of Lys/Arg at P1 in a peptide-like scaffold does not need to be accompanied by a loss in target affinity.