Main Protease (main + protease)

Distribution by Scientific Domains


Selected Abstracts


An Efficient Method for the Synthesis of Peptide Aldehyde Libraries Employed in the Discovery of Reversible SARS Coronavirus Main Protease (SARS-CoV Mpro) Inhibitors

CHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 7 2006
Samer I. Al-Gharabli Dr.
Abstract A method for the parallel solid-phase synthesis of peptide aldehydes has been developed. Protected amino acid aldehydes obtained by the racemization-free oxidation of amino alcohols with Dess,Martin periodinane were immobilized on threonyl resins as oxazolidines. Following Boc protection of the ring nitrogen to yield the N-protected oxazolidine linker, peptide synthesis was performed efficiently on this resin. A peptide aldehyde library was designed for targeting the SARS coronavirus main protease, SARS-CoV Mpro(also known as 3CLpro), on the basis of three different reported binding modes and supported by virtual screening. A set of 25 peptide aldehydes was prepared by this method and investigated in inhibition assays against SARS-CoV Mpro. Several potent inhibitors were found with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. An IC50 of 7.5 ,M was found for AcNSTSQ-H and AcESTLQ-H. Interestingly, the most potent inhibitors seem to bind to SARS-CoV Mpro in a noncanonical binding mode. [source]


26S proteasome regulatory particle mutants have increased oxidative stress tolerance

THE PLANT JOURNAL, Issue 1 2008
Jasmina Kurepa
Summary The 26S proteasome (26SP) is a multi-subunit, multi-catalytic protease that is responsible for most of the cytosolic and nuclear protein turnover. The 26SP is composed of two sub-particles, the 19S regulatory particle (RP) that binds and unfolds protein targets, and the 20S core particle (20SP) that degrades proteins into small peptides. Most 26SP targets are conjugated to a poly-ubiquitin (Ub) chain that serves as a degradation signal. However, some targets, such as oxidized proteins, do not require a poly-Ub tag for proteasomal degradation, and recent studies have shown that the main protease in this Ub-independent pathway is free 20SP. It is currently unknown how the ratio of 26SP- to 20SP-dependent proteolysis is controlled. Here we show that loss of function of the Arabidopsis RP subunits RPT2a, RPN10 and RPN12a leads to decreased 26SP accumulation, resulting in reduced rates of Ub-dependent proteolysis. In contrast, all three RP mutants have increased 20SP levels and thus enhanced Ub-independent protein degradation. As a consequence of this shift in proteolytic activity, mutant seedlings are hypersensitive to stresses that cause protein misfolding, and have increased tolerance to treatments that promote protein oxidation. Taken together, the data show that plant cells increase 20SP-dependent proteolysis when 26SP activity is impaired. [source]


An Efficient Method for the Synthesis of Peptide Aldehyde Libraries Employed in the Discovery of Reversible SARS Coronavirus Main Protease (SARS-CoV Mpro) Inhibitors

CHEMBIOCHEM, Issue 7 2006
Samer I. Al-Gharabli Dr.
Abstract A method for the parallel solid-phase synthesis of peptide aldehydes has been developed. Protected amino acid aldehydes obtained by the racemization-free oxidation of amino alcohols with Dess,Martin periodinane were immobilized on threonyl resins as oxazolidines. Following Boc protection of the ring nitrogen to yield the N-protected oxazolidine linker, peptide synthesis was performed efficiently on this resin. A peptide aldehyde library was designed for targeting the SARS coronavirus main protease, SARS-CoV Mpro(also known as 3CLpro), on the basis of three different reported binding modes and supported by virtual screening. A set of 25 peptide aldehydes was prepared by this method and investigated in inhibition assays against SARS-CoV Mpro. Several potent inhibitors were found with IC50 values in the low micromolar range. An IC50 of 7.5 ,M was found for AcNSTSQ-H and AcESTLQ-H. Interestingly, the most potent inhibitors seem to bind to SARS-CoV Mpro in a noncanonical binding mode. [source]


Mechanistic Study of the Reaction of Thiol-Containing Enzymes with ,,,-Unsaturated Carbonyl Substrates by Computation and Chemoassays

CHEMMEDCHEM, Issue 6 2010
Alexander Paasche
Abstract We investigated the reactions between substituted ,,,-unsaturated carbonyl compounds (Michael systems) and thiols by computations as well as chemoassays. The results give insight into variations in the underlying mechanisms as a function of the substitution pattern. This is of interest for the mechanisms of inhibition of the SARS coronavirus main protease (SARS-CoV Mpro) by etacrynic acid derivatives as well as for the excess toxicity of substituted ,,,-unsaturated carbonyl compounds. This study compares possible reaction courses including 1,4-addition followed by a ketonization step, and underscores the importance of a base-catalyzed step for the reactivity of thiol groups in enzymes. Phenyl and methyl substituents at the Michael system decrease the reactivity of the electrophilic compound, but chlorophenyl substituents partly recover the reactivity. Computations also indicate that electron-pushing substituents lead to a change in the reaction mechanism. The conformation of the Michael system is also found to significantly influence reactivity: the s - cis conformation leads to higher reactivity than the s - trans conformation. The computed data explain the trends in measured inhibition potencies of substituted ,,,-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and of reaction rates in chemical assays. They also indicate that the reversibility of inhibition does not stand in contrast to the formation of a new covalent bond between inhibitor and protease. [source]