Kinetic isotope effects support the twisted amide mechanism of Pin1 peptidyl-prolyl isomerase.

The Pin1 peptidyl-prolyl isomerase catalyzes isomerization of pSer/pThr-Pro motifs in regulating the cell cycle. Peptide substrates, Ac-Phe-Phe-phosphoSer-Pro-Arg-p-nitroaniline, were synthesized in unlabeled form, and with deuterium-labeled Ser-d3 and Pro-d7 amino acids. Kinetic data were collected as a function of Pin1 concentration to measure kinetic isotope effects (KIEs) on catalytic efficiency (kcat/Km). The normal secondary (2°) KIE value measured for the Ser-d3 substrate (kH/kD = 1.6 ± 0.2) indicates that the serine carbonyl does not rehybridize from sp(2) to sp(3) in the rate-determining step, ruling out a nucleophilic addition mechanism. The normal 2° KIE can be explained by hyperconjugation between Ser α-C-H/D and C═O and release of steric strain upon rotation of the amide bond from cis to syn-exo. The inverse 2° KIE value (kH/kD = 0.86 ± 0.08) measured for the Pro-d7 substrate indicates rehybridization of the prolyl nitrogen from sp(2) to sp(3) during the rate-limiting step of isomerization. No solvent kinetic isotope was measured by NMR exchange spectroscopy (kH2O/kD2O = 0.92 ± 0.12), indicating little or no involvement of exchangeable protons in the mechanism. These results support the formation of a simple twisted amide transition state as the mechanism for peptidyl prolyl isomerization catalyzed by Pin1. A model of the reaction mechanism is presented using crystal structures of Pin1 with ground state analogues and an inhibitor that resembles a twisted amide transition state.

Conformationally locked isostere of phosphoSer-cis-Pro inhibits Pin1 23-fold better than phosphoSer-trans-Pro isostere.

Stereoisomeric cis and trans substrate analogues for Pin1 were designed and synthesized. The central phosphoSer-Pro core of the Pin1 substrate was replaced by cis and trans amide isosteres in Ac-Phe-Phe-pSer-Psi[(Z and E)CH=C]-Pro-Arg-NH(2), 1 and 2, peptidomimetics. They were synthesized on solid phase in 17% yield for the cis analogue 1, and 16% yield for the trans analogue 2. A second trans amide isostere with a C-terminal N-methylamide 3 was synthesized in 7% yield. The protease-coupled Pin1 assay showed that all three compounds inhibited the Pin1 peptidyl-prolyl isomerase (PPIase) enzymatic activity. The cis isostere 1 was 23 times more potent (K(i) = 1.74 +/- 0.08 muM) than its trans counterpart 2 (K(i) = 40 +/- 2 muM) in competitive inhibition of Pin1. These results suggest that the catalytic site of Pin1 binds cis substrates more tightly in aqueous solution. Antiproliferative activity toward the A2780 human ovarian cancer cell line by the cis and trans analogues correlates with Pin1 inhibition results.