Potent inhibitors of protein farnesyltransferase: heteroarenes as cysteine replacements.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of heteroarenes as reduced cysteine replacements are described. Of the heteroaryl groups examined with respect to FT inhibitor FTI-276 (1), pyridyl was the replacement found to be most effective. Substitutions at C4 of the pyridyl moiety did not affect the in vitro activity. Compound 9a was found to have moderate in vivo bioavailability.

Human immunodeficiency virus-1 protease. 1. Initial velocity studies and kinetic characterization of reaction intermediates by 18O isotope exchange.

The peptidolytic reaction of HIV-1 protease has been investigated by using four oligopeptide substrates, Ac-Ser-Gln-Asn-Tyr-Pro-Val-Val-NH2, Ac-Arg-Ala-Ser-Gln-Asn-Tyr-Pro-Val-Val-NH2, Ac-Ser-Gln-Ser-Tyr-Pro-Val-Val-NH2, and Ac-Arg-Lys-Ile-Leu-Phe-Leu-Asp-Gly-NH2, that resemble two cleavage sites found within the naturally occurring polyprotein substrates Pr55gag and Pr160gag-pol. The values for the kinetic parameters V/KEt and V/Et were 0.16-7.5 mM-1 s-1 and 0.24-29 s-1, respectively, at pH 6.0, 0.2 M NaCl, and 37 degrees C. By use of a variety of inorganic salts, it was concluded that the peptidolytic reaction is nonspecifically activated by increasing ionic strength. V/K increased in an apparently parabolic fashion with increasing ionic strength, while V was either increased or decreased slightly. From product inhibition studies, the kinetic mechanism of the protease is either random or ordered uni-bi, depending on the substrate studied. The reverse reaction or a partial reverse reaction (as measured by isotope exchange of the carboxylic product into substrate) was negligible for most of the oligopeptide substrates, but the enzyme catalyzed the formation of Ac-Ser-Gln-Asn-Tyr-Phe-Leu-Asp-Gly-NH2 from the products Ac-Ser-Gln-Asn-Tyr and Phe-Leu-Asp-Gly-NH2. The protease-catalyzed exchange of an atom of 18O from H2 18O into the re-formed substrates occurred at a rate which was 0.01-0.12 times that of the forward peptidolytic reaction. The results of these studies are in accord with the formation of a kinetically competent enzyme-bound amide hydrate intermediate, the collapse of which is the rate-limiting chemical step in the reaction pathway.

Inhibition of human immunodeficiency virus 1 protease in vitro: rational design of substrate analogue inhibitors.

Inhibitors of the protease from human immunodeficiency virus 1 (HIV-1) were designed, synthesized, and kinetically characterized. Analogues of a heptapeptide substrate of HIV-1 protease with sequence similar to the p17-p24 cleavage site in the natural substrate, Pr55gag, were synthesized in which the scissile dipeptide bond was replaced with bonds from six categories of stable mimics of an aspartic proteolysis transition state or intermediate. These mimics included an analogue of statine, hydroxyethylene isosteres, two categories of phosphinic acids, a reduced amide isostere, and an alpha,alpha-difluoroketone. The resulting peptide analogues were linear competitive inhibitors of purified recombinant HIV-1 protease with inhibition constants ranging from 18 nM to 40 microM depending on the type of inhibitor. A truncated inhibitor, an analogue of a hexapeptide, retained full inhibitory potency. The most potent inhibitors, containing the hydroxyethylene isostere, effectively blocked the proteolytic processing of a recombinant form of Pr55gag by HIV-1 protease in a cell-free assay.

Peptide substrates and inhibitors of the HIV-1 protease.

Oligopeptides containing the consensus retroviral protease cleavage sequence Ser/Thr-X-Y-Tyr/Phe-Pro are substrates for purified recombinant HIV-1 protease with Km's in the millimolar range. The minimum sequence containing the consensus pentapeptide which serves as a good substrate is a heptapeptide spanning the P4-P3' residues. Substitution of reduced Phe-Pro or Tyr-Pro dipeptide isosteres or the statine analog 3-hydroxy-4-amino-5-phenylpentanoic acid for the scissile dipeptide afforded inhibitors of HIV-1 protease with Ki values in the micromolar range, three orders of magnitude better in affinity than the corresponding substrates. Inhibitors of HIV-1 protease may provide a novel and potentially useful therapeutic approach to the treatment of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).