Autoprocessing of neutrophil elastase near its active site reduces the efficiency of natural and synthetic elastase inhibitors.
Nat Commun
; 6: 6722, 2015 Apr 10.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-25857284
ABSTRACT
An imbalance between neutrophil-derived proteases and extracellular inhibitors is widely regarded as an important pathogenic mechanism for lung injury. Despite intense efforts over the last three decades, attempts to develop small-molecule inhibitors for neutrophil elastase have failed in the clinic. Here we discover an intrinsic self-cleaving property of mouse neutrophil elastase that interferes with the action of elastase inhibitors. We show that conversion of the single-chain (sc) into a two-chain (tc) neutrophil elastase by self-cleavage near its S1 pocket altered substrate activity and impaired both inhibition by endogenous α-1-antitrypsin and synthetic small molecules. Our data indicate that autoconversion of neutrophil elastase decreases the inhibitory efficacy of natural α-1-antitrypsin and small-molecule inhibitors, while retaining its pathological potential in an experimental mouse model. The so-far overlooked occurrence and properties of a naturally occurring tc-form of neutrophil elastase necessitates the redesign of small-molecule inhibitors that target the sc-form as well as the tc-form of neutrophil elastase.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Peptides
/
Pulmonary Emphysema
/
Leukocyte Elastase
/
Proteinase Inhibitory Proteins, Secretory
/
Lung
/
Neutrophils
Language:
En
Journal:
Nat Commun
Journal subject:
BIOLOGIA
/
CIENCIA
Year:
2015
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Germany