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Saccharopepsin is a vacuolar aspartic proteinase involved in activation of a number of hydrolases. The enzyme has great structural homology to mammalian aspartic proteinases including human renin and we have used it as a model system to study the binding of renin inhibitors by X-ray crystallography. Five medium-to-high resolution structures of saccharopepsin complexed with transition-state analogue renin inhibitors were determined. The structure of a cyclic peptide inhibitor (PD-129,541) complexed with the proteinase was solved to 2.5 A resolution. This inhibitor has low affinity for human renin yet binds very tightly to the yeast proteinase (K(i)=4 nM). The high affinity of this inhibitor can be attributed to its bulky cyclic moiety spanning P(2)-P(3)' and other residues that appear to optimally fit the binding sub-sites of the enzyme. Superposition of the saccharopepsin structure on that of renin showed that a movement of the loop 286-301 relative to renin facilitates tighter binding of this inhibitor to saccharopepsin. Our 2.8 A resolution structure of the complex with CP-108,420 shows that its benzimidazole P(3 )replacement retains one of the standard hydrogen bonds that normally involve the inhibitor's main-chain. This suggests a non-peptide lead in overcoming the problem of susceptible peptide bonds in the design of aspartic proteinase inhibitors. CP-72,647 which possesses a basic histidine residue at P(2), has a high affinity for renin (K(i)=5 nM) but proves to be a poor inhibitor for saccharopepsin (K(i)=3.7 microM). This may stem from the fact that the histidine residue would not bind favourably with the predominantly hydrophobic S(2) sub-site of saccharopepsin.

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To understand the differences in the binding specificities within the aspartic proteinase family of enzymes, we have carried out studies to determine the inhibition constants of a set of related compounds with various members of the human enzyme family. The inhibition constants (Ki values) were determined by competitive inhibition of the hydrolysis of chromogenic octapeptide substrates in the pH range of 3-5. For comparison, inhibition of monkey renin was studied by RIA at pH 6.0. All inhibitors were based on the general structure 4-(morpholinylsulfonyl)-L-Phe-P2-(cyclohexyl)Ala psi[isostere]-P1'-P2'. The isosteric replacements of the scissile peptide bond included difluorohydroxyethylene, 1,2-diols, 1,3-diols, and difluoroketones. Side chain substituents in P2 include hydrogen, allyl, ethylthio, (methoxycarbonyl)methyl, N-methylthiouridobutyl, imidazolylmethyl, and 4-amino-2-thiazolylmethyl. Our measurements have identified potent and selective inhibitors which are useful in evaluating the differences in the specificities among selected enzymes of this family.

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The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1), associated with the AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) epidemic, encodes an aspartyl protease that is essential for polyprotein processing in the virus (Navia et al., 1989). It has been demonstrated that inactivation of the protease either catalytically or by an inhibitor prevents infectious virion formation (Kohl et al., 1988; Darke et al., 1989). The acquired knowledge of key molecular interactions occurring between inhibitors and aspartyl proteases, as well as the structural similarities between HIV-1 protease and human renin was used to rationally select candidates for HIV-1 screening from the pool of analogs designed as renin inhibitors. A minimal number of chosen compounds were tested in an HIV-1 protease assay system. Two structurally novel peptides emerged as potent enzymatic protease inhibitors. This study highlights the selection process and characterizes the antiviral properties of the two novel analogs.

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Three analogs of bradykinin and one of angiotensin II have been prepared in which the naturally occurring proline residues have been replaced by the bicyclic amino acid, 2,4-methanoproline (2,4-MePro). The relative binding affinities for these analogs were determined to be significantly reduced in the cases of the three bradykinin analogs; [2,4-MePro3]-BK retains 1.3%, [2,4-MePro7]-BK retains 0.3% and [2,4-MePro2]-BK retains 0.021% of the binding affinity of bradykinin. Results from other modification at positions three and seven indicate preference for the trans-amide bond preceding these residues implying that other factors, either steric or conformational, are responsible for the decreased affinity for the receptor seen with 2,4-MePro substitution. The retention of significant binding affinity (26%) in the case of [Ile5,2,4-MePro7]-angiotensin II gives direct evidence that the trans-conformation of the proline amide bond is the one recognized by the AII receptor. Only significant retention of activity can be interpreted unambiguously with the use of this proline analog because of its known conformational differences from Pro as well as its increased steric requirements at the receptor.

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A macrocyclic renin inhibitor was designed using molecular modeling and a model of human renin. The synthesized molecular displayed poor binding affinity. To investigate the reasons for the observed inactivity, the structure of the compound has been studied by NMR spectroscopy and distance geometry. Structural constraints for distance geometry calculations were derived from nuclear Overhauser effects and homonuclear and heteronuclear three bond coupling constants. Homonuclear coupling constants were measured directly from the resolution-enhanced proton spectra and heteronuclear coupling constants were measured from the natural abundance 15N- and 13C-edited TOCSY experiments. One phi angle was determined uniquely by this method and two were reduced to two possible values each. By using a statistical analysis of 400 structures generated with distance geometry, two families of structures were found to be consistent with the NMR data. The solution structures so derived were different from the originally designed structure, including an internal hydrogen bond. This provides a possible explanation for the lack of effectiveness of this compound.

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A series of renin inhibitors containing ester side chains at the P2 subsite are potent inhibitors of primate renin. Derivatives containing the diol isostere (ACDMH) at P1-P1' were the most potent inhibitors. Moderate selectivity for renin was observed relative to the closely related aspartic proteinase cathepsin D. The prototype compound, 4 (PD 132002), inhibited pepsin only weakly. In both high-renin normotensive and high-renin renal hypertensive monkeys, 4 produced substantial reductions in blood pressure after oral administration of 30 mg/kg. The maximum drop in blood pressure observed (24 +/- 4 mmHg) in the renal hypertensive monkey model was comparable to the drop produced by an intravenous infusion of saralasin at a maximally effective dose. Both the magnitude and duration of the oral antihypertensive effect of 4 is greater than that produced by enalkiren, CGP-38560, or CP-80794 by direct comparison in the same hypertensive monkey model. The malonate ester derivatives were prepared as ca. 65:35 mixtures of epimers. The kinetics of epimerization of 4 were investigated in detail, and it was shown to equilibrate rapidly at physiological pH (t1/2 less than 2 min). Fractional crystallization was employed to obtain the individual diastereomers in greater than 98% purity, which were indistinguishable in terms of their activity in vitro or in vivo, presumably due to rapid epimerization under the testing conditions.

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The design, synthesis, and pharmacological properties of a novel type of 4-(1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-1-alkyl-3-pyridinyl)-2-thiazolamine with dopaminergic properties are described. In particular, 4-(1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-1-propyl-3-pyridinyl)-2-thiazolamine (4c, PD 118440) and its allyl analogue (4i, PD 120697) have been identified as orally active dopamine (DA) agonists with pronounced central nervous system effects in tests that include [3H]-haloperidol and [3H]-N-propylnorapomorphine binding, inhibition of striatal DA synthesis, inhibition of DA neuronal firing, inhibition of spontaneous locomotor activity, and reversal of reserpine-induced depression in rats. The DA autoreceptor selectivity of these heterocyclic analogues of 3-(1-propyl-3-piperidinyl)phenol (3-PPP) was also evaluated. In this series, DA agonist activity was found to be highly dependent on the size of the N-alkyl substituent, the saturation level of the six-membered ring, and the mode of attachment of the 2-aminothiazole ring.

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Inhibitors of adenosine 3',5'-cyclic phosphate phosphodiesterase III (cAMP PDE III) were studied by using solid-state, solution, and theoretical methods in order to refine a five-point model for positive inotropic activity. Cyclic AMP PDE III inhibitors bear a striking resemblance to cAMP itself. This investigation supports the importance of an overall planar topography for selective and potent cAMP PDE III inhibition. (Possible reasons for the potency of certain nonplanar compounds are discussed.) Cardiotonics like imazodan (1; CI-914) and 2 (CI-930) can readily achieve essentially planar geometries, as shown with X-ray crystallographic, IR, UV, NMR, and theoretical data. Small alkyl substituents that occupy space corresponding to certain portions of the cAMP sugar region increase potency (see, e.g., 2, 4). Selective inhibition of cAMP PDE III can be achieved by mimicking the attractive electrostatic potential associated with the phosphate group (e.g., with an amide) and by providing an additional attractive potential spatially opposite to the previous one, in the vicinity of the adenine N1 and extending to N3 (e.g., with an imidazole), together with a partial dipole moment comparable to the adenine dipole moment. This extends and better defines our five-point model in terms of cAMP, a natural substrate for PDE.

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