Methods for the production of purified, catalytically active, recombinant memapsin 2 have been developed. The substrate and subsite specificity of the catalytically active enzyme have been determined. The substrate and subsite specificity information was used to design substrate analogs of the natural memapsin 2 substrate that can inhibit the function of memapsin 2. The substrate analogs are based on peptide sequences, shown to be related to the natural peptide substrates for memapsin 2. The substrate analogs contain at least one analog of an amide bond which is not capable of being cleaved by memapsin 2. Processes for the synthesis of two substrate analogues including isosteres at the sites of the critical amino acid residues were developed and the substrate analogues, OMR99-1 and OM99-2, were synthesized. OM99-2 is based on an octapeptide Glu-Val-Asn-Leu-Ala-Ala-Glu-Phe (SEQ ID NO:28) with the Leu-Ala peptide bond substituted by a transition-state isostere hydroxyethylene group (FIG.
1
). The inhibition constant of OM99-2 is 1.6×10
−9
M against recombinant pro-memapsin 2. Crystallography of memapsin 2 bound to this inhibitor was used to determine the three dimensional structure of the protein, as well as the importance of the various residues in binding. This information can be used by those skilled in the art to design new inhibitors, using commercially available software programs and techniques familiar to those in organic chemistry and enzymology, to design new inhibitors to memapsin 2, useful in diagnostics and for the treatment and/or prevention of Alzheimer's disease.
已经开发出了生产纯化的、催化活性的
重组memapsin 2的方法。已经确定了催化活性酶的底物和底物位点特异性。底物和底物位点特异性信息被用来设计模拟天然memapsin 2底物的底物类似物,以抑制memapsin 2的功能。底物类似物基于肽序列,已经显示与memapsin 2的天然肽底物相关。底物类似物包含至少一个酰胺键的类似物,该键不能被memapsin 2裂解。开发了两种底物类似物的合成过程,包括在关键
氨基酸残基位点上的同分异构体,合成了底物类似物OMR99-1和OM99-2。OM99-2基于一个八肽Glu-Val-Asn-Leu-Ala-Ala-Glu-Phe(
SEQ ID NO:28),其中Leu-Ala肽键被过渡态类似物羟基
乙烯基(FIG.1)替代。OM99-2对
重组前memapsin 2的抑制常数为1.6×10-9M。memapsin 2与该
抑制剂结合的晶体学被用于确定蛋白质的三维结构,以及各种残基在结合中的重要性。这些信息可以被熟练掌握有机
化学和酶学技术的人们使用商业软件程序和技术来设计新的memapsin 2
抑制剂,用于诊断和治疗和/或预防阿尔茨海默病。