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Norbert Schaschke, Dominga Deluca, Irmgard Assfalg-Machleidt, Clara Höhneke, Christian P. Sommerhoff, Werner Machleidt

Epoxysuccinyl Peptide-Derived Cathepsin B Inhibitors: Modulating Membrane Permeability by Conjugation with the C-Terminal Heptapeptide Segment of Penetratin

Besides its physiological role in lysosomal protein breakdown, extralysosomal cathepsin B has recently been implicated in apoptotic cell death. Highly specific irreversible cathepsin B inhibitors that are readily cellpermeant should be useful tools to elucidate the effects of cathepsin B in the cytosol. We have covalently functionalised the poorly cellpermeant epoxysuccinyl based cathepsin B inhibitor [RGlyGlyLeu(2S, 3S)tEpsLeuProOH; R=OMe] with the Cterminal heptapeptide segment of penetratin (R=AhxArg ArgNleLysTrpLysLysNH2). The high inhibitory potency and selectivity for cathepsin B versus cathepsin L of the parent compound was not affected by the conjugation with the penetratin heptapeptide. The conjugate was shown to efficiently penetrate into MCF-7 cells as an active inhibitor, thereby circumventing an intracellular activation step that is required by other inhibitors, such as the prodruglike epoxysuccinyl peptides E64d and CA074Me.

Biological Chemistry, Walter de Gruyter

Print ISSN: 1431-6730
Volume: 383, 05/2002
Pages: 849 - 852

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