Structure of the product complex of acetyl-Ala-Pro-Ala with porcine pancreatic elastase at 1.65 A resolution

Hot-spot identification on a broad class of proteins and RNA suggest unifying principles of molecular recognition

Chemically diverse fragments tend to collectively bind at localized sites on proteins, which is a cornerstone of fragment-based techniques. A central question is how general are these strategies for predicting a wide variety of molecular interactions such as small molecule-protein, protein-protein and protein-nucleic acid for both experimental and computational methods. To address this issue, we recently proposed three governing principles, (1) accurate prediction of fragment-macromolecule binding free energy, (2) accurate prediction of water-macromolecule binding free energy, and (3) locating sites on a macromolecule that have high affinity for a diversity of fragments and low affinity for water. To test the generality of these concepts we used the computational technique of Simulated Annealing of Chemical Potential to design one small fragment to break the RecA-RecA protein-protein interaction and three fragments that inhibit peptide-deformylase via water-mediated multi-body interactions. Experiments confirm the predictions that 6-hydroxydopamine potently inhibits RecA and that PDF inhibition quantitatively tracks the water-mediated binding predictions. Additionally, the principles correctly predict the essential bound waters in HIV Protease, the surprisingly extensive binding site of elastase, the pinpoint location of electron transfer in dihydrofolate reductase, the HIV TAT-TAR protein-RNA interactions, and the MDM2-MDM4 differential binding to p53. The experimental confirmations of highly non-obvious predictions combined with the precise characterization of a broad range of known phenomena lend strong support to the generality of fragment-based methods for characterizing molecular recognition.

Cyclobutanone Analogues of β-Lactam Antibiotics: β-Lactamase Inhibitors with Untapped Potential?

β-Lactam antibiotics have been used for many years to treat bacterial infections. However the effective treatment of an increasing range of microbial infections is threatened by bacterial resistance to β-lactams: the prolonged, widespread (and at times reckless) use of these drugs has spawned widespread resistance, which renders them ineffective against many bacterial strains. The cyclobutanone ring system is isosteric with β-lactam: in cyclobutanone analogues, the eponymous cyclic amide is replaced with an all-carbon ring, the amide N is substituted by a tertiary C-H α to a ketone. Cyclobutanone analogues of various β-lactam antibiotics have been investigated over the last 35 years, initially as prospective antibiotics in their own right and inhibitors of the β-lactamase enzymes that impart resistance to β-lactams. More recently they have been tested as inhibitors of other serine proteases and as mechanistic probes of β-lactam biosynthesis. Cyclobutanone analogues of the penam ring system are the first reversible inhibitors with moderate activity against all classes of β-lactamase; other compounds from this family inhibit Streptomyces R61 dd-carboxypeptidase/transpeptidase, human neutrophil elastase and porcine pancreatic elastase. But has their potential as enzyme inhibitors been fully exploited? Challenges in synthesising diversely functionalised cyclobutanone derivatives mean that only a limited number have been made (with limited structural diversity) and evaluated. This review surveys the different synthetic approaches that have been taken to these compounds, the investigations made to evaluate their biological activity and prospects for future developments in this area.

S46 peptidases are the first exopeptidases to be members of clan PA

The dipeptidyl aminopeptidase BII (DAP BII) belongs to a serine peptidase family, S46. The amino acid sequence of the catalytic unit of DAP BII exhibits significant similarity to those of clan PA endopeptidases, such as chymotrypsin. However, the molecular mechanism of the exopeptidase activity of family S46 peptidase is unknown. Here, we report crystal structures of DAP BII. DAP BII contains a peptidase domain including a typical double β-barrel fold and previously unreported α-helical domain. The structures of peptide complexes revealed that the α-helical domain covers the active-site cleft and the side chain of Asn330 in the domain forms hydrogen bonds with the N-terminus of the bound peptide. These observations indicate that the α-helical domain regulates the exopeptidase activity of DAP BII. Because S46 peptidases are not found in mammals, we expect that our study will be useful for the design of specific inhibitors of S46 peptidases from pathogens.

Structural insight into serine protease Rv3671c that Protects M. tuberculosis from oxidative and acidic stress

Rv3671c, a putative serine protease, is crucial for persistence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in the hostile environment of the phagosome. We show that Rv3671c is required for M. tuberculosis resistance to oxidative stress in addition to its role in protection from acidification. Structural and biochemical analyses demonstrate that the periplasmic domain of Rv3671c is a functional serine protease of the chymotrypsin family and, remarkably, that its activity increases on oxidation. High-resolution crystal structures of this protease in an active strained state and in an inactive relaxed state reveal that a solvent-exposed disulfide bond controls the protease activity by constraining two distant regions of Rv3671c and stabilizing it in the catalytically active conformation. In vitro biochemical studies confirm that activation of the protease in an oxidative environment is dependent on this reversible disulfide bond. These results suggest that the disulfide bond modulates activity of Rv3671c depending on the oxidative environment in vivo.

Multiple solvent crystal structures: probing binding sites, plasticity and hydration

Multiple solvent crystal structures (MSCS) of porcine pancreatic elastase were used to map the binding surface the enzyme. Crystal structures of elastase in neat acetonitrile, 95% acetone, 55% dimethylformamide, 80% 5-hexene-1,2-diol, 80% isopropanol, 80% ethanol and 40% trifluoroethanol showed that the organic solvent molecules clustered in the active site, were found mostly unclustered in crystal contacts and in general did not bind elsewhere on the surface of elastase. Mixtures of 40% benzene or 40% cyclohexane in 50% isopropanol and 10% water showed no bound benzene or cyclohexane molecules, but did reveal bound isopropanol. The clusters of organic solvent probe molecules coincide with pockets occupied by known inhibitors. MSCS also reveal the areas of plasticity within the elastase binding site and allow for the visualization of a nearly complete first hydration shell. The pattern of organic solvent clusters determined by MSCS for elastase is consistent with patterns for hot spots in protein-ligand interactions determined from database analysis in general. The MSCS method allows probing of hot spots, plasticity and hydration simultaneously, providing a powerful complementary strategy to guide computational methods currently in development for binding site determination, ligand docking and design.

X-ray structure of a serine protease acyl-enzyme complex at 0.95-A resolution

Kinetic analyses led to the discovery that N-acetylated tripeptides with polar residues at P3 are inhibitors of porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) that form unusually stable acyl-enzyme complexes. Peptides terminating in a C-terminal carboxylate were more potent than those terminating in a C-terminal amide, suggesting recognition by the oxy-anion hole is important in binding. X-ray diffraction data were recorded to 0.95-A resolution for an acyl-enzyme complex formed between PPE and N-acetyl-Asn-Pro-Ile-CO2H at approximately pH 5. The accuracy of the crystallographic coordinates allows structural issues concerning the mechanism of serine proteases to be addressed. Significantly, the ester bond of the acyl-enzyme showed a high level of planarity, suggesting geometric strain of the ester link is not important during catalysis. Several hydrogen atoms could be clearly identified and were included within the model. In keeping with a recent x-ray structure of subtilisin at 0.78 A (1), limited electron density is visible consistent with the putative location of a hydrogen atom approximately equidistant between the histidine and aspartate residues of the catalytic triad. Comparison of this high resolution crystal structure of the acyl-enzyme complex with that of native elastase at 1.1 A (2) showed that binding of the N-terminal part of the substrate can be accommodated with negligible structural rearrangements. In contrast, comparison with structures obtained as part of "time-resolved" studies on the reacting acyl-enzyme complex at >pH 7 (3) indicate small but significant structural differences, consistent with the proposed synchronization of ester hydrolysis and substrate release.

Structure of porcine pancreatic elastase complexed with FR901277, a novel macrocyclic inhibitor of elastases, at 1.6 A resolution

Human leukocyte elastase (HLE) is a serine protease that contributes to tissue destruction in various disease states-for example, in emphysema. FR901277 is a natural product isolated from the culture filtrate of Streptomyces resistomicificus and is a potent inhibitor of both HLE and porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE). FR901277 consists of four normal amino acids and three unusual amino acids, and is a unique bicyclic peptide compound. The crystal structure of PPE complexed with FR901277 has been determined at 1.6 A resolution. The Ogamma atom of Ser-195 in PPE did not form a covalent bond with FR901277, but formed a hydrogen bond with the Nvarepsilon atom of His-57. On the other hand, the portion from L-Orn(1) through dehydroxyThr(3) in FR901277 formed an antiparallel beta-sheet structure with the backbone of the active site in PPE. The S4 through S2' binding subsites in PPE were all occupied by the hydrophobic side chains of the inhibitor molecule. Especially, the ethylidene moiety of FR901277 occupied the S1 specific pocket, indicating a CH/pi interaction. In addition, the isopropyl side chain of L-Val(7) was located at the enzyme surface between the S2 and S1' pockets with several van der Waals contacts. However, the amino acid (4) residue was not involved in a significant interaction with PPE. Comparison of inhibitor structures in different environments showed that FR901277 has a highly rigid bicyclic framework; however, it can slightly change its conformation according to the circumstances. The binding mode of FR901277 at the active site of PPE was directly applicable to that in HLE, after consideration of induced fit. The structure of the PPE-FR901277 complex provided much information regarding potential sites for modification of the physicochemical properties of FR901277.

Structural analysis of the active site of porcine pancreatic elastase based on the X-ray crystal structures of complexes with trifluoroacetyl-dipeptide-anilide inhibitors

The X-ray crystal structures of two new (trifluoroacetyl)dipeptide p-(trifluoromethyl)anilide (TFA-dipeptide-TFM) inhibitors complexed to porcine pancreatic elastase are presented. TFA-Val-Ala-TFM and TFA-Phe-Ala-TFM both bind to elastase with the TFA group in the S1 subsite, Val or Phe in the S2 subsite, Ala in the S3 subsite, and the TFM group in the S4 subsite. Five other TFA-dipeptide-anilide/elastase crystal structures are available (two TFA-X-Ala-p-(trifluoromethyl)anilide, X = Lys, Leu, and three TFA-Lys-X-p-isopropylanilide, X = Pro, Leu, Phe). The four inhibitors with the trifluoromethyl substituent on the anilide ring bind in a single mode to elastase, whereas superposition of the three inhibitors with the isopropyl substituent on the anilide ring show three different modes of binding to the protein [Mattos, C., et al. (1994) Nature Struct. Biol. 1, 55-58]. The seven structures are taken together in a detailed analysis of the active site of porcine pancreatic elastase. The inhibition constants for the inhibitors are used in combination with the crystal structures to understand the specificity of the different elastase subsites.

Inactivation of subtilisin Carlsberg by N-((tert-butoxycarbonyl)alanylprolylphenylalanyl)-O-benzoylhydroxyl- amine: formation of a covalent enzyme-inhibitor linkage in the form of a carbamate derivative

The mechanism of inactivation of serine proteases by N-peptidyl-O-aroylhydroxylamines was studied by X-ray crystallography. Cocrystals of subtilisin Carlsberg inactivated with N-((tert-butoxycarbonyl)alanylprolylphenylalanyl)-O-nitrobenzoy lhydroxylamine were grown, and diffraction data to 1.8-A resolution were obtained. The resulting electron density maps clearly reveal that the gamma-oxygen of the catalytic serine forms a carbamate derivative with the inhibitor. The peptide part of the inhibitor does not form the usual antiparallel beta-sheet in the P binding cleft but protrudes out of the active site and is stabilized by a network of water molecules. These results, combined with kinetic characterization reported previously [Demuth, H.-U., Schoenlein, C., & Barth, A. (1989b) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 996, 19-22; Schmidt, C., Schmidt, R., & Demuth, H.-U. (1990) Peptides (Giralt, E., & Andreu, D., Eds.) ESCOM Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam] support the existence of at least one intermediate between the formation of the Michaelis complex and the final product. We suggest a mechanism for the inactivation of subtilisin Carlsberg by N-((tert-butoxycarbonyl)alanylprolylphenylalanyl)-O-benzoylhydr oxylamine whereby a negatively charged Michaelis complex undergoes a Lossen rearrangement giving rise to an isocyanate intermediate that reacts with the side chain of the active site serine.

Analogous inhibitors of elastase do not always bind analogously

It has been assumed that the structure of a single inhibitor complex is sufficient to define the available subsites of an enzyme that has a unique binding site and a uniquely defined mode for ligand binding--the specificity for these subsites can thus be probed by kinetic experiments. Elastase is an enzyme for which these traditional assumptions, which underlie such structural and kinetic studies, do not hold. Three new crystal structures of elastase complexed to chemically similar inhibitors with similar binding affinities reveal a diversity of binding modes as well as two new subsites on elastase. The existence of multiple binding sites and different binding modes for such similar inhibitors indicates that researchers must proceed with caution when using kinetics to map out protein subsites.

The high-resolution crystal structure of porcine pepsinogen

The structure of porcine pepsinogen at pH 6.1 has been refined to an R-factor of 0.173 for data extending to 1.65 A. The final model contains 180 solvent molecules and lacks density for residues 157-161. The structure of this aspartic proteinase zymogen possesses many of the characteristics of pepsin, the mature enzyme. The secondary structure of the zymogen consists predominantly of beta-sheet, with an approximate 2-fold axis of symmetry. The activation peptide packs into the active site cleft, and the N-terminus (1P-9P) occupies the position of the mature N-terminus (1-9). Thus changes upon activation include excision of the activation peptide and proper relocation of the mature N-terminus. The activation peptide or residues of the displaced mature N-terminus make specific interactions with the substrate binding subsites. The active site of pepsinogen is intact; thus the lack of activity of pepsinogen is not due to a deformation of the active site. Nine ion pairs in pepsinogen may be important in the advent of activation and involve the activation peptide or regions of the mature N-terminus which are relocated in the mature enzyme. The activation peptide-pepsin junction, 44P-1, is characterized by high thermal parameters and weak density, indicating a flexible structure which would be accessible to cleavage. Pepsinogen is an appropriate model for the structures of other zymogens in the aspartic proteinase family.

The X-ray structure of a tetrapeptide bound to the active site of human cyclophilin A

Human cyclophilin A (165 residues) has peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase activity. Here we report a high-resolution three-dimensional X-ray structure of a substrate, ac-Ala-Ala-Pro-Ala-amc (ac, acetyl; amc, amidomethylcoumarin) bound to the active-site of cyclophilin. The structure consisting of a dimer of complexes and 135 water molecules was refined to a crystallographic R-factor of 17.7% for all data in the range 8 A-2.3 A.

Approaches to molecular modeling studies and specific application to serotonin ligands and receptors

Molecular modeling studies are useful in as much as they may allow us to understand the activity and selectivity of currently existing agents, and, furthermore, may aid in the design of completely novel therapeutic agents. There are two basic modeling strategies: the ligand-ligand approach and the ligand-receptor approach. Both approaches possess certain inherent advantages and disadvantages and, in addition, make certain assumptions about the agents and/or receptors being investigated. Keeping with the spirit of this minisymposium, we describe these two approaches, their general usefulness, and their limitations. Using serotonin (5-HT) receptors as a focal point, we review and provide novel examples of molecular modeling studies involving both strategies. Presented for the first time are examples of ligand-receptor models to account for the binding of serotonergic agents at 5-HT2 and 5-HT1C receptors.

Crystal structures of alpha-lytic protease complexes with irreversibly bound phosphonate esters

The structures of the complexes with alpha-lytic protease of both phosphorus stereoisomers of N-[(2S)-2-[[[(1R)-1-[N-[(tert-butyloxycarbonyl)-L-alanyl-L-alanyl- L-prolyl]amino]-2-methylpropyl]-phenoxyphosphinyl]oxy]propanoyl]- L-alanine methyl ester, an analogue of the peptide Boc-Ala-Ala-Pro-Val-Ala-Ala where Val is replaced with an analogous phosphonate phenyl ester and the subsequent Ala is replaced with lactate, have been determined to high resolution (1.9 A) by X-ray crystallography. Both stereoisomers inactivate the enzyme but differ by a factor of 2 in the second-order rate constant for inactivation [Sampson, N. S., & Bartlett, P. A. (1991) Biochemistry (preceding paper in this issue)]. One isomer (B) forms a tetrahedral adduct in which the phosphonate phenyl ester is displaced by the active site serine (S195) and interacts with the enzyme across seven substrate recognition sites that span both sides of the scissile bond. Seven hydrogen bonds are formed with the enzyme, and 510 A2 of hydrophobic surface area is buried when the inhibitor interacts with the enzyme. Although two hydrogen bonds are gained by incorporation of two residues on the C-terminal side of the scissile bond into the inhibitor, there is very little adjustment in the structure of the enzyme in this region. Surprisingly, the active site histidine (H57) does not interact with the phosphonate, apparently because the phosphonate lacks negative charge in or near the oxyanion hole, and instead, the side chain rotates out of the active site cleft and hydrogen bonds with solvent. The other isomer (A) forms a mixture of two different tetrahedral adducts in the active site, both covalently bonded to Ser 195. One adduct, at approximately 58% occupancy, is exactly the same in structure as the complex formed with isomer B, and the other adduct, at 42% occupancy, has lost the two residues C-terminal to the scissile bond by hydrolysis. In the lower occupancy structure, His 57 does not rotate out of the active site and forms a hydrogen bond with the phosphonate oxygen instead. The structures of both complexes were insensitive to pH. As very little change in structure accompanies the histidine rotation, the complex with isomer B provides an excellent mimic for the structure of the transition state (or high-energy reaction intermediate) that spans both sides of the scissile bond.

Interaction of the peptide CF3-Leu-Ala-NH-C6H4-CF3 (TFLA) with porcine pancreatic elastase. X-ray studies at 1.8 A

The peptide trifluoroacetyl-Leu-Ala-(p-trifluoromethylanilide), is a reversible inhibitor of pancreatic porcine elastase and is characterized by a Km of 2.5 x 10(-8) M. Co-crystals of the 1:1 complex were obtained in an acetate buffer + dimethylformamide solution at pH 5.7. Diffraction data were recorded on films at the LURE synchrotron facility. The inhibitor was localized on difference Fourier maps, and the refinement of the structure was performed by simulated annealing (XPLOR). The current agreement factor is R = 19% (for 13224 observed structure factors and 1.8 A effective resolution). The RMS deviations from ideality of bond distances and angles are 0.02 A and 2 degrees, respectively. The inhibitor molecule was found in the active site, bent around the side chain of Phe-215 in a geometry that resembles the previously reported structure of the CF3-Lys-Ala complex at 2.5 A, in a parallel beta-sheet association with the loop 214-216. The analysis of the close contacts (less than 3.5 A) indicates that the trifluoromethylamide bond interacts with the active site and not the Leu-Ala or Ala-anilide bonds. The two fluorinated groups of the inhibitor exhibit different specificities: the trifluoroacetyl group (N terminus) is tightly stacked between the two chain loops 191-195 and 213-215, while the trifluoromethylanilide (C terminus) shows less specificity and only a single contact.

Crystallographic analysis of the inhibition of porcine pancreatic elastase by a peptidyl boronic acid: structure of a reaction intermediate

The crystal structure of porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE) complexed to carbobenzoxy-alanylisoleucine-boronic acid (ZAIB) is reported to 2.09-A resolution and refined to an R factor of 0.15. This is the first reported structural analysis of PPE with an isoleucine residu in the primary specificity pocket. The results include (1) marked displacement of the inhibitor out of the active site leading to (2) a close (2.2 A) direct contact between B (boron atom of the inhibitor) and N epsilon of His-57 and also (3) covalent bonding (1.5 A) to O gamma of Ser-195. A scheme for the mechanism of inhibition of PPE by ZAIB is proposed. A comparison with a peptidyl difluoromethyl ketone-PPE complex (Ki = 9.5 microns) is made to explain the strong inhibition of PPE by ZAIB (Ki = 0.3 micron). These results lead us to characterize this structure as a time- and space-averaged reaction intermediate, providing fresh insight into the cramped dimensions available in enzymatic catalyses.

Investigation of the active center of rat pancreatic elastase

We have isolated rat pancreatic elastase I (EC 3.4.21.36) using a fast two-step procedure and we have investigated its active center with p-nitroanilide substrates and trifluoroacetylated inhibitors. These ligands were also used to probe porcine pancreatic elastase I whose amino acid sequence is 84% homologous to rat pancreatic elastase I as reported by MacDonald, et al. (Biochemistry 21, (1982) 1453-1463). Both proteinases exhibited non-Michaelian kinetics for substrates composed of three or four residues: substrate inhibition was observed for most enzyme substrate pairs, but with Ala3-p-nitroanilide, rat elastase showed substrate inhibition, whereas porcine elastase exhibited substrate activation. With most of the longer substrates, Michaelian kinetics were observed. The kcat/Km ratio was used to compare the catalytic efficiency of the two elastases on the different substrates. For both elastases, occupancy of subsite S4 was a prerequisite for efficient catalysis, occupancy of subsite S5 further increased the catalytic efficiency, P2 proline favored catalysis and P1 valine had an unfavorable effect. Rat elastase has probably one more subsite (S6) than its porcine counterpart. The rate-limiting step for the hydrolysis of N-succinyl-Ala3-p-nitroanilide by rat elastase was essentially acylation, whereas both acylation and deacylation rate constants participated in the turnover of this substrate by porcine elastase. For both enzymes, trifluoroacetylated peptides were much better inhibitors than acetylated peptides and trifluoroacetyldipeptide anilides were more potent than trifluoroacetyltripeptide anilides. A number of quantitative differences were found, however, and with one exception, trifluoroacetylated inhibitors were less efficient with rat elastase than with the porcine enzyme.

Structure of human neutrophil elastase in complex with a peptide chloromethyl ketone inhibitor at 1.84-A resolution

Human neutrophil elastase (HNE) has been implicated as a major contributor to tissue destruction in various disease states, including emphysema. The structure of HNE, at neutral pH, in complex with methoxysuccinyl-Ala-Ala-Pro-Ala chloromethyl ketone (MSACK), has been solved and refined to an R factor of 16.4% at 1.84-A resolution. Results are consistent with the currently accepted mechanism of peptide chloromethyl ketone inhibition of serine proteases, in that MSACK cross-links the catalytic residues His-57 and Ser-195. The structure of the HNE-MSACK complex is compared with that of porcine pancreatic elastase in complex with L-647,957, a beta-lactam inhibitor of both elastases. The distribution of positively charged residues on HNE is highly asymmetric and may play a role in its specific association with the underlying negatively charged proteoglycan matrix of the neutrophil granules in which the enzyme is stored.

X-ray diffraction analysis of the inhibition of porcine pancreatic elastase by a peptidyl trifluoromethylketone

X-ray crystallographic data to 2.57 A resolution (1 A = 0.1 nm) have been measured for the complex of a peptidyl trifluoromethylketone inhibitor with porcine pancreatic elastase (PPE); R = 0.14. The inhibitor forms a stable complex with the enzyme by means of a covalent attachment to active site Ser195O gamma, resulting in a hemiketal moiety with tetrahedral geometry. The tripeptide protion binds as an antiparallel beta-sheet, with four hydrogen bonds augmenting the active-site covalent linkage, Ki = 9.5 microM. His57 exhibits a bifurcated H-bond to both Ser195O gamma and an F atom of the inhibitor. This study is one of a series which explores the binding geometry of a variety of small substrates and inhibitors to PPE. This peptidyl-PPE complex affords insight into the binding geometry of a novel trifluoromethylketone moiety to a serine proteinase.

Anhydroelastase: enhanced affinity toward product-type ligands revealed by affinity chromatography

Anhydroelastase was effectively isolated by a single operation of affinity chromatography from a complex mixture produced by phenylmethylsulfonylation and alkaline treatment of porcine pancreatic elastase. The adsorbent used for the chromatography was 6-aminohexanoyl-trialanine, which corresponds to a product of elastase action, immobilized on Sepharose 4B. Successful resolution by the operation indicated that this immobilized ligand possesses the highest affinity for anhydroelastase among various proteins including regenerated elastase in the mixture. Comparative affinity chromatography on immobilized anhydroelastase and on immobilized native elastase further confirmed the stronger interaction of anhydroelastase with the product-type peptides. Immobilized anhydroelastase was also found to be useful in the purification and search for naturally occurring proteinase inhibitors.

Crystal structures of the complex of porcine pancreatic elastase with two valine-derived benzoxazinone inhibitors

The crystal structures of porcine pancreatic elastase complexed to two similar benzoxazinone inhibitors are reported to 2.09 A and 1.76 A resolution, and refined to conventional R factors of 0.153 and 0.172.

Energy minimization and molecular dynamics studies of Asn-102 elastase

Four isomeric forms of the Asn-102 PPE (D102N mutant according to the emerging protocol, [Knowles, Science, 236 (1987) 1252-1258]) have been investigated using energy minimization (EM) and molecular dynamics (MD) techniques. MD simulation data for 175 ps are reported for each form (in total 700 ps for about 2500 atoms). The His-57 N epsilon-protonated forms are calculated to be more stable than the N delta-protonated ones. The active site region of the most stable form is very similar to that found in the D102N rat trypsin enzyme [Craik et al., Science, 237 (1987) 909-913]. Conformations of the active sites and their hydrogen bond patterns are presented for each of these forms and are compared with the structure of the native enzyme active site. The pH dependent activity of the D102N derivative is discussed.

Stereochemistry of binding of the tetrapeptide acetyl-Pro-Ala-Pro-Tyr-NH2 to porcine pancreatic elastase. Combined use of two-dimensional transferred nuclear Overhauser enhancement measurements, restrained molecular dynamics, X-ray crystallography and molecular modelling

A nuclear magnetic resonance study of the conformation of the tetrapeptide acetyl-Pro-Ala-Pro-Tyr-NH2 bound to porcine pancreatic elastase is presented. From two-dimensional transferred nuclear Overhauser enhancement measurements, a set of 23 approximate distance restraints between pairs of bound ligand protons, indicative of an extended type structure, is derived. The structure of the bound tetrapeptide is then refined from two different starting structures (an extended beta-strand and a polyproline helix) by restrained molecular dynamics, in which the interproton distances are incorporated into the total energy of the system in the form of effective potentials. Convergence to essentially the same average restrained dynamics structures is achieved. The refined structures are then modelled into the active site of elastase by interactive molecular graphics. The determination of the anchor point of the bound tetrapeptide on the enzyme was aided by a simultaneous crystallographic study which, despite the fact that only electron density for a Pro-X dipeptide fragment was visible, enabled both the approximate position and orientation of binding to be determined. It is found that the tetrapeptide is bound in the S' binding site in the reverse orientation found in other serine protease-inhibitor complexes and is stabilized both by hydrogen-bonding and by van der Waals' interactions.