Wiedemeyer SJA, Wu G, Pham TLP, Lang-Henkel H, Perez Urzua B, Whisstock JC, Law RHP, Steinmetzer T. Synthesis and Structural Characterization of Macrocyclic Plasmin Inhibitors.
ChemMedChem 2023;
18:e202200632. [PMID:
36710259 DOI:
10.1002/cmdc.202200632]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Two series of macrocyclic plasmin inhibitors with a C-terminal benzylamine group were synthesized. The substitution of the N-terminal phenylsulfonyl group of a previously described inhibitor provided two analogues with sub-nanomolar inhibition constants. Both compounds possess a high selectivity against all other tested trypsin-like serine proteases. Furthermore, a new approach was used to selectively introduce asymmetric linker segments. Two of these compounds inhibit plasmin with Ki values close to 2 nM. For the first time, four crystal structures of these macrocyclic inhibitors could be determined in complex with a Ser195Ala microplasmin mutant. The macrocyclic core segment of the inhibitors binds to the open active site of plasmin without any steric hindrance. This binding mode is incompatible with other trypsin-like serine proteases containing a sterically demanding 99-hairpin loop. The crystal structures obtained experimentally explain the excellent selectivity of this inhibitor type as previously hypothesized.
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