Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

H Umeyama

Publications and source records attributed to H Umeyama.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Orally potent human renin inhibitors derived from angiotensinogen transition state: design, synthesis, and mode of interaction.

A three-dimensional structure of the complex of human renin and the scissile site P4 Pro to P1' Val of angiotensinogen was deduced in order to design potent human renin inhibitors rationally. On the basis of this structure, an orally potent human renin inhibitor (1a) was designed from the angiotensinogen transition state and synthesized. The inhibitor 1a contains a (2R)-3-(morpholinocarbonyl)-2-(1-naphthylmethyl)propionyl residue (P4-P3) with a retro-inverso amide bond, L-histidine, and a novel amino acid, (2R,3S)-3-amino-4-cyclohexyl-2-hydroxybutyric acid, named cyclohexylnorstatine (2a). The optically pure cyclohexylnorstatine was efficiently prepared from Boc-L-cyclohexylalaninol (3), and the stereochemistry of 1a was established by X-ray crystal analysis. The analyses of interaction between 1a and human renin using modeling techniques indicated that (1) the cyclohexyl group of P1 and the naphthyl group of P3 were accommodated in large hydrophobic subsites S1 and S3, respectively; (2) the imidazole of P2 His was hydrogen bonded to the side chain OH of Ser-233 to contribute to the selectivity of renin inhibition; (3) cyclohexylnorstatine isopropyl ester residue was accommodated in S1-S1'. The importance of the stereochemistry in the potent and specific inhibitor was clearly shown. Oral administration to monkeys of this inhibitor resulted in a drop of 10-20 mmHg in mean blood pressure and a reduction of plasma renin activity for a 5-h period.

Administration, Oral↗

Ab initio study on the transition state of acylation step of trypsin catalysis.

The transition state of acylation step of trypsin catalysis was determined by molecular orbital calculations. The calculations were carried out at the RHF-LCAO-SCF approximation level with double zeta basis set (plus polarization functions). The role of His57 residue in the acylation step of the catalytic reaction of trypsin was analysed from a quantum mechanical point of view. The influences of surrounding residues, such as oxyanion hole and Asp102-, and the electrostatic effect of the other regions of the enzyme were also studied. His57 was proved to capture the proton from Ser195 side chain terminus with its lone pair and to transfer it to substrate with electrostatic assistance of Asp102- and oxyanion hole.

Acylation↗

Synthesis of human renin inhibitory peptides, angiotensinogen transition-state analogs containing a retro-inverso amide bond.

The experimental details for the synthesis of human renin inhibitors are described. In order to avoid metabolic degradation of the Phe-His (P3-P2) amide bond in transition-state analogs, structurally modified acyl residues (P4-P3) were incorporated into the inhibitors. Compound 1a, which contained 2-(1-naphthylmethyl)-3-(N-phenethylcarbamoyl)propionyl residue (P4-P3) with a retro-inverso amide bond, L-histidine, and norstatine isoamylamide residue (P1-P1) as a transition-state mimic, had potent human renin inhibitory activity, and it lowered blood pressure when administered orally to common marmosets.

Amides↗

X-ray analysis of a thrombin inhibitor-trypsin complex.

The three-dimensional structure of a thrombin inhibitor-trypsin complex has been determined by an X-ray analysis at 2.5 A resolution. The result has given experimental support to the mechanisms previously proposed by the authors for the selective inhibition of trypsin, thrombin, factor Xa, and plasmin by inhibitors with an arginine or lysine backbone. The differences in the amino acid sequences at the positions corresponding to Ilc63, Leu99, and Ser190 of trypsin give each enzyme different binding affinities toward inhibitors and result in the selective inhibition. Furthermore, the X-ray analysis has revealed a novel type of interaction between the inhibitor and trypsin. The hydrogen bonds between the inhibitor main chain and trypsin Gly216 play an essential role in the complex formation.

Crystallization↗

Alignment of protein sequences using the hydrophobic core scores.

Making an alignment of the amino acid sequences is an essential step in the prediction of an unknown protein structure by model building from the known structure of a protein of the same family. To improve the accuracy of the alignments, we introduced the concept of hydrophobic core scores, which restrains putting insertions/deletions in the hydrophobic core regions of the protein. Eight pairs of protein sequences were aligned by this method, and the quality of the alignments were assessed by reference to those obtained by the structural superposition. The introduction of the hydrophobic core scores derived from the knowledge of the tertiary structure of one of each pair resulted in an improvement of the accuracy of the alignments. The quality of the alignment was found to depend on the homology of the protein sequences.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Selective inhibition of thrombin- and plasmin-induced platelet aggregation by a synthetic peptide disulfide.

1. A synthetic peptide disulfide, Gln-Val-Val-Cys(NpyS)-Gly-NH2 (P1) inhibited thrombin and plasmin-induced platelet aggregation and cleavage of aggregin. P1 did not inhibit platelet aggregation induced by other agonists nor did it inhibit shape change. 2. P1 also inhibited purified platelet calpain II. 3. The correspondence between the molecular structure of P1 and inhibitory sequence of the peptide in domain 2 of high molecular weight kininogen has shed light on the molecular nature of the cellular mechanism underlying thrombin- and plasmin-induced platelet aggregation and the inhibition by P1. 4. P1 may prove to be useful in designing and improving future protocols of thrombolytic therapy to prevent reocclusion. P1 may also have a role in inhibiting thrombin formed during angioplasty and thus preventing restenosis.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Characterization of N-linked oligosaccharides attached to human renin expressed in COS cells.

To study the role of N-linked oligosaccharides attached to human renin, we generated three kinds of glycosylation-deficient renins in which one or both of two putative N-glycosylation sites was eliminated by amino acid replacement using site-directed mutagenesis. Examination of the three mutant renins (Asn-5 to Ala, Asn-75 to Ala, and both Asn-5 and -75 to Ala) expressed in COS cells demonstrated that both putative sites were certainly glycosylated with heterologous N-linked oligosaccharides. Moreover, the oligosaccharide chain attached at Asn-5 was different from that attached at Asn-75 in its molecular size. In addition, the secreted amount of the three mutant renins were different from one another, although the mutant and wild-type renins had practically the same specific activity. Our results suggest that the N-linked oligosaccharides have no effect on the enzymatic activity, but play an important role in stable secretion of human renin.

Cell Line↗

A predicted tertiary structure of a thrombin inhibitor-trypsin complex explains the mechanisms of the selective inhibition of thrombin, factor Xa, plasmin, and trypsin.

The tertiary structure of a thrombin inhibitor-trypsin complex has been predicted by a molecular modelling considering the van der Waals interactions between the inhibitor and the enzyme. The selective inhibition of trypsin, thrombin, factor Xa, and plasmin exhibited by arginine and lysine derivatives has been clearly explained based on the predicted structure and the homology in the amino acid sequences of these enzymes. The differences in the amino acid sequences at the positions corresponding to Ile63, Leu99, and Ser190 of trypsin give each enzyme different binding affinities toward inhibitors and result in the selective inhibition. The X-ray analysis of the inhibitor-trypsin complex is in progress to prove the predicted structure.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Binding specificity of papain and cathepsin B.

In order to obtain useful information for the design of inhibitors of cathepsin B, an important enzyme in both physiological and pathological processes, the modes of interaction between ligands and thiol proteases (papain and cathepsin B) were analyzed. A new and powerful method was developed to quantitatively understand geometrical features of the interaction. Fairly good electrostatic complementarities were found for the oxygen atoms of P1 and P2 amide, and for the hydrogen atom of P2 amide. Electrostatic correlation potentials on the side chains of P1 and P2 were nearly neutral, so that interacting conformations in these regions are anticipated to be stabilized by hydrophobic forces rather than electrostatic ones. A three-dimensional structure of rat liver cathepsin B was deduced based on the assumption that the tertiary structure of cathepsin B is similar to that of actinidin. Furthermore, an inhibitor of the thiol proteases, benzyloxycarbonyl-L-phenylalanyl-L-alanine chloromethyl ketone was model fitted to cathepsin B, in order to investigate its mode of interaction with the enzyme. It was possible to account for some structure-activity relationships in the enzyme-ligand interactions.

Amino Acid Sequence↗