Potent and selective nonpeptide inhibitors of caspases 3 and 7

J Med Chem. 2001 Jun 7;44(12):2015-26. doi: 10.1021/jm0100537.

Abstract

5-Dialkylaminosulfonylisatins have been identified as potent, nonpeptide inhibitors of caspases 3 and 7. The most active compound within this series (34) inhibited caspases 3 and 7 in the 2-6 nM range and exhibited approximately 1000-fold selectivity for caspases 3 and 7 versus a panel of five other caspases (1, 2, 4, 6, and 8) and was at least 20-fold more selective versus caspase 9. Sequence alignments of the active site residues of the caspases strongly suggest that the basis of this selectivity is due to binding in the S2 subsite comprised of residues Tyr204, Trp206, and Phe256 which are unique to caspases 3 and 7. These compounds inhibit apoptosis in three cell-based models: human Jurkat T cells, human chondrocytes, and mouse bone marrow neutrophils.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemical synthesis
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry
  • Antineoplastic Agents / toxicity
  • Apoptosis / drug effects
  • Caspase 3
  • Caspase 7
  • Caspase Inhibitors*
  • Cell Line
  • Cell Survival / drug effects
  • Chondrocytes / cytology
  • Chondrocytes / drug effects
  • Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / chemical synthesis*
  • Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / chemistry
  • Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • Drug Design
  • Humans
  • Isatin / analogs & derivatives*
  • Isatin / chemical synthesis*
  • Isatin / chemistry
  • Isatin / pharmacology
  • Jurkat Cells
  • Kinetics
  • Mice
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Neutrophils / cytology
  • Neutrophils / drug effects
  • Neutrophils / physiology
  • Recombinant Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Sulfonamides / chemical synthesis*
  • Sulfonamides / chemistry
  • Sulfonamides / pharmacology

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Caspase Inhibitors
  • Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors
  • Recombinant Proteins
  • Sulfonamides
  • Isatin
  • CASP3 protein, human
  • CASP7 protein, human
  • Casp3 protein, mouse
  • Casp7 protein, mouse
  • Caspase 3
  • Caspase 7